No. 8 Michigan | No. 10 Notre Dame | Top 25
No. 9: Tennessee
Last Season: 9-4 (5-3 SEC East)
Butch Jones has talked about the youth of his Vols team for three years now, but he can't play that card this year -- Tennessee is the most experienced Power 5 team in the country. It has 17 starters back, including QB Joshua Dobbs, the elite RB duo of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara (combined 1,986 yards) and a D that has three potential first-round picks in DE Derek Barnett, LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin and CB Cameron Sutton. The Vols are front-runners to win the SEC East and will be double-digit favorites in eight games. The key will be a four-game stretch (Weeks 4-7) in which they see Florida (11 straight losses to the Gators), travel to Georgia and Texas A&M, and host Alabama.
IN IF...
It can buck the trends. In addition to those 11 straight losses to Florida, UT has dropped nine in a row to Bama. And the East champ hasn't won the SEC since '08. Break each streak and Tennessee will be in the playoff.
OUT IF...
It can't close. All four of UT's losses last year were by seven or fewer points, and three were blown leads in the final five minutes.
Tennessee's chances to win each game
09.01 vs. Appalachian State: 95.1%
09.10 vs. Virginia Tech (Bristol Motor Speedway): 87.7%
09.17 vs. Ohio: 98.5%
09.24 vs. Florida: 80.2%
10.01 @ Georgia: 55.8%
10.08 @ Texas A&M: 59.3%
10.15 vs. Alabama: 58.9%
10.29 @ South Carolina: 88.7%
11.05 vs. Tennessee Tech: 99.8%
11.12 vs. Kentucky: 93.8%
11.19 vs. Missouri: 92.5%
11.26 @ Vanderbilt: 85.9%
The overwhelming favorite to win the SEC East, Tennessee returns the division's most talented and experienced team, which will propel the Vols to a 10-2 season with a shot of possibly sneaking into the College Football Playoff. -- Edward Aschoff
Butch Jones has been building to this point with star-studded recruiting classes. Now it's time to deliver. If the Volunteers navigate a front-loaded schedule effectively, they should be able to cruise to at 10-2 record and their first SEC East title since 2007. -- David Ching
The Vols have to win the SEC East this year, right? If not now, when? All that experience, the best quarterback in the division, now is the time for Tennessee at 10-2. -- Sam Khan Jr.
The talent is there. The schedule sets up nicely. But even with a 10-2 finish, it's hard to pick the Vols to win the East until they prove they can beat Florida. -- Greg Ostendorf
Sorry, Tennessee, it's still not your year. While the Vols are the most talented team in the East, inexperience will cost them one game too many, finishing 9-3 and just short of the division title. -- Alex Scarborough
No. 8 Michigan | No. 10 Notre Dame | Top 25
