SEC Football: 5 most important non-conference games in 2017

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Mar 23, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Head Coach Butch Jones watches during Tennessee Volunteers football practice at Anderson Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Calvin Mattheis/Knoxville News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK /

4. Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech, Sept. 4

The Tennessee Volunteers face another ACC foe to open the 2017 season, this time it’s the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. They defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 45-24 in Bristol, Tennessee in Week 2 of the 2016 season.

The Volunteers have a few weapons to replace on offense, including quarterback Josh Dobbs and running back Alvin Kamara. They began the season 5-0 before losing three straight games in SEC play, falling out of the title hunt.

The quarterback competition should be interesting entering the fall. Quarterback Quinten Dormaday served as the backup to Dobbs the past two seasons but he’ll have to earn the starting job.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano should challenge Dormaday for the job but they’ll need a definite starter entering another tough SEC season.

Georgia Tech will serve as a good measuring stick for the Volunteers to open the season. Things will only get tougher once SEC play begins. However, Tennessee returns seven starters on both sides of the ball, which should bode well.

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