They're in. Tennessee will play in a bowl game.
The who, what, where and when will have to wait on some unfinished business.
"It's a big benefit,'' UT coach Lane Kiffin said Sunday of the Vols becoming bowl eligible after a 31-16 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
"Obviously, you don't want to be out there (recruiting) not being able to sell, 'Hey, we're in a bowl game.' ''
But which one?
The Vols (6-5, 3-4 SEC) won't know until after they play Kentucky (7-4, 3-4) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is 7 p.m. (TV: ESPNU).
The options range from a best-case-scenario Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., to any of several of the SEC's lower-tier bowl connections.
If UT beats Kentucky for a 26th consecutive year to finish 7-5, a third Outback trip in four years is a real possibility.
If not the Outback, the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta would be the likely destination.
The Vols would arguably be the most appealing of several potential 7-5 SEC teams - a group that could potentially include Kentucky, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina.
The Monte Kiffin connection won't hurt in Tampa. UT's defensive coordinator was a long-time coordinator for the Tampa Bay Bucs before joining his son in Knoxville this year.
If Alabama and Florida win rivalry games Saturday with Auburn and Florida State, respectively, both will receive BCS bowl bids. One will play in the national championship game, the other the Sugar Bowl.
Ole Miss, with a win over Mississippi State on Saturday, would be the frontrunner for the Capital One Bowl, which gets first pick of SEC teams after the BCS is set.
The Cotton, Outback and Chick-fil-A bowls pick among the SEC's third, fourth and fifth teams.
The Cotton Bowl probably takes the winner of LSU-Arkansas.
If the Vols lose at Kentucky and finish 6-6, they drop down the pecking order.
The Liberty and Music City bowls determine the sixth and seventh picks.
The Independence Bowl in Shreveport gets the eighth pick and the PapaJohns.com Bowl in Birmingham the ninth.
Kiffin said he would love to see Tennessee bowling in an area it recruits heavily. That could be construed as either Tampa or Atlanta.
But bowling anywhere is preferable to sitting home.
"It's big,'' Kiffin said, "because Tennessee continues to get talked about because you're going to a bowl game and you get talked about on all the pregame shows.''
Here are the possibilities:
Outback: Played on Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. against the Big Ten. Wisconsin is a likely opponent. Tennessee played there after the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Chick-fil-A: The former Peach is on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Georgia Dome. The Atlantic Coast Conference provides the opponent. The Vols played there after the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
Liberty: In Memphis on Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m. against the Conference-USA champion. The Vols haven't participated since 1986.
Music City: LP Field in Nashville, Dec. 27 at 8:15 p.m., against an ACC opponent. This is one bowl UT has never visited.
Independence: Shreveport would be another new bowl destination for UT. Kickoff is Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. against a Big 12 opponent.
PapaJohns.com: Legion Field in Birmingham gets the last SEC option. Kickoff is Dec. 29 at 3 p.m. against a Big East foe.
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 53
memphis_vol_fan writes:
They're gonna have to dig deep. We are really hurtin' on defense right now.
dwa7#337691 writes:
early prediction....
sorry but..........
UKittens 28
UT Vols 17
p66ayers#1376155 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
TommyJack writes:
Please don't send our kids to Shreveport.
GahLee writes:
Kentucky will be a challenge but there is a reason that we have beaten them for a quarter century straight.
They are Kentucky and we are Tennessee!
Tennessee-27
Kentucky-20
TurboFan writes:
It's kinda unbelievable that Outback or Peach-fil-a are possibilities considering our record (if we beat Ky). In 02 and 03 we went fil-a-ing with 8-4 and 10-2 records. In 06 and 07 we had steak and ribs with 9-3 records both times. Are the others that unsavory? Or is it that there is really no difference between us after Florida and Bama as far as the Bowlpeople are concerned?
TurboFan writes:
Some of you are predicting low scores for the Ky game. I think the winner will be in the 40s and the loser in the 30s. Cobb and Hardesty will be hard to stop.
SanFranciscoVol writes:
I've consulted with some bleeding heart liberals here on the West Coast, thrown out thier garbage predictions, and am calling for a BIG ORANGE VICTORY!!! Are you kidding? Too many people behind this rivalry!!!
GO BIG ORANGE!!
BigOrangeGhostHunter writes:
There really isn't anyone other than a 7-5 team. It'll be Florida and Alabama in the BCS, Ole Miss gets next best after that, and then its a matter of picking the best from a bunch of 7-5 teams, and Tennessee at 7-5, from their perspectives, is going to be the biggest draw as far as ticket sales and merchandising are concerned. If you're Chick-fil-a or Outback, you don't want a Kentucky or a South Carolina because you won't sell like you would if its UT.
