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All for Tennessee Official SEC, New Year’s Six, and College Football Playoff Bowl Projections Following Week 13 of the Season

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers receiver Josh Malone (3) celebrates after a touchdown reception during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers receiver Josh Malone (3) celebrates after a touchdown reception during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 28, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; General exterior view of NRG Stadium before a NFL football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans. NRG Stadium will play host to Super Bowl LI on Feb 5, 2017. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 28, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; General exterior view of NRG Stadium before a NFL football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans. NRG Stadium will play host to Super Bowl LI on Feb 5, 2017. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Pre-New Year’s Day Bowl Projections Part I

Independence Bowl: Monday, Dec. 26 at 5 p.m.; Independence Stadium; Shreveport, La.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs N.C. State Wolfpack

After a crazy series of upsets this weekend, we have the South Carolina Gamecocks remaining at the bottom tier of SEC teams going to bowl games. They are second to last, to be exact. And since they’re second to last, they’ll go to the second worst bowl game for the SEC in our bowl projections, one where they still play a Power Five team.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets moved above this spot after beating the Georgia Bulldogs over the weekend, and that moves the N.C. State Wolfpack to here. Both teams are 6-6, and this will be exciting Carolina War in Louisiana.

Texas Bowl: Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 9 p.m.; NRG Stadium; Houston, Texas

Kentucky Wildcats vs TCU Horned Frogs

Well look at that! All of a sudden, the Kentucky Wildcats are playing better than maybe anybody in the SEC outside of Alabama, and as such, they’ve moved ahead of the bottom tier of the SEC. Right now, the Wildcats would be a better fit for the Liberty Bowl in this regard, but because of an automatic ranking in the Big 12 bid, they will probably go to Texas to avoid a rematch between the Arkansas Razorbacks and TCU Horned Frogs.

TCU looks like it will be the team to get the automatic bid here after blowing out the Texas Longhorns and moving convincingly ahead of the Baylor Bears in the Big 12 standings. And given the win Mark Stoops’s team got over the Louisville Cardinals, they have earned the right to face the tougher opponent in our bowl projections.

Birmingham Bowl: Thursday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m.; Legion Field; Birmingham, Ala.

Vanderbilt Commodores vs Temple Owls

Well, we had the Ole Miss Rebels here. But all of a sudden, the Vanderbilt Commodores are going bowling! Derek Mason’s team scored a huge upset over the Tennessee Vols this past weekend, followed by their huge upset over the Ole Miss Rebels. And with an offense that can play, this might be the most dangerous team in all of college football.

Still, our bowl projections have them as the worst SEC team in at 6-6, and as a result, they will join the South Carolina Gamecocks in a bottom-tier bowl. Vanderbilt will go to Birmingham and face the Temple Owls, the same team that blew out Mason’s team in his first game ever as Vanderbilt’s head coach. Temple moved here after Memphis’s upset over Houston dramatically shook up the AAC rankings last week. Vanderbilt-Temple would be fun to watch, and maybe this time the Commodores won’t have seven turnovers.

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