FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — All the goodwill, confidence and excitement for the University of Tennessee football team from passing its first road test of the season at Oklahoma two weeks ago evaporated into the late Saturday night air here.
More concerning for the Volunteers, after the shocking 19-14 loss to stubborn Arkansas, the wiggle room they had created for themselves with that win over the Sooners also disappeared. All the positive vibes around the program have been replaced by frustration and anxiety as the Vols now need to navigate the upcoming stretch of four straight Southeastern Conference home games — against longtime nemesis Florida, an angry Alabama, dangerous Kentucky and Mississippi State — plus late-season league road games against Georgia and Vanderbilt without absorbing more than one more loss in that brutal stretch.
Otherwise, UT — which entered Saturday’s game ranked No. 4 nationally and, according to ESPN data, holding a 77.9% chance of making the 12-team College Football Playoff — will likely find itself on the outside looking in.
And there’s plenty of blame in all phases to go around.
Coming off a bye week, the offense was basically a continuation of its baffling low-energy performance from the second half at Oklahoma, lacking rhythm and the trademark big-splash plays for most of the game.