The Tennessee Volunteers enter the 2022 season with much better vibes than in 2021. Josh Heupel’s system continues to flourish, quarterback Hendon Hooker is coming off a record-breaking year, season ticket sales are up and Neyland Stadium has undergone some more reconstruction, adding more bells and whistles.

That said, Vols fans have been trained over the past 15 years to hope for the best but expect the worst. Far too often, they’ve been disappointed when things seemed to be on the upswing.

A new season is almost here. Let’s look at the 5 best- and 5 worst-case scenarios for the next (at a minimum) 12 games.

Dream scenarios:

1. Hooker wins the Heisman Trophy

Yes, I know that no Tennessee player has ever won the Heisman. Johnny Majors should have won it in 1951, and Peyton Manning was robbed in 1997, so if they can’t pick up that trophy, no Vol can.

But remember the topic! This would mean that Hooker puts up monster numbers and Tennessee wins a bunch of high-profile games.

This would be the biggest sign yet that Tennessee football was nearing its glory-years peak again.

2. Tennessee beats Alabama

In 1982, the Vols beat the 2nd-ranked Crimson Tide, 35-28. Tennessee fans rushed the field and tore down the goalposts as UT snapped a 12-year losing streak to its most bitter rival.

It’s 40 years later, and the Vols are suffering from an even longer drought against Alabama. They’ve lost this game 15 years in a row.

Last season, this was a 1-score game into the 4th quarter before the Crimson Tide pulled away, so an upset isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. If Tennessee can finally get over the hump, it would set off a celebration at Neyland Stadium not seen since the 1998 Florida game.

3. Defense becomes a top-40 unit

Last year, Tennessee’s defense was on the field more than almost any group in the country. The Vols ranked 99th in total defense, allowing 421 yards a game.

No one is saying that the Vols defense has to turn into the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. But if that group moves into the top 40, we are probably looking at a 10-win season for the first time since 2007.

4. The return of Wide Receiver U

Cedric Tillman had a breakout season in 2021, with 64 receptions for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns, all team highs. He’s firmly established as the top pass-catching option for Tennessee.

Tennessee would love to take the pressure off Tillman, and it has other talented receivers on the roster ready to make the jump. Should Jalin Hyatt, Ramel Keyton, transfer Bru McCoy and others become key contributors, the Vols’ offense will be even more of a problem for opposing defenses.

5. Running backs stay busy

Tennessee’s running back group is a talented one, even with a season-ending injury suffered by Len’Neth Whitehead. Jaylen Wright returns after finishing 4th on the team in rushing. Lyn-J Dixon has transferred in from Clemson.

Then you have junior Jabari Small. He led the Vols a year ago with 796 rushing yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Hooker keeps the football a lot in this offense, but that opens him up for more hits. If Wright, Dixon and Small get more carries, it might allow this offense to put up even bigger numbers than in 2021.

Disaster scenarios:

1. Vols lose to the Big 3 yet again

Nothing sums up Tennessee’s woes in recent years like its problems against its 3 biggest rivals.
As mentioned above, the Vols have lost 15 in a row to Alabama. They’ve also dropped 14 of their last 15 to Florida and 5 straight against Georgia.

If the Vols are going to take a step forward this season, they have to get a win against 1 of those teams. Florida is the best bet in that group.

2. Heupel’s offense comes back to earth

Last season, Heupel’s offense was one of the best in the nation statistically — 9th in yardage, 7th in scoring. Opposing defenses couldn’t keep up with that fast-break pace.

Now there is another year of tape for opposing coaches to watch, with many of them already seeing the Vols up close and personal.

Tennessee is going to have to score a lot to win. If defenses crack the secret code, it’ll be tough for the Vols to better their 7 victories from 2021.

3. Secondary still struggles

The Vols’ defense is going to be on the field a lot this season. It’s the nature of the beast with Heupel’s offense.

The secondary was outmatched multiple times in 2021, never more so than in the Music City Bowl loss to Purdue, when the Vols allowed 534 yards through the air.

And with Alontae Taylor and Theo Jackson now in the NFL, this is a unit that needs more players to step up.

4. Cedric Tillman can’t handle top billing

Tillman’s spectacular 2021 season was assisted a great deal by having Velus Jones Jr. running pass patterns. Jones got a ton of attention from opponents, which made life easier for Tillman.

Now, Jones is with the Chicago Bears and Tillman is the guy in Knoxville.

If Tillman can’t handle the moment, that could be a pretty big problem for this offense.

5. Heupel bolts for greener pastures

Look, this is extremely unlikely. Heupel is entering his 2nd season at Tennessee. He seemingly has a great relationship with UT athletics director Danny White. Recruiting is going very well, especially at the quarterback position. Neyland Stadium continues to get a facelift.

But this is college football. You never know. When Lane Kiffin unexpectedly took off for Southern Cal, it set Tennessee on a dark road that it still hasn’t fully recovered from.

You want to talk about a disaster? Another midnight run would be devastating to Tennessee’s football program.