Vols back in Georgia Dome hoping to snap three-game losing streak in Atlanta

<p>The last two times Tennessee appeared in the Georgia Dome it really didn't want to be there _ and it showed.</p><p>Those appearances were in the Peach Bowl when the Vols had expected to land a better postseason date. It resulted in a 30-0 loss to Maryland in 2002 and a 27-14 loss to Clemson last year.</p><p>Actually, the Vols have lost three years in a row in the Atlanta arena, dropping the 2001 SEC championship game to LSU 31-20.</p><p>The 15th-ranked Vols will show up in the Georgia Dome Saturday night for the fourth year in a row, and this time they're right where they want to be _ in the SEC championship game against unbeaten, third-ranked Auburn.</p><p>It will be the second meeting between the two this season, with Auburn having rolled all over the Vols in a 34-10 victory in Knoxville on Oct. 2. The Tigers had bolted to a 31-3 lead in the rout.</p><p>Tennessee followed that loss by upsetting Georgia in Athens in the game that put the winner in the driver's seat for the SEC East crown. The Vols were on the spot the rest of the season, especially in two late November victories over Kentucky and Vanderbilt with third team quarterback Rick Clausen filling in for a pair of injured freshman who had been running the offense all year.</p><p>Tennessee was unimpressive in both games, but managed to win, nailing down the division championship.</p><p>The Vols aren't given much of a chance in this rematch, even though teams often running into problems trying to beat a team for the second time in the same season. The oddsmakers don't like Tennessee's chances at all, establishing Auburn a 14 1/2-point favorite.</p><p>"You see things happen every day in college football, that's why you play the games," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "We will have to play very well to win. We are playing against a team that is playing very well, is confident and very talented."</p><p>Fulmer added, "My opinion is when you get to the SEC game all bets are off. Auburn is playing as well as anybody and we are not quite at full strength and we will do the best we can to hang in there with them."</p><p>Auburn's goal is twofold.</p><p>The Tigers want to win the conference championship for the first time since 1989. Even more important, they want a shot at the national championship. That might not be in their control if top-ranked Southern California and second-ranked Oklahoma wrap up perfect seasons on Saturday.</p><p>If all three teams win, Auburn would appear to be the "odd man out" in the race for a berth in the national championship game in the Orange Bowl.</p><p>"I don't think there's any doubt there's a lot of people out there looking at this weekend, saying, 'I might change my mind,'", Tiger coach Tommy Tuberville said. "We can give an argument for why we should be there. If we win this week, we will have beaten four teams that have won nine games. The other two teams combined have not done that."</p><p>All Auburn can do is win and hope some luck will come there way. The Tigers will do all they can in handy fashion against a Tennessee team that won't show much offense against the solid Auburn defense. Auburn 31-7.</p><p>Last week's totals: 4-0 straight, 1-3 vs. spread; for year, 68-36 straight, 34-44 vs. spread.</p>

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