Tennessee football will take another step toward relevancy in 2020

How will Tennessee football fare in 2020?

• Sept. 26: at South Carolina (Win) — Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols get off to a great start and continue their momentum from last season. Gamecocks struggle to get anything going offensively and the Vols roll.
• Oct. 3: vs. Missouri (Win) — It’s going to take some time for new head coach Eli Drinkwitz to turn Missouri back into a winning program. Vols defense continues its dominance and Tennessee gets off to a 2-0 start.
• Oct. 10: at Georgia (Loss) — The first test of the season comes against the top tier of the SEC. Pruitt and the Vols aren’t up to Georgia’s level yet. They keep it close in the first half but Georgia is just the much better team. First loss of the year.
• Oct. 17: vs. Kentucky (Win) — There are questions in the quarterback room at Kentucky with no clear guy after Lynn Bowden Jr. saved their season in 2019. This game could decide who’s the top of the second tier teams in the East. The Volunteers’ defense can control Kentucky on the ground and will come out on top here.
• Oct. 24: vs. Alabama (Loss) — Like Georgia, Alabama is just the better and more talented team. Pruitt is building something that could be special, but it’s going to take time before the Vols are competing with the top of the SEC. The Tide roll here.
• Nov. 7: at Arkansas (Win) — The Razorbacks are going to finish towards the bottom of the conference once again. It’s going to take time for Sam Pittman to change the culture of the program. Vols get back to winning ways here.
• Nov. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Loss) — In a very close game, the Aggies come out on top. Tennessee is still a notch below A&M, though the gap is getting closer.
• Nov. 21: at Auburn (Loss) — We’re starting to see what Tennessee is by this point in the season. The best of the middle tier of the conference but not quite at the level of the top teams. This will be another close game and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Vols pull it off, but until I see this program beat the top teams, I have to side with Auburn.
• Nov. 28: at Vanderbilt (Win) — Vols take out some frustration after two straight close losses. Vandy is the worst team in the SEC and their season will be over by this point.
• Dec. 5: vs. Florida (Loss) — In what could be the game that sends the Gators to Atlanta to compete for the SEC title, Gators take this one. Again, the Vols aren’t at the level of the top SEC programs yet.

Final Record: 5-5

Tennessee fans might be disappointed with a 5-5 season given the excitement from last year’s turnaround, but if you look deeper I think this should be viewed as a successful year. The Vols would have separated themselves from middle-of-the-pack teams and are just a step below the top programs. I also think 5-5 is closer to the floor than the ceiling.

If the quarterback room struggles, the defensive is good enough to keep them in games. If Jarrett Guarantano, Brian Maurer, JT Shrout or Harrison Bailey step up and play above expectations the Vols could steal a game from A&M, Auburn or Florida.

Tennessee is a program on the rise and one to watch out for in the next few years.