The Tennessee Volunteers are entering year four under head coach Josh Heupel. Heupel took the Tennessee job after coaching at UCF from 2018 to 2020. After an 11-2 season in year two with Hendon Hooker at the helm, Huepel and the Vols went (9-4) a year ago with Joe Milton as the starter. Now, for the second straight year, the Vols will be working with a first-year starter. Nico Iamaleava was a high priority in the 2023 signing class, and his five-star status connotes his talent and potential.
The Volunteers have a standardly difficult SEC slate ahead of them. Today, we rank their opponents on the schedule based on dificulty.
2024 Tennessee Schedule Rankings
12. UTEP
11. Kent State
10. UTC
9. Vanderbilt
The Commodores are entering year three under Clark Lea, and it hasn't exactly gone all that well for the former Commodore fullback turned head coach. His best football players from a year ago have all been plucked from his roster and headed elsewhere. Their two top receivers left via the portal, their best defensive back and top linebacker left as well. It's been a tough go in Nashville.
8. @ Arkansas
It's a potentially fireable season for Sam Pittman at Arkansas. Following a (4-8) season a year ago, Arkansas avoids Alabama and Georgia on the schedule this year, but they have LSU, Ole Miss, Texas, and Tennesee on the slate this fall. On top of having a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Petrino as well.
7. Mississippi State
The Bulldogs are in their first season under Jeff Lebby, and with with the Vols catching them in the middle of the season, they should have a good sample size with regard to where the Bulldogs offense is and what they do. it could lead to a high offensive output contest between these two.
6. Florida
What a slate Billy Napier has on his hands this fall. It's inarguably the toughest schedule in the country this season and there's plenty of reason to believe that come the middle October, Billy Napier could be coaching for his job. Graham Mertz and this Gator offense didn't seem to be the problem a year ago, it was consistently being good enough to win that was Florida's problem last year.
5. NC State - Neutral site
Playing NC State in November wouldn't be near the unknown as playing them week two of the 2024 season. NC State has a brand new QB in Grayson McCall, they have a brand new RB room and a brand new WR room. It's a roster filled with transfers and new faces. There's no telling what the Vols will get.
4. Kentucky
First year starting QB Brock Vandagriff is going to have his hands full in what will be his third true road starter in the SEC. Vandagriff will present a problem with both his arm abilities and his legs. The key will be forcing turnovers if at all possible.
3. @ Oklahoma
This contest is arguably the most anticipated on the docket. Josh Huepel spent two years as the starting QB and won a national title for the Sooners as a player, and he went on to spend a total of 9 years in Norman, Oklahoma as an assitant. He's got plenty of history with the Sooners, and this will be his first return there as a head coach.
2. Alabama
The removal of divisions in the conference didn't remove Alabama off the schedule, not this year, and maybe not ever. Time has removed Nick Saban from their sideline, however. And that's good news for Vols fans. Since Saban's first season in 2007, Alabama has beaten Tennessee in all but one matchup, 2022.
1. @ Georgia
Having Georgia and Alabama on Tennessee's perenially plate hasn't exactly been ideal over the last several years. It was bad enough when Alabama was running roughshod on the conference and the sport, now Kirby Smart has turned Georgia into a death machine. And it's one that dominates the Vols. Tennessee beat Smart in his first season, and has lost by an average of 19 points since 2016.
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JONATHAN WILLIAMS
