Bowl projections: Tennessee football vs. Notre Dame or Vols vs. Iowa?
Tennessee football is likely headed to a Florida bowl game, but which one? And, does it matter?
If we told you the Vols (7-2, 3-2 SEC) are bound for either the Citrus, Gator or ReliaQuest (formerly Outback) bowl, would you know which the SEC considers the most prestigious?
(Answer: Citrus Bowl.)
No. 12 Tennessee's best path to the Citrus Bowl involves beating No. 15 Missouri (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday in Columbia.
On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams review Nico Iamaleava's performance against UConn before examining the Vols' game against Missouri and what it means to each team's bowl prospects.
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Here's Tennessee's best path to the Citrus Bowl.
– Beat Missouri.
– Finish 9-3.
– Georgia or Alabama makes the College Football Playoff.
– The team that doesn't make the playoff among Georgia/Alabama makes a New Year's Six bowl. Also, Ole Miss makes a New Year's Six bowl.
Check those boxes, and the Vols probably are bound for Orlando. Can't spell Citrus without UT, right? Steve Spurrier's jokes aside, Tennessee has not played in the Citrus Bowl since the 2001 season, and a trip to Orlando would be a fitting reward for a nine-win season.
However, whether you prefer the Citrus Bowl to the Gator Bowl or ReliaQuest Bowl might depend on your desired opponent. Tennessee's best chance to play a blueblood program could come in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Plus, if you're planning to attend the game and prefer the beach to Disney World, then you might prefer the Gator (in Jacksonville) or ReliaQuest (in Tampa).
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Here are some prominent bowl projections for Tennessee:
USA TODAY: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Notre Dame
The Athletic: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Notre Dame
CBS Sports: Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa
ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Gator Bowl vs. N.C. State
Action Network: Gator Bowl vs. Georgia Tech
Viewed through this collection of projections, maybe the ReliaQuest would be the ideal outcome. Tennessee played Iowa after the 2014 season, and a Florida bowl game in any location against the Hawkeyes might feel like a flashback to the Butch Jones era.
Comparatively, the Vols haven't faced the Irish since 2005, and matchup with the Irish would be a marquee item on Jan. 1.
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. John Adams is the News Sentinel's senior columnist. Adam Sparks covers the Vols. You can subscribe to read all their coverage, or check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. They also host the lightly acclaimed "SEC Football Unfiltered" podcast.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Bowl projections: Tennessee football vs. Notre Dame or Vols vs. Iowa?
