Latest bowl game projection for Tennessee Vols after win over Vanderbilt

The Tennessee Vols got their 10th win of the season on Saturday night via a 56-0 beatdown over the Vanderbilt Commodores. While the Vols almost certainly won't make the College Football Playoff (unless complete chaos happens next weekend…and even then it's a long shot), they improved their odds of making a marquee bowl game. Tennessee's […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Tennessee Vols

The Tennessee Vols got their 10th win of the season on Saturday night via a 56-0 beatdown over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

While the Vols almost certainly won't make the College Football Playoff (unless complete chaos happens next weekend…and even then it's a long shot), they improved their odds of making a marquee bowl game.

Tennessee's win over the Commodores combined with LSU's loss to Texas A&M should lock the Vols into either the Sugar Bowl or the Orange Bowl.

Tennessee Vols
Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright (20) races into the end zone for a touchdown past Vanderbilt safety Maxwell Worship (21) during the third quarter at FirstBank Stadium Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.Ncaa Football Tennessee Volunteers At Vanderbilt Commodores

A week ago, most bowl game projections had the Vols heading to the Cotton Bowl to take on Tulane.

After the win against Vanderbilt, CBS Sports' Jerry Palm projected Tennessee to the Orange Bowl to take on the Clemson Tigers on December 30 in Miami.

Clemson lost at home to South Carolina on Saturday by a final of 31-30.

Tennessee and Clemson have played 19 times with their last meeting coming at the end of the 2003 season when the Tigers beat the Vols 27-14 in the Peach Bowl. Oddly, 2003 was the last time Tennessee won 10 regular season games before this season.

The Vols haven't played in the Orange Bowl since the 1997 season when they lost the de facto national championship game to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Tennessee still has a shot at the Sugar Bowl, but it depends on how the playoff committee ranks Alabama and UT on Tuesday night (the Sugar Bowl will take the highest-ranked SEC team that doesn't make the playoff).

Both teams have 10 wins and the Vols have the better resume plus they beat Alabama head to head.

We'll see how the rankings play out this week. But either way, the Vols are very likely heading to their biggest bowl game in nearly 20 years.

Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Related Articles