Well Tennessee fans, here we are. Our Vols are 60 minutes of winning football away from earning a bid to the first ever 12-team playoff. This year’s team has won games in a different way than what we have become accustomed to under Josh Heupel. The defense has made play after play to get the 9 wins the Vols have earned so far, and the offense has put together enough important scoring drives to come out on top when the rubber has met the road.

The only thing that stands in the way of Tennessee punching their playoff ticket is a feisty Vanderbilt team that always frustrates their opponent, and everyone in Tennessee’s building better be ready for a team that would love nothing more than to destroy their playoff aspirations. Some good news for Tennessee is that this is an 11 A.M. local time kickoff which means the 15,000 Commodore fans that show up won’t be as rowdy as it would be for a night game. Some more good news for Tennessee is that ever since Vanderbilt knocked off Alabama their offense hasn’t been nearly as dangerous. After scoring 40 to topple the tide on October 5th the highest scoring output for the Vanderbilt offense has been 24. This doesn’t mean they aren’t capable though as they rarely turn the ball over and chew clock very effectively.

Vanderbilt is no doubt going to try and make this a gross game and force to Tennessee to play at their pace. Which in years past would be concerning but this year Tennessee has done well in classic grind it out SEC football games. At the end of the day, I totally understand the nervousness some have in the fanbase about this game. Tennessee has been in situations like this before and completely pooped their pants in multiple sports. However, if I told you before the season started that all Tennessee has to do is beat Vanderbilt and they make the playoffs we all would have signed up for that.

Tennessee has beaten Vanderbilt 5 times in a row and Josh Heupel teams have yet to play a close game with the Commodores. Including a 56-0 beatdown in Nashville 2 years ago. I think the talent and the circumstance of the game for Tennessee will lead them to a win. If Tennessee were to lose to the Commodores, it would be one of the most demoralizing losses in Tennessee Football history. On the other hand, A win would be the culmination of a Tennessee team that has survived and advanced to the playoffs in one of the craziest years of college football since 2007.