TENN to win+164
TLDR: The bet lost by 3, mostly for the reasons we listed against it. Simmons had 5 sacks and Brandon was sacked 10 times. Tennessee's defense kept it close, but the Neyland-at-noon case never swung the game.
Point
- The spot
Texas plays its 1st road game of the season after 3 straight in Austin, so its 1st hostile crowd will be a sold-out Neyland.
Didn't matterTexas led after every quarter in its 1st road game - Kickoff
Tennessee is 10-1 in noon kickoffs under Josh Heupel and has won the last 10, and this game kicks off at noon Eastern.
Didn't matterThe noon win streak ended at 10 - Pass rush
Tennessee has 13 sacks through 3 games, 3rd in the country, and pressure is how a loud building turns into drive-killing plays.
Helped usHeld Texas to 20; Tennessee's sack total not found - Texas backfield
Leading rusher Hollywood Smothers (198 yards on 41 carries) was questionable on 2 reports with a lower-body injury before Friday's upgrade to probable.
Didn't matterSmothers active, not 100%; Raleek Brown scored both rushing TDs
Counterpoint
- Tennessee QB
True freshman Faizon Brandon makes his 1st SEC start, and in his only road game, at Georgia Tech, he went 10 of 21.
Hurt usBrandon 15 of 26, 136 yards, sacked 10 times - Texas edge
Colin Simmons, Texas's star edge rusher, left the UTSA game with a foot injury but is off the report, so Brandon faces him at full strength.
Hurt usSimmons had 5 sacks, tying a Texas school record
Neutral
- Weather
The forecast is dry and sunny, in the 60s at kickoff and the mid-70s by the finish, so conditions favor neither offense.
Didn't matterClear, 67 at kickoff and 78 by the finish - History
This is the 1st regular-season meeting between the programs. Their 3 earlier games were all Cotton Bowls in Dallas, the last in 1969.
Didn't matterNo bearing on the game
