Tennessee football at Auburn: 10 keys to the game for Vols and Tigers

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AUBURN, AL – OCTOBER 13: Tennessee Volunteers face off at the line of scrimmage against the Auburn Tigers during the game at Jordan Hare Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

9. Confidence of Vols vs. Auburn’s desire for revenge

There’s plenty of reason for Tennessee football to believe it could pull off the upset over the Auburn Tigers. They did it just two years ago as underdogs with a losing record against this team while it was in the top 25.

Many of the major players in the 2018 upset are still on the team, including Ty Chandler, Alontae Taylor, Josh Palmer, Brent Cimaglia, and yes, Jarrett Guarantano. All of those players were difference-makers in that game.

That game could also result in Auburn being much more determined than they were in 2018. Having already lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks, they certainly don’t want another bad loss. The USC loss and 2018 UT loss should serve as a reminder for what could happen when they overlook bad opponents, and it will likely make them focus more.

At the same time, some of the players have to be familiar with the historical rivalry between the two schools. As a result, Auburn will want revenge. Taking all this into account, will the Vols’ confidence or Auburn’s desire to make up for what happened in 2018 win out? That will play a big role in this game.

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