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Tennessee football: More 2021 projections include six wins, Liberty Bowl

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Despite a new head coach, an NCAA investigation still going on, a wave of transfers and a 3-7 season last year, experts across a variety of outlets still have some confidence in Tennessee football to reach the postseason. Multiple projections that came out Wednesday assumed they’d at least earn postseason eligibility.

The Vols are penciled in for the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 in Memphis, Tenn. to face the TCU Horned Frogs in the 2021 bowl projections by Jerry Palm of CBS Sports. That assumes earning bowl eligibility and no sanctions from the NCAA.

Meanwhile, Brandon Marcello of 247Sports has projected Tennessee football to go 6-6 this year, which would earn them a spot in a bowl game if they don’t receive any sanctions. He also picked the Vols to finish fifth in the SEC East. Here’s a bit of what he said about them.

"Expecting a winning record with the NCAA hovering around and players jumping ship is ambitious. Tennessee filled up the transfer portal after Jeremy Pruitt was fired as head coach, and though Heupel and his staff did their best to fill holes with their own additions, the roster is still a mess. The Vols will be breaking in a new staring quarterback and they must find a new running back after the top two rushers left the team (Jabari Small had 117 yards as a freshman last season and will be leaned on this fall)."

For most experts, predictions have ranged from five to eight wins with a finish from fourth to sixth in the East. Fifth in the East with six wins is a common projection. There are a couple of things working in the Vols’ favor Josh Heupel’s first season on the job.

One of those things is non-conference schedule strength. UT’s one Power Five opponent is the Pittsburgh Panthers, and the two will face off at Neyland Stadium. That’s a very winnable game. All four non-conference games for Heupel’s program are on Rocky Top.

Within the conference itself, though, the Vols have the benefit of two other SEC East teams undergoing coaching changes as well. The South Carolina Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores are both dealing with it, and UT hosts both of them after finishing ahead of both of them and beating both of them on the road last year.

When you look at USC, Vandy and the three non-conference games, it’s easy to see a path to six wins for Tennessee football. The Vols then have to find a sixth win against a team that is likely slightly superior, but that’s a good starting point for them.

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If they do go 6-6 and don’t have sanctions, a Liberty Bowl appearance would be highly likely. The Vols actually received and accepted a bid to play there in 2020 but had to cancel the game due to a COVID outbreak within the program.

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