Vols or Gators?

According to several published reports earlier today, the Florida Gators could be set to make a return trip to the Outback Bowl, and the Ole Miss Rebels appear to be ready to accept an invitation to the Cotton Bowl. Will the Tigers now face off with Tennessee in Atlanta? Maybe.

Just when it looked like the Florida Gators would be the Tigers' opponent in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, the Outback Bowl steps in.

According to published reports out of both the Jacksonville and Tampa newspapers, the Outback Bowl will invite the Florida Gators for the second consecutive year as soon as later this afternoon.

On top of that, the Mobile Cotton Bowl appears to be ready to extend Ole Miss an invitation to the Dallas bowl game as early as today.

So where does that leave the Peach Bowl? Likely with the Tennessee Volunteers, unless the Vols were to be picked up in the BCS, which appears very unlikely at this point in the game. A Tennessee - Clemson match up would feature two of the hottest teams in the country.

The Vols (10-2 overall, 6-2 SEC) would come into the game on a six game winning streak, including an impressive 10-6 road win over the Miami Hurricanes.

Clemson and Tennessee shared three common opponents this year, both teams lost to Georgia (UGA 41 UT 14 in Knoxville), both teams beat South Carolina (UT 23 USC 20 in OT in Knoxville), and both teams beat Duke (23-6 in Knoxville).

Tennessee, ranked #8 in the country in the ESPN/USA Today poll, played in the Peach Bowl last year and lost to Maryland, 30-3. Clemson last played in the Atlanta based game in 1999, a 17-7 loss to nationally ranked Mississippi State.