subject: 2010 Tennesee Volunteers Football Predictions [print this page] 2010 Tennesee Volunteers Football Predictions
The Tennessee Volunteers will once again start the college football season with a new head coach, as Lane Kiffin bolted to California to take over as the new head coach at USC just one season after replacing Phillip Fulmer. The Volunteers have replaced Kiffin with former Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley. Dooley inherits just 9 returning starters on a team that went 7-6 and lost three players in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. For many of the players still at Tennessee it will be their third different system in the last three seasons.
In all reality this team has little to no shot at winning the SEC with the talent the rest of the teams in this conference bring to the table, but there is hope that this team can manage to finish the season somewhere around 6-6 and possibly make it back to postseason play. Here is a look at what the Volunteers will send out on both sides of the ball this season.
Offense: Only three starters back on this side of the ball, and the biggest concern for this group comes up front where they fail to return a single starter from the 2009 season on the offensive line. That is not a good recipe for success when you have to replace your top two rushers from the previous season and also have to find a new starting quarterback. It looks as though junior Matt Simms has the edge at the starting quarterback job, but should get plenty of competition out of true freshman Tyler Bray. The Vols are expected to use both junior Tauren Poole and sophomore David Oku in the running game this season, as they must find a way to replace the 1,805 yards and 16 scores Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown combined for in 2009. The Vols have plenty of experience back at receiver, including one of the best tight ends in the conference in senior Luke Stocker, but I worry if whoever starts at quarterback will have enough time to throw the football.
Defense: The defense does bring back six starters from 2009, but will have a hard time replacing the likes of defensive tackle Dan Williams and safety Eric Berry, both of whom were taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Two sophomores are expected to start at defensive tackle in Marlon Walls and Montori Hughes, but should also get some help from junior college transfer John Brown. The Vols are hoping for a huge season out of senior defensive end Chris Walker, who racked up 6 sacks in 2009. At linebacker the Vols brings back two of three starters, and will need more production out of this group if the defense is going to improve. In the secondary the Vols are very young with two sophomores and two juniors expected to start, but it could be a break-out season for sophomore free safety Janzen Jackson.
Prediction 4th SEC East: They start the conference schedule off with five games against Florida, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, and have a hard time finding a win for the Vols against these teams. The schedule does lighten up at the end of the season, but how much will this team have left in the tank after the brutal stretch to start the season.
For a complete look at the conference this season, check out our 2010 SEC Football Predictions. If you are looking to bet the 2010 college football season, then you want to make sure you stop back each week and check out our live college football odds page.
