Tennessee football heads to its state capital to face instate foe Vanderbilt in its regular season finale. The Vols can punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff with a victory while Vanderbilt can cap off a strong season with one more upset victory.
Each week, the RTI team will provide game predictions for Tennessee’s matchup.
We move on to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
More From RTI: Game Line Dropping As Tennessee Football Prepares To Face Vanderbilt In Nashville
Ric Butler
I feel good about Tennessee’s chances of getting the job done in Nashville this weekend. The Vols have everything to play for in this game – win and you’re in, after all.
One of the big keys to me in this game is the possession battle. Vanderbilt wants to shrink the number of possessions in this game which is normally against Tennessee’s style but could play nicely in this game. I trust Tennessee’s defense to keep the game under control and I think that Tennessee can take advantage of Vanderbilt’s run defense and keep the ball moving and the clock running. Interested to see DeSean Bishop’s role as he returns from injury but Peyton Lewis has done a nice job as the backup, too. The Vols need to hit some expensive plays out of that style but the key is to limit the turnovers at all times – don’t want to give Vanderbilt any extra possessions or take any from yourself.
I see this game playing out like the Oklahoma game or the Kentucky game. Not the most exciting victories in the world, but Tennessee’s defense kept both under 20 points and gave the offense enough to work with to find the victory.
No one would enjoy pulling the rug out from Tennessee in the final hour more than Vanderbilt but the Vols are the better team and are one win away from an enormous moment for their program. I don’t think Tennessee squanders that opportunity, particularly on the shoulders of Dylan Sampson and the Tennessee defense.
Prediction: Tennessee 27, Vanderbilt 17
Jack Foster
If you would have told Josh Heupel, any Tennessee assistant coach or coordinator, any Tennessee player or any Tennessee fan that the Vols would be in a ‘win-and-in’ scenario as it pertains to the College Football Playoff heading into the final week of the regular season, they would have 100% signed up for it.
And that’s where we are. Tennessee punches its ticket to the 12-team playoff with a victory over in-state rival Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium this weekend. That task has been extremely easy in Tennessee Football’s history and in the Josh Heupel era. And while the Vols are still double-digit favorites, this Commodores team is unlike Vanderbilt teams of years past.
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia can play with any QB in the SEC if he’s on, and he boasts a dangerous dual-threat skillset that Tennessee must be prepared for. Additionally, the Commodores have been a mistake-free team all season. They shorten the game and don’t hurt themselves. It’s not a juggernaut by any means, but Vandy is a tough out. Just ask Alabama, Texas and LSU (but maybe not Georgia State).
Still, I expect Tennessee’s defensive line to dominate Vanderbilt’s offensive line and for it to be a tough day for that side of the ball as a whole for the ‘Dores. We’ve seen Vandy struggle against above average defenses this year, i.e. South Carolina and the vast majority of the Texas game.
The question is… can Tennessee’s offense not have a stinker. Because if it does, this game could get dicey. But Joey Halzle’s unit has looked better in the second half of the season, and I don’t think Vanderbilt will have an answer for Dylan Sampson.
Tennessee wins but doesn’t cover in what will not be a very exciting game to watch.
Prediction: Tennessee 27, Vanderbilt 17
Ryan Schumpert
The scenario we’ve been talking about since early in the season has arrived. Tennessee needs one final win to conclude the regular season to reach the College Football Playoffs. Standing in its way is a much improved Vanderbilt team who would love nothing more than to spoil the Vols’ postseason hopes. Many have said that “it would be the most Tennessee outcome” for its playoff hopes to come crashing down in Vanderbilt. Josh Heupel and the Vols are looking to show that this isn’t the same old Tennessee.
Tennessee is 10.5-point favorites at Vanderbilt but I think this one is closer than the experts in the desert think. Vanderbilt is good at playing ball control and shortening the game against opponents that are better than them. The Vols have been bad at maximizing their scoring opportunities and taking control of games in the first half. For Tennessee to win comfortably, they’ll need to buck the trend in this game. Perhaps the most important thing in this game is for Tennessee’s defense to get off the field on third and fourth down. Besides the Georgia game, they’ve been elite at that. They must continue that trend in this game.
For Tennessee’s offense, there should be some plays to be made in the passing game. Vanderbilt’s pass defense has been shaky and its pass rush has been one of the worst in the SEC. If there was ever a game for Tennessee’s passing offense to have an explosion, this is it. But my hunch is that the passing attack leaves something to be desired and the Vols lean on Dylan Sampson early and often.
I believe this one will be excruciating and tense for Vols fans, but I think they end up getting it done.
Prediction: Tennessee 24, Vanderbilt 20
