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Tennessee football vs. Ball State: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 20, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Fans outside Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Fans outside Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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After an offseason loaded with optimism, an experienced Tennessee football team is set to open up the season Thursday night against a MAC foe that they expect to blow out. However, as we all know, you can’t take anything for granted. The Vols want to prove they are top 25 caliber under Josh Heupel, but they can’t look past this game.

For their part, Ball State sees this as an opportunity to prove that they are ready to take the next step under Mike Neu after the MAC Championship in 2020 and a second straight bowl appearance that saw them go 6-7 last year. An upset in their opener would obviously show that.

Even if there is a clear favorite, each team, as always, has a path to victory. As we get set to break down what will decide the outcome in this one, we’ll analyze those paths and all the factors that go into this matchup, however benign they might be. Here are the 10 keys to the game when Tennessee football hosts Ball State.

These are the crucial factors that will determine the Tennessee football Volunteers and Ball State matchup.

Fireworks go off at the conclusion of a NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Bowling Green Falcons held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.Kns Ut Football Bowling Green Bp
Fireworks go off at the conclusion of a NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Bowling Green Falcons held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.Kns Ut Football Bowling Green Bp /

10. Settling in for the opener

Both teams are going to have pre-game gitters. As mentioned, when it comes to the Vols, it’ll be about the excitement. They are entering their second year under a head coach who had a winning record his first season at UT for the first time since Phillip Fulmer in 1994. Meanwhile, they enter Neyland Stadium on a Thursday night.

There aren’t just expectations, but there are renovations that happened to the stadium to only excite the fan base more. That will pour out onto the field as well. As a result, it’ll be hard for the Vols to settle down, and that could end up playing a factor in the game, particularly early on.

When it comes to Ball State, the plethora of new talent plus the effect Neyland Stadium will have on their psyche will all play a role in how they start the game. It could settle them down, or it could rattle them. How these two things play out will determine if Tennessee football can take control of the game early and avoid a scare.

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