The Tennessee Volunteers conclude their 2021 season against Purdue throughout the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Thursday afternoon. Nothing says college football like TransPerfect, a “translation, E-Discovery, and language services company located in New York City,” according to Google. Learn more about the Tennessee vs. Purdue: Predictions on Music City Bowl, in this review.
Both teams in this bowl game have some history. In 2010, the Vols were defeated in double overtime by North Carolina. A crazy sequence there at the end of regulation cost UT the game. It resulted in the implementation of the 10-second runoff rule. Tennessee defeated Nebraska in 2016, but that victory came after a season where Tennessee fell short of expectations. Purdue wishes to overlook its image in the 2018 Music City Bowl, which ended in a humiliating loss to Auburn.
rank
Website
BONUS
TURNOVER
RATING
PROMO / SIGN UP
Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn't Win
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms
Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets and 1 month of NFL+ Premium on us!
No requirements
This game also means the Vols will face Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm. That name conjures up images of Tennessee’s bizarre coaching search in 2017. For a few hours, it appeared that Brohm would serve as the next Vols head coach, but all those reports were untrue. I hope Brohm holds a fireside chat after the game to explain how close he came to being at UT.
Purdue’s top two players, wide receiver David Bell, and defensive end George Karlaftis have opted out of participating in bowl games to start preparing for the NFL Draft. Both players are All-Americans who will most likely be in the draft for the first few rounds, so their choice not to risk injury by participating in this exhibition is excusable.
For the same reason, Tennessee will be without defensive back, Alontae Taylor. Taylor is expected to be a late-round draft pick.
Purdue’s resume is quite impressive. The Boilermakers finished 8-4 this season, with victories over Iowa and Michigan State when both were ranked in the top three by the Associated Press. Unfortunately, they were annihilated at Ohio State. Otherwise, they prevailed in every game or have been competitive until the fourth quarter.
Aidan O’Connell, the Boilermakers’ fifth-year senior quarterback, leads the offense. Purdue’s strength is its ability to throw the football, with the team averaging 340 yards per game throughout the air. However, a large portion of that was due to Bell, who captured 93 passes for 1,286 yards during the season. His absence will give Milton Wright, Jackson Anthrop, and Payne Durham more opportunities, as each caught at least 40 passes throughout 2021.
Purdue is a one-dimensional team, averaging less than 84 yards for every game on the ground. In 2021, only three teams across the country rushed for fewer yards. King Doerue, their leading rusher, averages less than 4 yards per carry.
With 247 yards passing as well as 212 yards rushing per game, the Vols’ offense is much more balanced. Tennessee got nearly 39 points in a game, ranking eighth in the country, thanks primarily to quarterback Hendon Hooker. Hooker’s main targets were Cedric Tillman and Velus Jones Jr., who combined for 109 receptions.
The Boilermakers will undoubtedly miss Karlaftis and his team-leading ten-loss tackles. However, senior linebacker Jaylan Alexander would play after recording 94 tackles this season.
Tennessee linebacker Jeremy Banks was overlooked for all-SEC honors, but his team-high 108 tackles should not be forgotten.
Bowl games are relatively easy to predict. Whether the team is motivated, or who wants to return home? Because this game will then be played in Nashville, the Vols will have a significant home-field advantage, which should help them.
The Vols have had an unexpectedly successful season. They have a chance to win their eighth game, which has only happened once at Tennessee since 2016. If he wins his eighth game, Josh Heupel will achieve the most victories for a Vols first-year head coach as of Phillip Fulmer in 1993.