Kirk Herbstreit threw his name in the ring of people getting behind Tennessee Football. The College Gameday Host picked the Volunteers to win the SEC East.
The biggest college football analyst yet has now openly come out with his pick to win the SEC East.
Following the trend of everybody in the college football media nowadays, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit picked the Vols to win the East on Twitter Sunday in a reply to a tweet somebody else sent him on how Tennessee football would fare in 2016.
I think they win the East. But will have to coach and play to win for 4 Qtrs every week. Can't play "Not To Lose". https://t.co/slR1V9dOPI
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 7, 2016
Of course, there was really nothing special about this analysis. It’s the same thing everybody has said.
And Herbstreit had the Vols winning the East last year, so it may not be a great sign. But this year he is throwing his name in with lots of other people.
He also threw subtle shade at Butch Jones for saying they have to “coach and play” for four quarters, blatantly making the point that the Jones and his staff simply cannot play careful with a lead in the fourth the way they did against the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners last year.
Still, he threw his pick behind the Vols.
That means the expectations and pressure behind Tennessee continue to rise.
Herbstreit will begin his preseason work with ESPN on Wednesday, Aug. 24 for the 2016 season, where he and Rece Davis will do the “Herbies” at 7 p.m.
That Saturday, Aug. 27, he will be a co-host of an official preseason show, just five days before football season is set to begin with the Vols taking on the Appalachian State Mountaineers.