It's game day. After such a long offseason, it's hard to believe the Tennessee football team will be back in action soon against Syracuse. There are going to be plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball, of course including Joey Aguilar behind center.
People in Knoxville can't wait to see what he'll be able to get done in his first start as the team's new quarterback. With that said, the expectation is that Aguilar and the Vols shouldn't have much of an issue in taking down the Orange. Just how big of favorites are they leading up to the opening whistle?
Tennessee is a favored by 13.5 points over Syracuse in Week 1
As has been the case this week, Tennessee remains favored by 13.5 points against Syracuse. There's going to be a fun atmosphere at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, as plenty of points are also expected to be scored in this one. The over/under has been placed at 50.5.
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks is going to have his hands full in this one, especially with All-American cornerback Jermod McCoy not expected to play according to Chris Low of On3. Boo Carter isn't expected to start either as part of his summer punishment, but we should see him take the field at some point in the first half.
Tennessee vs. Syracuse final predictions for Week 1
Something tells us that this game is going to be a bit close in the first half, which will cause for some worried Vols fans in the stands. However, look for Aguilar and the offense to pick up the intensity in the second half, which ultimately leads UT to a 34-20 win.
As for Aguilar, he's known for throwing the ball all over the field and we think that happen once again in this one. We're predicting him to toss for 286 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Soon enough, we'll find out if that turns out to be right on or not.