Tennessee fans have never cheered for rival Florida like they did on Saturday afternoon. Billy Napier and the Gators delivered, knocking off No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.
Florida’s upset win hands Ole Miss its third loss of the season and likely eliminates the Rebels from the College Football Playoff race. Tennessee entered the week as the first team out in this week’s CFP rankings and Ole Miss’ loss moves the Vols back on the right side of the bubble.
If Tennessee takes care of business and beats instate rival Vanderbilt in Nashville next week, the Vols will make the 12-team College Football Playoff with a 10-2 (6-2 SEC) record.
Ole Miss’ first two losses were as bad as anybody in the CFP race as they lost at home to Kentucky and at LSU. But its impressive win over Georgia had moved them to the right side of the bubble before its loss as two-touchdown road favorites.
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The Rebels twice turned the ball over on downs in the red zone. Those miscues proved crucial as Jaxson Dart forced a throw into triple coverage in the end zone on the Rebels second to last drive before throwing another interception with time winding down on the final drive.
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Montrell Johnson each had strong games in the victory. Lagway completed just 10-of-17 passes for 180 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Johnson was a force on the ground, rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
It was a good early slate for Tennessee. After a lackluster start, the Vols dominated UTEP. In addition to Ole Miss loss, Ohio State blew out Indiana in Columbus. There’s a handful of other games that have significance to Tennessee the rest of the day including Notre Dame vs. Army and Vanderbilt at LSU.
Stay tuned to RockyTopInsider.com for a complete breakdown of Tennessee’s win over UTEP and how the college football landscape around them effects its playoff hopes.
