ESPN college football personality Kirk Herbstreit didn’t offer Tennessee Vols fans much confidence in their big bowl chances.
While Tennessee has been knocked out of College Football Playoff contention, it’s still possible the Volunteers can snag a prime bowl game around the New Year’s holiday. Herbstreit didn’t exactly give the Vols a ringing endorsement for how the rest of their season will go, saying that they will lose to Vanderbilt this weekend to close their standout 2022 season.
If you didn’t know, Vanderbilt is Tennessee’s longtime archrival. It would’ve seemed absurd a few months ago to think someone like Herbstreit would pick the Commodores in this one.
Well, times change.
Nashville resident Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN's CFP rankings reveal regarding Tennessee's New Year's Six chances: "After Vandy beats Tennessee this weekend, you won't have to worry about that."
— Robbie Weinstein (@rwweinstein) November 23, 2022
Vols fans aren’t going to be happy about this one. Since Tennessee got blown out by South Carolina and lost quarterback Hendon Hooker to an ACL injury, it’s understandable they won’t be seen as surefire locks against Vandy.
The Commodores have beaten Kentucky and Florida in two-straight contests, giving them some momentum for Saturday’s game in Nashville.
If Vandy beat Tennessee after the year the Vols have had, there would be unreal levels of trash talking in the Volunteer State. Commodore fans would never let Vols fans live it down. We’ll see how it all goes soon enough.
