If you listen closely, you might hear Mike Keith practicing his opening exclamation, “It’s football time in Tennessee!”

Wouldn’t that be exciting?

Out in the country, where we live, there is minimum interest in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl. That is troubling.

The coffee club at Hardees hasn’t asked or offered a word about it. Still missing are orange banners and pennants usually tied to auto antennas. Nobody – NOBODY – is singing “Rocky Top.”

There might be a message in so much silence: Mid-level bowl games are meaningless and no one really cares – unless the Vols lose. That could set off a firestorm.

One lukewarm fan, when asked, said the game is only about the money, like everything else. Another said this one is about redemption, a last-gasp bid to make us forget some of the damage Vanderbilt inflicted.

Vanderbilt … oh my … 45-24 … it was humbling.

Also humiliating.

To tell most of the truth, I thought the season and part of the world ended when that talented, bratty or contemptible Diego Pavia and the cocky Commodores ran back and forth and all around on Shields-Watkins Field in late November.

If 8-4 Tennessee is really going to play 8-4 Illinois in the home of the NFL Titans, it’ll happen tomorrow evening across the Cumberland River from downtown Nashville.

For any game, faithful fans will be there but maybe not enough. Capacity is 69,143. Forecast is for several empty seats. Ticketmaster offers availability in 77 different sections. Maybe the chill factor is the explanation.

Kickoff will be sometime after 5:30 ET, at ESPN’s convenience, after the first flight of emu-and-Doug insurance commercials.

I wish I knew more about Illinois football than the 63-10 loss at Indiana. I do know more about the pro stadium. It’s not exactly historic. It is now named for Nissan. Before that, Louisiana-Pacific bought the title.

Before that, it was just called The Coliseum, very different from The Colosseum in ancient Rome. This one opened in 1999 as Adelphia Coliseum and had that name until the sponsoring company missed a payment.

As a matter of fact, in the next year or three, the building will be demolished. The Titans are going to get a new playground with $1.26 billion in public funding (you may be making a donation).

Tax records say talented people have played there, not just wideouts and linebackers, really big names like Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Beyonce, Elton John, Garth Brooks, even Morgan Wallen and Taylor Swift.

Why not Tony Martin? Oversight, I suppose.

I hope there is room in lights for Joey Aguilar, another success story, an overlooked quarterback who became a millionaire.

Coach Josh Heupel, who seems convinced a game is scheduled, says it will be the culmination of the current season and, in a lot of ways, the kickoff to next year.

George MacIntyre (UT photo)

That outlook and necessity mean freshmen QB George MacIntyre, receivers Travis Smith and Radarious Jackson, running back Daune Morris, corner Tre Poteat, linebacker Jaden Perlotte and maybe other rookies may play more than they have.

Looks like Tennessee is stuck without six starters – Chris Brazzell, Colton Hood, Arion Carter, Joshua Josephs, Wendell Moe and Jaxson Moi. The first four are opting out for the NFL draft. The other two have injuries.

Peyton Lewis, Jake Merklinger and four or five others are headed for the transfer portal.

Generally speaking, Heupel supports their positions – under the heading of whatever is best for the individual.

What would be best for Tennessee would be to play the game as if it really matters and find a way to win. That especially applies to the Vol defense. New coordinator Jim Knowles will be making notes.

Heupel says Illinois will be a challenge for the defense.

“I think the physicality, their ability to run the football, veteran quarterback, play-action pass, pushing it down the football field. You’ve got to have great gap integrity. You’ve got to destruct blocks and tackle extremely well.”

The coach says interim defensive coordinator William Inge and the staff have done a great job building a plan.

“We’ve got to continue to grow in that up until kickoff, and we’ve got to go play well.”

The Illini has suffered some opt-outs. Gabe Jacas, outside linebacker, Big Ten sack leader, and J.C. Davis, all-conference left offensive tackle, have chosen to focus on the NFL draft. Safety Matthew Bailey, leading tackler, is out with an injury.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer says he’ll play. He’s heard of Tennessee. He grew up in Starkville and played a few minutes at Ole Miss. He’s played three years at Illinois.

Luke has thrown for 2,811 yards and 21 TDs this season with five interceptions. His current QB rating is 157.06. Aguilar’s numbers are 3,444 yards, 24 TDs, 10 picks and a rating of 157.1.

Joey leads the Southeastern Conference in passing yards. He’ll always be remembered for starting the Florida game 10-for-10 and helping the Vols snap that awful 10-game losing streak in Gainesville.

The Tennessee season could have been different in several ways. The Vols could have beaten Georgia. They could have lost at Mississippi State.

Oklahoma was one pivotal game. It delivered an alarming message. The Sooners were the more physical team. They squeezed Tennessee’s running attack down to 63 yards. They poured a lot of pressure on Aguilar. They picked off two passes. They really mugged him once (a famous freshman missed a block) and took his fumble 71 yards for a touchdown.

Their guys were tougher than our guys at the line of scrimmage. So were some others. Masking all that and Vanderbilt may be too much for one ordinary bowl game.

Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail .com