Although Tennessee doesn’t have a game that may help their playoff odds this weekend, several other teams around the country may help, or hurt, the Volunteers’ chance at one of the top four spots.
Here are some games to pay attention to this weekend.
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU
In CBS’s game of the week, the Rebels travel to take on LSU this Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. ET contest.
For Tennessee fans, an LSU win will continue to bolster the Volunteers’ resume, as the Vols handily defeated the Tigers a couple weeks back.
This game also may play a role in the fate of the SEC West. For Tennessee, Alabama winning the SEC West allows the Volunteers to lose to Georgia and still have hope at a run for a championship.
If Ole Miss were to win the west and Tennessee loses to Georgia, any hope at a playoff spot would be lost.
No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama
With the night cap on ESPN, the Bulldogs travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium to face Alabama on Saturday.
In the same situation with LSU, if Alabama were to pick up a ranked win, it would help Tennessee resume even more.
Don’t count out Will Rogers and the Bulldogs though. Rogers has thrown for 2,324 yards this season with 23 touchdowns. Mississippi State’s unrelenting air-raid offense may cause problems for the Crimson Tide.
With SEC West title implications on the line, this game will be another one to pay attention to.
No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson
The undefeated ACC showdown kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Clemson has hung around the top five teams all season, without facing any tough competition. A loss here would hurt the Tigers’ chance at a playoff spot… possibly opening the door for Tennessee to slide in come December.
Another thing to watch is Clemson’s chase of history. Clemson owns the nation’s longest win streak and have won a record-tying 37 straight games at home.
Syracuse has the best defense in the ACC, beat ranked N.C. State a week before, and are off to their best start since 1987.
Could the Orange pull out an upset? It seems their hot streak may continue on Saturday.
