One of the main goals for Team #118 entering the season was bowl eligibility: simply avoid a losing record and extend the season. The extra practice is valuable, especially for young teams, and winning at least six games would show progress by the coaching staff. Avoiding the stigma of having “losing” attached to the season would also be therapeutic for all of us.
Tennessee hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2010 (a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to North Carolina in the Music City Bowl) and hasn’t had a bowl victory since 2008 (a 21-17 victory over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl). For a program with the Vols’ history and tradition, that’s entirely too long.
But even after a disappointing loss to Florida last weekend, a bowl birth is still possible according to ESPN’s latest Football Power Index.
Based on ESPN’s numbers, Tennessee should finish with victories over Chattanooga, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt. It won’t be easy, but that result would give the Vols six wins and its first bowl appearance since the “twelfth man incident” under the previous regime.
Do you agree? Post your thoughts/predictions for the season in the comments below.
8 responses to “This week’s ESPN FPI has Tennessee finishing 6-6”
7 if you count South Carolina
I agree. South Carolina is very beatable. They have been equally if not more inconsistent. It will be a tough game on the road however.
it is way to hard to figure out what the Ole Ball Coaches team is going to do this yea,if they lower there pads and run up the middle,it could be a long day for the Vols
Looks like a pretty fair assessment except I think our odds against USCe are better than 37.2%…50% IMHO.
We will beat South Carolina……again.
I think South Carolina is more beatable than Kentucky with the way they’re playing.
beating both Kentuckyand Missouri may be hard to do, Missouri is inconsistent,so it will be hard to tell which team shows up
Kentucky looks to be much improved this year too,they won’t be the push over they have been in the past
I think we beat uscjr as well