All for Tennessee
Fansided

Five reasons Tennessee football should oppose Texas, OU to SEC

By Caleb Calhoun

University of Tennessee’s new Director of Athletics Danny White, speaks during a press conference announcing his hiring, on UT’s campus in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday, Jan. 22, 2021.Dannywhite0122 0087
University of Tennessee’s new Director of Athletics Danny White, speaks during a press conference announcing his hiring, on UT’s campus in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday, Jan. 22, 2021.Dannywhite0122 0087 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Jul 19, 2021; Hoover, Alabama, USA; SEC signage during SEC Media Days at Hyatt Regency Birmingham. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 19, 2021; Hoover, Alabama, USA; SEC signage during SEC Media Days at Hyatt Regency Birmingham. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Too many risky realignment scenarios

There are too many risky realignment scenarios that put Tennessee football in an unfair situation. What if the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers join the East while the league stays at eight games? UT then just has two more brutal opponents. Even worse, what if it goes to nine games, but the Vols get the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners or LSU Tigers as an annual draw?

Where would the Vols land in a potential pod or division? Imagine a pod with them, Alabama and Auburn, which may happen just to protect the Third Saturday in October. That’s a brutal yearly run. They could also end up in one with the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs. If the league goes with four divisions, UT could be in one with Florida and Georiga while still playing Alabama annually.

This is all just too brutal to think about. As a charter member with historical rivalries against some of the most elite schools in the conference, the SEC will do what it can to make sure the Vols continue to play those elite schools. That puts them in a tougher spot than most.

Although plenty of realignment scenarios could work in their favor, UT should not vote on this expansion without the knowledge of those scenarios. Add in the factor of the SEC potentially raiding the SEC and Big Ten to further expand, and there’s know way of knowing where the Vols will land in all of that.

Home/Vols Football