Back in October, Nebraska and Tennessee each had visions of grandeur when it came to projecting how the 2016 football season might finish. Both programs were undefeated and cracked the Associated Press top-10 that month, and the path toward legitimately competing for conference championships seemed attainable.
Less than three months later, and the schools will meet in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. It isn't exactly the game either team envisioned, but it's reflective of how the Volunteers (8-4) and Cornhuskers (9-3) stumbled down the stretch.
Tennessee opened the season 5-0 and climbed to No.