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Tennessee football: Worst to best case scenarios for Vols’ 2022 season

By Caleb Calhoun

Smokey runs the end zone after a touchdown during the Tennessee Volunteers' game against Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, October 20, 2018.Kns Utvsbamafootball Bp Jpg
Smokey runs the end zone after a touchdown during the Tennessee Volunteers' game against Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, October 20, 2018.Kns Utvsbamafootball Bp Jpg /
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Despite all the cautious optimism surrounding Tennessee football entering Josh Heupel’s second season on the job, one look at the schedule shows you the Vols could take a drastic step back. However, if you listen to some analysts in their projections, there’s a legitimate chance the Vols play for the SEC Championship.

As has been the case for a while now, there’s a wide range of possibilities for the Vols. That range has gotten wider when you look at how far the program has fallen relative to what many fans and outsiders believe is possible in any given season, and such an issue could beat play here.

This post will try to dissect every possible scenario for the Vols in 2022. It’ll take a look at the worst possible outcome and the best possible outcome along with everything in between. Record is a factor, but who the Vols beat with that record also matters. Starting with the worst, here’s Tennessee football’s worst to best case scenario this year.

This is a breakdown of every possibility for the Tennessee football Volunteers’ 2022 season.

Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel walks on the field before an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel walks on the field before an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football /

5. 4-8 or 5-7

  • Beat all three non-Power Five teams and Vanderbilt
  • Lose to everybody else except Missouri
  • 50/50 shot vs. Missouri

Yes, missing out on a bowl game is a distinct possibility. However, this worst-case scenario gets the circled wins out of the way. No matter what happens this year, the Vols will beat the Ball State Cardinals, Akron Zips, UT-Martin Skyhawks and Vanderbilt Commodores. Recent history suggests that’s not a guarantee. It is this year.

UT has won three straight against Vandy, and that program is much worse than the one that won five of seven against the Vols from 2012 to 2018. Sure, they lost to the Georgia State Panthers to open 2019, but the dynamics at play then aren’t at play now. As a result, they’ll win all four games.

A bigger question is the Missouri Tigers. Tennessee football should beat Mizzou, and they blew them out on the road last year. That’s a likely win and almost a circled win. However, you could see a scenario in which the Vols suffer a shocking upset loss one day. As a result, 4-8 is possible, but the most likely worst-case scenario is 5-7.

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