Tennessee will face an interesting challenge in the 2025 season as the Vols head into the summer without a starting quarterback.
Jake Merklinger, George MacIntyre, and UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar will spend the summer battling for the QB1 job.
Tennessee is coming off its second ten-win season in the Josh Heupel era and the Vols' first College Football Playoff appearance since the playoff format was introduced in 2014.
"Florida has tougher opponents on another gauntlet of a schedule, but this annual rivalry contest could come with major late-season CFP implications for both teams, CBS Sports' Will Backus writes.
"This is also a game arguably stacked in Florida's favor, given Tennessee's tumultuous offseason and the fact that the Vols' well-documented road struggles under coach Josh Heupel."
While CBS Sports named Alabama as Tennessee's most important game, I agree that Tennessee will be Florida's biggest game.
I also believe Florida should be Tennessee's biggest game of the 2025 season. It has been over two decades since Tennessee has won a game in Gainesville.
Heupel has notably struggled to score and win road games in the SEC. Every year, the Vols have lost winnable games on the road, including a 29-16 loss at Florida in 2023.
Florida should be much better in 2025 than in years past, making this game even bigger for Tennessee. A road win against a quality Florida team could completely change the narrative about Heupel's road struggles.
A road win against Florida could be more meaningful than a road win against Alabama, although a win against either would help settle some of the frustrations with Tennessee's recent disappointing road performances.