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Tennessee football: Vols fans’ 2019 conference championship week rooting guide

By Caleb Calhoun

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: An 'SEC' logo is seen on an end zone pylon before the Missouri Tigers take on the Auburn Tigers during the SEC Championship Game at Georgia Dome on December 7, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: An 'SEC' logo is seen on an end zone pylon before the Missouri Tigers take on the Auburn Tigers during the SEC Championship Game at Georgia Dome on December 7, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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In order to ensure Tennessee football makes the best possible goal, here is a rooting guide for Volunteers fans during conference championship week.

They may not be playing in the SEC Championship this weekend, but Tennessee football still has plenty of things to pay attention to during conference championship week. It’s the first time in a while we can say something like that.

After finishing 7-5 and 5-3 in the SEC, the Vols have a shot at a really good bowl game, surprisingly. They are one of only six teams to finish with a winning record in the conference, and despite their 0-2 start, that leaves them with lots of options this postseason.

As a result, Rocky Top has plenty to pay attention to. Right now, Tennessee football could be the sixth or seventh picked SEC team. Where UT goes bowling will be determined by when they are picked and how many SEC teams get into New Year’s Six bowl games.

All of that comes into play this weekend. Vol Nation shouldn’t just be thinking about the TaxSlayer Bowl or the Outback Bowl. The Citrus Bowl is in play. Now, with the ridiculous anti-SEC bias in the rankings, it’s a bit harder to get to than usual. But it’s still possible, and we’ll focus on that here.

To make the Citrus Bowl, UT needs to be the sixth team taken in the SEC, ahead of the Texas A&M Aggies, while the top five make New Year’s Six bowl games. If the season ended today with the top-ranked team in each Power Five conference qualifying for the automatic bid, the league would have four teams get in and the Alabama Crimson Tide just on the outside looking in.

A few developments this weekend, though, would change that. There are six games to pay attention to. So let’s break down just what Vol fans should hope happens. This is a Tennessee football rooting guide for conference championship weekend in order to assure the Vols their best possible bowl game.

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