Tennessee football vs. Florida has same opening line as 2001

Could this be a good omen for the Tennessee football Volunteers?

If you’re looking for any sort of positive news or good omens when it comes to Tennessee football, the betting odds may be your place. Historical precedence may be laying the groundwork for a huge upset on that front.

With the Vols on an unscheduled bye and the Florida Gators wrapping up a 34-10 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in a game with a noon kickoff, the line is set for the UT-UF matchup next week at Neyland Stadium. To nobody’s surprise, Florida is a huge favorite.

Sportsbook’s opening line for this matchup has the Gators as a 17.5-point favorite. For those who remember history, that’s the exact same opening line in the 2001 matchup. Tennessee football pulled off a stunner that Saturday, winning 34-32.

There’s another similarity between those games. Next Saturday will be the first time since that 2001 upset the Vols and Gators face off in December. All of a sudden, the omens are looking pretty good for Rocky Top.

Now, there are some differences. UT is facing Florida at home this time, unlike 2001, when they faced them on the road. On top of that, both the Vols and Gators had one loss, were in the top five and were playing for a chance to win the East and go to the national title. This year, only Florida is playing for those things. UT is 2-5 and on a five-game losing streak.

Of course, that shows you how bad the 2001 line is. It’s one of the worst lines ever set by Vegas. At the time, the previous three matchups between the Vols and Gators had been decided by a total of nine points, and none was decided by more then four.

Not only was that opening line set at 17.5, but it moved to 18 points at the time of kickoff. Anyway, Tennessee football is falling apart in Jeremy Pruitt’s third year, but such an upset win over Florida could definitely turn things around. The opening line may be a good omen.