Throughout the 1st 7 games of Tennessee’s 2023 season, it has become obvious that this offense looks nothing like the record-setting crew of 2022. Joe Milton is not Hendon Hooker. No Vols wide receiver is Jalin Hyatt. And now, the 2023 Vols are out of the SEC East and CFP races.

The Alabama game went nearly perfectly for Tennessee in the opening 30 minutes … except that the Vols got inside the Tide 10-yard line 3 times yet only scored 13 points. Leaving 8 points out there came back to haunt the Vols in a huge way, as they were outscored 27-0 in the 2nd half on their way to a 34-20 loss, their 10th straight in Tuscaloosa.

Tennessee is now 5-2, but there is a lot of football left to play. Can the Vols get to a New Year’s 6 bowl game? Will UT once again see a November swoon like the one that kept them out of the College Football Playoff in 2022?

With all due reverence to the Fearless Prediction (which I hope you read on a weekly basis), let’s try to predict what the Vols do the rest of the way. Keep in mind that these are picks that we are making on Oct. 22. Injuries, momentum … that type of stuff could change our selections as time goes on.

Week 9: at Kentucky

Skinny: Tennessee owns Kentucky in football. They have an 82-26-9 record over the past 130 years. That’s a long period of dominance!

In recent years, it has felt that no matter where UT or UK stand, the Vols are going to find a way to win this game. In fact, the Vols have only lost to Kentucky 3 times since 1985.

The Wildcats get this meeting at legendary Kroger Field (please note the sarcasm). This game will also be played at night, and there may be no place colder in the world than a late October night game in Lexington. That could slow down the Vols … or at least freeze out their fans who are considering making the trip up I-75.

The Wildcats are coming off a bye week while UT is coming off a physical and emotional loss to Alabama. UK isn’t a bad football team, but they’ve lost 2 in a row (at Georgia, home to Mizzou) to the only 2 decent opponents they’ve seen.

Tennessee isn’t losing the Kentucky game. Losing to the Cats would be a devastating event.

Prediction: Tennessee 31, Kentucky 21

Week 10: vs. UConn

Skinny: In 2022, UConn went 6-7 and earned a spot in the prestigious (sarcasm) Myrtle Beach Bowl. This isn’t a program used to playing in the postseason.

In 2023, the Huskies have returned to Earth. UConn is 1-6. Their only win is over Rice. I think that the Vols remedy their ills with a big victory on Homecoming weekend in Knoxville.

Prediction: Tennessee 45, UConn 7

Week 11: at Missouri

Skinny: Eli Drinkwitz is goofy. He looks more like an Enron official than a football coach. But he’s done a really nice job at Mizzou. The Tigers are 7-1, 2nd in the SEC East, and daring to dream about big things.

They get a bye week before they travel to top-ranked Georgia, and they have the potential of giving the Bulldogs a game.

I don’t have a good feeling about that trip to Columbia for the Vols. Again, things might change by the time this game is played on Nov. 11, but have you seen anything from the Vols that gives you confidence they can beat a quality team on the road?

Prediction: Missouri 31, Tennessee 27

Week 12: vs. Georgia

Skinny: The Vols haven’t beaten Georgia since 2016, when Josh Dobbs connected with Jauan Jennings on an Athens Hail Mary.

As for today, the Bulldogs have won 24 in a row. Tight end Brock Brewers has had ankle surgery and may or may not be ready to go at Neyland Stadium, but I don’t think that matters.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Tennessee 17

Week 13: vs. Vanderbilt

Tennessee will enter their rivalry game against the Commodores with a 7-4 record. Vanderbilt won’t be playing for a bowl game. As of today, they have lost 6 in a row and things won’t get better with Ole Miss, Auburn and South Carolina to come before Tennessee.

While the Vols will not be able to play in a major bowl game, they won’t allow themselves to lose to an inferior opponent.

Prediction: Tennessee 35, Vanderbilt 14

Tennessee final record prediction: 8-4