Vols in a playoff

Published Nov. 22, 2010 10:10 a.m. ET

foxsports

By: Josh Woodward
InsideTennessee.com
November 22, 2010

Tennessee Coach Derek Dooley wasn�t taking the bait ... not after his team struggled to defeat the Vanderbilt Commodores 24-10. Asked about the possibility of coming back to Nashville for the Music City Bowl, the Vol coach frowned.

�We�re not going to come back here if (we play the same) against Kentucky," he said. "If we play the way we played today, we�re going to get beat.�

Tennessee has a one-game playoff this weekend at Neyland Stadium.� If the Volunteers win they would likely come back to Nashville to play in the Music City Bowl. If the Music City Bowl passed on the Vols they would head to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, which has made it known it would love to host the Volunteers.

Tennessee players are fully aware of what�s at stake this Saturday. Safety Janzen Jackson knows the importance of the regular-season finale, noting that it is �very important. Like Coach Dooley said: The next game is a playoff.�

The experiences gained from 15 extra bowl practices will only further this youthful team. Tennessee freshman Justin Hunter is excited about the opportunity of a bowl game.

�I think means a lot," he said. "This would be my first bowl, so I�m real excited. I want to win."

Standing in the Volunteers way is a dangerous Kentucky team. The Vols hold a 25-game winning streak over the Wildcats but Kentucky rolls into Knoxville with a 6-5 record and considerable incentive of its own. The Cats are already bowl eligible and would love to end the streak and send the Vols home for the winter. Tennessee will have to play a solid game to defeat the Wildcats.