2. Tennessee football has an easy schedule in 2019.
This is a reason Hugh Freeze could easily exceed expectations on Rocky Top in 2019. The Vols’ schedule makes it almost impossible for them not to get to seven wins next year, and that would show improvement.
Tennessee football’s non-conference schedule in 2019 includes the Georgia State Panthers, BYU Cougars, Chattanooga Mocs and UAB Blazers. None of those teams are Power Five opponents, one is even an FCS opponent and they’re all at home. To make matters better for Freeze, though, Georgia State’s defense is outside of the Top 100 this year, and UAB loses eight starters on that side. So only BYU should be even somewhat difficult, and they lose all their linebackers.
What about within the SEC? The Vols draw the Mississippi State Bulldogs from the West, and they lose over half their starters on defense. That’s also true for the Kentucky Wildcats, who lose eight starters. Those were two of the top defenses in the SEC last year, but they will struggle significantly in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Missouri Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores were all near the bottom in SEC team defense anyway, and they all lose half their starters on that side of the ball. Simply put, the Vols should face a lot of easy defenses next year on their schedule.
Sure, the Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs will be brutal. But Freeze’s offense should be able to torch every other opponent he faces, and that’s a huge boost for him. It’s also a factor that leads to our top reason for him to join the Vols.