TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Let’s say this off the top: I don’t think Tennessee wins the SEC. Even if the Vols manage to squeak through Georgia, they’re not beating Alabama in the SEC title game. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way . . . there’s a lot to like about the Vols!
Let’s start with Hendon Hooker, who has the potential to enter the Heisman conversation next season. Hooker was quietly elite in 2021 (2,945 yards, 31 TDs, 3 INTs, 68.2 CMP%). Some of that is the veer-and-shoot system he plays in, but you also still have to complete the passes. Hooker, and weapons like Cedric Tillman and Jabari Small, make this offense among the most exciting in the sport. And while the defense is going to take its lumps (that will happen to every unit forced to play opposite an offense with that fast a tempo) there were some signs last season (56th nationally in yards allowed per play, which was up 20 spots from 2020) of respectability despite built-in difficulties. And with the majority of that unit returning, the defense should remain feisty.
If Tennessee can beat Pittsburgh on the road in Week 2, there’s a pretty decent chance the Vols are 5-0 entering mid-October for a home showdown with Alabama. If that’s the case, Tennessee will have more hype than any team in the country. The schedule isn’t easy with non-conference and cross-division games with Pittsburgh, LSU and Alabama. But it’s more than realistic to think Tennessee can finish with nine wins in 2022.
