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Tennessee football’s five biggest concerns for 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Power T on the field before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Power T on the field before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 14, 2017; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; General view as the LSU Tigers take the field against the Auburn Tigers during a college football game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2017; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; General view as the LSU Tigers take the field against the Auburn Tigers during a college football game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY Sports /

3. Brutal schedule after bye

One of the reasons to be excited about Tennessee football is the early part of the schedule. The Vols’ first five games include two Group of Five opponents. Two of their three Power Five foes, the Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers, are coming off 6-7 seasons and entering this year with a new head coach. Florida is at home, and the Vols face LSU after their bye.

The only other tough foe, the Pittsburgh Panthers, is a road game, and Pitt beat the Vols in Knoxville last year while winning the ACC. Still, they lost their quarterback in Kenny Pickett and their top weapon in Jordan Addison, so breaking in a new offense that early should help the Vols in a big way.

Simply put, the schedule seems to favor UT getting off to a 5-0 start. However, it’s completely different down the stretch. While the bye before LSU helps them that game, it hurts them in late November. From the last weekend in October through the second to last game, the Vols will be playing teams that have something to play for.

All of those teams will have had a more recent bye than them. They face the Kentucky Wildcats immediately after UK’s bye. Then they visit the Georgia Bulldogs, who will have only played one game since their bye. Two weeks later, they visit the South Carolina Gamecocks, and that’ll be their seventh straight game.

Sure, the Vanderbilt Commodores and Missouri Tigers should be wins, and the Alabama Crimson Tide are already a circled loss, but facing all of those SEC teams without any rest will be brutal. It could hurt Tennessee football’s record after such a strong start.

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