3 most important games for Tennessee football in 2024

Josh Heupel and Tennessee football enter the 2024 season with massive expectations despite falling short in 2023, going 9-4 with a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa.

The 35-0 win over Iowa was a massive confidence-booster for the Volunteers and new starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star. There seems to be some excitement brewing in Knoxville again and with arguably the best quarterback to come through the program in the Heupel era, fans are dreaming of an SEC title.

These are the three most important games that will be standing in the Volunteers' way, though.

3. at Oklahoma (Sept. 21)

The first conference game of the season just so happens to be a massive one for Tennessee. This could set the tone for the rest of the season.

Suppose Nico Iamaleava can go on the road in his first SEC start and pick up a win over the newcomer Oklahoma Sooners who are likely to be ranked at this point of the season. In that case, Tennessee will make a statement to the rest of the nation that it's not to be messed with.

A loss here could crush any playoff or SEC title contention outlook for Tennessee because this may not even be a top-three toughest matchup of the season. A loss would put a massive damper on the rest of the season, especially with a really tough stretch of games approaching after this. It could demoralize the team and its quarterback.

A win would have the opposite effect.