Tennessee football has been at the center of the college football world over the last few days with Joey Aguilars lawsuit against the NCAA being in full effect. The Knox County Judge said he couldn't rule from the bench, so Vols fans and Aguilar will have to wait patiently for him to come to a decision.
This has got many thinking, if Judge Heagerty decides that Aguilar should have another season, how much better does that make Tennessee next fall? For now, many sportsbooks have the Vols at +5000 (50-to-1) to win the national title next fall, which hovers around the 15-20 range in terms of how many teams are ahead of them. This fits in with many preseason polls, as Tennessee came in at No. 24 in ESPN's way-too-early poll.
Tennessee's strong offense could get even stronger with Aguilar
There's no question that Tennessee has a lot of talent on offense. The Vols bring back All-SEC tailback DeSean Bishop, who might be one of the best running backs in the country, and SEC freshman of the Year wide receiver Braylon Staley. Plus, Tennessee avoided major turnover on the offensive line, giving that group a real opportunity to take a step forward this offseason through continued development and work in the strength program.
The only question on offense has been, who will be the signal-caller running Josh Heupel's offense? Many have been under the assumption that it wont be Joey Aguilar, but if it is, Tennessee will shoot up the rankings.
Think of it this way: Tennessee is viewed as a top-25 team with a freshman quarterback, whether it be George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon. How much better does this team look if they add a veteran in Aguilar, the player who led the SEC in passing yards last fall? You'd have to think this team easily slides into the top-15, bringing back most of the top producers on an amzing offense last fall.
Not to mention, Tennessee's defense should take a step forward with Jim Knowles running the show. It's unrealistic to expect a top-10 defense in year one from him, but there should be some notable improvements from the new defensive coordinator.
The reality is, if Aguilar comes back for another year, Tennessee could make some noise next fall.