Tennessee Vols fans need to root hard for a huge rival to start the month of November
It's going to feel weird, but Tennessee Vols fans need to root hard for one of UT's biggest rivals this weekend. Tennessee is in a good spot entering the final month of the regular season. If the Vols win out, they could secure a first round bye in the College Football Playoff. If they suffer […]
It's going to feel weird, but Tennessee Vols fans need to root hard for one of UT's biggest rivals this weekend.
Tennessee is in a good spot entering the final month of the regular season. If the Vols win out, they could secure a first round bye in the College Football Playoff. If they suffer another loss, it's still possible that the Vols could reach the playoff, depending on how the final month of the season plays out.
One result that would greatly help the Volunteers would be the Florida Gators defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville this weekend.
Georgia is currently 6-1 and ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll. If the Bulldogs win out, they'll head to the SEC Championship game where they'll likely be playing for a first round bye (and possibly the top overall seed in the playoff).
If Georgia loses to Florida, it would absolutely wreck the playoff picture going into the final few weeks of the season. The Bulldogs would suddenly need to win out to secure a spot in the playoff. And Tennessee's overtime win earlier this season against the Gators — a win that has been viewed as a negative for the Vols because of what it took to beat a Florida team that wasn't perceived to be very good — would instantly turn into a quality win, dramatically shifting how the Vols are viewed by the national media.
Georgia is a 16 point favorite against Florida, so it's a long shot that the Gators can pull off the upset. Florida, however, played well against Kentucky two weeks ago, scoring 48 points in a win against the Wildcats (Georgia, meanwhile, scored just 13 points in a win against Kentucky earlier this season).
Florida head coach Billy Napier probably needs a win against Georgia to have a legitimate shot at keeping his job. The Gators will be fired up to take on the Bulldogs. And the way this season has gone so far, I don't think Florida beating Georgia is unrealistic.
It may not feel good for Tennessee fans to root for Florida, but a Gators win this weekend would also be a win for the Vols.
The secret to quickly unlocking Nico Iamaleava’s talent has been discovered, but Tennessee might not be willing to do it
Kinda a catch 22 for the Vols
