Can Tennessee football knock off a No. 1 team in Neyland? How good will Arch Manning and Faizon Brandon be on this stage? And how does the aura of this Texas team compare to No. 1 teams the Vols have faced in the past?
On this podcast episode of "The Volunteer State," beat writer Adam Sparks and columnist John Adams discuss the big topics in this SEC showdown between No. 13 Tennessee (3-0) and No. 1 Texas (3-0) on Sept. 26 (noon ET, ABC) at Neyland Stadium.
Much of the chat focused the matchup with a top-ranked team. Tennessee has an all-time record of 2-17 against No. 1 teams in the AP poll and 2-17 against No. 1 teams in the coaches poll. Accounting for the overlap, the Vols are 3-18 against all No. 1 teams.
To hear the full discussion, listen
to the 56-minute podcast. Here are highlights from the opening topic.
Which No. 1 teams seemed unbeatable against Tennessee?
Not every No. 1 team is the same. All are talented and accomplished. But some carry an extra aura, perhaps a feeling of invincibility.
Over the years, Tennessee has faced some No. 1 teams like that. Sparks and Adams discussed teams of three eras and why the Vols struggled to overcome them.
In 1990s, Steve Spurrier's Florida teams had an explosive offense and a psychological edge over Tennessee. Not even Peyton Manning's most talented teams could beat the Gators.
In 2010s, Nick Saban's Alabama teams were loaded with NFL talent. It seemed like staying close was a moral victory in that pre-NIL era, when Saban stockfiled five-star recruits on his roster.
In the 2020s, Kirby Smart’s Georgia teams had comparable talent to Saban's former Alabama teams. But they also had a defense that posed a bad matchup for Josh Heupel's UT offense. For a while, the Bulldogs were the only team to beat the Vols in Neyland Stadium.
Here's why this Texas team doesn't have that aura yet
Sparks and Adams agreed that this No. 1 Texas team doesn't fit into that mold. These Longhorns are very good, but they don't feel unbeatable from a Tennessee perspective. And there are reasons for that distinction.
First, there's not much history between the programs. This is only the fourth all-time meeting between them, and the first since 1969. Conversely, Spurrier's Florida teams, Saban's Alabama teams and Smart's Georgia teams earned an aura of invincibility over several head-to-head meetings.
Secondly, it's too early in the season to know if Texas is elite. Win or lose in this SEC opener, the Longhorns could be 12-0 at the end of the regular season or 9-3 or somewhere in between. Those other teams felt more like dynasties that carried over talent from year to year, but Texas has a revamped roster supplemented by the transfer portal.
Thirdly, Texas' most high-profile player is flawed. Quarterback Arch Manning played like a Heisman Trophy candidate in the fourth quarter of the win over Ohio State. But he's also struggled through inaccurate passing and inconsistency in other games. Until Manning plays to a high level over a long period of time, Texas will look beatable on a given day.
That led Sparks and Adams into their next topic: How good is Arch Manning? To hear that discussion and more, listen to the podcast.
Knox News hosts 'The Volunteer State' postgame show
If you enjoy "The Volunteer State" on your favorite podcast app, you should check out our postgame live show on the Knox News YouTube channel. It starts just as Tennessee's football game ends, as Knox News sports reporter Emmett Siegel and video specialist Sophie Szydlik react to the result and take your questions. Make it part of your Vols postgame.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Does Texas, Arch Manning have aura of Tennessee’s unbeatable past foes?
