A Playoff implications in Tennessee game

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis knows a victory Sunday over Tennessee makes postseason play a greater possibility. A loss and it might prove tough for the Colts to even make the postseason.\nThe Colts are in first place in the AFC South with an 8-4 record. They have the No. 1 seed in the conference and could control home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if they remain in that position over the final four games of the season.\nThat could all change against the Titans (7-5).\nThe Colts have a one-game lead in the division, but a victory by the Titans would put them in first place in the division based on a 2-0 lead in head-to-head meetings.\nA Colts win, however, would give them a two-game lead with three remaining. Indianapolis could then clinch the division with two victories in their last three games or one victory and at least one Titans loss.\nFor Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the game is his first regular season appearance in the state of Tennessee, where he starred for the University of Tennessee.\n"When the schedule came out, we knew this would be a big game in the AFC South," Manning said Wednesday. "We certainly hoped to be competitive in this division. We knew the Titans would be competitive in this division, and that these December games are going to be the ones that are going to kind of decide the division."\nBut Manning downplayed his return to the Volunteer State and said it wouldn't provide a distraction. He said his focus is only on winning.\n"That's only fair for me to do that for my teammates," Manning said. "Obviously, I have a lot of friends and certainly fans there. The Tennessee Volunteer fans were super to me during my time in college, and they are still great to me during the time that I spend in Tennessee, whether it's Knoxville, Nashville or Memphis."\nManning is aware though, that there will be more than a few of his college fans wearing No. 16 University of Tennessee jerseys with his name on the back who will be rooting against him -- at least for this week anyway.\n"They're going to be there to support the Titans," he said. "We're coming in there as the outsiders, and that's why it's tough to go on the road, and it'll be tough this Sunday. It's kind of a unique situation, but it's a big game. The game's going to be decided on the field"