I haven’t gotten around to writing a recap of the Tennessee Volunteers 2020 football season (it won’t be pretty), but despite my negative emotions about this year, it was announced recently that the Vols will be playing in a bowl game this year.
For those that are unaware, the Vols had a very, very disappointing 2020 season, finishing 3-7 and going from No. 15 in the nation to unranked before the halfway point of the season. Double-digit losses to the likes of unranked Arkansas and Kentucky earlier in the year derailed what was once a promising start to the season.
After a 2-0 start, the Vols would go onto lose their next seven of eight games, with their third win coming against the winless Vanderbilt Commodores in the second-to-last contest.
Overall, this year was a dud. I’m hesitant to blame COVID for the Vols’ failure of a season mainly because I feel coaching was the team’s biggest problem. I’ll get into the coaching issues in a later blog entry, but the biggest problem for Tennessee, and what really cost them in most games, was the failure to make adjustments at halftime.
I don’t think many, if any, Vols fans were expecting to play in a bowl game this year, myself included, but expectations were averted when it was announced that Tennessee will battle the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-4) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 30 in Memphis. The Vols enter the matchup as four-point underdogs, according to 247Sports.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m excited the Vols get to play in a bowl game, no matter the opponent or venue. This is a chance for the Vols to finish the year on a somewhat decent note. For head coach Jeremy Pruitt, this is probably his best shot at keeping his job and regaining some good will with the fanbase.
With that being said, the Vols obviously don’t deserve to participate in a bowl game. While it’s not the most remarkable of bowl games, a losing record shouldn’t be rewarded with postseason play. I hate when I see it in the professional leagues and I hate it in the college ranks too.
If I’m off base, feel free to let me know in the comments. Despite my opinion on the season and the program itself, I’ll still be cheering the boys in orange and white come Dec. 30.
Go Vols!
Edit: The Vols have withdrawn from the Liberty Bowl due to positive COVID tests within the program. However, my point from the blog still stands.
