The Sugar Bowl would be the sweetest destination for Tennessee, but a New Year's Day bowl isn't too bad of a consolation prize.

The Vols set their sights on Auburn for the SEC championship game Saturday minutes after surviving a 37-31 victory over Kentucky.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said he's confident the win secures the Vols a berth in the Capital One, Outback Bowl or Cotton Bowl should they fall short against Auburn.

"We're going to Atlanta with the intent to win the championship and play in the Sugar Bowl,'' Hamilton said. "But this should solidify our presence in one of the other three bowls at the very least.''

The Capital One and Outback Bowl had scouts at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Hamilton communicated with Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker earlier in the week.

Chances are that if Auburn defeats Tennessee, defending national champion LSU would likely play Iowa in the Capital One. LSU (9-2) has a six-game winning streak, hasn't played in Orlando, Fla., in 25 years and hasn't been to Florida for a bowl since 1988.

The Outback in Tampa, Fla., has been reluctant to take UT in recent years because of the Vols' poor bowl attendance in Orlando (2002), Dallas (2001) and the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., (2000).

Should the Outback opt to take Georgia (9-2) and match the Bulldogs with Wisconsin, the Cotton will almost surely take Tennessee. If the Vols play in Dallas, they would most likely face sixth-ranked Texas.

If the Vols upset Auburn in Atlanta, however, a trip to New Orleans for the Sugar would be in order. UT would likely play Pittsburgh, coached by former Vols offensive coordinator Walt Harris.

UT offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said at the least, Auburn will have its hands full preparing for what has become a multi-faceted Vols attack.

"We've shown a lot of different things offensively, as far as personnel groupings and formations,'' Sanders said. "Today it was almost all three and four wides, against Vanderbilt there was a lot of two tight end, one back, or that bunch set with the tight end and fullback.

"If you add another quarterback to prepare for that can run like Brent (Schaeffer) can run, it obviously brings something else to the table.''

Defensively, UT's scheme hasn't changed too much. The Vols' personnel and the experience level, however, is different.

"I feel we're definitely a different defensive ball club,'' said UT safety Jason Allen, asked to contrast the defense now to when it played Auburn on Oct. 2. "The guys were still trying to mold and gel together. I feel we're at our best when we're underdogs, and these last couple games I don't feel we played our best football.''

Hamilton said that the net difference between the Sugar and the three other bowls - Capital, Outback and Cotton - is approximately $1 million.

The Capital would result in a payout of about $100,000 more than the Outback or the Cotton.

"That's after you've paid all your bills and the bowl money has gone to the conference to be split up before getting kicked back,'' he said.