The Purdue Boilermakers and Tennessee Volunteers both had solid seasons in 2021. They both had reason to think this season would be painful and difficult, but they both notched important victories which carried them higher than many pundits thought they would fly. They come to this bowl game knowing that they have done a lot of hard work and grown as a team. These are in many ways mirror images of each other. This bowl game is both a reward and an opportunity, making it one of the more interesting games on the bowl calendar. Some bowl games match two disappointing teams. This bowl game is a clash between two teams which did well this year. That\u2019s fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Tennessee Volunteers Location:<\/strong> Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN<\/p>\n\n\n\n CFB Odds:<\/strong> Tennessee -5<\/p>\n\n\n\n Purdue Boilermakers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Boilermakers added to their reputation as one of college football\u2019s best giant-killers in recent years. Purdue has been known for springing big upsets against top-five-ranked opponents at the time of kickoff, and the Boilermakers did that twice more this year. Iowa was ranked No. 2 when Purdue stunned the Hawkeyes on the road in Iowa City. Purdue played a complete game but was especially strong on defense in a smothering win over the Hawkeyes. Later in the year, Purdue hosted No. 3 Michigan State and promptly dealt the Spartans their first loss of the season. Purdue scored 40 points in an 11-point upset of the mistake-prone Spartans. Purdue finished the year with a win in the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry game against Indiana to win eight games, a terrific result for head coach Jeff Brohm, who entered the year hearing a lot of deserved grumbling from a fan base which had expected a lot more from him. This is the kind of season Purdue fans were hoping for, but they didn\u2019t think it would actually happen. Quarterback Aidan O\u2019Connell is the sparkplug of this offense. He elevated his game midway through the season, and it made all the difference for this team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tennessee Volunteers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Volunteers had struggled over the past decade, primarily because they lacked an elite passing game. Tennessee teams were not explosive and did not maximize their potential on offense. That changed this year under first-year head coach Josh Heupel. His background as a national championship quarterback for Oklahoma in the 2000 college football season, combined with his tours as an offensive coordinator and then as a head coach with UCF in recent years, gave him the ability to teach the passing game at a high level. He brought in transfer quarterback Hendon Hooker from Virginia Tech and was quickly able to assemble a high-octane offense which put up huge numbers against inferior teams, something Tennessee had not done much in recent years. Tennessee regularly scored in the 40s or higher against the weaker opponents on the schedule. The Vols didn\u2019t beat Georgia or Alabama \u2013 few teams did in 2021 \u2013 but they were good against most other opponents. They failed against Florida, but they put up a very good fight against a 10-win Ole Miss team. Their big wins of the year were against Missouri and Kentucky on the road. Sweeping those two games is not something Vol fans expected. Tennessee has to be optimistic about its future, now that it has a quality offensive coach in charge. This was a missing piece of the puzzle; now the Vols have it in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The big news here is that Purdue star receiver David Bell, easily the most productive skill-position player for the Boilermakers, has opted out of the bowl game. That will leave Purdue critically undermanned and should give Tennessee a clear edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boilermakers vs. Volunteers Prediction:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Volunteers 35, Boilermakers 27<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Purdue Boilermakers and Tennessee Volunteers both had solid seasons in 2021. 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Date:<\/strong> Thursday, December 30th, 3:00 PM ET<\/p>\n\n\n\n