Tennessee's Season Set To Be Tested In October

The Tennessee Volunteers carry more hype into 2023 than they have in a long time. They won 11 games in 2022, but to repeat their success they must perform in October.

Tennessee sparked hope into a dismayed fanbase during the 2022 season. The pressure was on ahead of the 2022 season, but the expectations were lukewarm. Though the Vols had their preseason doubters, they defied expectations and turned in an 11-win season with many highlights along the way. The team achieved various marks across the board: their first Bilitnekoff winner in school history, their first time with a top-five ranking since 2005, and their first win New Year's Six Bowl victory since 2004.

They want to keep that magic alive in 2023, but a retooled roster has a difficult road ahead. When you look at things from a scheduling perspective, things open up relatively easily for Tennessee. The Vols open up the year against Virginia, a noon kick against a squad coming off a 3-7 season. The game will be played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, meaning that orange and white should litter the crowd. From there, they host Austin Peay, head down to Gainesville for a clash with the Florida Gators, and then host two games in Neyland Stadium against UTSA and South Carolina. The toughest games out of that grouping are Florida and South Carolina. Many would argue that Tennessee's performance in The Swamp is reason for concern, but Florida doesn't have the personnel this year to project a close game. 

Meanwhile, Tennessee hasn't forgotten about what South Carolina did to them last year. They should have an energized crowd behind them, and though we sit in the summer, it's difficult to imagine a world where the Vols aren't favored heading into that one. The rematch with the Gamecocks is September 30, and Tennessee has the following week off. That begins the month of October, which, unlike the first five games of their schedule, appears daunting. This three-game stretch will likely determine if they have any hopes of making the College Football Playoff.

• October 14: vs. Texas A&M
• October 21: @ Alabama
• October 28: @ Kentucky

Beginning with Texas A&M, there are two 2023 scenarios that I keep returning to. It doesn't feel like there's been a lot of middle-ground for head coach Jimbo Fisher during his tenure in College Station. They could easily be a top-10 football team this fall; after all, they have signed five consecutive top-10 recruiting classes. However, they could also be 2-3 playing for their season. Their on-paper talent makes them more daunting than several other in-conference foes on the schedule, as evidenced by their 2022 thriller against Alabama in a down season.

Tennessee is to Alabama, what South Carolina is to Tennessee. The Crimson Tide have had October 21 circled on the calendar for months, waiting for Tennessee to make the trek to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Even with all the question marks at the quarterback position for the Crimson Tide, they are still Alabama. Head coach Nick Saban loves bulletin-board material, and with all the focus on the Georgias and the Ohio States of the world this offseason, it's plausible that Saban and company have a great season and bring their A-game to the Vols.

Head coach Mark Stoops has done one thing at Kentucky since he arrived - win football games. It hasn't always been pretty, and they've never been a serious threat to the top of the conference, but Stoops has logged a 66-59 career record in ten years with a program that plays second-fiddle to its basketball team. They landed NC State transfer quarterback Devin Leary this offseason, a former ACC Player of the Year hoping to bounce back in Lexington, Kentucky. Good programs win these types of games, and it won't be easy for the Vols to close out Kentucky at the end of a month that they played Texas A&M and Alabama.

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