Associated Press | File October

Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton ranked third in the SEC in passing yards and second in touchdown tosses.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- When it comes to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, any arguments pitting the Southeastern Conference against the ACC will be confined to the stands.

As far as the Tennessee football players are concerned, their opponent in the Dec. 31 matchup is not much different than the gauntlet they faced in league play.

"Most people try to say the SEC is the best conference; other conferences aren't as talented," UT senior guard Jacques McClendon said. "This Virginia Tech team can play with anybody in the SEC and is definitely one of the best teams in the country. It's definitely no drop-off from playing an SEC team to this team.

"We've got our hands full, for sure."

As the Volunteers transition into Hokie-specific preparation this week, they say several things stand out about their border foe: quarterback Tyrod Taylor, tailback Ryan Williams and a defense that ranks 14th in the nation in fewest yards allowed.

A team that's faced the likes of Tim Tebow and Mark Ingram has been impressed with film of Taylor, Tech's dual-threat triggerman.

"We've played guys that can run, but I don't know if we'd actually seen an athlete like this guy is," senior defensive tackle Wes Brown said. "He can throw it a mile, and he runs, too. It's going to be a tough task for us getting him stopped."

UT coach Lane Kiffin, a former head coach of the Oakland Raiders, said if he were going to draft a player off this Hokies team -- and the entire roster were eligible -- he would take Williams.

"His mixture of speed and power is really incredible to see for a freshman," Kiffin said. "There's a reason he was freshman of the year in the conference, and I think he had 1,400 yards [actually 1,538]. That doesn't usually happen for a freshman.

"I think I'd take him knowing how young he is and how much he could develop."

Part of UT's resurgence this year has been due to the development of Jonathan Crompton. The senior quarterback ranked third in the SEC with 2,565 passing yards and second in the league with 26 touchdown tosses.

He knows, though, that it won't be easy denting Tech's sixth-ranked pass defense -- or the unit as a whole.

"They're very well coached," Crompton said. "They play fast. Every time you pause the film at the end of the play, there's always 10 or 11 guys in the picture, and that's saying something. So we've got our work cut out for us."

As for motivation, the Vols don't lack any. After being left out of the bowl picture last season, they're thrilled to be heading to Atlanta, one of their top recruiting areas, to face the nation's 12th-ranked team.

"I view this as a BCS bowl, when you look at the energy and excitement around the game, where we get to play it, the stadium that we play at and, most importantly, who we get to play," Kiffin said.

"This is a big-time matchup for us. We love every part of it."