Everything you need to know about Tennessee football vs Vanderbilt

Tennessee football is in a College Football Playoff play-in game this week. If Tennessee beats Vanderbilt, the Vols will first appear in the CFP since its inception. If Tennessee loses, they will fall to 9-3 and be eliminated from CFP contention in the final week of the regular season. 

There is a lot at stake for the Vols on Saturday. Not only is it a rivalry game against the in-state little brother, but there is also the opportunity to compete for a national championship with a win. 

That puts a lot on Josh Heupel and his program's plate on Thanksgiving weekend. The Vols don't have a path to the SEC Championship Game after losing to Georgia two weeks ago, which leaves one game left on the schedule before bowl season, and it could be the biggest brawl of the year. 

Matchup History

Tennessee has dominated its rivalry with Vanderbilt. The Vols and Commodores have played 118 times since 1892, when the two teams first shared the gridiron. 

Vanderbilt dominated the start of the series. The two teams played twice in 1892, and Vandy won 22-4 and 10-0 games. Tennessee didn't win its first game until the 13th matchup between the two programs. Tennessee was 0-12-1 until 1914, when the Vols won 16-14. 

Vanderbilt has only won 21 games since that Tennessee win in 1914. The series has been all Vols, with the Vols winning 80 of the 118 matchups and ending five in a tie. 

The Commodores won five of seven between 2012 and 2019, but since, Tennessee has reclaimed the series and continued to dominate the Dores, including three blowout wins in the Heupel era. 

Betting Lines

While the Vols have dominated recent matchups, this one is expected to be a knockout brawl between the two rivals. According to Fanduel, Tennessee is a 10.5-point favorite at the time of this writing. 

The over/under is set at 48.5 points, which puts Tennessee in the area Vanderbilt would love to keep this game. The Commodores offense has struggled throughout this season, but if the Vols keep it close, the Dores will have enough talent to pull through another big upset. 

Availability Report

Tennessee's availability report isn't much different this week. OL Vysen Lang and TE Cole Harrison are officially ruled out, but that isn't a very big hit for Tennessee's offense. DB Christian Charles, DL Jordan Ross, and OL Jackson Lampley have been ruled questionable heading into Friday, which could hurt Tennessee's depth on Saturday. 

Broadcast and Kickoff

Tennessee and Vanderbilt are scheduled to kick off at Noon ET on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. The game will be broadcast on ABC, the first time ABC will broadcast the rivalry's history.