The mistakes were as bad as the turnovers. The Vanderbilt Hustler counted unnecessary roughness and holding calls all afternoon. By the middle of the second quarter, the Commodores had twice as many penalties as points. That's a discipline problem, not a talent problem. Discipline can be fixed in a week. A talent gap can't.
Arkansas has the opposite problem: the defense showed up and the offense didn't. Holding a ranked Tennessee team to 24 and playing even into the fourth quarter is the best thing the Razorbacks have done all year. But they've scored 17, 7, 17 and 10 against Tennessee, Texas A&M, Georgia and Utah. Their 34-6 win over Tulsa is the only time they've put up real points, and it's also their only win in the last 5. They've also been without TE M. Lassiter, who was shut down for the year back in August.
Vanderbilt has lost 3 straight. Before that, the Commodores beat NC State 35-31 and Delaware 35-26 at home, so this offense can score when it isn't beating itself. The Auburn game was a 15-21 road loss, and the Georgia loss was ugly but came against Georgia, which also beat Arkansas by 28. Most of the gap between these teams this season comes down to their schedules.
The early forecast for Nashville is cloudy and in the mid-40s with a 12 mph wind, though that will change before Saturday. Cold, windy and two offenses that have struggled usually means a grind, not a shootout. The team that lost the close game probably has the more fixable problems. The team that lost by 35 at home has the quarterback who decides how this one goes.