Tennessee vs. Ball State odds, spread, line: Week 1 college football picks, predictions

College Football Power Index picks, predictions for Tennessee vs. Ball State

Tennessee kicks off Year 2 of the Josh Heupel experience on Thursday against Ball State in Week 1 of the 2022 college football schedule.

Hendon Hooker is back at quarterback as one of the SEC's best returning players to lead a Vols offense that ranked top 10 nationally a year ago.

What do the experts think of the matchup? Let's see how the College Football Power Index prediction computer projects the game.

Tennessee vs. Ball State football preview, prediction

Tennessee opens the 2022 college football schedule against Ball State

Football Power Index is siding with Tennessee all the way, giving the Volunteers a 95.1 percent chance to win the season opener.

By contrast, the Cardinals get a mere 4.9 percent shot to upset the Vols.

The books tend to agree, naming Tennessee as 35 point favorites coming into the game, according to Caesars Sportsbook.

FPI named Tennessee as the No. 24 overall team in its updated college football rankings, good for 9th in the SEC, and projects the Vols will win 6.9 games this season.

The index predicts UT will be 9.8 points better on average than the teams on its schedule.

Tennessee by the numbers

+ Tennessee jumped from 108th to 7th nationally in scoring offense averaging 39.3 ppg, the Vols' 2nd most in modern history

+ UT broke school records in 2021 with 511 total points, 6,174 total yards, 67 touchdowns, 3 INTs, and passing efficiency

+ Vols wideout Cedric Tillman has caught a TD in 7 straight games

+ Tennessee placed 9th nationally in total offense a year ago

+ The Vols outscored opponents 190-51 in the first quarter under Josh Heupel

+ Tennessee has scored at least one TD in the first quarter of every game under Heupel

+ Tennessee led the nation with 14.6 first quarter points, ahead of Georgia

+ UT led college football with a +10.69 scoring differential in the first quarter

College Football Power Index

ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance. 

Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season, using a combination of analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, and a team’s schedule.

AP Top 25 College Football Rankings

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma State
13. NC State
14. USC
15. Michigan State
16. Miami
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU

---

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Facebook