Tennessee football is all but eliminated from College Football Playoff contention, but that doesn't mean its season is over. The Vols sit at 6-3 with a chance to build momentum towards 2026 after outperforming expectations set this spring, only to have the Vols declared dead on arrival.
In fact, the Vols were not dead on arrival and pushed Georgia and Alabama to their limits. Tennessee was a couple of plays away from upsetting Georgia and gave the Crimson Tide a good fight on the road.
Regardless, the Vols lost both games, leaving no room for error the rest of the season. A frustrating and disappointing loss at home to Oklahoma, and now the Vols have three losses with three games remaining.
ESPN released its bowl predictions after another weekend of football. Tennessee was on a BYE, but the Vols still have high aspirations to finish the year with three more wins and earn a spot in a top bowl game.
ESPN’s predictions seem to indicate they expect Tennessee to lose at least one more game this year, with a couple of battles remaining on the schedule.
Mark Schlabach has predicted that Tennessee will face Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. The Vols have played in this bowl four times, most recently in a 45-6 win over Northwestern when it was the Outback Bowl.
Kyle Bonagura reports that Tennessee is returning to Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to face Louisville. This would mark the Vols' first appearance in this bowl game, but they are familiar with the stadium, as they have played a few neutral-site games at Bank of America Stadium.
These bowl predictions could change three times over the next three weeks as Tennessee faces two games that could determine the prestige of the bowl game it plays in.