Tennessee football: 5 big advantages Vols have over South Carolina

5. Vols have more reason for excitement.

Both teams have a lot to play for on Saturday. The South Carolina Gamecocks have more urgency. At 3-3 coming off a bye, they need this win to make it easier to keep their bowl hopes alive. A loss could be devastating.

Tennessee football, meanwhile, is playing with no pressure. The Vols were expected to start the year 2-6, and by beating the Auburn Tigers, they’re already ahead of schedule. A win at South Carolina would just be another huge boost, and with one sure win and three toss-up games down the stretch, two of which are at home, they have plenty of chances to reach their goal of six wins anyway.

As a result, Jeremy Pruitt’s team heads into the game with significantly less pressure than South Carolina does. Now, you could say that’s a reason for South Carolina to play better. But Will Muschamp hasn’t shown a consistent ability in the past to do that with his teams when their backs are against the wall.

Just look at the Florida Gators teams of 2013 and 2014. Once the snowball got rolling, he couldn’t stop it. Even with a bye, the same thing could happen here. Meanwhile, the Vols will be playing this game with a ton of excitement and treating it as a huge opportunity.

That’s exactly what they did against the Auburn Tigers, and it’s why they won. Don’t read anything into what the 58-21 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide did to their morale. Nick Saban is doing that to everybody this year. It has no bearing on the Vols’ season overall.