Fearless Prediction: Tennessee vs. Clemson in the Orange Bowl
It’s nearly the end of the college football season. Soon, all we will have are our memories, and the highlights to watch repeatedly on YouTube. Yes, I know spring football will be there to help us get through the long 8-month drought, but it’s just not the same.
Sad days indeed.
But the holiday season isn’t a time for the Fearless Prediction to be miserable. We want to go out with a bang by making the right call as the Vols face Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Tennessee’s 1st NY6 bowl game since the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s morning 2005.
Tennessee could have been sent to the Sugar Bowl. But instead, that slot went to Alabama, because the College Football Playoff committee apparently didn’t know that Tennessee beat Alabama, or that Tennessee pounded an LSU team that beat Alabama, or that Tennessee had a better strength of schedule than Alabama, or that the Vols and Crimson Tide both finished the regular season with the same record.
But I digress … Had you told any Vols fan back in August that they would go 10-2, beat Florida, Alabama and LSU and get picked for the Orange Bowl, that’s a deal he’d make every time.
The Vols and Tigers don’t have much recent history. Their last meeting came at the end of the 2003 season, a 27-14 Peach Bowl win for Clemson. That’s the only time these teams have played since 1977.
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Tennessee sports betting officially launched on November 1, 2020. Tennessee was the first SEC state to legalize sports betting.
UT looks a lot different today in terms of personnel than it did in the middle of November. Quarterback Hendon Hooker tore his ACL in the South Carolina game. Receivers Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt have opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft, as has linebacker Jeremy Banks. Clemson is also missing some key guys, as it will be without defensive lineman Myles Murphy, who has opted out, and linebacker Trenton Simpson, who is injured. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei headed to the transfer portal after he was benched early in the ACC Championship Game.
So the 2 former backup QBs — Joe Milton III for Tennessee and Cade Klubnik for Clemson — will get the chance to show a national television audience what they can do.
For Milton, this is his chance to solidify himself as the frontrunner to be Tennessee’s starting QB in 2023. He will be a 6th-year senior and has been in Josh Heupel’s offense since early 2021, but there is no guarantee that the position will be his come September. Rising redshirt freshman Tayven Jackson and true freshman Nico Iamaleava are waiting in the wings, with Iamaleava already practicing with the Vols. Milton was impressive in the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, but the Tigers’ 24th-ranked defense will pose a much tougher challenge.
Milton will likely lean on Bru McCoy, who is the Vols’ best remaining pass catcher. McCoy was 2nd on the Vols in catches (48) and receiving yards (619) this season. His 27-yard catch in the waning seconds of the Alabama game will be remembered by UT fans for generations. Running backs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small should get their fair share of carries against Clemson and could take a lot of pressure off Milton.
Klubnik played even less than Milton during the regular season, throwing only 11 passes in mop-up duty. But he looked great in relief of Uiagalelei in that ACC title game, completing 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and 1 TD. He will throw to another true freshman, wide receiver Antonio Williams, to move the football through the air. Williams led the Tigers in catches (53) and receiving yards (563) this season, while also catching 4 TD passes.
Tennessee will also have to worry about Clemson’s star sophomore running back Will Shipley. He rushed for 1,110 yards and 15 TDs while also catching 34 passes out of the backfield. Tennessee is ranked 86th in total defense (not great, Bob!), but it is solid against the run, allowing fewer than 112 yards per game.
Back in the day, bowl games really were exhibitions. In 1951, the Vols lost to Maryland in the Sugar Bowl, but the AP voted Tennessee national champions before that game was even played. Programs didn’t stress those games nearly to the point that they did in the decades that followed.
Now, with the advent of the Playoff, we are kind of at that point again. Even a bowl game with the stature and history of the Orange Bowl isn’t as important without the possibility of a national championship on the line.
When you try to figure out which team is more motivated to play after missing out on the CFP, then consider that each has had a long layoff plus the opt-outs of important players and a new QB leading the offense, it makes predicting an outcome that much tougher.
But there has to be a winner. It isn’t 1993, and this game can’t end in a tie, so here goes …
Fearless Prediction time …
Clemson 34, Tennessee 31
“Clemson 34, Tennessee 31”
I’d go with 24 – 20 TN over Clemson.
I appreciate the arguments laid out by the author of this article relative to Bama getting the sugar bowl invite. I believe the bowl committee got it right in the end: Bama wasn’t dominated by any team like Tennessee was (once by uga, then a blow out loss Tony ranked USCe) and Hooker is injured and out for season.
