Should Tennessee football be on upset alert for the season opener against Furman?
Asked to pick a game with potential to rival the iconic upset Appalachian State pulled over then No. 5 Michigan in 2007, ESPN analyst Jordan Rodgers said the No. 18 Vols, who are 46.5-point favorites, could find themselves in a closer game than expected against the Paladins (1-0) on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m., SEC Network+) at Neyland Stadium.
"I don't think any of them are too likely, but if there was one I could maybe sell you that it could get interesting, it'd be Furman at Tennessee," Rodgers, a former quarterback at Vanderbilt, said during a "SportsCenter" segment on Sept. 2
Rodgers' primary concern for Tennessee is freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon and even immensely
gifted players can be prone to costly mistakes in their debuts.
"You look at Tennessee and they are breaking in a five-star quarterback and he is really talented, Faizon Brandon. But in these games where App State upsets a Michigan, it's not usually that they are more talented. It's that the better team beats themselves," Rodgers said. "And a five-star quarterback could go out there as and 18-year-old and make some mistakes. I think he's going to be really good but in Week 1, he's not going to be the version that he could be in Week 11 or 12."
Rodgers also believes there could be some growing pains for the Vols on defense as they introduce defensive coordiantor Jim Knowles, multiple new assistant coaches and key transfer pieces along the defensive line and in the secondary. UT is hoping that some players and coaches familiar with Knowles' system from his time at Penn State, like linebacker Amare Campbell and secondary coach Anthony Poindexter, will help the unit transition smoothly.
"And on the other side of the ball, Jim Knowles. New defense, completely new system. They lost everybody up front," Rodgers said. "There are a lot of question marks for Tennessee."
Rodgers isn't expecting the Paladins to leave Neyland Stadium with a win. But he said the season opener could be closer than the betting lines are predicting, given some of the turnover at important positions UT experienced this offseason.
"Look, 46.5 is a lot of points. I don't know if it'll happen," Rodgers said. "But if you want some intrigue, you want one-in-a-million, maybe that one."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why ESPN analyst put Tennessee football on upset alert vs Furman. Here's why
