The most jarring thing to happen last night that didn’t involve Dalton Knecht was the “Bruce Pearl, 10th season at Auburn” graphic. Which can’t be right, but I’m getting ready to throw a lot of research at you from ESPN’s website, so let’s trust the process. It doesn’t feel that […]
Author: Will Shelton
Makes the Tag to Nico
Opt-outs will make us rethink the way a list like this works, but Joe Milton will find his way to the spirit of the idea here: Tennessee Full-Season Starters at QB, Last 20 Years Joe Milton, 2023 (regular season) Josh Dobbs, 2015 & 2016 Tyler Bray, 2012 (Justin Worley subbed […]
GRT 2023 Bowl Pick ‘Em
Congrats to longtime friend of the blog birdjam for taking home the 2023 regular season picks contest trophy! It was a really tight race this season, with his 2,309 confidence points narrowly eclipsing boro wvvol (2,302) and wedflatrock (2,301). Full Top 10 at the bottom of this post. We’re on […]
Updating Context for Vols vs #1
Here’s the same question in a different week: in a 12-team playoff, Saturday’s game would (still) mean even more. It wouldn’t necessarily mean entirely less if you’re #1 Georgia; the Dawgs will likely need to go through Alabama either way. Losses in Knoxville and Atlanta would mean missing it all […]
Mid-November & Meaningful Football
If you’re looking for an orange-tinted case for the 12-team playoff, Saturday is about as good as it gets: #13 Tennessee at #14 Missouri would serve as a play-in opportunity of sorts, championship implications for both teams. It would be one of the most meaningful games Tennessee has ever played […]
October is to November as…
A year from now, conversations about #21 Tennessee would start with, “Okay, we’re nine spots out of the playoff.” There are always opportunities to improve one’s resume in the SEC, and that’s especially true for the Vols this season. In these changing rhythms, consider this: Alabama was the first ranked […]
Go ahead, get defensive
There are so many stats to choose from to highlight the excellence of Tennessee’s defense on Saturday. But beyond just a single game, this one might speak best right now: at the halfway point of the 2023 campaign, Tennessee’s offense is ranked 18th in SP+. The defense is ranked 15th. […]
T Is for Toss-Up
In trusty SP+, this is about as good as it gets: Texas A&M is 13th nationally in those ratings, 16.9 points better than the average team. The Vols are right behind them at 14th and 16.6. On a neutral field, the Aggies would be favored by 0.3 points. In FPI, […]
Tennessee 41 South Carolina 20: Treat
When you have this offense – especially when it just featured Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt, etc. – it’s easy to default the initial credit to the passing game. And even with a pair of interceptions and a heartbreaking injury, I thought Tennessee was good through the air Saturday night. […]
In The Name of Good Surprises
The question of Josh Heupel’s best win isn’t up for debate; the Alabama game last year is Tennessee’s best win ever if you’re under the age of 25 or so. But one of the best things about being back in the national conversation is the multitude of good wins – […]