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Tennessee football: Ranking games on 2021 schedule by importance

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Missouri Tigers helmet during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Missouri Tigers helmet during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

6. At Missouri Tigers

Saturday, Oct. 2; Faurot Field; Columbia, Mo.

Now we move on to likely losses. Again, given the state of Tennessee football, likely losses are less important than likely wins. The Vols need to focus on all the wins they can get right now, as their goal in Josh Heupel’s first season on the job is to reach bowl eligibility. However, there are some likely losses they should focus on in hopes of pulling off an upset.

Scoring an unlikely road win would give this team some breathing room in its quest for 6-6, and the Missouri Tigers could be a team they do it against. UT did beat Mizzou 35-12 last year, even though that was the second game of the season, before Eli Drinkwitz’s offense took off.

This year, the game should be much tougher. On top of that, UT travels to Columbia right after visiting the Florida Gators in what will likely be a blowout loss and right before they play a game that we have higher on this list. As a result, depending on how they prioritize, it could be a trap.

Still, the Vols should put a lot more effort into this game than Florida, as they actually have a chance to pull off an upset here. Again, Missouri is the better team, but this isn’t one of those games where the lesser team has no chance of winning.

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