TAMPA, Fla. – Tennessee can’t change the tenor of the what-ifs of its 2015 football season.
The Volunteers can, however, set the tone for a pivotal offseason for a program creeping back toward national relevancy.
Today’s Outback Bowl clash with No. 12 Northwestern (10-2) provides Tennessee (8-4) the opportunity to put a winning touch on one season while sending the Vols into the next on a positive note.
“It’s just important to finish strong,” linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said after one of Tennessee’s practices this week. “We haven’t had nine wins in a long time around here. We feel like it’s something we owe to the program. We’re going to come out and we’re going to give our best performance.”
Kickoff at Raymond James Stadium is at noon, and the game will be shown on ESPN2.