The 3 Biggest X-Factors for Tennessee vs. Kentucky

The Tennessee Volunteers head into Saturday's matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats desperately needing a win that would all but ensure themselves of bowl eligibility.

While the Vols are, on paper at least, a better team than the Wildcats, there are a few X-factors that will play a big role in determining if Tennessee can gain and maintain control of the game or if Kentucky can pull a huge upset on the road. 

One thing is for sure: Neither team is lacking motivation to land a knockout blow this weekend. The Wildcats need just one more win to become eligible themselves, and to achieve it at the expense of Tennessee would be a signature victory for second-year head coach Mark Stoops. 

Tennessee, on the other hand, needs two wins to make the postseason, but a win over Kentucky would mean the Vols only need a single victory against remaining opponents Missouri and Vanderbilt—and the latter seems to have reverted back to the dark ages of Commodores football under first-year head coach Derek Mason.

The Vols are favored to win this game, but after three 5-7 seasons in a row, they have a track record of folding when they only need one more win to reach the all-elusive bowl game.

With so much on the line this weekend, there's no doubt both teams will get each other's best shot. Here are three X-factors that could trump even the most passionate pregame speeches by Vols head coach Butch Jones and Stoops before their teams take the field.

1. Patrick Towles' Performance

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Kentucky may have the best overall quarterback in the SEC East in sophomore Patrick Towles.

Towles is having a solid season for the Wildcats, as he's completed 58.6 percent of his passes and thrown for 14 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

In addition to being an effective passer, Towles can also pick up first downs with his legs, as he's rushed for 266 yards and five touchdowns in 2014.

But like Ole Miss's Bo Wallace, Towles seems to have good days and bad days. Against Florida, he threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns, and against No 1. Mississippi State, he threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns.

Those are elite quarterback performances. But his play against Missouri and Georgia left much to be desired, as he completed barely 50 percent of his passes in those games and averaged around 150 yards.

Kentucky's running game ranks 62nd in the country and the Wildcats average just 4.34 yards per carry, per NCAA.com, so Tennessee's best bet is to put pressure on Towles all game long and force Kentucky to establish the run.

If the Vols can minimize Towles' effectiveness and rattle him early, they should be able to completely shut down Kentucky's offense.

2. Tennessee's Rushing Attack

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The Georgia Bulldogs rushed for 305 yards against Kentucky last weekend, and freshman running back Nick Chubb averaged a ridiculous 13.1 yards per carry.

The Wildcats simply had no answer for the Bulldogs' rushing attack, as they allowed Georgia to complete all eight third-down conversions and quarterback Hutson Mason to complete 13 of 16 passes for four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Kentucky's passing defense is among the best in the conference, ranking 19th in the nation, according to NCAA.com. But the Wildcats' rushing defense ranks just 97th in the country, which means freshman tailback Jalen Hurd and quarterback Josh Dobbs should have no problem replicating the Bulldogs' blueprint for rushing success.

However, if Kentucky does find a way to shore up its run defense—or if the Vols simply have an off day with their ground game—Tennessee could be in a bit of trouble, as Dobbs' inconsistency throwing the ball remains an issue, even during practice.

3. Neyland Stadium

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Kentucky hasn't won a true road game since Week 1 of 2010 when it knocked off Louisville at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. 

The Wildcats haven't even managed a victory at Vanderbilt Stadium during their last two trips to Nashville. 

While it's true Tennessee has suffered from dismal play on the road in recent years, the Vols had at least won games at both Vanderbilt and Kentucky before finally getting their first road win outside of those stadiums against South Carolina on Nov. 1.

Kentucky came close to upsetting the Gators in The Swamp early in the season, but the team got thumped by LSU at Death Valley and played a lackluster game against Missouri at Faurot Field two weeks ago.

With Coach Jones saying in his press conference that Neyland Stadium is close to a sellout, the Wildcats will face a likely crowd of 102,455 after eight consecutive games without a bye week.

If Tennessee jumps out to a quick lead, it's hard to imagine that such a fatigued Kentucky team will be able to withstand the pressure to both silence the crowd and claw its way back into the game.