The other (hypothetical) reason Bama got the nod centers around Saban’s argument for Bama in the playoffs: Bama would likely favored against almost any other team in CFB except UGA or UM…including viles and Clemson. Tennessee had a charmed (lying cheating stealing) game at home and won in OT against Bama; bet that wouldn’t happen again. RTR!!! Hope the tigers destroy the viles and ruin their season.
Man I gotta say Tennessee stomped us. Their defense decided to show up and Young was running for his life fixing broken plays all game long. If we didn’t have an amazing QB like Young that game wouldn’t have been close. Hats off to the Vols they deserved the win this year and didn’t cheat.
Thanks Cap. It certainly was a fun game to watch! I really think BY was the best player in College Football this year. Beat KState!
Bama got the nod but didn’t get the better game. Great bowl but from a motivation and ranking potential increase playing KSU..well. Not top ten but still close. KSU hasn’t been Clemson and isn’t as a prestigeous program from that standpoint. There won’t be as much glory for beating KSU than beating Clemson. Bama isn’t what they’ve been and honestly, with as many mistakes TN made in the Bama game, we should have won by more. This is no slight to Bama but what’s your excuse for the LSU game? TN is the better team this season and all stats, SOS proves it. I think Bama or fortunate to even have the same record as TN without having to play UGA in the regular season. If you struggled with Texas, than the a game against Pitt you could have lost also. Bama only got nods for the Sugar bowl based on one thing. Reputation. Nothing else. Your offensive rankings slipped mightily from a year ago and your rushing game only slightly improved in yards per carry vs the SEC. TN blew through your secondary as if it was Vandys. You played some bad teams and escaped with miracle wins. That was never the case with TN this season. Many bad teams gave you all major scares and forced Young into blind hero ball to pull those out. TN had one bad game on D against SC and lost in a very conservatively game played in Athens and lost by 14(in Athens). Had you played UGA this regular season, you most likely have 3 losses and no NY6 bowl.
Alabama has six national titles in 13 years. Tennessee hasn’t won the SEC in a quarter century.
So, yeah. “Reputation”. Say it over and over again. It’s very, very true.
That pretty much sums it up. It’ll fall on deaf ears, but a rational person gets it.
Typical sore loser bammer fan, always making excuses for losing. What was your excuse for To To stomping on Hooker while he was laying in the pile? And yes, it has been documented and shown over and over.
So you agree it’s reputation based only. Thanks Captain Obvious..It ain’t what you did years prior, it’s what you did that year.
You finally beat Bama. Yay. But again, for the twenty-something consecutive year, you won nothing. No natty. No conference title. Not even the division. And South Carolina would like a word about your recency high horse.
And for a program that supposedly prides itself on being good at so many sports, Tennessee remains the only SEC school not to take home a natty this century in one of the big three sports.
Post-1992 legacy SEC school, that is – Mizzou and A&M not included.
Class of 98
Isn’t it interesting that you are missing a few screws…
Your whole life is based on doggie football… what a poor excuse of a little twerp.
Lol!
Go Vols!
There are 2 main reasons why Bama was selected over Tennessee. UT lost its starting QB and that makes it a very different team. Even more significant, getting 63 points hung on them by South Carolina in their next to the last game of the year had to stick in the minds during the selection process.
^^^^ Yup.
Your QB situation has never mattered before, shouldn’t start mattering now. Period. Also, one D game does not change the fact that TN has won consistently and scored way more points doing it than Bama. Also, no one has ever judged a team based on one game when it came to bowl selection. Even when you beat that team head to head. Reputation, only. That is what is sad.
TN had the better record than Bama when you take the head to head win into consideration. Plus, Bama lost to a team we blew out on the road. But I’m glad we got to play the higher ranked and better program Clemson. So, I ain’t complaining that much. But the Committee needs to be consistent and unbiased which we know they are neither of those things.
Elk Gwhite, the selection committee seems to think a team that lost two games on the last ply of the game to two ranked teams with a fully healed former Heisman winner is now the better team than a TN team without a the starting QB and lost badly to an unranked team and got blown out by Georgia. Deal with it Gwhite. Everybody knows which team is now the better team on a neutral field.
Foots…Agreed 200% with your post. Any rational fan of college football would understand that; but we are dealing the the current- group of Vol fans and the word Rational has zero meaning for them.
