Hat Guy's expectations for the Vols' 2023 season: UPDATED (post-Georgia)

Tennessee lost its chance at the SEC East two weeks ago with a clunker against Missouri and then followed it up with another against Georgia Saturday. What remains is a regular-season closer against 0-7 Vanderbilt and a bowl game. Most are projecting a trip to the Gator Bowl against North Carolina or NC State. For those making Christmas plans, the Gator Bowl is in Jacksonville, Florida on December 29 at 2:00 p.m. Just remember, it’s not official yet.

For the record, here are the current SEC East standings.


Georgia	8-0
Missouri	5-2
Tennessee	3-4
Kentucky	3-5
Florida	3-5
South Carolina	3-5
Vanderbilt	0-7

Season Resume: Tennessee and Hat Guy

Here’s how Hat Guy has done so far this year and how he views the Vanderbilt game.

	Preseason	W1	W2	W3	W4	W5	W6 (Bye)	W7	W8	W9	W10	W11	W12
VA	TN -36	TN 49-13
AP			TN 30-13
FL			TN -13	FL 29-16
UTSA				TN -8	TN 45-14
SC					TN -15	TN 41-20
TAMU						TAMU -14	TN -1.5	TN 20-13
AL						AL -7	AL -3.8	TN -2.1	AL 34-20
KY						KY -8	TN -7.7	TN -10.7	TN -6.2	TN 33-27
UCONN						TN -32	TN -28	TN -26	TN -25.1	TN -21.7	TN 59-3
MO						MO -3	TN -10.5	TN -4.2	MO -2.6	MO -1.6	TN -2.4	GA 36-7
GA						GA -6	GA -8.8	GA -6.3	GA -9.3	GA -13.3	GA -8.1	GA -15.4	GA 38-10
VAN						TN -17	TN -26.9	TN -25.7	TN -22.9	TN -29.8	TN -27.9		TN -26.6

The Alabama and Missouri games were essentially toss-ups that the Vols instead lost big. Florida remains the shocker, as the Vols were fairly heavy favorites heading into that loss. The Georgia game, well, Tennessee was expected to lose, just not expected to be so inept, especially on offense.

For the sake of posterity, here are the records and schedules for the Vols and their future and past opponents:

Tennessee Volunteers


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	Virginia	W	49-13	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	Austin Peay	W	30-13	2-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	@	Florida	L	29-16	2-1 (0-1)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	UTSA	W	45-14	3-1 (0-1)
Sat, Sep 30	vs	South Carolina	W	41-20	4-1 (1-1)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	Texas A&M	W	20-13	5-1 (2-1)
Sat, Oct 21	@	11 Alabama	L	34-20	5-2 (2-2)
Sat, Oct 28	@	Kentucky	W	33-27	6-2 (3-2)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	UConn	W	59-3	7-2 (3-2)
Sat, Nov 11	@	14 Missouri	L	36-7	7-3 (3-3)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	1 Georgia	L	38-10	7-4 (3-4)
Sat, Nov 25	vs	Vanderbilt		3:30 PM	SECN

The Vols’ future opponents

Vanderbilt


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Aug 26	vs	Hawai'i	W	35-28	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 2	vs	Alabama A&M	W	47-13	2-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	@	Wake Forest	L	36-20	2-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	@	UNLV	L	40-37	2-2 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	Kentucky	L	45-28	2-3 (0-1)
Sat, Sep 30	vs	23 Missouri	L	38-21	2-4 (0-2)
Sat, Oct 7	@	Florida	L	38-14	2-5 (0-3)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	1 Georgia	L	37-20	2-6 (0-4)
Sat, Oct 28	@	12 Ole Miss	L	33-7	2-7 (0-5)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	Auburn	L	31-15	2-8 (0-6)
Sat, Nov 11	@	South Carolina	L	47-6	2-9 (0-7)
Sat, Nov 25	@	18 Tennessee		3:30 PM	SECN

The Vols’ past opponents

Virginia


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	12 Tennessee	L	49-13	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	James Madison	L	36-35	0-2 (0-0)
Fri, Sep 15	@	Maryland	L	42-14	0-3 (0-0)
Fri, Sep 22	vs	NC State	L	24-21	0-4 (0-1)
Sat, Sep 30	@	Boston College	L	27-24	0-5 (0-2)
Sat, Oct 7	vs	William & Mary	W	27-13	1-5 (0-2)
Sat, Oct 21	@	10 North Carolina	W	31-27	2-5 (1-2)
Sat, Oct 28	@	Miami	L	29-26 OT	2-6 (1-3)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	Georgia Tech	L	45-17	2-7 (1-4)
Thu, Nov 9	@	11 Louisville	L	31-24	2-8 (1-5)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Duke	W	30-27	3-8 (2-5)
Sat, Nov 25	vs	Virginia Tech		3:30 PM	ACCN