DMSVOL writes:
It's not time to become even the slightest bit concerned about which bowl game, where. This Ky team is for real. They actually play defense. Beating them is the ONLY thing any VOl should be thinking about right now!
bill#1374014 writes:
Due to attrition, Kentucky is better than UT right now and should win. Vol fans get ready to party in Shreveport!
KFDLaw writes:
After Alabama and Florida, you have LSU and Ole Miss, and then you have everybody else who is bowl eligible who will likely all have 7 - 5 records unless there is an upset on Saturday. Parity strikes again. The Vols are in the mix due to the exciting nature of our team, the deals cut between the bowls and the SEC and the following of us, the fans. We actually show up for bowl games in large numbers and spend money.
p66ayers#1376155 writes:
It ceased after the game in 1987 due to poor ticket sales. No major sponser didn't help much
99gator writes:
no way kentucky beats tennessee and georgia two weeks in a row.
this isn't basketball.
chad_t31 writes:
Looking at the possible bowl destinations, I'm reminded of watching UT-Minnesota in the liberty bowl in '86. As a 10 year old, I can still remember the 21-14 score, lee greenwood singing at halftime, any one of my favorite all-time names, Minnesota QB ricky foggie. With that being said, there's a reason we haven't played in that game since '86, we're too good for that! Go Vols!!
et_vol_fan writes:
Played in the Astrodome and called the Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl for a few years.
metalhead223 writes:
I think Outback, and if we draw chikfila so be it decent enough bowls with decent payouts, and tv exposure (sure beats ESPNU, THANK YOU COMCAST! YA BASTAGES!)Considering last year I would even take the music city bowl. Kentucky, sorry folks but it is not gonna be easy for us. We are scraping the bottom with all the injuries.
We are 2 sprains away from playing the waterboy.
OMG I have to go watch that movie now! Never have I seen a time when Kentucky would decide our bowl game. BUT!!!!! If given a month to prepare and people to get healthy, I wouldn't want to play us!!!!!!!
GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pablopeepants writes:
Oh, how short our memories are. Listen, I am the worlds biggest Vol fan. I am the eternal optimist, and unabashed homer. It was only two years ago that we went into overtime in Lexington to get to the SEC championship game. Kentucky will play hard. We have a ton of injuries on defense, so this game should be very close. If Fulmer would have recruited #18, this game is a no brainer. I don't understand why a Tennessee born guy like Fulmer could let so many talented guys get out of town. I'm not talking about Harrison Smith. Everybody wanted that guy. I am talking about Garrett Reynolds, Tyson Clabo, Cobb. We almost waited too long to offer Rogan. Lane didn't offer Will Jackson last year, and our o-line is in desperate need of depth. Go Vols, and let's pull off what will be a close game. Rockytop!!!!
HartfordCTvol writes:
Dude you'll get no sympathy from me. Not only do I have the bleeding hearts, the area I live in is infested with 3000 people who work for ESPN!
HartfordCTvol writes:
Me too. I was nine. I recall the subsequent crowd cheers when he sang "from the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee"...Makes me wonder if an eleven year old Lane was watching and rooting for the Golden Gophers
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Exactly right.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
With the price of cans being down, it will take many a deceased Bud Lite can for the trek.
And perhaps a few on the way, with a designated driver , of course.
mm29680#645909 writes:
I live in Greenville, SC and had to listen for about a year and a half from the Clemson idiots about how they spanked Tennessee. (Clemson is about 30 minutes from Greenville.) Clemson is pretty tough and have a first round pick at running back in C.J. Spiller. A banged up UT team will have to play a great game to win. Of course, the last time they played CPF was coaching like "heck."
CadmiumOchre writes:
Odd as it seems, this game will be a shoot out. Our defense simply is too decimated. KY has a so-so defense. UT is sort of desperate now so CLK is going to tell Jon to come out slinging. WR, RB, TE, anybody who can legally catch passes will be used. Running will be tried periodically but this is going to be a gunfight. The goal being to put as many points on the board as game time allows and keep piling them on as fast as possible.
Hard hits, take aways and downright mean mindedness will be the hallmark of this game. The seniors want it, the team feels it's pride is on the line, KY is certain it's finally their time. Hopefully this game is on TV because it's going to out-do the Gator - Tide game in terms of entertainment and effort by both teams.
My advice? Lock the kids in their rooms (or sell them), give the wife money to go shopping all day, feed and water the dog early then duct tape the nuzzle to prevent barking and howling, put a no trespassing sign on the front and back doors, add a motion detector that causes a recording of a Remington 750 rifle being cocked and a gruff deep voiced saying, "Ya don wanna be heah."
