In the biggest regular season game of the year and in Tennessee football history, the Vols will match up with a fellow undefeated SEC East foe with major College Football Playoff implications. It’s a rare No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.
Josh Heupel’s team, ranked No. 1 in the CFP, No. 2 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches Polls, will be between the hedges Saturday as they take on the Georgia Bulldogs. UT comes in on the heels of a 44-6 win over the Kentucky Wildcats.
Georgia, ranked No. 3 in the CFP and No. 1 in the AP and Coaches Polls, comes into this game off a 42-20 win over the Florida Gators last week. Here is all the information you need for Saturday’s matchup between Tennessee football and the Dawgs.
Broadcast information
- TV: CBS
- Live stream: CBS Sports Online
- Radio: Vol Network; Georgia Bulldog Sports Network
- Satellite: SiriusXM (Ch. 81, 138, 191)
- Listen online: UTSports; GeorgiaDogs.com
Obviously this is the highest combined ranking between the Vols and Georgia when they have faced off. The only year that comes close is 1998, when UT was No. 4 and UGA was No. 7. That was also the last College GameDay matchup between the Vols and Georgia until this game.
It’s also the first time since 1998 that an SEC East team is in a game with two undefeated teams in November. That was also the last game the Vols debuted at No. 1 in any poll, which they did Monday in the CFP rankings. They faced the No. 10 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks that year and came back to win 28-24.
Simply put, there are lots of 1998 vibes, which was the last time the Vols won the national championship. UGA is on a five-game winning streak against the Vols, as UT’s last win was 2016, when Joshua Dobbs hit Jauan Jennings for a game-winning hail mary touchdown pass.
If the Vols win this game, they likely have an automatic path to the CFP provided they don’t get upset by the Missouri Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks or Vanderbilt Commodores. The SEC Championship game won’t matter. Georgia will likely be out of it.
However, if UGA wins, the Vols still have a shot because they have that win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in their back pocket. Up next for Georgia will be back to back trips to the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats. Tennessee football, meanwhile, will host Mizzou for Senior Day next week.