“TN had one bad game on D against SC”
Tennessee was ranked 11th in the SEC in total defense; 12th in the SEC in pass defense; and 11th in the SEC in turnover margin. I promise they had more than one bad game on defense. Maybe it wasn’t the defense at all, but SC just played offense really well against Tennessee. After all, Rattler led touchdown drives constantly against Tennessee that game.
Let’s hear some specific stats on your counter argument since you live and die by them on this site.
Really? Name the game? TN out-scored everyone in the nation. Period. And most games by a very wide margin. Your complaining about TN being ranked in the top 20 in most D categories and with the top offense in the nation. Just stop LOL. SC didn’t do any better than most teams in stopping TN’s offense. Even in our worst game and some of it without Hooker we still scored nearly 40.. You have no argument sir.
When is the last SEC title fir South Carolina? When was the last ACC title fir SC? Program us garbage,, but us badly,, no doubt,, but the Football program doesn’t even have a Trophy Room!!!!
Since when is the defense involved in outscoring other teams? Also, Tennessee is not ranked in the top 20 in the nation in the categories I mentioned above, but only in the SEC Conference. Reading helps. Just to be clear, there are only 14 teams in the conference.
Gosh….where to start? Tennessee gave up over 400 yards of offense to Pitt and needed OT to win. Tennessee gave up 594 yards to a mediocre Florida team. Tennessee gave up 569 yards in a narrow win over Alabama. Tennessee gave up nearly 400 yards of offense to UT Martin…UT MARTIN!! Tennessee gave up nearly 400 yards of offense to Mizzou. Tennessee gave up . . . wait for it . . . over 600 yards of offense to South Carolina.
and lost in a very conservatively game played in Athens and lost by 14(in Athens).
hang a banner. u only lost by 14.
You all thought and made everyone believe you’d win by at least 3 or 4 scores. TN played the most conservative game of the season in Athens. Kent State scored 22 there. And for the first time in history, 14 points is somehow a blowout LOL. This is why UGA fans are largely viewed as delusional. If you lose by 14 in the playoffs you will say it was a very close close lose.lol See how that works?
UGA scored as many as they wanted. Could have scored 50 if they wanted. UGA threw 4 passes in the 2nd half.
Bama’s worst season in a decade is UT’s best in a decade+! Let’s just put it to bed, UT has never or will never be a Bama, UGA/Kirby making a push to achieve that status, 3 CFP’s and a title will get you respect. 1 win over Bama in 16 years, well let’s just refer to A&M.
Oh but Nick warned us about NIL and how much better they would be this year because of it..” We warned you”.. lol The only think Nick proved was his team was less than last years and wrong about other teams improving more quickly. LSU and TN. We aren’t talking about what Bama was, we are talking about what they are now. TN’s OC got his own team while Bama’s OC got his walking papers.. Let that sink in, in this full first year of NIL. lol
Like it or not. Saban is OC dependent, 100%. Since Sark left, 2020 seems a million years ago.
The only thing Nick Saban proved by telling us during this NIL year, “Ok, but don’t say we didn’t warn you, we’ll still be Bama and better for it with NIL”. Well, that didn’t happen. He proved his team slipped from a year ago and it was us that, “warned him”, about the potential rise of other teams, like TN and LSU. If fell on deaf ears and now he has fired his OC, while TN’s OC got his own team. Thanks for the warning though Nick lol!
Tennessee will stink again next year, as usual.
There’s your warning.
One thing is certain – nothing stinks worse than your thong.
Such a weird comment Ronmexiho, that would mean that you have smelt this thong you speak of.
“Such a weird comment Ronmexiho, that would mean that you have smelt this thong you speak of.”
You can smell it a mile away, ma’am.
You ignorant puppy fans try to act like you have been winning for years when you haven’t. Big mouths can get you in trouble, and remember when you lose, and you will, there’s going to be numerous people waiting to shove it down your throats and I am looking forward to that.
@Ron How would you associate a foul odor with something over a mile away and KNOW what it is? That means you have some knowledge to discern the odor of the thong over every other odor. You’re insult is so poor you incriminated yourself.
“How would you associate a foul odor with something over a mile away and KNOW what it is? That means you have some knowledge to discern the odor of the thong over every other odor. You’re insult is so poor you incriminated yourself.”
You really overthought that one. Get a life.
