The case for Tennessee football upsetting Georgia ... or Alabama
A former Alabama football player ranks among the biggest believers in Tennessee football for the 2022 season.
SEC Network analyst Roman Harper, who played for the Crimson Tide and later in the NFL, recently predicted the Vols would go 10-2 during the regular season, with losses to Alabama and LSU.
Yes, that means Harper picked Tennessee upsetting Georgia, ranked No. 3 nationally in the preseason polls.
We're not willing to go that far, but Harper's bold picks got us thinking about some potential game outcomes.
On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams consider some this-or-that scenarios on Tennessee's schedule.
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Here are their picks to these questions:
Are Vols more likely to upset Alabama at home or Georgia on the road?
Sparks: Georgia
While neither is likely, beating Georgia is more plausible because Tennessee will have the better quarterback.
Adams: Alabama
While neither is likely, questions surrounding Alabama's wide receiving corps may hamstring their offense a bit.
Toppmeyer: Georgia
While neither is likely, Tennessee's offense may be superior to Georgia's. Against Alabama, the Tide will have the stronger unit on each side of the ball.
Is Tennessee more likely to lose to Florida or Kentucky?
Sparks: Florida
Preseason rankings say Kentucky is the better team. Series history suggests Florida will be the potentially bigger thorn in Tennessee's side.
Adams: Florida
I'm not buying the preseason hype for Kentucky, which has only defeated UT at Neyland Stadium once since 1984. Plus, talented but injury-riddled Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson might be healthy for the September clash against the Vols.
Toppmeyer: Florida
The Gators, winners of 16 of the last 17 in this series, have some sort of psychological hold on Tennessee. The Vols should have the stronger team, but that doesn't always matter in this series.
Is Tennessee more likely to beat LSU or South Carolina?
Sparks: South Carolina
Both of these road venues are difficult places to play, but the crowd at LSU's Tiger Stadium can be particularly menacing.
Adams: LSU
Thanks to transfer Spencer Rattler, South Carolina will be armed with a better quarterback than LSU, making the Gamecocks the tougher foe.
Toppmeyer: South Carolina
Few stockpiled transfer talent better than LSU's Brian Kelly. South Carolina also fared well in the portal, but not to the degree of LSU. The Tigers may have the third-most-talented roster in the SEC behind Alabama and Georgia.
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Later in the episode
Sparks explains why a freshman running back, Dylan Sampson or Justin Williams-Thomas, will be a breakout player for the Vols. Adams suggests that it's finally Jalin Hyatt's time to shine at wide receiver, while Toppmeyer is intrigued by wide receiver Walker Merrill and veteran linebacker Juwan Mitchell, whose 2021 season was beset by injuries.
Where to listen to The Volunteer State
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel. John Adams is the News Sentinel's senior columnist. If you enjoy their coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, you can subscribe to The Volunteer State podcast for free so you won't miss an episode. Toppmeyer and Adams also host another weekly podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: The case for Tennessee football upsetting Georgia ... or Alabama
