It is installment number seven of wild blind dart-throwing predictions. Today, we move to the land of throw up orange – not that orange you can sit with.
GAME 7, OCT 17, TSIO: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Coach: Josh Heupel (45–20 in five seasons in Knoxville, 24–16 SEC, 2-3 in bowl games)
2025 record: 8-5, 4-4 (T-8th in SEC, L Music City Bowl vs. Illinois)
CB 2025 Prediction: 9-3; Predicted losses to Bama, UGA, and Fla. They did lose to Alabama and UGA but defeated Florida. The other regular season losses were both at home: Oklahoma and Vandy.
Looking
Back: Losing Nico Iamaleava to UCLA hurt the Vols more than they expected. He wasn’t winning any Heismans but he was better than his replacement, Joey Aguilar. Tennessee walloped a piss-poor Syracuse (3-9) and a cupcake to start he season. That was followed by a wild back-and-forth Knoxville game with UGA prevailing in overtime. The Volunteers may have had a bit of a hangover because the next three games should have been big wins, but instead were barely wins. Tennessee put up 56 on godawful UAB, but the away team scored 24. Mississippi State lost in overtime and Arkansas took UT down to the wire before falling by three points.
Then came the Third Saturday In October with the Crimson Tide obliterating the orange & white. The Vols rebounded the next week with a win over Kentucky but again, they gave up 34 to a team that was in quit mode. Oklahoma improved their record in Knoxville to 2-0 all-time. Tennessee kicked a meaningless field goal at the end to make it 6-point loss. Another cupcake and dumpster fire Florida got UT to 8 wins. The season ended in a kerflop with Diego Pavia running wild to a 21-point win in Neyland Stadium, followed by a Music City Bowl loss to Illinois.
Returning Starters: 6 on offense, 3* on defense, Australian punter
* Newcomer safety TJ Metcalf was a starter at Michigan and Arkansas before that; LB Amare Campbell full starter at Penn State; CB Kayin Lee full starter at Auburn.
Key Losses: CB Colton Hood (2nd round, Giants), leading receiver WR Chris Brazzell (3rd round, Panthers), CB Jermod McCoy (4th round, Raiders), DE Joshua Josephs (5th round, Washington), DE Tyre West (7th round, Lions), third-team All-SEC OT Lance Heard (transfer to… Kentucky!?!), RB Peyton Lewis (to Virginia; 339 yds, 3 TD), TE Jack Van Dorselaer (Oklahoma), EDGE Jordan Ross (LSU; 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sack), EDGE Caleb Herring (South Carolina; 6 TFL, 4 sack), RB Star Thomas (UDFA, 569 yds, 7 TD in 2025), QB Joey Aguilar (UDFA), CB Rickey Gibson (was a starter, injured in the 2025 season opener, transferred to Texas A&M), S Boo Carter (kicked off team, transfer to Colorado – Enjoy that, Deion), WR Amari Jefferson (former Alabama WR “stepping away from football” due to injuries)
Top Returnees: second-team All-SEC RB DeSean Bishop (1,076 yds, 16 TD), WR Braylon Staley (837 yds, 6 TD), WR Mike Matthews (813 yds, 4 TD), OG Wendell Moe, OT David Sanders, C Sam Pendleton, leading tackler LB Edwin Spillman, 2nd leading tackler LB Jeremiah Telander, LB Amare Campbell, CB Ty Redmond, LB Arion Carter*, TE Ethan Davis (257 yds, 2 TD), OL Jesse Perry, DL Xavier Gilliam
Top Newcomers: Jim Knowles and Anthony Poindexter were James Franklin’s defensive coordinator (2025) and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach at Penn State (2021–2025) who were hired in the offseason in the same roles for the Vols. On their way out the door, they poached DL Xavier Gilliam, LB Amare Campbell, and SAF Dejuan Lane from PSU. Other newbies include OT Ory Williams (LSU), DL Jordan Norman (Tulane), CB Kayin Lee (Auburn), SAF TJ Metcalf (Michigan; 37 solo, 21 asst), SAF Qua Moss (Kansas State), PK Cooper Ranvier (Louisville; 21-25 FG, 3 of 4 misses over 50), WR TK Keys (frosh), WR Tyreek King (frosh)
* EDGE Chaz Coleman was also pilfered from PSU but was recently medically disqualified.
Strengths: Overall defense will be improved (they had nowhere to go but up after being 14th in the SEC in scoring & total defense), especially the secondary… Starting offensive line is solid (but how did they lose left tackle Lance Heard to Kentucky??)… Returning second and third leading receivers… Second-team All-SEC RB DeSean Bishop had a breakout season including 123 yards and two score vs Bama…
Weaknesses: After Bishop, there is a BIG dropoff at RB… RS freshman George MacIntyre, true frosh Faizon Brandon, and awful Colorado QB Ryan Staub are the options at quarterback. There are not too many programs out there that are jealous about UT’s QB situation… Will have to rely on two freshmen for wide receiver depth… OL depth is also lacking… Pass rushing was inadequate last season. Opponents converted 41% of their third down chances. This year’s DL and edge rushers are basically the same guys and rather meh…
Outlook: The Volunteers should have a solid starting 21. The problem is that 22nd starter. Quarterback is a HUGE question mark for the Vols. It is so odd that Josh Heupel is supposed to be some kind of quarterback guru and he has not had a good one at Tennessee in his five campaigns: Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton, Nico Iamaleava, Joey Aguilar, and now this trio of tackling dummies? Bleh.
As mentioned above, the defense will be better, the OL is good though depth is an issue, and Bishop has NFL written all over him. But this sport is all about how good the quarterback is.
Odds
- 7.5 total wins per FanDuel.
- DraftKings has Bama favored by 1.5.
2026 TENNESSEE SCHEDULE:
UT gets their three toughest match-ups at home: Texas, Alabama and LSU.
- Sat, Sep 5 vs Furman – W
- Sat, Sep 12 at Georgia Tech – W
- Sat, Sep 19 vs Kennesaw Mountain – W
- Sat, Sep 26 vs Texas – L
- Sat, Oct 3 vs Auburn – W – Watch the hangover, Vols.
- Sat, Oct 10 at Arkansas – W
- Sat, Oct 17 vs Alabama – L – Gumpin’!
- Sat, Oct 24 at South Carolina – L – Could be a toss up.
- Sat, Oct 31 bye
- Sat, Nov 7 vs Kentucky – W
- Sat, Nov 14 at Texas A&M – L – Roadie.
- Sat, Nov 21 vs LSU – L
- Sat, Nov 28 at Vanderbilt – W – No more Pavia.
PREVIOUS 2026 ALABAMA SCHEDULE PREVIEWS:
- Sat, Sep 5 vs East Carolina
- Sat, Sep 12 @ Kentucky
- Sat, Sep 19 vs Florida State
- Sat, Sep 26 vs South Carolina
- Sat, Oct 3 @ Mississippi State
- Sat, Oct 10 vs Georgia
- Sat, Oct 17 @ Tennessee
- Sat, Oct 24 vs Texas A&M
- Sat, Nov 7 @ LSU
- Sat, Nov 14 @ Vanderbilt
- Sat, Nov 21 vs Chattanooga
- Sat, Nov 28 vs Auburn
