Tennessee Football: Week 12 Bowl Projections for Vols

Here are the bowl games where major analysts are projecting the Tennessee football team will go. The Volunteers helped their stock by improving to 6-4.

A victory over the North Texas Mean Green was going to do nothing to improve the stock of the Tennessee Vols. An underwhelming 24-0 victory over possibly the worst team in college football would only make it worse if there was any change at all.

That is what happened to the Vols in certain bowl projections this week. There was not a lot of love given to this team, and a few analysts dropped their predictions of where they could go.

It’s hard to say they are wrong, but we are sticking to our guns on that fact. You will find out what we mean at the bottom of this post.

First, let’s take a look at where analysts are projecting the Vols to go this week.

Jerry Palm, CBS: Liberty Bowl; Opponent: Kansas State Wildcats

This remains unchanged for Jerry Palm from last week. The Vols staying in their home state was a major prospect last year as well down the stretch, and playing the Kansas State Wildcats would be a rematch of the 2000 Cotton Bowl.

But it’s a ridiculous prediction. A Tennessee team that will finish at the very least 7-5 is likely to play a team currently 3-6 and likely to not even make a bowl game? Please. Last year the Vols got bumped up beyond the Liberty Bowl after a 6-6 record. The same will happen this year if they have a better record.

Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Belk Bowl; Opponent: Duke Blue Devils

Mark Schlabach has stuck with his Belk Bowl pick for the Vols for a few weeks now, but the opponent keeps changing among North Carolina schools. It was first N.C. State, then it was the Tar Heels.

Now, it’s the Duke Blue Devils. This would be another interesting game. It’s David Cutcliffe against the team that launched his career, the team where he is so beloved as a coordinator. Duke has less talent, but they are arguably the best coached team in all of college football. That would make this a very interesting game.

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Brett McMurphy, ESPN: Music City Bowl; Opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini

Like Schlabach, Brett McMurphy is not backing off of his prediction for the Vols either, sticking to his guns with the Music City Bowl. However, once again, this does not make a lot of since if Butch Jones’s team went to a better bowl game last year at 6-6, which is the worst they can do this year.

Also, the Vols would be stuck with an underwhelming opponent here as well. The Illinois Fighting Illini are a team in transition and stuck at 5-5 and may not even make a bowl game given the last two games on their schedule. At least give Tennessee a worthy opponent.

Phil Steele, PhilSteele.com: Music City Bowl; Opponent: Arizona State Sun Devils

For another week, Phil Steele changed his prediction on the Vols to a bowl game on about the same level as the previous one. This time, if the Vols are in a game of that level, his prediction makes more sense.

The Vols are closer to home in the Music City Bowl, but unlike McMurphy, he at least has them facing a more worthy opponent in the Arizona State Sun Devils. Although they are 5-5 as well, they are much better than Illinois. Still, Tennessee can do better.

Pete Fiutak, Campus Insiders: Liberty Bowl; Opponent: West Virginia Mountaineers

After overreacting last week, Pete Fiutak did not change his prediction for the Vols at all, just like Jerry Palm: same bowl game, same opponent. Also, like Palm that bowl game is the Liberty Bowl.

While we have already pointed out what’s wrong with that bowl projection, fortunately, unlike Palm, Fiutak’s projection has the Vols playing a better opponent at least. The West Virginia Mountaineers are 5-4 and should finish the season 8-4, which would make for a great match-up between two mountain schools that should have been a rivalry years back.

All for Tennessee Bowl Projections for Vols: Outback Bowl; Opponent: Northwestern Wildcats