The Vols will be going to a bowl game for the first time since 2010, and there are several potential match-ups that look extremely intriguing. PHOTO: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
With a 24-17 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, the Vols became bowl eligible for the first time since 2010. That means all the bowl predictions for the Vols are no longer based on speculation on whether or not they’ll even make it to the postseason, but rather they are speculation on where the 6-6 Vols might end up.
Because Tennessee is 6-6 and not 7-5 or better, however, their options are a bit more limited than if they had finished with a better record. Regardless, the Vols will go bowling this season, and here are where some sites are predicting them to play:
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach
Music City Bowl (December 30 in Nashville, TN) vs. Duke Blue Devils
ESPN’s Brett McMurphy
AutoZone Liberty Bowl (December 29 in Memphis, TN) vs West Virginia Mountaineers
CBS Sports
Belk Bowl (December 30 in Charlotte, NC) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Stewart Mandel Fox Sports
Birmingham Bowl (January 3 in Birmingham, AL) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Jason Kirk of SB Nation
Belk Bowl vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Bill Bender of Sporting News
Independence Bowl (December 27 in Shreveport, LA) vs North Carolina Tarheels
Scout.com
Liberty Bowl vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
College Sports Madness
Independence Bowl vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Mike Huguenin of NFL.com
Birmingham Bowl vs. East Carolina Pirates
Zac Ellis of Sports Illustrated
Liberty Bowl vs. West Virginia
As you can see, the Liberty, Belk, and Independence bowls are the ones getting the most play among the prognosticators. And a lot of the sites have them playing similar opponents, even if they’re not in the same bowl.
West Virginia and North Carolina State seem to be popular choices among the experts, but a game against Duke might be the most interesting in these latest predictions. Long-time Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe is the head coach for the Blue Devils, and he’s taken the program to previously unrealized heights, guiding them to the ACC Championship Game last season and another winning record this year.
Notre Dame would be another interesting match-up for the Vols, but West Virginia and NC State are looking like highly probable match-ups for the Vols at this point. Both teams would pose unique problems for a young Tennessee team, and being placed against either team would certainly attract a crowd.
As for my prediction, I think the Vols will land in either the Liberty or Music City Bowl, but the Belk Bowl is looking more and more likely, and they’ve taken to social media to show the Vols some love before a decision is made.
Tennessee just broke our internet... pic.twitter.com/DdiEHaX1mu
— Duke's Mayo Bowl (@DukesMayoBowl) December 2, 2014
So at this point, nothing is set still. But at least the Vols know that this December will be filled with something other than coaching searches and disappointed fans.
Predictions gathered from ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, Sporting News, SB Nation, Scout, NFL.com, Sports Illustrated, and College Sports Madness respectfully