Tennessee makes a huge statement against Vanderbilt and it should result in an important decision for the Vols

For about an hour on Saturday, it looked like the Tennessee Vols were in big trouble against the Vanderbilt Commodores. 

Vanderbilt returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and then quickly added another touchdown, after Vols running back Dylan Sampson lost a fumble on Tennessee's first drive, to jump out to a 14-0 lead. 

The Vols, however, righted the ship in the second quarter and outscored Vanderbilt 29-6 in the final three quarters to earn a hard fought 36-23 win.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava was fantastic for the Vols, passing for 257 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Iamaleava also rushed for 42 yards. 

Sampson also had a big day, rushing for 178 yards while helping put the game away in the second half.  

Tennessee essentially clinched a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff with the win. 

The win by the Vols was one of the more impressive wins of the weekend so far. Rivalry weekend has been full of tough games. Georgia needed eight overtimes to beat Georgia Tech in Athens. Ole Miss had a tough time against Mississippi State in Oxford. And Ohio State shockingly lost to Michigan in Columbus. 

Tennessee ran into a buzzsaw against the Commodores in the first quarter, but the Vols took Vanderbilt's best punch and then took care of business to earn a likely playoff spot. 

The loss by Ohio State is of particular interest to the Vols. In last week's rankings, Tennessee was just one seed away from hosting a playoff game. Ohio State should slide below the Vols in the new rankings after suffering their second loss of the season (the fact they lost at home has to be a factor in the committee's decision). 

Additionally, the loser of the SEC Championship game should fall below Tennessee, too (though we'll see if that actually happens). 

Hosting a home game would be massive for the Vols. Tennessee is significantly better at home. And if the committee makes the right decision and isn't influenced by the national media, the Vols will play another game in Neyland Stadium this season.