TN will never stink again as long as Heupel is there. But UGA is a one and done, maybe two if your lucky this year as well. Once the playoffs expand, you’ll be lucky to make the 4 best teams. This is your warning. lol You still think that walk QB’s are the answer..
TNBUSTER Speakin facts. UGA has only been relevant since 17. In their minds, this is like 20 plus years.. They have yet to win 3 natties. But in their minds, they’ve won enough of them over a 40 year stretch to claim they are now a dynasty. Delusional. lol
Gwhite is so funny, you insult UGA for using a walk QB, but yet he has never lost to Tenn. The year Tenn actually had a good team and UGA with that “walk on” still smoked yall. The whole one and done comment is hilarious coming from a Tenn fan boy, I could see Bama fans saying this but Gwhite needs to sit back down and watch his small bowl game tonight. UGA’s overall record the past 20 years versus Tennessee’s record, hmm I wonder which one is terrible?
@Ron
I can see why you’re jealous of people that do a little thinking.
Class of 98…I do believe that the Vols will take a step back in 2023. Hooker ran that offense close to perfection & Milton=? Well he’s got his work cut out for him. The new kid, Iameleava, won’t be ready till mid season, if then so the Vols will not e a prolific in scoring as in 2022.
Umm, didn’t Tennessee kick a field goal at the end of regulation to win? I know you are feeling your oats about another preseason Natty but no need to rewrite history there coolguy
TN drove over 45 yards and hit long one in regulation and put themselves in position to win it in regular time. That in itself is amazing and something most schools don’t have the offense to do. It’s how TN won. It was 28 to 10 second quarter. If we had a slightly better D ,this game would have been over before the half. I haven’t seen UGA do anything that amazing last year or this year offensively. History guy, let’s talk about it. You only been relevant like ever since 17. You had a mild flirtation in 80. Your ancient BBall has had more glory, or consistently decent seasons. You have yet to earn a football oat of relevancy when it comes to football lore..lol ok, maybe one.
And yet…
27-13
6 in a row
1998
Well bless your heart while you take the L the VOLS gave you. Lying, cheating & stealing….what game was you watching? The Crimson Turds had 17 flags because the referee’s final called all those holding. The PI the Turds got in the end zone was BS the Turd receiver pulled the defender down. The PI we got, same thing, the Turd defender pulled Faint down by his jersey. I was there and the VOLS beat that ASS and did not need OT!! Enjoy the L!!!!
You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about because the game didn’t go to overtime. Tennessee won in regulation
Joe Milton needs to hone in on his talent and be the freak show that he can be and it won’t be close.
I don’t think there is a more talented person at QB in the country than Milton. Will he ever be able to use his talent? I don’t know.
In the military I knew one of the best heavy equipment transport guys. Whenever he worked, he was amazing and few through the ranks. But when it came time for his med physicals, one of the worst cases of white coat syndrome you ever saw. I thought this was mainly limited to working professions but Joe Milton has convinced me, he’s a clear case of white coat syndrome in games. Every scout is a white coat, as is every TN coach and fan. Plus, look up and your on both Jumbo trons. I can’t think of a more scary place to be if this is his condition.
Milton isn’t a QB. His bad habits showed up several times in mop-up duty and showed vs Vandy. He’s been benched everywhere he’s played. He’ll be benched if he even wins the job next year.
1) TN won’t stink again for a long time if they keep Heupel.
2) Being able to see Milton now and let the coaches plan is a huge plus for 2023. It sucks for 2022, but we’ll know if he’s figure it out or not.
Never understood the love. There are linebackers who can throw a football 90mph and 80yds. But they can’t read a D and have no control. That’s why they’re LBs. So far, this has been Milton.
Hope I’m wrong.
^^^^^100%
Florida’s Anthony Richardson also was a supremely-gifted physical specimen but did not ever really progress as a Quarterback. AR is a much better runner also(4.4 speed and elusive). Milton may be the same in terms of his development & time will tell. Right now Milton is ? ? ?
I’m not sure we can have fearless predictions anymore for bowl games outside of the playoffs with all the opt outs. Your getting two teams from a production standpoint that haven’t played a single game under these circumstances. This is why fans have to prepare themselves for a, “anyone can win it”, mentality. The importance of how these teams look in this game for next season is probably more important than just who wins and loses. I would be happier seeing Milton pass for over 3 hundred yards and 3 TD’s no picks in a one score loss than I would be if both team offenses looked ugly, throw for less than 200 yards, 1 or 0 TD’s and two picks in a win. Give me something of a result that makes up our minds convincingly. If someone other than Joe is meant to lead TN next year, let Joe give us his worst if that will be how it would go next season, in this game, so we know. If he’s legit and accuracy and stats are there and he takes this by the reigns, yo go get it Joe.
