Tennessee Football: 5 Bold Predictions for the Vols' Bowl Game

In a surprise selection, the Tennessee Volunteers' postseason fortunes went from an all-but-guaranteed blustery and cold bowl game somewhere in the mid-South to a berth in the TaxSlayer Bowl in balmy Jacksonville, Florida, against the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

With potential opponents ranging from the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Louisville Cardinals and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, it looks like the Vols lucked out not only on location but also on their opponent.

The Hawkeyes are a solid team that underachieved in 2014, while the Vols met expectations in an unexpected way by clawing their way to bowl eligiblity after winning three of their last four games.

Although the Vols are already reaping the benefits of making the postseason by scheduling 15 extra practices, the season won't be a true success unless the team brings home a win from Jacksonville.

And with a full month to heal and game-plan for the team's Big 10 opponent, expect Tennessee's coaches to give fans and players alike a glimpse of what the team will look like heading into 2015.

With that said, here are five bold predictions for Tennessee's matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the TaxSlayer Bowl. 

Tennessee Fans Paint EverBank Field Orange

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The contrast between Tennessee and Iowa fans' reactions to being selected for the TaxSlayer (Gator) Bowl couldn't be more black and white. 

The Vols are heading to their first bowl game since 2010 in a destination far sunnier, warmer and more prestigious than they could have predicted after finishing the season 6-6.

The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, are coming off the heels of a disappointing 7-5 season that some analysts, such as ESPN's Brian Bennett, predicted would lead to a Big 10 West Division title. 

In addition to the overall excitement in the fanbase, Tennessee is also geographically much closer to Jacksonville than Iowa. Driving from Knoxville to Jacksonville is a comfortable day trip that clocks in at eight hours, while the trek from Iowa City to northeast Florida is a daunting 17.5 hours.

The conditions for this bowl game couldn't be better for the Vols—who were selected as the home team—to have an actual home-field advantage despite playing more than 500 miles from Neyland Stadium. 

Jalen Hurd and Joshua Dobbs Combine for 200+ Yards Rushing

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Iowa allows 4.29 yards per rush, while Tennessee averages only 3.42 yards per rush on the season, per NCAA.com statistics.

However, since he replaced Justin Worley as the Vols' starting quarterback against Alabama, Joshua Dobbs averages 4.3 yards per carry, while Jalen Hurd's season average increased from 4.5 to 4.7 yards per carry.

No, the Vols offensive line didn't improve overnight, but the threat of Dobbs' taking off softened opposing defensive lines enough to give Hurd breathing room and a chance to break into the second level of the defense.

Other wrinkles in the running game include the jet sweeps with Pig Howard, Von Pearson and even freshman Josh Malone. 

One of Iowa's weaknesses is its linebackers, and the Vols can exploit that with runs that require great instincts and lateral speed to stop. 

And because the Hawkeyes have picked off 12 passes this season, expect offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian to focus heavily on the run game to avoid any back-breaking turnovers—especially after Dobbs' shaky performance against Vanderbilt. 

Curt Maggitt Gets 3 Sacks

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Iowa's star player is its left tackle Brandon Scherff, a redshirt senior who came back for his last season with the Hawkeyes after being projected to go in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, according to a report by The Associated Press. 

Scherff will likely matchup with Tennessee freshman phenom and recent second-team All-SEC pick Derek Barnett. In his first college season, Barnett notched 10 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss, but he'll face a tough test going up against the much older and NFL-ready Scherff.

Luckily for Tennessee, it has another pass-rusher who is just as talented and disruptive as Barnett: Curt Maggitt. Iowa's right tackle and the man Maggitt will line up against, Andrew Donnal, is a solid senior, but he's not nearly as dominant as Scherff.

Maggitt will be tasked with beating Donnal on every down to pressure quarterback Jake Rudock—a task he's proven himself more than capable of doing week in and week out in the SEC to the tune of 11 total sacks on the year.

Three sacks would be a season high for Maggitt, but with so much of the defense's success riding on his shoulders in this game, look for the redshirt junior to respond in a big way to send his senior teammates out in style. 

Von Pearson Has a Career Day

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Tennessee's wide receiver corps was brimming with talent and depth at the beginning of the season, but injuries have slowly chipped away at what was once the Vols' most promising unit.

Marquez North and Josh Smith, two of Tennessee's most reliable wide receivers, are still recovering from season-ending injuries and surgeries and won't be available for the bowl game. 

Von Pearson, who hasn't been 100 percent healthy since suffering a high-ankle sprain against Arkansas State, should finally have fully recovered in time for the matchup with Iowa.

Without North on the field, Pearson represents Tennessee's best opportunity for big plays in the passing game. In addition to his height making him a bigger mismatch for opposing defensive backs than fellow wide receiver Pig Howard, Pearson is just as capable of making defenders miss with the ball in his hands. 

With a full month to rest and recover, look for Pearson to finally have the game Tennessee fans expected from him when he committed to the Vols last autumn. 

The Vols Get Their First Winning Season Since 2009

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On paper, there's not a lot separating the Hawkeyes and the Vols. Both teams had middle-of-the-road seasons with no truly noteworthy wins. 

In addition, neither team excels in any area, and both are statistically average in almost every major category.

However, Iowa faced a much softer schedule than Tennessee and is ranked 14 and 22 spots below Tennessee in the Sagarin and ESPN FPI ratings, respectively. 

Ratings, statistics and numbers don't always tell the entire story of a matchup, of course. But when you factor in Tennessee's much more difficult schedule, overall talent advantage and enthusiasm for playing in a January bowl game, it's difficult to pick against the Vols.

For such a young Tennessee team, the TaxSlayer Bowl may as well be the Rose Bowl, but for Iowa, it's a consolation prize for a season gone awry. 

The Vols will likely struggle early in the game due to nerves and the novelty of playing organized football more than one month later than they're used to. But the home-crowd advantage should be enough to push them to a victory and the team's first winning season since 2009.