C&F's predictions for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Finish: 4th, SEC East
General: All the noise surrounding Lane Kiffin has somewhat obscured the fact that there is football to be played this fall. It's interesting -- we feel like we know quite a bit about Kiffin, in part because he keeps shooting off his mouth. But we still have only the broadest outlines of what Tennessee will look like this year. Anyone choosing a winning record is going out a little on a limb here, given the quarterback situation. So out there I go.
More specific: I don't see any sure losses on the nonconference schedule, though UCLA could be tricky, coming early in the season. (Don't forget that the Bruins defeated the Vols last year.) A loss at Western Kentucky or Ohio could cause everything to come unglued, though, and you're looking at a three- or four-win season. Tennessee could upset Georgia or the late-season tilt with Ole Miss. But if Auburn surprises, for example, the Vols could still be looking at three SEC wins.
Game-specific:
9.5 :: vs. Western Kentucky :: WIN
9.12 :: vs. UCLA :: POSSIBLE WIN
9.19 :: at Florida :: LOSS
9.26 :: vs. Ohio :: WIN
10.3 :: vs. Auburn :: POSSIBLE WIN
10.10 :: vs. Georgia :: PROBABLE LOSS
10.24 :: at Alabama :: LIKELY LOSS
10.31 :: vs. South Carolina :: PUSH
11.7 :: vs. Memphis :: WIN
11.14 :: at Ole Miss :: LIKELY LOSS
11.21 :: vs. Vanderbilt :: POSSIBLE WIN
11.28 :: at Kentucky :: POSSIBLE WIN
Final record: 7-5, 3-5
MONDAY: Tennessee Hopes Change Brings Changes; Lane Kiffin Was Risky, Not a Bad, Hire
TUESDAY: Tennessee's Timetable; The Tennessee Coaches Meet
WEDNESDAY: The Tennessee Team; The Great Lane Kiffin Debate
TODAY: Predictions
FRIDAY: Final Thoughts