Phil Steele, a college football expert, believes there is one team in the SEC East that can challenge Georgia in 2022.

Georgia will be facing a season with high expectations, as it will be defending last season’s national championship. In an interview with 92.9 FM The Game, Steele explained why Tennessee is the school that Georgia needs to pay attention to (via 247Sports):

“I think the team that’s closest to them would be Tennessee this year. Their offense was just so explosive last year, averaging 39.3 points per game. They’ve got a lot of players back — 15 returning starters, one of the more experienced teams in the SEC. They bring in a couple of good [transfers]. Bru McCoy at wide receiver is one of them,” Steele said. “I think they’re a threat because they can put points on the board, but I’ve got them a 10-point underdog at Georgia and I’ve got them a 10-point underdog at home against Alabama.”

While Steele has the Bulldogs favored to beat the Volunteers, he sees Tennessee as the biggest threat in the division. He highlighted the explosive offense the Volunteers have heading into this upcoming season.

In 2021, Tennessee finished with a 7-6 record and a 4-4 conference record. Tennessee’s last win over Georgia came in 2016.