Grab 2 gallons of your favorite beverage, a platter of your favorite game eats whether hog dogs or bacon wrapped filet mignon and watch this game. It might not be for the championship but it sure will play like it. And you're going to see more emotional outbursts from CLK than you saw all season. This game is going to be talked about for a while by both Tenn. and KY, guys. You don't want to miss this it.
Vols! Take Ali's advice heart:
---It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.
Muhammad Ali---
---The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.
Muhammad Ali---
crimsonviper writes:
true this^
CadmiumOchre writes:
I want to believe this too but we're wounded, bleeding, dragging and limping along. All we got going for us now is HEART. Hopefully, that is enough. The offense must man up big time now. But heaven help us if those vendetta refs are out there with intent to stick it to LK!
the10sevol writes:
rofl at ochre's game-day prep! ladies and gentlemen, that is one real Volmaniac right there.
GBO
VolFanInTheBoro writes:
Gatorz is back
asleep#212036 writes:
I think that first, the Outback traditionally takes the SEC East # 2 team and if we beat Kentucky, every bowl-eligible team in the East (except FL, or course) would finish 7-5 and by tiebreak, we would be # 2 since we would have defeated every other team. With Auburn and Arkansas likely at 7-5 as well, we are as good a choice as any and I think we go. We have a Monte connection, Lane is highly visible with national recognition (whether good or bad!), and our fans are hungry for a bowl. A New Year's Day bowl would almost certainly suck the money out of our big orange pockets and in these economic times, that's what the bowl's are looking for. If we lose to Kentucky, I'm guessing the Peach will skip us in favor of either 7-5 Auburn or 8-4 LSU (if they lose to Arkansas), with Kentucky into the Outback. We will go to Memphis or Nashville, whichever has the higher pick. I think the Liberty would rather have Arkansas and Music City could sell out LP field with no trouble if UT is there. Of course, if Alabama or Florida lose this week, all bets are off but I can't imagine a 2-loss Big Ten team getting in before a 2-loss SEC team so we probably get 10 teams in bowls - that's got to be a record!
tennesseebee writes:
Ky will be tough to stop offensively, given our short bench @ linebacker. We will need to score early and often to keep our streak alive. Some meaningless trivia: 3 yrs ago when Navy beat Notre Dame, (a streak of 40+ yrs, I think), Tennessee's annual victories over Kentucky became the nation's longest streak. I hope it holds up-I live in Ky, now, and it sure makes it easier to don my Orange and White!
huntined#565710 writes:
I live in FLA and would love to see them in Tampa BUT THE GAME STARTS AT 11.00 So I think the Atlanta game maybe with FLA STATE would be a great game and it would be a full house..
asleep#212036 writes:
Maybe so but we are hurting on defense only and their offense is one-dimensional and certainly not overpowering. Cobb is not McCluster and they have nobody on their roster with the skills of Jevan Snead. They have one of the worst run defenses in the conference and we have a solid run game and of course, our new-look Crompton so I don't see a low-scoring game. Lastly, the intangible: we own them. We know it, they know it, and we know they know it. Streaks are made to be broken but in a game so evenly matched I think we will have enough mental edge to pull it out. Even if we lose, no way we end up worse than Music City unless Auburn beats Bama, Georgia beats Ga Tech, South Carolina beats Clemson, and Arkansas beats LSU, leaving all those underdogs at 7-5 and us at 6-6. I don't see all of those things happening, do you? With all that's happened in K-town this year and having missed a bowl last year, we are the most attractive bowl choice of any group with our same record. And although the Outback would be nice, we would be hard-pressed to beat a NYD-level bowl opponent, so we may end up 7-6 either way we go but I'd rather beat KY and lose a better bowl than the the other way around. Opinion. Go Vols!!!
asleep#212036 writes:
Good one but I do think Rich Brooks is a great coach. There's a reason the field at Oregon is named after him. I do agree though that for us to win Saturday, we needed Kentucky to play their best game of the year and squeak out the Georgia game on the road. Just the slightest of letdowns on their part may be enough to get us through to the Outback. Go Vols!!! PS- my business partner is a Seminole - please punish them. Thank you in advance for the beatdown!
bretonbound writes:
Isn't it a bit ridiculous that UT is bowling? It's amazing the spin folks put on things. Look at it > here's a team that, in its own conference, as of now, has lost more than won. Non-conference games are generally jr colleges, as this year's were. Figure in that UT had 8 HOME GAMES!!! That's 56 points (& should be rated more considering some of the opponents) before even stepping on the field. "Moral victories" against a lackluster FL & AL (at the time), a sound whuppin' by ole miss & what was in reality a 1 TD win over a Vandy (who KY soundly whupped) that couldn't beat themselves this year! And the orangesicles ARE GOIN' BOWLING????? Used to be that bowls meant something, were for deserving teams that excelled...now, everyone goes other than the extreme losers....and you folks all buy into it...but, hey, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Not talent nor the accounting on the field...only another type of accounting, the almighty $$$$$$$$.
