SEC predictions: Why Citrus Bowl matters for Tennessee football, Josh Heupel | Adams
The difference in a 9-4 record and an 8-5 one might seem ever so slight. But in Tennessee football’s case, the difference is significant.
If Tennessee beats Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, its 9-4 record would give third-year coach Josh Heupel 20 wins in the past two seasons and 27 in the past three. That denotes progress for a program that was mediocre for so long under five different coaches from 2008 through 2020. A bowl victory also would give the Vols back-to-back top-20 finishes.
But if Tennessee would finish 8-5, it would lapse into Jeremy Pruitt land. Pruitt was fired after a 3-7 season in 2020. Nonetheless, in 2019, he somehow managed to finish 8-5.
A goal of any Vols football coach should be: Avoid being mentioned in the same sentence with Pruitt.
Citrus Bowl
Tennessee 27, Iowa 16: The Vols defense started fast but faded down the stretch when the schedule toughened. But it should regain its early-season form against the worst offense in FBS.
Texas Bowl
Oklahoma State 27, Texas A&M 23: Coaches and players are coming and going so fast at Texas A&M, I have no idea who will show up for kickoff. But I expect running back Ollie Gordon to show up big for the Cowboys.
The Doak Walker Award winner leads the country in rushing yardage and has totaled 1,940 yards rushing and receiving.
Gator Bowl
Clemson 24, Kentucky 17: I’m looking forward to the postgame press conference more than the game itself in hopes of hearing Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops continue to bemoan how other programs are “tampering” with their rosters.
The best bowl news for Kentucky: Running back Ray Davis isn’t opting out. I’m not surprised. He obviously loves college, or should I say “colleges.” He has led three different schools – Temple, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky – in rushing.
Cotton Bowl
Missouri 23, Ohio State 20: In deciding on bowl winners and losers, it sometimes helps to ask yourself: “Which team cares the most?” In this case, it’s not even close.
Ohio State’s season virtually ended with a loss to Michigan since it didn’t manage to slip into the playoffs. A victory over Missouri won’t make up for that. In fact, the Tigers are so far off Ohio State’s radar, many Buckeyes fans probably think Missouri still plays in the Big 12.
Peach Bowl
Penn State 24, Ole Miss 20: The Nittany Lions led the nation in total defense, but the schedule was a contributing factor. Half of Penn State’s opponents finished 88th or worse in total offense.
That said, Penn State still will field one of the best defenses Ole Miss has faced. And the Rebels have struggled against formidable defenses, as evidenced by a 24-10 loss to Alabama and a 52-17 loss to Georgia.
Music City Bowl
Auburn 28, Maryland 27: The Tigers didn’t exactly surge into postseason play. First, there was the inexplicable 31-10 loss to Jordan-Hare Stadium, then came the epic fourth-and-31 Alabama touchdown in the Iron Bowl.
Despite that lapse in pass coverage, the strength of Auburn’s defense is its secondary, which could prove noteworthy against Maryland with quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa opting out.
Orange Bowl
Georgia 31, Florida State 17: After the unbeaten Seminoles were excluded from the College Football Playoff, reports circulated that they might boycott their bowl game. If the Bulldogs are at the top of their game, a boycott might be a good idea.
ReliaQuest Bowl
LSU 38 Wisconsin 23: A bowl matchup that proves not all Wests are alike.
The Badgers, who represent the Big Ten West, haven’t scored more than 28 points since Sept. 22. LSU of the SEC West has scored fewer than 42 points only once in the past seven games.
Rose Bowl
Alabama 23, Michigan 20: Wolverines quarterback J. J. McCarthy has thrown one touchdown pass in the past five games. They have won with a power-running game and a fierce defense.
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That was good enough to rule the Big Ten. It won’t be good enough against Alabama.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Citrus bowl matters for Tennessee football, more SEC predictions
