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Tennessee football: Vols fans 2019-2020 bowl game rooting guide

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 5: The Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs through the end zone after a score against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 5, 2013 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 5: The Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs through the end zone after a score against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 5, 2013 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images
Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images /

20. Sofi Hawai’i Bowl

Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors over BYU Cougars

Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. ET; Aloha Stadium; Honolulu, Hawaii; ESPN

This is a tricky one. The Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors pose a threat to Tennessee football since they are receiving a vote in the Coaches Poll. Meanwhile, the BYU Cougars did face the Vols earlier in the year, meaning them losing would hurt the quality of UT’s schedule strength. However, BYU beat Rocky Top in Knoxville a week after the Georgia State Panthers did.

As a result, UT once again has a much harder sell to be ahead of BYU if both teams win their bowl than they do to be ahead of Wyoming. And BYU is a more dangerous threat to the Vols’ standing that Georgia State. That’s because the Cougars have another Power Five win over the USC Trojans, and as an Independent school, they are a fringe Power Five-caliber team.

So them winning would get them to 8-5, just like UT would get to if they won, and then BYU could sell having beaten the Vols in Knoxville. Now, it’s still likely the Vols stay ahead of them if both things happen, but once again, this is a possibility, which is why we put it on here. BYU is a two-point favorite, though.

On the other hand, at 9-5, Hawai’i won’t move ahead of the Vols if both teams win. Sure, they are receiving a vote in one poll now and will be 10-5. But Rocky Top is already closer to the top 25 than they are, and they have a more highly-touted bowl opponent. So both teams winning would assure that the Vols are the ones who stay ahead of Hawai’i.

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