In case the Tennessee Vols were looking for some extra motivation to start off the season hot, they've just been given it. Tennessee is a double-digit favorite going up against Syracuse in Week 1 and they should cruise to a Week 2 win over East Tennessee State.
Once Week 3 gets here, though, Tennessee will have its hands full with Georgia making its way to Neyland Stadium for what should be a huge showdown. If you ask Brad Crawford, however, he doesn't think Tennessee will have a prayer vs. the Dawgs? Why? Because Kirby Smart has dominated this rivalry ever since he made the move to Athens.
Analyst says 'Kirby Smart owns Tennessee' leading up to Week 3 in Knoxville
"Kirby Smart owns Tennessee," Crawford wrote this week. "He hasn't lost to the Vols since quarterback Joshua Dobbs hooked up with wide receiver Jauan Jennings on a last-second Hail Mary to win in Athens during the 2016 season. And given Tennessee's changes at the quarterback spot this fall, this is going to be a tough ask for whoever Josh Heupel picks to lead under center this early in the campaign against the reigning league champions."
This came in a piece where Crawford predicted the first loss of the season for each SEC squad. Obviously, there are a lot of question marks for the Vols ahead of that matchup with Georgia at home. At the top of the list is which QB will be the starter?
Early on in camp, the reps have been shared pretty evenly. If we had to take a guess, we're still going to rock with Joey Aguilar as the go-to guy to lead the offense out onto the field - his experience alone helps him stand out over Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre.
If Aguilar does end up winning the job, he'll be ready to put on a show vs. Syracuse and then again in Week 2 leading up to the matchup vs. Smart and Co. Has Smart owned Tennessee in recent years? Sure, but you never know what might happen with a packed crowd at Neyland. Writing this team off with that meeting over a month away could prove to be a costly mistake. We sure hope Crawford ends up being way off.