So far, 2020 has been the worst year in sports history due to COVID-19. It has ruined some of the most-anticipated moments: March Madness, MLB opening day, and the Masters (rescheduled for November). Yes, lives matter more than sports, but it’s okay to be disappointed. It’s also okay to study data and come to your own conclusions.
This sucks, and not only for us spectators, but for the athletes whose moments were taken away. Time for the main question: is college football going to happen this fall? I am not a public health official, nor do I want to be one, so I’m honestly not sure, although it sure is fun to pretend the answer is yes.
I vote we let the SEC teams play one another even if the other Power 5 conferences decide not to play. As many know, the South reigns supreme when it comes to football, so to most, college football is essential. The SEC is by far the best conference in America, and honestly, I think it would be cool to see the teams beat up on each other. Realistically, Tennessee wouldn’t benefit much from an SEC schedule, but let’s just imagine for a while and have a little fun!
Let’s replace this season’s non-conference schedule with some conference opponents:
Week 1: Ole Miss (Lane Kiffin’s return to Neyland as an HC)
Week 2: @ Mississippi State (Rematch from 2019)
Week 3: Florida
Week 4: Missouri
Week 5:@ South Carolina
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: Alabama
Week 8: @ Arkansas
Week 9: Kentucky
Week 10: @ Georgia
Week 11: Auburn
Week 12: @ Vanderbilt
Week 13: LSU
Bringing back Kiffin for the first game of the season could be a great opportunity for the Vols to finally get payback. Also, adding Auburn on Senior Night would be great, as most of the guys on the roster were part of that Auburn win two seasons ago. The only downside to this schedule is that you still have to play Alabama, which will never go away. But for the most part, it’s a solid schedule. If you were to predict the record for the Vols, what would it be?
I’ll just throw my two cents into this and say the Vols go 8-4! I’ll even throw you a nugget and say we’re beating Florida at home!