Also, TN and Clemson have newish QBs at the helm.
This is what makes this the hardest thing to predict. For TN, having Joe start is more the determining factor than Tillman and Hyatt gone, as least imo. We got WR’s that have talent that have yet to see much play but Joe is in his 5th season and 3rd offseason of this offense. Joe has been like the guy that does everything great on a job but keeps doing that one thing wrong that can and has gotten people fired. We are a fanbase that are desperate to replace what Hooker gave us and look like we got a guy (Nico) who could give us that and we base that on absolutely nothing but his ranking. Plus the fact that he isn’t eligible to play in this game. It’s an ugly double edge for this game at the QB position to determine where we will put our faith. The worst would be Joe throwing for just over 200 with two TD’s and 0 picks.LOL. Basically an average game with a close win or a close loss.. Such a game gave us that last season with JP as the HC at TN and look how that turned out from a win/loss standpoint..
Yep, great points!
RonMexico1 Thank you and you as well and Seasons Greetings
Tough game to predict. It could really be all about the QB play. If Joe Milton can get some accuracy to go along with that howitzer of an arm, UT can certainly win. If the Clemson QB plays like he did against UNC, then they have to be favored. It will come down to which team wants it more and wants to be there. They are both evenly matched, should be a very entertaining game.
Agreed. But we also have to consider that there wasn’t a game more suited for Klubnick to have come on and to perform well than against UNC. UNC sports the worst defense in the ACC. Appy State score north of 60 against them. To say the UNC D is bad is an unconscionable understatement. I think if our D can be as competent as ND’s D was against them, I think we can win by more than 7 points. IF we can’t…than this could be a lower scoring back and forth scoring event for the first half and whomever makes the best adjustments at halftime wins.
UT also has one of the worst defenses in the country especially without Banks. Klubnik has the potential to tee off on you guys. I expect this game to go over 70 with how bad the defenses are.
No one don’t. The seconcdary sure in certain games has been bad but the rest of the D units were top 12. TN’s redzone D is vastly improved from last year and was top 10. Klubnik also played the worst defense in the ACC. This was a D that Appy st scored over 60 on. By that number Joe Milton and the TN offense would have scored 60 on them. Let’s wait before we crown Klubnik a true legit talent at this level.
Banks is the heart & soul of the Vols defense. He is an inspirational leader & motivator on the field. I recall that he did not play at S.C. right ?
Will TN win? Well, that depends on if you realize who Tillman and Hyatt were before a season or two ago. They were just average players, coached up within a season to be elite. That always bodes well for new average players that have shown the potential to take over where Till and Hyatt left off. I’d start with Keyton and McKoy. There is than White and some others. TN has athletes and someone will step up and fill those departed roles. No one is going to be Hyatt and Tillman in this game due to QB change but they don’t need to be in order to win this game. We just need the offense to be who they are. A team that can score in bunches in passing TD’s and rushing TD’s. Heupel is an offensive salesman and scoring 35 plus here is needed to continue that selling point that produced a great season. Is TN still the best offense in the nation without Hooker? Who knows but Heupel is going to do everything in this game to convince you it is. Joe is in his 5th year of college football. Klubnick is in his first few games and looked good against the worst D in the ACC against UNC. I think that is worth a 3-point advantage. Therefore…
TN 40 Clemson 37
The winner of the Orange Bowl? South Carolina LOL
You beat UK by 10 points..lol. Stop. They actually won the short yardage game against you. No one will be surprised if Ohio State or Michigan blows you out. Afterall, 75th ranked SOS. lol. LSU and UF rolled you all in one quarter, scoring how many unanswered. LSU might have beaten you if they started Nessmeier.
4 point winners over MIzzou. What’s amazing is that you couldn’t even score 30 against Mizzou.
And yet…
27-13
Who cares lol
Clemson. Tennessee has been off and on lately, but without Hooker I have to pick Clemson. It would not surprise me if Tennessee proves me wrong.
