All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football rooting guide for 2021 Conference Championship games

By Caleb Calhoun

Smokey runs on the field during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Kns Tennessee Kentucky Football
Smokey runs on the field during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Kns Tennessee Kentucky Football /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 10
Next
Oct 16, 2021; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda walks the sidelines during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2021; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda walks the sidelines during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Big 12 Championship

Oklahoma State Cowboys over Baylor Bears

It’s going to be impossible for Tennessee football to leapfrog the Oklahoma State Cowboys in any ranking, and it’s unlikely for them to leapfrog the Baylor Bears. OSU is 11-1 and ranked No. 5 in the across the board. Baylor, meanwhile, is 10-2 and ranked No. 9 across the board.

Taking that into account, there’s a slightly better chance of the Vols leapfrogging Baylor if Baylor somehow loses its final two games. However, that’s not the real reason Vol fans need to root for Oklahoma State to pull out this win.

This is about bowl positioning. As mentioned on the opening slide, it’s best for Rocky Top if as many SEC teams reach New Years Six bowl games as possible. Well, if Baylor beats Oklahoma State, you’ll have three two-loss Big 12 teams. At least one is going no matter what, two will be likely and all three could go.

On the other hand, if Oklahoma State beats Baylor, then Baylor is out of a New Years Six game. At most, two teams could go, OSU and the Oklahoma Sooners, and it’ll likely just be the Cowboys going. That opens the door for another SEC team to get into one of those games, which would move up UT’s bowl opportunities.

Home/Vols Football