Where Tennessee Football landed in ESPN's updated SP+ rankings
Tennessee Football is ranked No. 16 in ESPN’s updated SP+ projections, a predictive metric that ranks teams based on returning production, recent recruiting and recent history.
“These projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”
The Vols were ranked 14th on offense in the SP+ rankings, 19th on defense and 52nd in special teams. The SP+ projections give Tennessee a 23.4% chance to go 10-2 or better.
As for the 2024 opponents — Tennessee’s schedule ranks 21st in strength of schedule — Georgia is No. 1 in the ranking and Alabama came in at No. 5. Oklahoma is No. 15, Kentucky is No. 25 and North Carolina State is No. 29. Florida No. 33, South Carolina is No. 43 and Arkansas is No. 46. Vanderbilt is No. 97, UTEP is No. 125 and Kent State is No. 129.
Tennessee ranked 15th in ESPN’s post-spring football top 25
Tennessee came in at No. 15 in ESPN’s post-spring football top 25 last week, moving up two spots from its previous ranking. The Vols also had four opponents on this season’s schedule — Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina State and Oklahoma — ranked in the new top 25 from ESPN.
Georgia topped the rankings while Alabama came in at No 7. North Carolina State was ranked 13th, two spots ahead of Tennessee, and Oklahoma was ranked No. 18.
“Tennessee plays an early non-conference test against NC State and road games at Oklahoma and Georgia with Alabama at home,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote. “If (Nico) Iamaleava is as good as advertised, the Vols might be back in the playoff hunt.”
“The Volunteers’ high-flying passing attack slowed down a bit in 2023, going from No. 1 in the FBS in scoring (46.1 points) in 2022 to 35th (31.8) last season,” Schlabach wrote. “With highly regarded passer Nico Iamaleava taking over, things should be headed back in the right direction.”
Tennessee Football’s 2024 Schedule
Tennessee starts the new season on August 31 against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium. After that, the Vols go to Charlotte to face North Carolina State on September 7, a 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: ABC) at Bank of America Stadium in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
Then it’s back home to face Kent State on September 14 before back-to-back road games to start the SEC schedule, first at Oklahoma on September 21 then at Arkansas on October 5, after the first bye week of the season.
Four straight SEC home games follow: Florida on October 12, Alabama on October 19, Kentucky on November 2 and Mississippi State on November 9. The second by week splits the four-game stretch on October 26.
The final three games of the season are at Georgia on November 16, home against UTEP on November 23 and at Vanderbilt on November 30 in the regular-season finale.