TN was off in one major game this season and it was a high cost game. If it truly was locker room issues, than the Vandy game result seems to have supported that. If it wasn’t, than we have to ask ourselves was Klubnick gifted a golden opportunity by beating the worst defense in the ACC with the UNC game. I can’t say either way but feel Milton will have a large part of why we win or lose this game. That I can say is the only thing I can say for sure. And it does not help that these two teams have only played once years again since 1977.
ago*
I wouldn’t classify the game between UT and South Carolina as a major game. In fact, I believe UT was favored by around 20 even with the game in Columbia. I will agree it was a high cost game due to the fact it was so lopsided.
What happened in Athens? 13 lol
You all were expecting to win in Athens by 20 plus. You lost the second half to TN with TN going conservative. We gave you the ball state game plan and you only could manage one first half of good football. What happened against Mizzou, Kent State, UK?? lol. I could name a few other games but seriously. 24 passing TD’s on the season is a joke compared to last year even for UGA.
UGA was number 3…The Vols were number 1. Sure didn’t look the part though.
Only 2 teams have debuted at number 1 and missed the playoff lol
Keyton is very good, just as good as Tillman, in my opinion, and played in his place for much of the year. But Milton is a 57% CMP, high interception rate passer who is not likely to ever get better.
Klubnik is a really good young quarterback. Clemson should win this one and easily cover.
But did we see fool’s gold with Klubnik against the worst ACC defense against UNC? Appy put 60 plus on UNC. This is a defense on par with Vandy. The TN offense put up 56 on Vandy with Joe’s arm not being the determining factor or being the majority of the scoring. AT least not his long throws. His short passing isn’t bad, its the mid and long range accuracy that is limiting. Can Heupel compensate for this shortcoming by Joe? He seems to have in the Vandy game. But, let’s be real, we aren’t going to have the same rushing success we did against Vandy’s ground D as we will against Clemson’s, unless optouts play a role. TN is the more tested team by far with their SOS compared to Clemson’s.
I see TN defense about the same as UNC’s, that KlubniK slaughtered through the air. So, that point of UNC’s defense being the worse in the ACC is for naught. If I were TN fan, I’d be worried about about Clemson’s Defense. Air raid is the only way you will beat them if you can avoid the pressure and throw on the run. That’s how SC beat them.
Than you can’t read a stat lol. UNC’s D is terrible on the ground and in the air. TN limited some decent QB’s. LSU’s, UF’s, UK’s. UNC has done no such thing. Clemson’s ground D is going to be without their two best play makers. Your D still isn’t TN’s ground D and at no point this season was that ever close. Our secondary even outplayed SC’s for most of the season. As far as your game, without ND’s QB, who knows but they can pound you all game long and I’m not sure you have an answer to that without some of the players that opted out for you.
Nash…We think alike concerning Milton’s arm. Klubnik is a true Five-Star Quarterback and the entire Clemson team comes alive when he plays. Klubnik is also a good runner, more elusve thatn DJ ever was. Gotta pick Clemson in this one also. Their D-Line is elite and will give the Vols problems.
TN & Clemson are playing in the “South Carolina Ruined My Season Bowl”. Formerly known as the ” All Orange” Orange Bowl.
Also know as a New Year’s 6 Bowl game, which is waaayyy more than USCjr can say.
He ain’t lying
SC is playing in the We’re ranked 19 Bowl, and TN is ranked 7 and have beat us like a drum more times than we can count
Your not playing in a NY6 bowl because your team played 4 games poorly and you didn’t win ten games. You upset two good teams and so for that, your lucky to get the Gator bowl. lol. I mean look at the teams that beat you this year LOL.
I predict a team wearing orange will win.
Trying to predict this one is very difficult. Both these teams had a lot to play for about midway through the season, and things didn’t work out. Tenn reminds me of 2014 MSU. I still think Tenn has more to play for, esp since it’s Clemson.
bama absolutely did NOT deserve the sugar bowl. I like the matchup with clemPson in the orange better but its still wrong.
Tn has the same defense they had all year, less banks. The secondary has only played really well in 2-3 games. Our D should be able to slow shipley down some. clubnick is a frosh so he could play lights out ala UNC or play like a frosh. I like our chances of getting to him with pressure and getting some sacks and/or some rushed throws. That would help a lot. Milton is only one offensive key. I thought milton did ok vs vandy, not impressive except the one long TD. He missed too many for me to say he was impressive. The TN running game getting going against the clemPson front, with a likely loaded box, is an important question and perhaps bigger than miltons throws. Can joe milton throw the ball with timing and accuracy for a full game. That question is big too but if we can run the ball effectively it helps Joe a lot. He didnt have to vs vandy. we ran the ball for about 400 yards. We shall see.
