Vols Will Be a Tough Out In November

Tennessee is not a team that opposing coaches are going to want to face in November.  The Vols are in the unique position of returning the fewest percentage of letterman in the conference, and yet fielding a team that is inarguably both deeper and more talented than last season's outfit.  And so the question of how good the Vols can be this season depends on how long it takes this talented but green squad to both buy into and fully grasp a new system, and to develop the chemistry needed to play, not as individuals, but as a collective unit with a united purpose.  And this is on both sides of the ball and in the special teams as well.

SEC Rank	CFB Rank	Team	Returning	Lost	Total Lettermen	% Return
1	1	South Carolina	58	10	68	85.29%
2	3	Mississippi State	57	12	69	82.61%
3	23	Texas A&M	54	18	72	75.00%
4	32	Auburn	53	19	72	73.61%
5	35	LSU	44	16	60	73.33%
6	57	Florida	49	21	70	70.00%
7	66	Kentucky	50	22	72	69.44%
8	67	Vanderbilt	43	19	62	69.35%
9	72	Ole Miss	60	27	87	68.97%
10	73	Georgia	51	23	74	68.92%
11	75	Arkansas	44	20	64	68.75%
12	78	Alabama	48	22	70	68.57%
13	111	Missouri	39	24	63	61.90%
14	120	Tennessee	43	29	72	59.72%

This article opines that the Vols will have formed like Voltron by the time the November portion of the schedule rolls around:

Tennessee has a tough early-season schedule (Utah State in the opener is no pushover and there's a trip to Oklahoma) and given that the Vols have to replace most of their offensive line, the going could be rough early. That being said, Tennessee is overall more talented than it was a year ago during the first season of the Butch Jones era and one has to think that talent will start to find its groove and develop by the last month of the regular season

I certainly agree that the Vols will likely be firing on all cylinders by the time we reach the red zone of the season.  But what if the Vols come out firing on all cylinders as early as game 3?  Could just be a fun year, and crazier things have happened.

Phil Steele, the greatest college football prognosticator in the history of college football (just ask him)¹, has Tennessee at #8 on his list of most improved teams, and also notes the likelihood for significant improvement as the season progresses:

In the past three years, the Volunteers are 4-20 in SEC play. This year's squad has much more experience at the skill positions than last year but remarkably has zero returning starters on the offensive and defensive lines. While they play my No. 2 toughest schedule in the country, those inexperienced lines will have more experience come November, when, if they sweep the likes of Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt in their final three games, they will be bowling for the first time since 2010.

Miscellany

• In addition to holding his annual football camp in Knoxville the weekend of June 21st, Eric Berry was also in Knoxville reportedly working out with the Vols' secondary this past weekend (though I haven't been able to find any pictures).  Eric appeared on the GVX radio program where he discussed his brothers games, his love for UT, how the energy Coach Jones has brought to the Vols is similar to what Andy Reid brought to Kansas City when he arrived, and he even discusses my homeboy Tyler Bray for a bit.
• The SEC Network should be available on Comcast when it debuts on August 14th.  No word yet on which of Comcast's packages will carry it.  Because, as you know, cable companies like to bundle their channels together in packages.²

I Believe That We Will Win!

^{1. "Making my most improved list has generally been a blessing for teams, as they usually make big turnarounds."↩}

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