This hasn’t happened in a long time, and it’s a byproduct of the College Football Playoff, but Tennessee is entering a weekend in which Vol fans will prioritize about five games over their own. That’s obviously because they are writing off the UTEP Miners as a win.
Whether or not you think that’s dangerous, and it can be, it’s impossible to not think about other games if you’re UT. There are about five paths to the playoff for the Vols, some that would guarantee it and others that would increase their likelihood. How are they supposed to worry about a non-conference game against an awful opponent.
The Indiana Hoosiers and Ohio State Buckeyes will kick off an hour before the Vols do. That’s a huge one for UT since the assumption is if Ohio State is able to win that game comfortably, Indiana, despite just one loss, will fall out of the playoff altogether.
At that exact same time, the Ole Miss Rebels and Florida Gators will kick off. That game is at Florida, and if Ole Miss loses, regardless of what the game looks like, they will fall behind the Vols. Either of those games could work in UT’s favor, and they would be happening exactly while the Vols are playing.
Of course, there are other paths for the Vols to get in that day. The Army Black Knights and Notre Dame Fighting Irish face off later that evening, and that’s a possible upset that could push UT in. Although the game is after Josh Heupel’s team plays, it’ll still be on their mind.
So, with all this, focusing on UTEP could be a concern.
Okay, so there’s no way the Vols should lose this one, but crazier upsets can happen. Too many other games are on their radar, their confidence is already shot given their offensive woes. Then there is the fact that it’s Senior Day, which will be a distraction on its own.
Simply put, all the signs are there for this to be an ugly game. You can’t blame Tennessee if that’s the case, but it’ll be frustrating for Vol fans focused on other matchups if they can’t put UTEP away early. Miners coach Scotty Walden gave them trouble last year while coaching the Austin Peay Governors too, so watch out.
