SEC Football: Best and Worst-Case Scenario for Every Team in 2015
Jan 2, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Devrin Young (19) and defensive back Brian Randolph (37) and defensive tackle Jordan Williams (54) and defensive back Geraldo Orta (26) celebrate with fans after their 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at EverBank Field. The Tennessee Volunteers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
After three impressive recruiting classes, head coach Butch Jones has the Tennessee football program headed in the right direction. Jones and his coaching staff fielded the only team in the nation that didn’t return a single starter on either the offensive or defensive line in 2014 and guided the Vols to a 7-6 record, including a 45-28 victory over Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
While the overall performance was modest compared to the SEC championships and national titles sprinkled throughout the school’s storied football history, it snapped a string of three consecutive 5-7 seasons and finally has the folks in Knoxville excited about this year instead of next year.
Related: Who won the SEC Offseason in 2015?
Eight starters return for a Vols defense that allowed just 24.2 points, 196.2 passing yards and 364.6 total yards per game in 2014. That includes five of the top six tacklers from last season, two of the SEC’s top pass rushers in Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt (both of whom recorded double-digit sacks last season), and a secondary led by All-SEC caliber players Brian Randolph and Cam Sutton.
Offensively, quarterback Josh Dobbs provided an immediate spark when he was inserted into the lineup last season and was arguably the biggest reason the Vols won four of their last five games to secure the first winning season for the team since 2009. Dobbs is one of ten starters returning on offense, and he will have help from super sophomore running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, the SEC’s deepest receiving corps and a talented offensive line that has now started a combined 64 games.
If everything breaks right for the Vols, they can win the SEC East for the first time since 2007. The schedule sets up well with East favorite Georgia coming to Knoxville on October 10, and a bye week prior to the trip to Tuscaloosa October 24. Basically, every game on the schedule is winnable, though 11-1 in the regular season with a loss to Alabama (and a rematch in Atlanta) is likely the best the Vols will do.
Tennessee’s Best Case Scenario: 12-2, Loss to Alabama in SEC Championship Game, Win in the Sugar Bowl
Next: Worst-Case Scenario: Tennessee