Why Vanderbilt’s Surprising Strategy Could Topple Tennessee This Season

Can you believe we’re already closing in on the final chapters of the college football saga this season? I mean, sure, it’s bittersweet — but hey, the bowl games, the playoffs, and Championship Week are just around the corner, so there’s still fire left in the tank. This weekend’s fixture between Vanderbilt and Tennessee isn’t just another game; it’s a last-ditch effort for both squads to shout their worth in the brutal SEC landscape. Vanderbilt’s season sneaked up on many, blending moments of brilliance with slips here and there, while Tennessee fights to shake off the weight of unmet expectations and turnover headaches. Who’s going to take the upper hand when these rivals meet at 3:30 ET? Buckle up — this one promises sparks, strategy, and maybe a few surprises. LEARN MORE.

Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee, 3:30 ET

It is hard to believe that we are already this close to the end of College Football. Before you get too sad, remember, we have all the bowl games, playoffs, and even Championship Week next week. There is no reason to be upset, be happy that it happened at all. At least the saying goes something like that. There are still a lot of really good games this week, and I’m ready to rock with this one between Vanderbilt and Tennessee, which should be one of the best games of the weekend.

Vanderbilt’s 2025 season has been the kind that sneaks up on you — flashes of excellence, a few rough games, and enough talent to make people take notice. Very few were paying attention to them before the season, but you know they have everyone’s attention now. Their head coach even just resigned with the team to give a little more stability. The Commodores rolled through the schedule with a balanced offense that could strike from anywhere and a defense that, at its best, looked impenetrable. This season went about as well as could be expected. There were a few games that you probably saw them losing, and they pulled out wins. Mistakes still pop up — turnovers, blown coverages, missed chances — but you can say that about almost any team. This is a game where they still have a chance to make the College Football Playoffs, they still have hope, and most of all, they still have another statement to make about where their school is in the daunting SEC.

Tennessee’s 2025 campaign hasn’t been quite as clean as Vanderbilt. There were high expectations, big moments, and each game felt like a fight to the end. They’ve only played three ranked opponents this season, and the result has been the same in each of them: a loss. The first was when they hosted Georgia, and they played about as well as you can against the Bulldogs. They took them to overtime before losing 44-41. A few weeks later, they found themselves in Tuscaloosa and dropped that game 37-20 to the Crimson Tide. I’m not hating on them for that, Alabama is a tough place to play for opponents. Their last loss was to an Oklahoma team that looks better and better each week. There were definitely moments where you wondered if the Volunteers deserved to be a ranked team, and if they were just a bit fake. Then there were some games that we saw them dominate and pull out a victory.

For Tennessee, the key here has to be working on controlling turnovers. Quaterback Joey Aguilar has 10 interceptions this year. The Vanderbilt defense can trick you at times and get you to throw a bad ball. Aguilar and the Volunteers cannot afford that, even at home. I think there is a chance for Tennessee to rely on the ground game, and attack Vanderbilt that way. On the other side, I expect Vanderbilt to dominate this game on offense. Frankly, I think this is a game where the Commodores throw everything out there. They won’t play for the SEC Championship, and who knows about Playoffs or which Bowl Game. They should get after this one with everything they have. Give me the Commodores with the points.

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