Tennessee football is a seasoned program that has enjoyed a lot of success in the past. However, the Volunteers have struggled to succeed in several programs.
Every team has opponents who are difficult to beat or whom they have never defeated. The concept of never having beaten a team can creep into your thoughts and interfere with your mind.
We’ve looked at the FBS teams Tennessee has never played and the teams it is undefeated against, but now it’s time to look at the teams they have never defeated.
So, given Tennessee’s extensive history, which teams have the Vols yet to defeat? Can they finally put one in the victory column soon? Only the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences have teams that Tennessee has yet to defeat.
Here is a list of every FBS team Tennessee has yet to defeat in their football program history.
Big 12 Conference
Baylor: Tennessee has only faced Baylor once in its history, in 1957 at the Sugar Bowl. The Bears defeated the Volunteers 13-7 in a close contest. It’s surprising that these teams haven’t squared off since the 1950s, thus a clash is long overdue for the Volunteers to even the score.
BYU: Tennessee and BYU played a thrilling game early in the 2019 season. The game went to double overtime, and BYU narrowly defeated the Volunteers 29-26. With the Cougars now in the Big 12, a rematch may be in the pipeline.
Colorado: Technically, Colorado did not beat Tennessee; their 1990 game was tied. Tennessee’s first game of the 1990 season ended in a 31-31 tie, not a loss.
Kansas State and Tennessee met in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day, 2001. The Wildcats defeated the Volunteers, 35-21.
West Virginia and Tennessee recently faced off early in the 2018 season, with the Mountaineers winning convincingly 40-14 on neutral ground.
Big Ten Conference
Oregon: Oregon and Tennessee have competed twice in the last 15 years, in 2010 and 2013. The Volunteers suffered two losses in the home and away series, with their defense allowing more than 45 points in both games and the offense failing to score more than 14.
Purdue: Purdue and Tennessee have met off twice in bowl games, once in the 1970s and again in 2021. The first battle in the Music City Bowl was an overtime thriller, while the Bluebonnet Bowl resulted in a 27-22 loss.
USC: USC appeared to be a thorn in Tennessee’s side as they went 0-4 against the Trojans. The first two meetings took place in the Rose Bowl in the 1940s. Then, these programs set up a home-and-away series in which Tennessee lost to USC both times.
