It's the most wonderful time of the year, some would say, and even though we are right in the middle of the holiday season, the news cycle never stops. Tennessee football is preparing for the Music City Bowl in Nashville next week. Tennessee basketball is starting to heat up, beating 11th-ranked Louisville and Gardner-Webb.
This week will still be an interesting one despite Christmas on Thursday. Let's take a look at the three most critical storylines to monitor this week.
1. Transfer portal announcemnts
Although players cannot officially enter the transfer portal yet, they can announce their intentions to do so. Tennessee just lost running back Peyton Lewis, as he announced he is intending to enter.
Be on the lookout for more Vols to enter their names this week. Players who haven't gotten much run and veteran backups will likely enter. NFL Draft announcements are also worth monitoring.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear some more players enter this week, be on the lookout.
2. Where does Tennessee basketball land in the new AP poll
Tennessee basketball has been on a tear as of late. They defeated Louisville last Tuesday, 83-62, in a convincing win. The Vols were dominant from start to finish.
It was refreshing to see Tennessee play so formidable. They were making smart passes, defending hard, and hitting shots. The Vols dominated Gardner-Webb Sunday in a game where it was never really close. The depth has shown to be a big difference this past week.
Tennessee was ranked 20th going into this week, and they will surely move up, but how far? The top-10 seems a bit overzealous, but the top-15 seems something that is very achievable. Stay alert for where the voters have Tennessee placed on Monday afternoon.
3. QB Joey Aguilar's status
One of the biggest storylines in Tennessee sports is the Joey Aguilar lawsuit. We haven't had any updates on it, but he is playing in the Music City Bowl. Whether fans like it or not, the bowl game could be his last in the orange and white, but the situation needs to be figured out soon, as the portal is almost open.
Josh Heupel hinted that the Vols will go after a championship-level QB1 if Aguilar is not available to play next fall. They only have two freshmen behind Aguilar if he leaves.
Monitor for updates on this situation because the time running out.