Tennessee Football: Week 10 Bowl Projections for Vols

With the Tennessee football team currently 4-4 going into Week 10, here are places where analysts are predicting the Volunteers will play their bowl game.

A 52-21 dominant victory on the road over the Kentucky Wildcats has the Tennessee Vols now at 4-4 after playing arguably the hardest schedule in all of college football through the first eight games.

Despite a .500 record and no shot at a national title, College Football Playoff appearance, or conference or divisional title in the SEC East, the Vols still are gaining some respect by many analysts to play in a legitimate bowl game.

But for the most part, a near consensus has arisen, and the projections imply that most people think Tennessee will win out.

Despite being unranked now, the finish to the season and the bowl game they are projected to go to leaves the Vols in great position to finish the season strong. A New Year’s Six game is pretty much out of the question. But there are other things in play.

And with a strong finish to the season, the projections could look even better in the next few weeks.

Here is a roundup of where college football experts are predicting the Vols will go.

Jerry Palm, CBS Sports: Belk Bowl; Opponent: North Carolina State Wolfpack

Pretty much the bowl game of conventional wisdom for lots of people, Palm has the Vols facing the Wolfpack in Charlotte, N.C. on Dec. 30. Although the game is in North Carolina, you can bet that if Tennessee played in it, their fans would significantly outnumber N.C. State fans.

N.C. State is currently 5-3 and will likely finish the year 7-5, so this would be an easy win for Tennessee. But it would be nice to pick up more of a quality victory in the bowl game.

Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Belk Bowl; Opponent: North Carolina Tar Heels

Same bowl game for the Vols, and same state that the opponent is in. But Mark Schlabach has Tennessee facing the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Belk Bowl, which would be a rematch of the 2010 Music City Bowl. This would be a better opponent overall, as UNC is in the Top 25.

But Schlabach’s placement of UNC in this bowl game is based on the fact that they will likely not keep up this success. Duke and Miami at home are next, then there’s Virginia Tech and N.C. State on the road. UNC would likely split those games somehow to get to 9-3. And that would at least make for a more intriguing match-up.

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Brett McMurphy, ESPN: Music City Bowl; Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers

This is the height of disrespect for the Vols. Not playing Indiana, but going to Nashville for the Music City Bowl at the end of the year. Tennessee would have to lose another game to be relegated to a bowl game that low.

And to think they will lose again shows no faith in them. The Vols have the easiest cupcake schedule the rest of the year and had better not lose another football game. And if Tennessee gets to 8-4 and does fall to the Music City Bowl, it will be an embarrassment. Indiana is looking like it might miss a bowl game now anyway.

Phil Steele, PhilSteele.com: Belk Bowl; Opponent: Pittsburgh Panthers

Back to the consensus among everybody else, Phil Steele has the Vols in the Belk Bowl as well, only they are not playing a North Carolina football team on his watch. In inexplicable fashion, he has the Vols playing the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Would they really be invited to go to North Carolina? Well, this would at least be an exciting opponent. The Panthers are 6-2 and should at least finish the year 8-4. Tennessee could score a quality victory over them to get into the Top 25.

Pete Fiutak, Campus Insiders: Music City Bowl; Opponent: North Carolina State Wolfpack

We are back to the same predicted match-up as Jerry Palm of CBS Sports, Tennessee vs. N.C. State. only this time, the game would be played a few hours west of Knoxville in Tennesse’s home state, rather than a few hours east in N.C. State’s home state.

Still, once again, it’s disrespect. This projection is based on the idea that Tennessee will go 7-5. That would be a huge disappointment. N.C. State getting there is one thing. They probably will go 7-5. Tennessee had better not stumble to that record given how easy their last four games are.

Next: All for Tennessee Official Week 10 SEC Power Rankings

Official All for Tennessee Bowl Projection for Vols: Outback Bowl; Opponent: Penn State Nittany Lions