Playoff push, DeSean Bishop record make Tennessee's final month must-see football

Tennessee football faces must-win games for a playoff bid, a renewed rivalry, a big quarterback question, Lane Kiffin’s return and the final chapter of DeSean Bishop’s historic season.

Once UT fans move past the grief of a 27-24 loss to South Carolina, they’ll find a wild November ahead.

After an open week in the schedule, No. 17 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2 SEC) will play No. 8 Kentucky (7-1, 5-1) on Nov. 7 (6:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium.

Intriguing storylines lie ahead. Here are five reasons to eagerly watch UT’s final month of the season.

Kentucky vs. Tennessee game has playoff implications

When the first College Football Playoff rankings are released Nov. 3 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), Kentucky will make the projected 12-team bracket as the SEC frontrunner. UT fans should view the Kentucky game like it's a late-season matchup with Georgia or Alabama or any other playoff-bound heavyweight because that’s what the Wildcats are right now.

The Vols could get into the playoff with a 10-2 record and perhaps stay in the mix at 9-3. But there’s no plausible path to the bracket without a win over Kentucky. That adds extra spice to a border rivalry that began in 1893.

Tennessee can win its way into College Football Playoff

It’s hard to project the cut line for making the playoff, especially in a season of extreme parity. But it’s a good bet that Tennessee would make the 12-team bracket by winning its remaining four games against Kentucky (Nov. 7), at Texas A&M (Nov. 14), LSU (Nov. 21) and at Vanderbilt (Nov. 28).

That would give UT a 10-2 record. There are scenarios where a 9-3 team from the SEC also makes the playoff, but UT can’t count on that.

The good news for the Vols is that they already have a win over a playoff contender by beating Alabama. And they can prove that they’re a worthy playoff team by beating Kentucky and LSU, who are in CFP contention.

DeSean Bishop could rewrite Vols record book

Bishop needs 591 yards to pass Travis Henry as UT’s all-time career rushing leader. Bishop has 2,488 yards, and Henry rushed for 3,078 yards from 1997-2000.

Bishop needs 535 yards to break Dylan Sampson’s UT single-season rushing record of 1,491 yards in 2024. Bishop has 957 yards this season and on the verge of becoming the second UT player to rush for 1,000 yards in two different seasons. Johnnie Jones did it in 1983-84.

Bishop has averaged 119.6 yards per game this season. If Bishop plays the four remaining regular-season games and one postseason game, he must average 107 yards to break the single-season record and 118.2 yards to break the career record.

Bishop is also within reach of Gene McEver’s UT career record of 37 rushing TDs from 1928-31. He has 30 rushing TDs in his career.

Bishop could return to UT as an eligible fifth-year player in 2027, but he hasn’t commented on whether he plans to enter the NFL draft after this season. So this could be the Knoxville native's last stretch run with the Vols.

Quarterback question will (hopefully) get an answer

Faizon Brandon was a five-star recruit and regarded as the source of UT’s bright future at quarterback. But his struggles in SEC play and a shoulder injury put Brandon’s prospects in doubt.

George MacIntyre proved to be an effective reliever. The Vols are 3-1 since he replaced Brandon midway through the Auburn game on Oct. 3, but there are questions about MacIntyre’s long-term peak.

Coach Josh Heupel must decide which quarterback gives UT the best chance to beat Kentucky and make a late-season run. And he must decide how that impacts the 2027 quarterback plan. That should play out in the next few games, perhaps in unpredictable ways.

Lane Kiffin is returning to Neyland Stadium

Time will tell if the LSU-Tennessee game carries playoff implications. They’re both in the mix right now, but a lot can happen before that Nov. 21 matchup. LSU plays home games against Alabama and Texas before traveling to Knoxville.

But Kiffin’s return to Neyland Stadium will be rowdy and entertaining regardless of the standings. It might not reach the chaotic proportions of the 2021 game, when fans tossed trash on the field in protest of questionable officiating and Kiffin’s antics. But it will be a can’t-miss game.

Notably, Kiffin will come to Knoxville with other notable characters with UT ties. Tee Martin, the former UT quarterback on the 1998 national title team, is an LSU assistant coach. Edge rusher Jordan Ross and offensive lineman William Satterwhite transferred from UT to LSU in January. And transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt chose LSU over UT after visiting Knoxville.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Playoff push, DeSean Bishop record make Tennessee's final month must-see football