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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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Sep 22, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Checkerboard end zone at Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 22, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Checkerboard end zone at Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

2. 9-3 or 10-2

  • Beat all three non-Power Five teams, all six SEC East foes
  • Lose to Pitt and Alabama
  • 50/50 shot at LSU

Although 9-3 and 10-2 campaigns are on the previous slide, there are two ways Tennessee football could have such seasons. Once again, they win all their circled-win and likely-win games, which gets them to five. However, in this scenario, they pull off a shocking upset win over either Georgia or Alabama.

To make this work, it has to be UGA. Although they visit the Dawgs this year, that is more likely than them losing any of their circled-win games, and they lose so much talent that Georgia is more beatable than Alabama to begin with. That’s what the Vols want anyway.

If UT does beat Georgia, the SEC East is on the table. They would have to go at least 3-2 in their other toss-up games, though, and one of those losses has to be Pitt. If that can happen, then they’d at worst go 6-2 in SEC East play with the head-to-head advantage over their biggest competition in the East.

To avoid all other competition in that division, they have to beat Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina in this scenario as well. As a result, they’d beat every SEC East foe, including Georgia, plus winning every circled-win and likely-win game. That puts them at nine wins. It makes the East likely, but if they beat LSU on the road to go 10-2, then they clinch the East.

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