This is part of a daily series this week on each SEC team’s bowl possibilities and likely destination in prep for Sunday’s College Football Bowl Selection Show.

Where is Tennessee headed this bowl season?

For the first time since 2010, the Vols will play a 13th game after winning for the sixth time over the weekend at Vanderbilt, a step in the right direction during coach Butch Jones’ second campaign.

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At best, Tennessee (6-6) will be placed in a ‘pool of six’ bowl game by the SEC. After the Citrus makes its pick following New Year’s Six selections, the Outback, TaxSlayer, Music City, Liberty, Belk and Texas Bowls are next line.

If the Vols do not play in one of those games, Birmingham, Ala., and Shreveport, La., are the other options.

“It’s a great starting point,” Jones said according to the Knoxville News. “I’m really proud of our seniors. This will be their first bowl game, to be able to experience that process that goes into it, but also for our younger players. They understand the standards and the expectations as we continue to move this program forward each and every day.”

Recent Tennessee bowl history

  • 2004 Cotton Bowl: vs. Texas A&M, 38-7, Win
  • 2006 Outback Bowl: vs. Penn State, 20-10, Loss
  • 2007 Outback Bowl: vs. Wisconsin, 21-17, Win
  • 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl: vs. Virginia Tech, 34-14, Loss
  • 2010 Music City Bowl: vs. North Carolina, 30-27, Loss

Possible bowl destinations

Considering Tennessee is likely viewed as the best of three 6-6 bowl eligible teams from the SEC, that puts the Vols in line for a ‘pool of six’ bid, the probable landing spot being the Liberty Bowl in Memphis against a Big XII foe. Georgia’s loss to Georgia Tech complicated things a bit and caused teams behind the Bulldogs to slide back, but Tennessee’s not in imminent danger.

Memphis is almost 400 miles from Knoxville, not a bad trek for Vols fans, though much further than other possibilities Nashville (Music City Bowl) and Charlotte (Belk).

Bowl matchups will be announced on Sunday.