Vols 31 ClemPson 30
Besides the Playoff games, very few matchups are teams that are closely ranked. Most bowl games are lopsided rankings
True. UF was I felt unfairly matched with a very good Oregon St team that got no love in the bowl matchings.
Neither helped, that’s for certain. I’m happy for the Vols to be in either bowl game, but I sure would have enjoyed Nawlins! Let’s all just chill and enjoy these as the exhibition games they are.
Clemson is the better overall team. Milton gets dialed in Tennessee by 3, he doesn’t…. Long day for our secondary …Clemson by 10.
Daft. lol Clemson has an advantage in secondary D but not a huge one in ground D and no advantage on offense over TN. If Milton turns it over, than yes, could very well be Clemson by 10 but he wasn’t ever a turn over king at least thus far at TN.
Clemson’s Will Shipley is a talented running back and will get his 100 yards rushing. Should be a good game to watch.
I don’t really think I have seen anyone picking the Vols, and I can see why. They played VANDY after losing to the Chickins. I’m not sold on Joe either, but hoping he has a good game and a win or close loss.
No curb stomping from “Auburn with a lake” allowed!
Lewis Grizzard was a gem. There’s a really good writeup from a Clemson graduate from a few years ago about how AU/Clemson are identical in almost every way.
John Heisman coached at both. Clemson’s athletic teams have been nicknamed the Tigers since 1896, when coach (and later university president) Walter Merritt Riggs brought the name from his alma mater, Auburn University.
RonMex, the colors are sort of close also. Auburn burnt orange and navy blue. Clemson orange and purple. I think the purple came from borrowed navy blue jersey’s when coach John went to Clemson. Read it somewhere.
Clemson’s mascot looks like a drugged out crack head.
What’s the difference between Clemson and Auburn? Answer: Clemson has a lake.
Tennessee hasn’t been to a Bowl game in a while so I am happy for the players.
first post on a UT article I have ever seen from you that wasnt a troll job. Must be the holiday cheer coming through… Im happy for you.
fuzzy…Just accept the compliment & say thanks. Snarky comments are not required for all Vol posters.
Did you forget them getting beat in the Music City Bowl last season?
NO TN fan considers that a loss. Final TD play was a TD anywhere in the football universe. Even Purdue coaching staff was shocked it wasn’t called a TD. Maybe you should wait until your passing offense is actually a top 15 before you talk about offense..LOL
Yet the score says you lost. Maybe you should wait until you are actually in the playoff to start losing games on purpose
27-13
6 in a row
lol 1998 lol
And I wasn’t aware that what you little whine Vol fans considered had any say so on the outcome. Nope…you lost. But congrats on doing better this year and making it all the way to your little SC ruined our season bowl lol lol
27-13
6 in a row
1998
Lol
Classy post Eight, Season’s Greetings and good luck against Iowa in the bowl game. We’ll be pulling for Wuldcats!
What season? Do you mean Chri$tmas?
Don’t think it’ll happen with all the MIA Vols, but pleeeeeaaaase beat Klempson.
Naa. Can’t root for the Vols
I’ll take Tennessee close in the We Can’t Beat South Carolina Bowl.
Come on Vols, you’ve got this one.
Db, wrong again. You are a 20 something year old band member. You’ve never earned a letter. I have. You’re a lib eral rat that was behind Mizzou years ago. You …. “I don’t see eye to eye with Leach less than a month ago.” You are such an immature little c Unts. Below me.
Hey look, I was right ;)
Hey look, you was skin flute blower.
Awww, the baby is mad ;)
No really little girl.
This game will merely be won by the team that wants to lose it the least. Tigers and hound dogs… What both these teams have in common is a downward spiral. Swinney was held up by his excellent coordinators, but now they are gone and he is standing naked in front of the Senate. Heupel is a one trick pony where everyone now knows the trick. Next year both team records will be worse than this year’s. And extrapolation into the future does not look good for both. Clemson needs to pray that somehow they can join the SEC, because as long as they remain in the patsy ACC they will just slowly sink lower and lower. Tennessee will continue its bad business in hiring mediocre coaches, extending their contract as soon as they manage to beat a rival, then buy them out in another couple of years when they don’t pan out. The best part of this bowl will be to see all the orange. How will we tell one team from the other?