Tennessee gets a much-needed pause on Halloween, but the break won’t last long.
After the Vols’ emphatic home win over then-No. 6 Alabama, they turned around and suffered a stunning loss at South Carolina, where the Gamecocks scored 10 points in the final 1:17 to steal the upset. That roller-coaster stretch has left Tennessee with plenty to sort through before the season’s next big challenge.
The Vols return next week for a home matchup with surprise SEC leader Kentucky, which is ranked No. 9 and has lost only once this season - to Alabama in Week 2. The Wildcats will arrive in Neyland with momentum, and Tennessee will have to use its bye week to reset before that showdown.
After Kentucky, the Vols still have trips to Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, plus a home game against LSU remaining on the schedule.
Tennessee’s next game is set for Saturday, Nov. 7 against Kentucky at 6:15 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN and can also be streamed on Fubo.
Here’s the rest of Tennessee’s regular-season slate:
- Sat., Nov. 14 at Texas A&M - TBD
- Sat., Nov. 21 vs.
LSU - TBD
- Sat., Nov. 28 at Vanderbilt - TBD
For fans watching the broader college football picture this weekend, Week 9 brings a full Saturday slate, including No. 5 Notre Dame vs.
Navy at noon on ABC, No. 3 Georgia vs.
No. 17 Florida at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, and No.
1 Miami vs. North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Tennessee, though, won’t be part of the action until next weekend.
In Other News...
Tennessees Biggest Question Before Kentucky Still Has No Clear Answer
Tennessees quarterback situation remains the central storyline as the Vols work through their bye week before facing Kentucky, and there still is no clear answer on who will lead the offense next. Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre have both gotten starts this season, but neither has fully settled the position, with the offense producing mixed results and struggling to find consistency in SEC play.
Josh Heupel said both quarterbacks are practicing well, which at least gives Tennessee a chance to evaluate the position without the pressure of a game week. Even so, he stopped short of pointing to any imminent change, leaving the Vols with a decision to sort through before they resume conference play against a Kentucky defense that will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kentucky Players Are Making Some Departures Look A Lot Different
The transfer era has turned former Kentucky football players into a familiar presence across the FBS landscape, and the 2026 season has only widened that footprint. A new rundown shows 38 ex-Wildcats now suiting up for other major programs, with the list stretching across positions and spotlighting everything from steady contributors to players carving out bigger roles than they had in Lexington.
What makes the inventory so interesting from Kentuckys side is not just how many names are out there, but how differently their paths have played out once they left. Some have settled into meaningful playing time, others have chipped in statistically, and a few are still searching for a larger foothold at their new schools, leaving the broader picture of those departures more complicated than it first looked. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Could Get A Quiet Resume Boost From Oklahoma-South Carolina
Kentuckys own path is still the one that matters most, but the Wildcats could pick up a subtle resume lift from a game they are not playing. With three SEC road wins already in hand and two more road chances left at Tennessee and Missouri, Kentucky has some room to strengthen its case, and the upcoming Oklahoma-South Carolina matchup could quietly help by adding another quality result to the league ledger.
The stakes there are simple enough: the winner could move to 8-4 and stay in the rankings conversation, which would make Kentuckys strength of schedule look better when the committee starts sorting through the SEC pileup. Both Oklahoma and South Carolina have already taken down ranked teams and still face difficult finishes, so their meeting carries more weight than a typical late-season conference game, especially for a Kentucky team trying to build every possible edge. [Read more 🡒]