Hometown Predictions
A preview of the two college football teams in my state.
Maybe I have been listening to too much public radio, but I feel optimistic about the upcoming football season for both the Tennessee Volunteers and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Below I have broken down both teams’ seasons and how they will fare in the competitive SEC.
Vanderbilt Season Prediction:
- Temple: Win
- *Ole Miss: Loss
- Massachusetts: Win
- South Carolina: Loss
- @Kentucky: Win
- @Georgia: Win
- Charl. Southern: Win
- @Missouri: Loss
- Old Dominion: Win
- Florida: Loss
- @Mississippi St.: Win
- Tennessee: Loss
Season Record: 7-5 (3-5 SEC record)
The loss of James Franklin cannot be overstated. He was the heart and soul of Vanderbilt since he first stepped foot on campus. Derrick Mason has major shoes to fill. His only advantage is having a better team before him than the team that Franklin had when he arrived. Anyone who holds a grudge against Franklin for leaving needs to remember how much more attractive the Vandy job became in his absence. He discovered that it is possible to win at Vanderbilt. Mason seems to have more of a mental toughness and a quiet spirit compared to the outspoken Franklin. I am not sure how that will resonate with the current Vandy squad, especially the veterans who bought into what Franklin was selling. Regardless, Mason has a great resume, and knows how to coach a defense. The SEC is a great home for him. The team, however, will be replacing key starters including the outstanding wide receiver Jordan Matthews. It will find itself short of offensive firepower, and despite a good core defense, will get behind in games. Games against Ole Miss, Florida, and Tennessee are up in the air to me, but based on pure talent, those three teams should be able to handle Vandy. 7-5 will get them into a bowl game, which is about as optimistic as I can be given how much rebuilding this team will have to do in 2014.
Tennessee Season Prediction:
- Utah State: Win
- Arkansas State: Win
- @Oklahoma: Loss
- @Georgia: Loss
- Florida: Win
- Chattanooga: Win
- @Ole Miss: Win
- Alabama: Win
- @South Carolina: Loss
- Kentucky: Win
- Missouri: Win
- @Vanderbilt: Win
Season Record: 9-3 (6-2 SEC record)
The two key match-ups for Tennessee this season are Oklahoma and Alabama. Both are two of the most dominant schools in the country right now. I think UT will hang with Oklahoma, but will come up short. Neither team will face a worthy opponent prior to the match-up; Oklahoma’s home-field advantage will really help them against a young, inexperienced Tennessee team. Going from Oklahoma to Georgia will be tough on this young team, but they will grow from it. The tough schedules that Tennessee continues to build will pay off. The Georgia game will be a turning point, as the team will mold together and and grow mentally stronger. Much of their success will depend on the quarterback play. By the time they play Georgia, they should be good to go at that position, and ready to face the bulk of their schedule. The biggest upset I have, for perhaps this entire season, is Tennessee over Alabama. Lane Kiffin returning to Tennessee is practically a plot for a movie. Alabama will also be coming off an emotional game against Texas A&M, who has been on Saban’s mind since they were blind-sided by that fantastic offense two seasons ago. Alabama is the bully of the SEC, and Tennessee is the team that will not stand for it anymore. More than a football game will be played on this date. This game, and this SEC season as a whole, will spark the turn of the tide, and the SEC East will lead the way. Practically half the games against SEC opponents are toss-ups, but I honestly believe this will be a breakout year for the Volunteers.
