It’s a Victory Monday, and the Volunteers are fresh off a road victory in Columbia. Tennessee capped the first SEC football Saturday by beating the Gamecocks 31-27. It was a barnburner for sure, but good teams find a way to win, and that’s exactly what the Volunteers did. With the win, the Vols are well on their way to an SEC East crown.
The Vols have some things they need to improve, but so does every team in the SEC. It has been no secret that Tennessee has been hammered by the COVID-19 protocols, but they were still able to overcome this obstacle in week one. Now, with another full week of practice, along with getting a few key players back on defense, we can expect many of the wrinkles to be ironed out.
Mondays are always better after a Tennessee win, and if things stay the course, we could be having quite a few Victory Mondays in 2020.
THE SEC East is Up for Grabs
After what I saw week one, there is not a team on the schedule Tennessee can’t compete with. Will they win every game? Probably not. But if you ask me, this team has a legitimate chance at the SEC East title.
The Vols play Georgia week three, and despite the final score, the Bulldogs looked abysmal against Arkansas. They were forced to go to their 4th string, former walk-on QB. Tennessee catches a break playing them early in the season, which is essentially a trap game for the Bulldogs. The Vols are sandwiched between games against Auburn and Alabama and should take advantage of that.
Alabama is Alabama; it isn’t going to be easy. Regardless, Tennessee has the talent to compete with the Tide. They proved that last season. Texas A&M looks nothing like their preseason rankings suggest. Auburn struggled mightily with Kentucky, and Florida has no defense. Tennessee has the capability to compete with every team on their schedule, and you cannot convince me otherwise.
2020 has been a crazy year. If the Vols handle their business, it might just get even crazier. The days of being blown out in rivalry games are over. Tennessee is now a legitimate threat to win the SEC East again.
Mizzou, you’re next.
