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The first order of business for the Vols the rest of the season, of course, is to win out, and that begins with its game at South Carolina this Saturday evening. The next goal is to win the SEC East, so let's take a look at the standings:
| CONF | OVERALL | HOME | ROAD | NEUTRAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 3-1 | 5-1 | 4-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Kentucky | 3-2 | 4-3 | 4-1 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| Tennessee | 2-2 | 5-2 | 3-1 | 1-1 | 1-0 |
| Georgia | 2-3 | 4-3 | 1-2 | 2-1 | 1-0 |
| Vanderbilt | 1-3 | 4-4 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| South Carolina | 1-4 | 3-4 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| Missouri | 0-3 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 0-3 | 0-0 |
That Kentucky is ahead of Tennessee in the standings is just a result of having a lot of games still to play and should resolve itself. Florida being in the lead is a concern, of course, and for the Vols to get back in control of the SEC East, they need the Gators to lose. This week, Georgia is the team to get behind to make that happen. By the way, I think it's going to happen and that it will render the issue moot this season, but I'm going to go on record now that the SEC needs to change the way it determine division winners. Either every team needs to play the same teams (not going to happen) or the division winner should be determined by the record against the common opponents, i.e., the record against the division. Again, this is going to be my position even if it ultimately does not matter this season.
If Tennessee can win the SEC East and get to Atlanta, then the biggest challenge of the season -- winning the SEC against Alabama or someone who managed to be good enough to beat them -- awaits. For purposes of the College Football Playoff, other teams around the nation will have an impact as well, so here is the AP Top 25 this week:
| RK | TEAM | REC | PTS | TREND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama(60) | 8-0 | 1524 | — |
| 2 | Michigan(1) | 7-0 | 1446 | 1 |
| 3 | Clemson | 7-0 | 1382 | 1 |
| 4 | Washington | 7-0 | 1373 | 1 |
| 5 | Louisville | 6-1 | 1276 | 2 |
| 6 | Ohio State | 6-1 | 1143 | 4 |
| 7 | Nebraska | 7-0 | 1083 | 1 |
| 8 | Baylor | 6-0 | 1063 | 1 |
| 9 | Texas A&M | 6-1 | 1007 | 3 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 6-0 | 997 | 2 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 5-2 | 980 | 1 |
| 12 | Florida State | 5-2 | 725 | 1 |
| 13 | Boise State | 7-0 | 716 | 1 |
| 14 | Florida | 5-1 | 654 | 1 |
| 15 | Auburn | 5-2 | 641 | 6 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 5-2 | 626 | — |
| 17 | Utah | 7-1 | 584 | 2 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 5-2 | 572 | — |
| 19 | LSU | 5-2 | 352 | 6 |
| 20 | Western Michigan | 8-0 | 349 | — |
| 21 | North Carolina | 6-2 | 328 | 1 |
| 22 | Navy | 5-1 | 251 | 2 |
| 23 | Colorado | 6-2 | 207 | NR |
| 24 | Penn State | 5-2 | 193 | NR |
| 25 | Virginia Tech | 5-2 | 110 | NR |
The Rooting Guide rules can sometimes get a bit fuzzy and contradictory, but the general rule currently is that Vols fans want to root for chaos, meaning we want underdogs to take out as many favorites as possible, especially those ahead of Tennessee in the polls.
And with that, here is this week's TV schedule, curated for Vols fans:
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016
The Noon Slate
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV / Online | Chance of an Upset (ESPN FPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (5) Louisville at Virginia | Noon | ABC/ESPN2 (RM) / WatchESPN | ~4% |
| (2) Michigan at Michigan State | Noon | ESPN / WatchESPN | ~4% |
| (10) West Virginia at Oklahoma State | Noon | FOX / FS Go | ~56% |
So the best chance for some good news in the first slate is for Oklahoma State to upset #10 West Virginia. Go Men 40 and Over!
The Afternoon Slate
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV / Online | Chance of an Upset (ESPN FPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (8) Baylor at Texas | 3:30 pm | ABC / WatchESPN | ~38% |
| (14) Florida vs. Georgia (at Jacksonville) | 3:30 pm | CBS / Stream | ~27% |
| Northwestern at (6) Ohio State | 3:30 pm | ESPN / WatchESPN | ~7% |
| (4) Washington at (17) Utah | 3:30 pm | FS1 / FS Go | ~21% |
The afternoon slot could really provide some great news for Vols fans. Root for Georgia to take out Florida and for Texas to take out Baylor. Go ahead and root for upsets in the others, too, but those are the biggies, especially the Cocktail Party.
The Evening Slate
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV / Online | Chance of an Upset (ESPN FPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (13) Boise State at Wyoming | 7:00 pm | CBSSN / Stream | ~16% |
| (7) Nebraska at (11) Wisconsin | 7:00 pm | ESPN / WatchESPN | ~69% |
| (15) Auburn at Ole Miss | 7:15 pm | SECN / WatchESPN | ~43% |
| (18) Tennessee at South Carolina | 7:15 pm | ESPN2 / WatchESPN | ~15% |
| (3) Clemson at (12) Florida State | 8:00 pm | ABC / ESPN3 | ~44% |
Root for Wisconsin over Nebraska, who is still undefeated, and root for four-loss Ole Miss to give Auburn its third loss.
Regarding the ACC, I'm rooting for two-loss Florida State to give Clemson its first loss. Wyoming taking out Boise State is a real long shot, but it is one of the two best-remaining shots for them to get a loss.