Alabama Football: Ranking 2020 opponents by toughness

Jeremy Pruitt’s Vols are set to make a big leap in 2020. With a healthy Trey Smith, Tennessee is set to have one of the conference’s best offensive lines, which will also feature Cade Mays and Brandon Kennedy.

That line, along with a great pair of tailbacks in Ty Chandler and Eric Gray, will be a stabilizing force for an offense that needs it. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was serviceable in 2019, but in a quarterback room that features Brian Maurer, JT Shrout, and exciting freshman prospect Harrison Bailey, there will be plenty of competition for the starting spot.

Pruitt has brought in recruiting classes ranked 13th and 10th, respectively, nationally in the last two seasons, and as the Vols undergo this upgrade in talent, they’re on their way to being a real player in the SEC once again.

Expectations were sky high for Jimbo Fisher when he took the job at Texas A&M, and through two seasons, he hasn’t met them. After a brutal 2019 slate that included dates with Clemson, Georgia, and Oklahoma State, along with the usual suspects in the SEC West, Aggie fans have yet to show palpable anger yet. This third year will be  the “prove it” season in College Station.

Eight returners are back on both the offense and defense. At quarterback, Kellen Mond is now a senior. He accounted for 28 total touchdowns a season ago, but many felt he didn’t show the kind of progression he should have in year two in the Jimbo Fisher offense. Mond’s completion percentage rose in 2019, but he saw drops in yardage, touchdown passes, yards per completion, and passer rating.

The pressure is immense for the Aggies this season. Pressure can break teams, but it can also make diamonds. It’ll be interesting to see which is the case in College Station.