Neyland Stadium is going to be one big party on Saturday, as Tennessee and Josh Heupel are ready to get the season started with a bang against Furman. Straight up, this should be a monster blowout, and it shouldn't be a surprise if a 66-10 scoreline is posted. However, ESPN's Jordan Rodgers sees things a bit differently; it looks like...
That's right, during a SportsCenter segment this week, Rodgers, in ludicrous fashion, has put the Vols on upset alert against Furman. The Vols are favored by nearly 50 points, but Rodgers apparently could not care less about that. Sorry, but the idea of Tennessee having any issues at all in this game is silly - and it's a lack of respect if you ask us;
Tennessee is on upset alert, as a 46pt favorite over....Furman 🤔 pic.twitter.com/uVGRo95MCZ
— gmannVOLS (@gmannVOLS) September 2, 2026
"I don't think any of them (Week 1 games) are too likely (for an upset), but if there was one that I'd go that maybe I could sell you that this could get interesting, it'd be Furman at Tennessee," Rodgers said stunningly. "When you look at Tennessee, they're breaking in a new 5-star quarterback, and he's really talented, Faizon Brandon, but in these games where App State upsets a Michigan, it's not usually that they're more talented; it's that the better team beats themselves, and a 5-star quarterback could go out there as an 18-year-old and make some mistakes. I think he's gonna be really good, but Week 1, I don't think he's probably not going to be the version of himself that he'll be in Week 11 or 12. That's a concern."
Tennessee and Josh Heupel losing to Furman in Week 1 is not going to happen, period
Not that it's going to happen, but Heupel would probably need to get fired if he lost in Week 1. Let's not even think about that for one second, though, as we're going to have to respectfully fire down what Rodgers is putting out there.
Sure, Faizon Brandon is getting ready to make his college debut, and there are going to be plenty of ups and downs for him this season. But this is the game for the Vols to take the training wheels off and allow the true frosh to experiment and learn from mistakes that are on the way. This is surely something Heupel has in the back of his mind.
Rodgers also seems concerned about the Tennessee defense, especially with Jim Knowles also making his Vols debut. Still, let's not forget that Knowles is one of the best defensive coordinators in the business, who recently helped Ohio State win a national title in 2024. His system will work wonders in Knoxville, and no Chaz Coleman isn't going to change that.
In a perfect world, Brandon throws for 320 yards and three touchdowns to make some Tennessee history, while the Tennessee D flirts with a shutout to make a statement. We'll find out soon enough if that happens, but if it does, Rodgers is going to owe UT as a whole a major apology. Here's to hoping he ends up eating his words.
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