Former Alabama QB pours the coldest water on Tennessee hype train

Don’t count former Alabama star quarterback Greg McElroy among the many Tennessee football believers for this season.

Let’s just say that Greg McElroy thinks the Tennessee hype train is getting a tad out of control.

The former Alabama starting quarterback thoroughly dominated the Vols during his college career. While nobody doubts how good of a job Josh Heupel has done since taking over the program, they are at best fourth in the SEC hierarchy entering this season behind Georgia, Alabama and LSU, probably in that order. Fate would have it, they have to play both Georgia and Alabama this year.

Although Tennessee could have a great year, McElroy is shorting the Volunteers big time in 2023.

"“When you look at Tennessee, some of the hype right now surrounding Tennessee is getting a little out of control. Some are saying ‘Hey man, 10-2 at the very worst. 11-1 possible.’ Now, I understand you beat Alabama last year, I understand last year, you had a really good performance against Florida … So much to be proud of for what was accomplished last year. First 11-win season in two decades, the highest AP ranking in two decades, all these things need to be taken into account.”"

And no, you better believe that McElroy wasn’t done discounting the Vols in his season preview.

"“I think Tennessee, given the fact that the expectations are so insanely high this year, that’s where I’m a little bit concerned. You know Bama’s been studying them all offseason, you know Georgia continues to study them because right now, they are the second-best team in the SEC East … and they are the biggest threat to what Georgia’s doing. There are some other difficult games on the schedule as well for Tennessee.”"

Here is the entire clip of what McElroy said on Always College Football regarding Tennessee.

Is McElroy right in this or is he just being way too critical about a strong team on the come up?

Greg McElroy splashes icy cold water to put out the Tennessee’s fiery hype train

The one thing that McElroy brought up that I totally agree with is the fact that both Alabama and Georgia are studying them hard. Alabama lost to them a year ago, so you better believe Nick Saban will have the ass chewings in between bites of Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies ahead of the Third Saturday in October, aight. Also, Georgia knows they are their biggest SEC East threat.

While it has been cool to see Heupel return the Vols to national relevancy so quickly, they don’t have Hendon Hooker at quarterback anymore. Joe Milton III is an ultra mega talent, but he is one that throws the football with no touch whatsoever. Whether it’s The Bad Touch or a Touch Too Much, no touching is not going to get you the money you needed out of the banana stand, man.

Hendon Hooker, Joe Millton III may need Your Touch to deliver on these massive expectations.

Look. Can the Vols make the College Football Playoff? Maybe. I’d say they in a group of about 16 teams that honestly could, maybe even the upper half of that. However, I just think the change of guard under center from Hooker to Milton adds too much variance to overcome for now. Plus, getting Alabama and Georgia annually will continue to suck. Then again, what if they do win both?

I think that could be a pretty swell way to propel this team to being all the way back. I don’t know what that looks like exactly, but we are closer than we are away from that being a reality. The question is what is the new Vols ceiling? I think it is occasionally and potentially winning national titles, but they are not going to be dynastic for as long as Alabama and Georgia reign supreme.

Last season was a fantastic one for the Vols, but even then, they still lost two conference games…