How often could the Tennessee football Volunteers be the Southeastern Conference’s draw in 2020?
With the SEC moving to a league-only 10-game schedule due to coronavirus, there are lots of exciting matchups set to happen throughout the year. Tennessee football is now becoming the draw on a few of them.
Athlon has listed UT’s game as the game of the week three separate for the newly revised 2020 slate. The Vols’ matchups with matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 24, at the Auburn Tigers on Nov. 21 and against the Florida Gators on Dec. 5 all made the list.
In addition to those three games, Tennessee football matchups at the Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 10, against the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 17 and against the Texas A&M Aggies on Nov. 14 were all honorable mentions. Auburn and Texas A&M were the two teams added to the Vols’ slate in addition to their current SEC West opponents, Alabama and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Obviously, Athlon is higher on Rocky Top than most outlets. After all, thinking that their game with Alabama could be must-see TV is proof alone that they think the Vols could be a threat. The same is somewhat true of their matchup with Florida. Georgia being honorable mention makes sense, but the other two would seemingly be honorable mentions as well.
Auburn, Texas A&M and Kentucky all appear to be more on UT’s level this year as Jeremy Pruitt tries to build a program his third season on the job. Even the Vols’ Sept. 26 opener at the South Carolina Gamecocks could potentially be more intriguing, as both teams have similar goals this year despite coming at it from separate places. But it didn’t get any mention.
For once, there is no intrigue behind UT’s matchup with the Vanderbilt Commodores. That’s a departure from recent years given the fact that Vandy had won three straight and five out of seven before last season.
The Vols’ matchups with Arkansas and the Missouri Tigers also didn’t warrant any mention, but since both teams have first-year head coaches, that makes sense. Still, Tennessee football appears as if it will once again be a major draw this year.