ESPN’s FPI predicts the outcome of every game on Tennessee’s 2026 schedule
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With question marks behind center and the annual pressure to win big at Tennessee hovering around Josh Heupel, the Volunteers are gearing up for difficult slate of games in 2026.
A non-conference road tilt with Georgia Tech provides an early test, while dates with Texas, Alabama and LSU highlight a loaded SEC schedule.
With the season fast approaching, ESPN’s Football Power Index updated its projections, and the metric believes that Tennessee will be favored in 8 of its 12 games:
- Sept 5: Furman Paladins | 99.5% chance to win
- Sept 12: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 74.3% chance to win
- Sept 19: Kennesaw State Owls | 96.2% chance to win
- Sept 26: Texas Longhorns | 24.5% chance to win
- Oct 3: Auburn Tigers | 65.3% chance to win
- Oct 10: Arkansas Razorbacks | 73.5% chance to win
- Oct 17: Alabama Crimson Tide | 40.9% chance to win
- Oct 24: South Carolina Gamecocks | 50.6% chance to win
- Nov 7: Kentucky Wildcats | 80.8% chance to win
- Nov 14: Texas A&M Aggies | 28.0% chance to win
- Nov 21: LSU Tigers | 42.1% chance to win
- Nov 28: Vanderbilt Commodores | 62.4% chance to win
Overall, FPI projects that the Vols will win 7.38 out of 12 games on average.
UT will open its 2026 season at home against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