Austin Peay


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	@	Southern Illinois	L	49-23	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	@	9 Tennessee	L	30-13	0-2 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	East Tennessee State	W	63-3	1-2 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	@	Stephen F. Austin	W	22-20	2-2 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 30	@	Lindenwood	W	52-10	3-2 (1-0)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	Gardner-Webb	W	41-14	4-2 (1-0)
Sat, Oct 21	@	Southern Utah	W	48-45 2OT	5-2 (2-0)
Sat, Oct 28	vs	North Alabama	W	49-39	6-2 (3-0)
Sat, Nov 4	@	Eastern Kentucky	W	33-30 OT	7-2 (4-0)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	Utah Tech	W	30-17	8-2 (5-0)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Central Arkansas	W	14-12	9-2 (6-0)
Sat, Nov 25	vs	Chattanooga		3:00 PM	ESPN+

Florida


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Thu, Aug 31	@	14 Utah	L	24-11	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	McNeese	W	49-7	3-2 (1-1)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	11 Tennessee	W	29-16	2-1 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	Charlotte	W	22-7	3-1 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 30	@	Kentucky	L	33-14	3-2 (1-1)
Sat, Oct 7	vs	Vanderbilt	W	38-14	4-2 (2-1)
Sat, Oct 14	@	South Carolina	W	41-39	5-2 (3-1)
Sat, Oct 28	vs	1 Georgia	L	43-20	5-3 (3-2)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	Arkansas	L	39-36 OT	5-4 (3-3)
Sat, Nov 11	@	19 LSU	L	52-35	5-5 (3-4)
Sat, Nov 18	@	9 Missouri	L	33-31	5-6 (3-5)
Sat, Nov 25	vs	4 Florida State		7:00 PM	ESPN

UTSA


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	@	Houston	L	17-14	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	Texas State	W	20-13	1-1 (0-0)
Fri, Sep 15	vs	Army	L	37-29	1-2 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	@	23 Tennessee	L	45-14	1-3 (0-0)
Sat, Oct 7	@	Temple	W	49-34	2-3 (1-0)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	UAB	W	41-20	3-3 (2-0)
Sat, Oct 21	@	Florida Atlantic	W	36-10	4-3 (3-0)
Sat, Oct 28	vs	East Carolina	W	41-27	5-3 (4-0)
Sat, Nov 4	@	North Texas	W	37-29	6-3 (5-0)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	Rice	W	34-14	7-3 (6-0)
Fri, Nov 17	vs	South Florida	W	49-21	8-3 (7-0)
Sat, Nov 25	@	24 Tulane		3:30 PM	ABC

South Carolina


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	21 North Carolina	L	31-17	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	Furman	W	47-21	1-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	@	1 Georgia	L	24-14	1-2 (0-1)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	Mississippi State	W	37-30	2-2 (1-1)
Sat, Sep 30	@	21 Tennessee	L	41-20	2-3 (1-2)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	Florida	L	41-39	2-4 (1-3)
Sat, Oct 21	@	20 Missouri	L	34-12	2-5 (1-4)
Sat, Oct 28	@	Texas A&M	L	30-17	2-6 (1-5)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	Jacksonville State	W	38-28	3-6 (1-5)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	Vanderbilt	W	47-6	4-6 (2-5)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Kentucky	W	17-14	5-6 (3-5)
Sat, Nov 25	vs	Clemson		7:30 PM	SECN

Texas A&M


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	New Mexico	W	52-10	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	@	Miami	L	48-33	1-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	UL Monroe	W	47-3	2-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	Auburn	W	27-10	3-1 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 30	vs	Arkansas	W	34-22	4-1 (2-0)
Sat, Oct 7	vs	11 Alabama	L	26-20	4-2 (2-1)
Sat, Oct 14	@	19 Tennessee	L	20-13	4-3 (2-2)
Sat, Oct 28	vs	South Carolina	W	30-17	5-3 (3-2)
Sat, Nov 4	@	10 Ole Miss	L	38-35	5-4 (3-3)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	Mississippi State	W	51-10	6-4 (4-3)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Abilene Christian	W	38-10	7-4 (4-3)
Sat, Nov 25	@	15 LSU		12:00 PM	ESPN

