SEC football predictions: Tennessee is playing for the I-40 Trophy vs Vanderbilt | Adams

Many rivalries will be renewed this weekend as college football closes out its regular season. You know what that means?

Trophies will be won.

I had no trouble naming about 10 such trophies, like the Apple Cup, which goes to the winner of the Washington-Washington State game. But I wasn’t familiar with the Platypus Trophy, which will be awarded to the winner of Saturday’s Oregon-Oregon State game. In fact, there are about 100 trophies that are awarded to winners of rivalry games.

Closer to home, Tennessee and Vanderbilt will play for the I-40 Trophy on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee 48, Vanderbilt 13: Since my editors prefer that my columns are at least loosely based on facts, I should mention there’s no such thing as the I-40 Trophy. I’m just trying to create interest in a game that should foster nothing more than a prolonged yawn from the general populace.

Louisville 30, Kentucky 20: The winner gets the Governor’s Cup, which weighs 110 pounds and stands 33 inches high. The way Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary was throwing against South Carolina, I doubt he could hit the trophy from 15 yards away.

This rivalry seems like a big deal until you check the history. The teams went 70 years without playing.

Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 17: How many in-state rivalries can give you a matchup of national champions?

The Bulldogs have won the last two national championships. The Yellow Jackets won one in 1990.

Quick trivia question: Can you name the current or previous football coach at Georgia Tech?

Florida State 31, Florida 27: Here’s another question for you: When was the last time Florida had three consecutive losing seasons?

I won’t make you look that up. It was 1945 through 1947.

Why do I bring that up? Because the Gators went 6-7 last season in coach Billy Napier’s first year on the job and are on the verge of losing seven games this season. One more thing: Check out Florida’s 2024 schedule, which should provide seven more losses.

Clemson 37, South Carolina 27: This series gives me the creeps. Why? Because it’s called the Palmetto Bowl.

Replace “bowl” with “bugs” and you can understand where I’m coming from. A Palmetto bug is a roach. Growing up in Louisiana, I learned all about roaches, which had a starring role in one of my worst nightmares.

I dreamed I was lying in a tub of water when I felt what I thought were washrags covering my legs. But when I looked down, I saw both legs were covered with giant roaches.

Email me if you want to read more roach horror stories.

LSU 38, Texas A&M 27: I can’t help but wonder if the Tigers will be more interested in recruiting the Aggies than beating them.

Once Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies players had 30 days to enter the transfer portal. The portal won’t be open to all college players until Dec. 4.

Despite Texas A&M’s mediocre season, its roster isn’t short on talent. And LSU seemingly isn’t short of NIL money.

Maybe, some Aggies will switch sides at halftime.

Missouri 37, Arkansas 23: Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz is a candidate for SEC coach of the year. Arkansas’ Sam Pittman is a candidate to enter next season on a very hot seat.

This matchup features another surprising development. In preseason, who would have thought Missouri quarterback Brady Cook would have a much better season than Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson?

Alabama 37, Auburn 24: As an occasional conspiracy theorist, I'm wondering if Auburn coach Hugh Freeze had his team lose intentionally to New Mexico State last week in hopes of making the Tide overconfident.

That's the only explanation I have for Auburn losing to the Aggies by three touchdowns.

Ole Miss 34, Mississippi State 20: I covered the Egg Bowl in 1977 and 1978 as a columnist for the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. I’ve also covered the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn.

ADAMS: What if Nico Iamaleava had been Tennessee football's starting quarterback in 2023?

The only difference between the two: The Alabama-Auburn game often has national implications. The Egg Bowl is more like a state championship game.

But it's every bit as intense as the Iron Bowl.

Record: 84-16 (.840), 52-32 (.619) against the spread.

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: SEC football predictions: What trophy can Tennessee win vs Vanderbilt?