Volnauburn writes:
Love to go to the ATL and play in the bowl formerly known as Peach! Outback, Jan 1st, 11am, probable hangover...nice bowl though. Go Big Orange!!!
Volnauburn writes:
Hey turdface, you not see what we did to USC ar GA? No because you're solely stuck on the negatives trying to cause some stink on UT msg boards. You must be a Vandy fan, no wins in SEC play and no bowl...so sad! One more thing, lackluster FL or AL?? Last time I checked they're undefeated and have been all year...lackluster?!bahahaha
crimsonviper writes:
I understand what you are saying CO.
My thinking is the Vols know their backs are to the wall and they are hurting,so that is when playing with heart takes over.
I think they will have the attitude,We Refuse to Lose.....GBO
asleep#212036 writes:
First, it's truly sad that you would take the time out of your day to post on a UT site. Second, your demeaning "...buying into it..." is misplaced as we all know the score about the bowl games without a lecture from you. Third, unfortunately, in premise at least, you're right about the bowls. I wish there were fewer bowls too because a 6-6 team really doesn't deserve one. As an aside, I don't think teams with losing conference records should be bowl eligible in football or tournament eligible in basketball. BUT, the games are there, we are in the high-profile, lucrative SEC and we will go bowling. And for UT in a low-tier bowl, you are incorrect. It isn't about the money - a bowl game at that level won't make us a dime because we will eat up the meager payout in expenses. It's about practice time and recruiting. And whoever you root for would do the same thing and not apologize for it - and neither will we. Even mighty Bama was in Shreveport two seasons ago and I don't remember Saban complaining about it. And from the way we've played and recruited (so far) this year compared to recent history, I think that the "...talent..." and "...the accounting on the field..." are coming soon and that we will once again be a "...deserving team that excelled..." . Go Vols!!!
jhnshft writes:
man, just reading about the chic-fil-a bowl makes me want a chicken sandwich.
DenverVol writes:
Best thing I've ever heard out of a gator's mouth. Like someone has already said we're still Tennessee and they're still Kentucky. Our staff we'll have 'em ready to play regardless of who is in there. Crompton, Hardesty and Berry have huge games. 38-21 UT. GO VOLS!
bill#1374014 writes:
I'm just saying that UT fans will not travel to see a 6-6 team play in a meaningless bowl. And if they finish 7-5, who wants to see a UT-Wisconsin rematch at 11:00 am on New Year's Day? I doubt the stadium would be much more than half full for that.
OrangePride writes:
Looks like we may well have Jackson back for Saturday....at least that's the hope. If so, our chances of locking up KU dramatically improved. So lets go take care of business and let the bowl people argue over who gets us. Tampa is great this time of year! GO VOLS
memphis_vol_fan writes:
You've lost your mind. UT fans will travel to the moon to see this team play in a bowl after last year's disaster.
arlvol writes:
it went the way of the pouland weedeater bowl (cones up)
kifslostcred writes:
This would be a smokin great match up. No doubt a sellout if it were to work out that way. We would need to get some of our defensive player's healthy enough to play.
Vol_Fan_4_Life_615 writes:
it has nothing to do with the record. it has to do with the pub that the team brings. if you asked any bowl in the country which team they would want if they could pick. they would say UT. Fulmer was bland and no one cared if he was coming. but CLK causes a reaction from everyone. good or bad. bowls love that. Kiffin on tv every night, talking smack. you think the recruits are the only ones who like that stuff. ill be happy with the outback or chick bowls. its not really about this season its about the future and it looks bright, as bright as the vols jersey on a clear day beating up on anyone at home.
Vol_in_Mich writes:
Agree with you 99. Very hard to get up the week after a big win, at least I hope so. This is going to be a hard one that may come down to who has the ball last. I'm glad Mathis came back because a field goal may decide this game.
Good luck with FSU. Brantley looked pretty good in his mop up role.
GO VOLS!!!
SavTnVol writes:
What about this?? Fl beats Bama by 1 in the SEC Championship game....Texas loses to the Cornhuskers in their championship game...Does the B/S-C, oops, thats BCS, jump TCU over Bama for the NC???..If not, then Ole Miss goes to the Sugar....3 SEC's in the B/S-C, oops, the BCS...That would move ALL the SEC bowl eligable teams on up the money bowl list.....Not likely, but just something to think about....GBO
cooper65#432178 writes:
Get serious. None of us are playing or coaching. I don't think it makes any difference what we are thinking or saying. If you don't want to discuss bowl possibilities--don't.
FLVOL79 writes:
I hope we whip Kentucky and make the outback bowl. It gives me a good reason to get out of the shiithole called Orlando.
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