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Tennessee football: Vols fans’ rooting guide to make best possible bowl game

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers brings his team onto the field prior to a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers brings his team onto the field prior to a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

LSU Tigers over Texas A&M Aggies

Line: LSU -17; Over/Under: 62.5; TV: ESPN

Saturday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. ET; Tiger Stadium; Baton Rouge, La.

Outside of everything we are talking about, the key for Tennessee football is to finish as highly ranked in the SEC as possible to make their best bowl. We mentioned the fact that the Vols have to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores to get to 7-5 on the year. There was obviously going to be no way around that fact.

However, there is only one team they could mathematically move ahead in the league at this point. That is the Texas A&M Aggies. Theoretically, they could move ahead of the Auburn Tigers if Auburn loses on Saturday, but nobody would give 7-5 UT the nod over 8-4 Auburn just because they had one better game in their SEC records.

Anyway, if Texas A&M loses to LSU, both them and the Vols finish the year 7-5. Meanwhile, UT will have finished the year 5-3 in the SEC, and A&M will have finished the year 4-4. Even if you think Texas A&M is better, that’s enough for the Vols to be a better draw than them for any bowl.

As a result, UT fans need the Tigers to dominate the Aggies to finish 12-0. The other key to this game is the fact that if LSU wins, they are a lock to make the College Football Playoff, regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship game. That makes this game important for the Vols.

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