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Tennessee football’s 2022 schedule: Ranking games by importance

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea’s football helmet from when he was a player is displayed during the Vanderbilt interviews in the Hyatt Regency at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, July 21, 2021. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Sec Media Days Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea’s football helmet from when he was a player is displayed during the Vanderbilt interviews in the Hyatt Regency at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, July 21, 2021. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Sec Media Days Vanderbilt /

7. At Vanderbilt Commodores

Saturday, Nov. 26; Vanderbilt Stadium; Nashville, Tenn.

Now we’re back to circled wins. Tennessee football has re-established order in the series with the Vanderbilt Commodores, winning the past three games pretty convincingly. Taking that into account, Vandy should almost be on the level of the non-Power Five schools who are at the bottom of this list.

However, the Commodores are going to be significantly improved this year under Clark Lear. UT has to face them on the road. Even if Nashville is a home game for the Vols, it’s not as much of a home game as Knoxville. Finally, it’s an SEC East game, and those always matter.

Add in the resurgent rivalry factor of the last two years, and this is a more crucial game than Georgia or Alabama. That’s because the Vols are more likely to lose this game than they are beat those other two teams, and they need to win this game for their goals.

Still, this is another circled game on paper, which keeps it in the bottom half of importance for UT. They need to win it, but it shouldn’t require the heavy level of focus some other games will have. That it’s the last game of the regular season also suggests the make-up of the year will have been determined as well.

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