By Jack Glennon
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Volunteers’ gut-wrenching 33-27 loss against the Oklahoma Sooners on Nov. 1 might not be quite the open wound it was for Vol Nation a week ago.
It’s abundantly clear, though, that this loss (being the Vols’ third) heavily implies the Volunteers will miss the college football playoff a year after entering as the No.9 seed.
“I know things have not gone our way, but we’re so close,” said running back Desean Bishop. “We are a couple plays away from being undefeated.”
The bye week not only gave the team a chance to recover from the mental strain of such heartbreak but also provided an opportunity for the Volunteers to get healthy.
The Volunteers have been snakebitten by injuries this season, with key offensive pieces Ethan Davis and David Sanders, Jr. having missed six and four games, respectively.
Tennessee’s defense, however, has not been any luckier in terms of injuries.
It’s no secret by now that star cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III have seen the field for a combined one game.
While they have both been practicing and listed as questionable for weeks, it’s doubtful Gibson or McCoy (particularly McCoy) will ever touch the field again this season.
Put yourself in the shoes of a premier collegiate athlete like Jermod McCoy, who is well on his way to becoming a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. After a stellar sophomore season with the Volunteers, McCoy would be foolish to risk his health just for Tennessee to be competitive in the last three games of a disappointing season.
McCoy is almost guaranteed to be selected in the late first round of the upcoming draft. He has nothing left to prove and no true incentive to help the Volunteers stay competitive.
Despite the injuries, the Volunteers have still managed to grind their way to a 6-3 record. Head Coach Josh Heupel, however, is hardly satisfied with the team’s record.
Unfortunately for Heupel, I suspect that the second-half collapse against Oklahoma will not be the team’s final loss.
After their matchup against the New Mexico State Aggies, the Volunteers will travel to Gainesville, Fla., where they have not won since 2003.
They will also host the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores later this month for an in-state clash.
“There is a lot of areas that we [have] to get better in,” Heupel said. “[New Mexico State] is our next opportunity to play, what happens after… you can’t control.”
If the Volunteers want any chance at making the college football playoff, however, they will have to find a way to control those final two games, winning both by multiple scores.
And therefore, thought it might seem that the Volunteers have nothing left to play for. The SEC’s passing leader Joey Aguilar disagrees with that narrative.
“We’ve still got at least three games left,” Aguilar said. “We’re at Tennessee. We’re blessed to be here.”
Though Tennessee may not be playing for a spot in the college football playoff, it is clear that the team will continue fighting for the Volunteer fan base.