1. Vols get to 6-6, land in the TaxSlayer Bowl
Expectations weren’t very high for the 2014 season with the Vols incredibly young and inexperienced roster. But one goal was clear: Get to six wins and return to the postseason for the first time since 2010. The Vols were able to do just that, but not without a strong finish. Close losses to Florida and Georgia earlier in the season left little margin for error down the stretch. The Vols had to win three of their final four and did so with a dramatic come-from-behind win at South Carolina, a blowout over Kentucky and a grind-it-out victory in Nashville over the Commodores that came down to the final drive. To nearly everybody’s surprise, the Vols were placed in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Iowa, an event formally known as the Gators Bowl, and a January Bowl that traditionally carries more prestige than many of the other postseason destinations the Vols were projected to.
