Paul Finebaum, Matt Barrie list Tennessee as the team the SEC better pay attention to
Paul Finebaum and Matt Barrie love what they have seen out of Tennessee during a 2-0 start to the season. In fact, the early portion of the season has the Vols looking more and more like a potential contender for the College Football Playoff and less like a dark horse.
“You had better start paying attention to the Tennessee Volunteers,” Barrie proclaimed on Sunday’s episode of “The Matt Barrie Show.”
Finebaum did not disagree and pointed to the strength at the quarterback position as a major reason why. Nico Iamaleava has shined to begin the season, and he delivered 276 yards and 3 total touchdowns in the blowout of NC State.
Finebaum also described NC State as a quality opponent in spite of the way Josh Heupel’s team blew away the Wolfpack, 51-10.
“When you start hearing Nico is the best QB at Tennessee since Peyton (Manning), you get people’s attention,” explained Finebaum. “You’ve done NC State games, that’s a good program. I was surprised at the ease that Tennessee ran through them last night. Tennessee was always a dark hose, and now I think they’re moving into that they’re on the Playoff line.”
As for a key game to circle on the schedule, Finebaum pointed to the annual matchup between Tennessee and Alabama in October. That might not even be the Game of the Week this year with Georgia and Texas facing off, but Finebaum believes the Vols vs. the Tide will have the stakes of a Playoff game this year.
“I think their game against Alabama — it’s going to get overshadowed a little bit this year. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s the same weekend as Georgia-Texas in Austin,” said Finebaum. “But it’s a Playoff game in many ways, because the loser of that game will have a very difficult time, especially if it’s Tennessee losing at home.”
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When the AP Poll came out Sunday, Tennessee was all the way up to No. 7 in the country. The Vols have a great shot at keeping the hot start rolling in Week 3 vs. Kent State, but then things get a bit tougher.
The Vols begin a tough SEC schedule with back-to-back road trips vs. Oklahoma and Arkansas before a string of home games that will include the matchup vs. Alabama. If Tennessee can stay afloat into November, the Vols would face a game of epic proportions at No. 1 Georgia with a lot on the line.
For now, Heupel and his team can rest and regroup with their 2-0 start to the season.
I told you so.
Respectfully (and I mean that); y’all tell us that EVERY year… But I do think you have a heck of a team this year. Keep the QB healthy and UT will be a tough out all year long – no doubt.
You’ve never heard me say it. Get ready.
One thing that is becoming apparently clear is that UT is gonna have a solid Defense. We will see as we get into SEC play, but at the moment the Defense is very impressive.
As of right now, after GA and Texas there’s a sizeable gap. Then the SEC has 4 teams to “pay attention to”: Ole Miss, Mizzou, Tennessee, and Bama, with little to zero distinction between any of them at this point.
After that LSU, OU and (possibly) Arkansas could become teams to pay attention to but they’re not there yet.
How sizable is that gap? I agree I think Ga is very solid and so is Tex to an extent. I just wonder how good Clemson and Michigan will end up being and how they will finish the season. Still a very small sample size but at the moment a good enough one.
Well, both (Clemson and Michigan) are better than NCState I’d say. Health will have a lot to do with it too, but fully healthy I think GA and Texas are about the only teams who could seriously test or actually beat one another, so that’s the gap imo.
Clemson lost last year to NC State. I think it was by a touchdown. How is Clemson better?
Great Point Booches94, well put.
Good outlook Booches. Always hard to say this early in the year but the way Texas looked against Michigan (although Michigan’s coach did head off to the NFL after getting them a 15-0 national championship season) I’m assuming they still have a good roster but don’t know the first thing about their new coaching staff… Anyway Texas looked good. And GA is GA and is gonna be up there until someone knocks them down. As for the next 3 SEC teams, Ole Miss has looked impressive and I think I would put them in that next spot, and Mizzou and Tennessee could probably go either or for those next 2 spots although after that whuppin y’all gave us last year why not put y’all above us for now. It’ll all come out in the wash. Texas GA is gonna be a fun game to watch, and assuming TN can get past OK and FL (yes they live in our heads still, at least until we beat them a couple times in a row or win one in Gainesville, Bama and GA are the only teams left on our schedule that seem to be questionable. Y’all have a pretty sweet schedule this year I’d love to see y’all beat Bama but even if y’all lose that one you could still run the table and make the playoffs. At this point it looks like there may be 5-6 SEC teams in the playoffs (not sure if 6 are possible with all the conference champions and at large teams) but it’s early in the year so lots of football to play. Gonna be fun! Go Vols!
Oh I guess I left Bama out of my post.Bama is Bama not sure what to think about them just yet they obviously have a great roster and a great coach. The SEC is a different animal than Washington tho so, we’ll see how their season goes….
Guessing at who is great and who isnt is all anyone can do at this point for most teams in that discussion. We can probably all agree that georgia, texas and osu appear to be. Though Is clemPson any good. beating Appy state doesnt tell you that. Is Meechigan any good. they lost so much they werent expected to be real good. Maybe they are pretty good and maybe they arent a 30-10 win vs fresno and a big loss to texas points to the latter but have to see them play another good, not top team. Are the buteyes elite? beating two powder puffs doesnt tell you anything.Then ole miss and mizzou have yet to play anybody pretty good yet. Mizzou gets BC who is ranked now and 2-0 but are they really good? they beat free shoes but free shoes looks like a bad team. Ole miss doesnt play anyone until sometime in mid october or later. Vols beat a ranked team but is that ranked team any good. Have to see them play someone else. The comparisons go on and on like this.
get 5-6 games and see where everyone is. Then at least most of the guessing can be educated.
I hate seeing all the rat poison thrown tennessee’s way right now but they seem to be mature enough to handle it.