Pat Benson
Last Saturday the SEC Championship was pretty anti-climactic. LSU laid a 37-10 beatdown on the thrice SEC runner-up Georgia. The good news for the casual observer, and for Big Orange nation is that Georgia will not represent the SEC East for a 4th straight year in 2020. The 10-2 Tennessee Vols will be playing in Atlanta for a chance to spoil LSU’s playoff hopes.
This take might be too hot for most football fans. But before my twitter mentions spontaneously combust, I want to give my reasoning:
Schedule, Schedule, Schedule
Since the SEC chooses not to play 9 conference games like Big 10, Big 12 and Pac 12, it means some years your team might get a lucky draw on conference opponents. 2020 is that year for Tennessee. No LSU, no Auburn, no Texas A&M.
Couple that fortuitous break with a weak SEC East and the Vols are in business. 4 of the 7 SEC East teams won 3 games or less this season. Florida was 1 of the 3 bowl-eligible teams in the SEC East this season and in 2020 they will be formidable as always. But as luck would have it, the rivalry game will be played in Knoxville against a much younger Gators team in September.
The nonconference schedule couldn’t be any better for the Vols. Charlotte, Furman, and Troy are spaced out like de facto bye weeks. Oklahoma in Week 2 will likely be a loss, but a good opportunity to measure where the program is at compared to the best Big 12 team.
Essentially, the entire season hinges on the Georgia game on November 14th in Athens. I would be very surprised if Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift aren’t playing on Sunday’s next fall. It’s a winnable game and a very fortunate schedule.
Year 3 of Pruitt
From Year 1 to Year 2 the Vols went from 5-7 to 7-5 in the regular season under Coach Pruitt. He is obviously a very competent coach which is more than what could be said about some of their previous coaches. Pruitt’s play calling is logical, the players have bought into his system, and his own recruits are finally coming of age.
Additionally, Tennessee will be returning most of their starters from 2019. Jarrett Guarantano had a rough start to this season but turned things around and redeemed himself in the eyes of the fans who were ready to drive him to the airport.
Of course, there will always be players graduating, transferring or getting injured. That’s where another top-20 recruiting class will fill in the holes. As of today, Georgia and Florida are the only SEC East teams ahead of Tennessee in the recruiting rankings.
Closing Argument
Despite an easier schedule and more mature program, the road to an SEC East Championship will still be an uphill battle for Tennessee. The players can’t afford to come into any games flat like what happened against Georgia State this season. The coaches can’t let winnable games slip away like the painful BYU loss.
The margin for error is slim. But with a lot of hard work and a little bit of good luck this, the 2020 Vols can make their first SEC Championship appearance since 2007.
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Pat Benson has been a sideline reporter, P.A. announcer and radio personality. Tweet him @Pat_Benson_Jr