Music City Bowl 2016: Nebraska vs. Tennessee TV Schedule, Time and Odds
Two budding national powers collide in the 2016 Music City Bowl when the Nebraska Cornhuskers meet the No. 21 Tennessee Volunteers.
Nebraska (9-3) is on the rise in the Big Ten behind a potent rushing attack, with two of the team's three losses coming against ranked Wisconsin and Ohio State squads.
Tennessee (8-4) fancies itself on the rise as well, though preseason expectations fell a bit flat after losing to ranked opponents and two expected victories turned wrong.
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Friday functions as an important stepping stone for both programs as they continue to eye the future. With two electric quarterbacks ready to put on a show, this isn't one of Friday's five games to miss.
Music City Bowl 2016
Date: Friday, Dec. 30
Time (ET): 3:30 p.m.
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 64
Spread: Tennessee (-6.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Terrell Newby | RB | Prob Fri |
| Tre Bryant | RB | Ques Fri |
| Boaz Joseph | CB | Out Fri |
| Nate Gerry | S | Out Fri |
| Jordan Westerkamp | WR | Out Fri |
| Ryker Fyfe | QB | Prob Fri |
| Tommy Armstrong Jr. | QB | Doub Fri |
| Alonzo Moore | WR | Ques Fri |
| Matt Snyder | TE | Ques Fri |
| Venzell Boulware | OL | Out Fri |
| Dylan Wiesman | OL | Ques Fri |
| Chance Hall | OL | Out Fri |
| Evan Berry | DB | Out for season |
| Shy Tuttle | DL | Out for season |
| Austin Smith | DL | Ques Fri |
| Kahlil McKenzie | DL | Out for season |
| Jalen Reeves-Maybin | LB | Out for season |
| Quart'e Sapp | LB | Out for season |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Next Man Up
It's hard to know if Nebraska will trot out quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. Friday.
While the injury report above says doubtful, head coach Mike Riley has said Armstrong could still suit up and see some snaps if he progresses this week, according to the Lincoln Journal Star's Brian Christopherson.
Having Armstrong on the field would be huge for the Cornhuskers considering he passed for 2,180 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran for another 512 and eight. If he can't go, the offense will find a new leader in senior Ryker Fyfe, who has two touchdowns and one interception on 63 attempts this year.
Either way, Nebraska will do its damage on the ground as usual. Fyfe can fill in as an option rusher in a pinch for an offense that tallied 2,138 yards and 23 scores on the ground while averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
It certainly helps that Tennessee ranks near the bottom of the barrel against the rush this year, coughing up 231.7 yards per game on the ground. With three backs sitting on a minimum of 43 carries this year, Nebraska will stick to the ground and look to grind out a win old Big Ten style.
Given Tennessee's erratic nature and miserable rush defense, Nebraska certainly has hope even if Armstrong watches the entire game from the sideline.
Showing Up
Tennessee had a major consistency problem this year.
The Volunteers showed up big with wins against then-No. 19 Florida and then-No. 25 Georgia in back-to-back weeks. Right after, though, they suffered a two-overtime loss to then-No. 8 Texas A&M, then a 49-10 blowout at the hands of top-ranked Alabama. The hangover to complete the three-game skid was a loss to a 6-6 South Carolina squad.
Tennessee got back on track for three games—then went down at the hands of 6-7 Vanderbilt to close the season.
ESPN.com's Edward Aschoff explained the gut-wrenching blow:
"Losing to South Carolina was bad, but getting beat by 11 to Vanderbilt to close the season -- with the Allstate Sugar Bowl in sight -- was gut-wrenching for the Vols. What's more is that the defense gave up 608 yards to the SEC's worst offense. Tennessee players and fans could have dealt with missing out on the SEC title game, but only if the Sugar Bowl was the alternative.
"
On paper, Tennessee has the talent to play with any team in the nation. Joshua Dobbs threw for 2,655 yards and 26 scores through the air while also leading the team in rushing at 713 yards and nine scores. The top three backs on the roster all hit minimums of 83 carries, 451 yards and three scores (though one of those players, Jalen Hurd, left the team in November).
The problem is either preparation or dealing with dashed expectations, if not both. Tennessee doesn't want to be in this bowl, but at the same time, the team has a chance to post its usual offensive-minded performance and make a statement. If not, a lackadaisical performance would fit the theme of the season.
Which Tennessee team shows up will decide the game.
Prediction
Those wanting to pick this confounding matchup need to roll with the more consistent team.
Talented as Tennessee might be and as great as Dobbs is, the Volunteers haven't shown up nearly enough at the right times to have faith in a positive bowl outing. The team's final game of the season was the worst by a mile and the program hasn't exactly responded well to losses (the team stopped the three-game skid only thanks to a game against Tennessee Tech).
Armstrong or not, Nebraska will still employ its smashing approach on the ground to great success. Making an erratic Tennessee team predictably take to the air is great news for a Nebraska defense that has 16 interceptions on the year.
Look for Nebraska to control the pace of this one and pull away in the second half.
Prediction: Nebraska 35, Tennessee 28
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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