Vanderbilt
Not trying to be nasty here, but I give Vanderbilt zero chance to win this game. The Commodores are among the worst offensive teams in the nation – currently ranked 123rd – and have two wins by a total of four points over UMass and Charleston Southern (Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know either of those schools played football).
New coach Derek Mason has run the revolving quarterback offense to imperfection for the Commodores who have featured four different starters under center this season. So far during 2014, Vanderbilt signal callers are 109-of-217 passing (50.2%) for 1,315 yards, six touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The rushing numbers aren’t much better for the ‘Dores either, who are averaging 3.4 yards per carry on the season against, arguably, the weakest schedule in the SEC.
Currently, Vanderbilt ranks 117th in passing yards per game, 118th in rushing yards per game, 122nd in points per game and 100th in points against.
That’s a lot of numbers to say that the only team that will beat Tennessee in Nashville this year will be Tennessee, and it would likely take a Florida-vs.-Missouri type of implosion to even give the Commodores a chance. I fully expect Butch Jones and Tennessee to exorcise two years worth of James Franklin demons in a game that should get out of hand quickly. Dudley Field will be surrounded by a seas of orange and Rocky Top will echo across the state all night long as Tennessee celebrates their best regular season finish since 2009.
