Tennessee football schedule 2020: Predicting every Vols game
By John Buhler
Tennessee football should go 3-1 in October.
Oct. 3: Missouri Tigers
20. 822. 31. 839. Prediction
The Vols enter their October slate with a winnable home game vs. the Missouri Tigers. It’ll be Eliah Drinkwitz first year leading Mizzou football. While he may one day get the program back to what it was under the iconic Gary Pinkel, Jeremy Pruitt is a few years ahead of him in SEC. Plus, he recruits out the wazoo when compared to Mizzou. Tennessee wins this one going away. Vols, 31-20.
Oct. 10: at South Carolina Gamecocks (Columbia, SC)
28. 839. 24. 850. Prediction
Playing in Williams-Brice is never easy for an SEC team. However, this will be the time of the season where Will Muschamp and his staff will start to wonder if there will even be a next year in Columbia. Tennessee will not play anything close to a good game, but South Carolina will have too many self-inflicted wounds to overcome what could have been a home win for them. Vols, 28-24.
Oct. 17: Bye
Oct. 24: Alabama Crimson Tide
Prediction. 37. 829. 21. 839
Though having the bye week before facing Pruitt’s alma mater at home in this year’s rendition of the Third Saturday in October will help, the gap remains too wide between Tennessee football and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Maybe one day Pruitt will beat his mentor Nick Saban, but his Vols aren’t anywhere near the same class of a program as Alabama is today. Crimson Tide, 37-21.
Oct. 31: at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, AR)
13. 844. Prediction. 30. 839
After a crushing home loss to end Tennessee’s slim playoff chances, the Vols rebound by crushing the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Halloween. Sam Pittman might turn the Hogs around here in a few years, but what he’s inheriting at Arkansas is a program that was in even worse shape than what Pruitt walked into in Knoxville. Tennessee achieves bowl eligible. Vols, 30-13.