Alabama


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	Middle Tennessee	W	56-7	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	11 Texas	L	34-24	1-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	@	South Florida	W	17-3	2-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	15 Ole Miss	W	24-10	3-1 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 30	@	Mississippi State	W	40-17	4-1 (2-0)
Sat, Oct 7	@	Texas A&M	W	26-20	5-1 (3-0)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	Arkansas	W	24-21	6-1 (4-0)
Sat, Oct 21	vs	17 Tennessee	W	34-20	7-1 (5-0)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	14 LSU	W	42-28	8-1 (6-0)
Sat, Nov 11	@	Kentucky	W	49-21	9-1 (7-0)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Chattanooga	W	66-10	10-1 (7-0)
Sat, Nov 25	@	Auburn		3:30 PM	CBS
Sat, Dec 2	vs	1 Georgia		4:00 PM	CBS

Kentucky


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	Ball State	W	44-14	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	Eastern Kentucky	W	28-17	2-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	Akron	W	35-3	3-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	@	Vanderbilt	W	45-28	4-0 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 30	vs	22 Florida	W	33-14	5-0 (2-0)
Sat, Oct 7	@	1 Georgia	L	51-13	5-1 (2-1)
Sat, Oct 14	vs	Missouri	L	38-21	5-2 (2-2)
Sat, Oct 28	vs	21 Tennessee	L	33-27	5-3 (2-3)
Sat, Nov 4	@	Mississippi State	W	24-3	6-3 (3-3)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	8 Alabama	L	49-21	6-4 (3-4)
Sat, Nov 18	@	South Carolina	L	17-14	6-5 (3-5)
Sat, Nov 25	@	10 Louisville		12:00 PM	ABC

UConn


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Thu, Aug 31	vs	NC State	L	24-14	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	@	Georgia State	L	35-14	0-2 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	Florida International	L	24-17	0-3 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	18 Duke	L	41-7	0-4 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 30	vs	Utah State	L	34-33	0-5 (0-0)
Sat, Oct 7	@	Rice	W	38-31	1-5 (0-0)
Sat, Oct 21	vs	South Florida	L	24-21	1-6 (0-0)
Sat, Oct 28	@	Boston College	L	21-14	1-7 (0-0)
Sat, Nov 4	@	17 Tennessee	L	59-3	1-8 (0-0)
Sat, Nov 11	@	James Madison	L	44-6	1-9 (0-0)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Sacred Heart	W	31-3	2-9 (0-0)
Sat, Nov 25	@	Massachusetts		12:00 PM	ESPN+

Missouri


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Thu, Aug 31	vs	South Dakota	W	35-10	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	Middle Tennessee	W	23-19	2-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	15 Kansas State	W	30-27	3-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	Memphis	W	34-27	4-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 30	@	Vanderbilt	W	38-21	5-0 (1-0)
Sat, Oct 7	vs	23 LSU	L	49-39	5-1 (1-1)
Sat, Oct 14	@	24 Kentucky	W	38-21	6-1 (2-1)
Sat, Oct 21	vs	South Carolina	W	34-12	7-1 (3-1)
Sat, Nov 4	@	2 Georgia	L	30-21	7-2 (3-2)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	13 Tennessee	W	36-7	8-2 (4-2)
Sat, Nov 18	vs	Florida	W	33-31	9-2 (5-2)
Fri, Nov 24	@	Arkansas		4:00 PM	CBS

Georgia


Date		Opponent	Result	Score	W-L
Sat, Sep 2	vs	UT Martin	W	48-7	1-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 9	vs	Ball State	W	45-3	2-0 (0-0)
Sat, Sep 16	vs	South Carolina	W	24-14	3-0 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 23	vs	UAB	W	49-21	4-0 (1-0)
Sat, Sep 30	@	Auburn	W	27-20	5-0 (2-0)
Sat, Oct 7	vs	20 Kentucky	W	51-13	6-0 (3-0)
Sat, Oct 14	@	Vanderbilt	W	37-20	7-0 (4-0)
Sat, Oct 28	vs	Florida	W	43-20	8-0 (5-0)
Sat, Nov 4	vs	12 Missouri	W	30-21	9-0 (6-0)
Sat, Nov 11	vs	9 Ole Miss	W	52-17	10-0 (7-0)
Sat, Nov 18	@	18 Tennessee	W	38-10	11-0 (8-0)
Sat, Nov 25	@	Georgia Tech		7:30 PM	ABC
Sat, Dec 2	vs	8 Alabama		4:00 PM	CBS

Hat Guy’s expectations for the Vols’ 2023 season: UPDATED (post-Georgia)

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