Tennessee fans have a pretty simple scoreboard to watch Saturday night: pull for Lane Kiffin and LSU.
The setup is all about the SEC race and the College Football Playoff picture. No.
21 LSU hosts No. 6 Texas at Tiger Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
ET on ABC, and if No. 8 Tennessee handles Texas A&M earlier in the day, the Vols will have a vested interest in the Tigers doing their part.
A Texas loss would help Tennessee in the SEC title chase. It would also make LSU look better as a future opponent when the Tigers come to Knoxville the following Saturday.
Right now, Tennessee and Texas are both 7-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play. Texas owns the head-to-head edge after its 20-17 win at Neyland Stadium in September, which means the Longhorns would win a two-team tie. But if LSU hands Texas a third conference loss, Tennessee could finish ahead of the Longhorns outright by beating Texas A&M, LSU and Vanderbilt to reach 7-2 in league play.
The bigger picture gets even cleaner if Texas drops behind Tennessee in the conference standings. Georgia still leads the SEC at 6-1, while Alabama and Kentucky are both sitting at 5-2.
Tennessee has already beaten both Alabama and Kentucky, and those results would matter if the league has to break a tie. In a crowded finish, the SEC can also turn to common opponents and the combined conference winning percentage of each team’s league opponents.
Taking Texas out of a possible 7-2 tie would make life easier for the Vols.
There’s also the playoff angle. Texas is two spots ahead of Tennessee in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
If the Longhorns take another loss, their at-large case takes a hit. Meanwhile, a 10-2 Tennessee team could lean on wins over Alabama, Kentucky and an LSU squad that would have just beaten the committee’s No. 6 team.
If LSU wins, the Tigers would come to Neyland Stadium on Nov. 21 at 7-3. That would give Tennessee a chance to add another late-season win over a team fresh off a victory against one of the Vols’ closest playoff competitors. And if Tennessee is still in position to host a first-round game, that kind of result would matter when the bracket is set.
Kiffin will have plenty to say about the atmosphere in Knoxville next week. On Saturday, though, he can help shape the stakes. The Vols have business to handle in College Station first.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Got A Mike Matthews Scare It Couldnt Afford
Tennessees offense took another hit Saturday when leading receiver Mike Matthews went down with a lower-body injury in the second quarter against Texas A&M and left the game on crutches. The sight alone was enough to raise alarms for a Volunteers team that has already spent much of the season navigating injuries and trying to keep its attack on schedule.
Matthews has been one of the most important pieces in Tennessees passing game, so any absence would carry real weight for an offense that needs him to stay on the field. For now, the only certainty is that the Vols are waiting on word about the extent of the injury, and that uncertainty hangs over a stretch where every healthy playmaker matters. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has A New CFP Ranking Fight Fans Wont Like
The latest College Football Playoff rankings gave Tennessee another reason to grumble, even after the Vols beat Alabama on the field. Alabama landed at No. 3 while Tennessee checked in at No. 8, a gap that immediately raised eyebrows because the head-to-head result would seem to favor the Vols in any fair comparison.
Committee chairman Hunter Yurachek pointed to Alabamas stronger strength of schedule as the explanation, but not everyone bought it. Former quarterback Chase Daniel said he was confused by the decision and disagreed with the committees logic, while both teams still have quality wins and losses that could keep reshaping the picture as the season plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Defensive Depth Just Took Another Hit At Texas A&M
Tennessees defensive front is already navigating a stretched-thin week, and now another piece has been taken out of the mix. Rotational interior defensive lineman JJ Finch has been ruled out for the Volunteers game at Texas A&M because of illness, adding to a growing list of absences as the team tries to piece together its depth for a tough road matchup.
The timing is less than ideal with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, especially for a defense that has already had to absorb multiple season-ending injuries and other players unavailable for this one. For Tennessee, the challenge is no longer just about matching up with the Aggies, but about finding enough healthy bodies inside to hold up for four quarters. [Read more 🡒]