Last week, the Tennessee Volunteers needed a fourth quarter explosion to put the Kentucky Wildcats away.
History repeated itself seven days later in College Station, as the Vols overcame a sluggish first half and a quarterback injury to vanquish Texas A&M on the road and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
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Before we go any further, it’s important we address the elephant in the room, and that is the FAA ground stop.
FAA GROUND STOP LIFTED ON FRIDAY NIGHT, BUT SOME COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS STILL SCRAMBLING TO TRAVEL
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel at the Vol Walk before the Orange & White spring game, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (IMAGN)
Although Tennessee coach Josh Heupel likely won’t admit it, his team’s late arrival in the Lone Star State may have contributed to their sleepy start on offense.
The Vols arrived at the team hotel just before 1 a.m. local time, likely offering an explanation for the lack of fireworks on offense.
Luckily for Heupel, his defense was up for the challenge, harassing Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed all afternoon to the tune of just 71 yards passing.
The Aggies could only muster one touchdown the entire game and were held to only 179 total yards.
UPDATED START TIMES FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES AFFECTED BY FAA GROUND STOP, BROKEN DOWN BY CONFERENCE
KJ Edwards No. 0 of the Texas A&M Aggies rushes during the first quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Nov. 14, 2026. (Getty Images)
It’s been a hard fall for Texas A&M, who began the season as a top-10 team before falling out of the AP top-25 entirely.
Saturday’s loss has the Aggies in danger of missing a bowl game, and they still have a showdown with a surging Texas squad to end the season.
For the Vols, a letdown almost surely would have meant the end of their CFP aspirations, as a third loss could have put those dreams on life support.
Things looked bleak until, ironically, Tennessee was bit with the injury bug when starting quarterback George MacIntyre went out midway through the third quarter.
From that point, the Vols remembered they could run the ball and run it quite well at that, rushing for 196 yards on the day and holding the ball for over 42 minutes.
Arion Carter No. 7 and Jeremiah Telander No. 22 of the Tennessee Volunteers react to a play during the first half at Kyle Field on Nov. 14, 2026, in College Station, Texas. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)
If Tennessee can replicate this formula of salty defense and controlling the time of possession, they will be a hard out in December and beyond.
With that in mind, the Vols have a date with the LSU Tigers next Saturday before a road game in Nashville against rival Vanderbilt.
If they can navigate that stretch undefeated, they will be a shoo-in to make the CFP.
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Once they make it, I doubt anyone will want to play this version of Tennessee.