One Thing That Will Decide Tennessee Football vs Texas A&M

The Tennessee Volunteers are now ranked No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings; this means they control their destiny in making the final field. If they win out, they will be in the playoff and could still make the SEC title game.

The most important part of that statement is the “if they win out” statement. Tennessee still has to take care of business on the field, or nothing else matters. That all starts with the next game against Texas A&M. This will be the first road test since their disappointing loss at South Carolina.

Disappointing road losses are something that has plagued Tennessee for several years, and now they cannot afford another one. There are obviously a lot of things that will come into play on the road, but this one thing could be the biggest difference in Tennessee winning or being upset.

The Vols Need to Get Pressure on Marcel Reed

Tennessee Vols Defensive Line — Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander (22) and defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam (2) celebrate with Mariyon Dye (9) after Dye recovered a Kentucky fumble during a college football game on Nov. 7, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Marcel Reed is a talented quarterback who many expected to be one of the better players in college football. That talent has not translated into much success, as he has struggled with turnovers and even just completing passes. Reed will need to have a big game for the Aggies to compete, but he might not have the chance.

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It is now well documented that the Tennessee defense is one of the best defenses in the country. A large part of this has been the defensive line led by Xavier Gilliam. Tennessee’s defensive line will be the group that decides the game one way or another.

In the game against Kentucky, the Vols' defensive line was mostly quiet. Kentucky should get a lot of credit for how good their offensive line is, but Tennessee cannot have a repeat. If the Vols are able to make Reed uncomfortable, then the turnovers and inaccurate passes will start to roll in. Then the secondary of the Vols can feast.

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