Tennessee football could have a challenging season ahead, with several key players graduating, the NFL Draft, and the transfer portal. As a result, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic doesn't have a positive outlook for the Vols this season.
The Vols' win total for the 2025 season is 8.5 wins, but Cubelic argues that Tennessee has no chance at hitting the over unless something drastically changes.
"Absolutely, I [am taking Tennessee's win total under]," said Cubelic. "Syracuse to open the season, not going to be easy. ETSU, then you get Georgia. Then you get UAB, then you're at Mississippi State, a team that if [quarterback] Blake Shapen is healthy is going to be a lot different than last year. I think a lot of people just throw that one out, and if Blake Shapen's healthy, that's a team that could be very different.
"You got Arkansas at home, then you're at Alabama. Then you're at Kentucky, which you may have a Mark Stoops team fighting for its life. You may have a Sam Pittman team fighting for their life. Then you get Oklahoma at home. We think Oklahoma is going to be the most improved team in the league.
"Then you get New Mexico State after a bye week, then you're at Florida. Then you get Vanderbilt to close the season out at home. I don't see nine wins there. I think eight [wins] would be a solid season. Tennessee fans won't be happy with it. But I don't think they have the depth to overcome a lot of the losses with that roster this year."
I am in the same boat as Cubelic: Given the Vols' loss of production from last season, there are likely eight wins on the schedule this year.
Eight wins is not where Tennessee wants to be after four seasons in the Josh Heupel system, but under the circumstances Tennessee is facing with uncertainty at quarterback, looking for new production at running back, and throughout the defense, eight wins would be a solid season.
Anything more than eight wins should be considered a success for the Vols, while anything less than eight wins will be a failure in year five of Heupel's tenure.