The Volunteers are an extremely intriguing team so far this year. To say I was skeptical about their preseason ranking of No. 9 would be an understatement. That skepticism was reinforced when they squeaked by Appalachian State 20-13 in the season opener, to the point where I didn't think they even deserved a spot in the top 25. Well, the Vols just keep on winning, most notably in the Battle at Bristol where they stomped Virginia Tech 45-24. Tennessee continued to take care of business by beating Florida (currently ranked No. 19) 38-28, and took down the Georgia Bulldogs in a 34-31 miracle finish.
After the victory over Georgia, I heard a very interesting theory (credit where credit is due: @KevinTyburski) that this year's Tennessee team is kind of a "team of destiny" much like the 2013 Auburn team. That Auburn team just found ways to win; they also had a miracle win over Georgia, and who could forget the Iron Bowl victory over Alabama? Literally a top three sports moment that I've witnessed in my life. Now although the Tigers eventually lost to Jameis Winston and Florida State in the National Championship that year, they still truly were a team of destiny. It's a bit early to tell with Tennessee if their luck will last all season, but I definitely get the same vibe from the Vols. They certainly don't portray that they're the best team around, but they do keep finding ways to win and at the end of the day, that's what matters.
Texas A&M did not have as high of expectations from everyone at first, failing to land a spot in the preseason top 25, but have since looked very impressive. The Aggies have topped two currently-ranked opponents so far this year, beating UCLA 31-24 in their opening game, and trumping in-conference opponent Arkansas 45-24. The Aggies might be without a few key players this Saturday, most notably defensive end Myles Garrett, who is the most exciting defensive player to watch in the country. On the offensive side of the ball, A&M will potentially be missing offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor and wide receivers Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones. Speedy Noil has been pretty underwhelming this season, tallying six receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Seals-Jones hasn't been particularly stellar either, recording ten receptions for 175 yards. I think it's safe to say that if Aggies fans were to pick one of these guys to play on Saturday, it would hands down be Myles Garrett.
Comparing the two teams at the quarterback position, they're both wielding dual-threat players. A&M quarterback Trevor Knight, who used to play for Oklahoma, has thrown for 1,261 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions, which has earned him a QB rating of 122.1. Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs has a higher rating of 146.5 as he's recorded 1,035 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. So Dobbs has substantially more TD passes than Knight, but twice as many picks and less total yards. Knight has looked better with his feet than Dobbs, as the Aggies' QB has averaged 7.8 yards per carry, totaled 392 yards, and gotten into the endzone six times. Dobbs has rushed for a total of 267 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. At the end of the day, the QB competition between these two teams is a close one.
Texas A&M has averaged 39.2 points per game, and Tennessee's defense has allowed an average of 23 points per game. On the flip side, the Vols have averaged 33 points per game, and they'll be challenged by the Aggies' monstrous defense that has allowed an average of 15.4 points per game.
The Aggies enter Saturday as 7 point favorites, and the 12th Man (not you, dumb Seahawks fans) at Kyle Field should be beyond rowdy on Saturday afternoon. All season I've been impressed with Texas A&M and have done anything but praise the Vols. But after the victory over Georgia, this "team of destiny" theory has me convinced that Tennessee will come out on top, dishing A&M its first loss of the season.
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