A lot can change in ten years — just ask the Tennessee Vols.

Near the end of 2008, the Vols thought they were turning over a new leaf by hiring Lane Kiffin. But instead of the championships and success they were expecting, Tennessee has suffered six losing seasons since firing legendary head coach Phillip Fulmer.

The future is hard to predict.

But that doesn't mean we stop trying.

I expect a lot to change in the SEC over the next ten years. Nick Saban is on the back nine of his career, and there are plenty of coaches that could be candidates to replace him once he finally retires (including current Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt).

The SEC 10 years from now

First things first, Saban will retire from Alabama in the next 10 years (probably closer to the end of that 10 year period). But Alabama won't have an easy time replacing him. Dabo Swinney, who will be 59 in 10 years, will decide the pressure of "going home" to replace a legend isn't worth it. Swinney will eschew his alma mater to stay at Clemson, which has continued to be a powerhouse program, adding a couple of more national championships to the trophy case.

The next logical choice for Alabama is Pruitt. By this point, Pruitt will have the Vols in a good spot. They'll have a couple college football playoff appearances under their belt, and a SEC championship trophy, but no national championship wins. Pruitt will be Alabama's top target, but he will also decide that following Saban is a no win situation.

That means Alabama will be forced way down their list — which isn't a good thing. They won't be able to swipe Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma or Jimbo Fisher from Texas A&M. As a result, they'll have to go the NFL route. Josh McDaniels, who had taken over for Bill Belichick as the New England Patriots head coach, will head to the college game after the Pats fail to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Kirby Smart will still be the head coach at Georgia, but he'll travel down the road Mark Richt paved — which means no national championships, but consistent winning seasons.

Mark Stoops will leave Kentucky to coach Miami and Tee Martin will be hired as the Wildcats' new head coach.

Derek Mason will get out of Vanderbilt at the first opportunity. He will replace David Shaw (who leaves Stanford for the NFL) at Stanford, but he will be fired after three seasons. Mason will resurface as a defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans.

Will Muschamp will finally lose to Tennessee, and it will get him fired. But don't worry about Muschamp, he will take over at Arkansas after Chad Morris' offense proves to be ineffective in the SEC.

Dan Mullen will get caught up in a recruiting scandal at Florida, but he will somehow save his job. The Gators will continue to be a thorn in the Vols' side, winning seven out of ten meetings.

Missouri will continue to be Missouri and folks will continue to forget they're in the conference. Barry Odom will still be coaching the Tigers. I think. Or maybe it's someone else. I forget. Anyway.

Ed Orgeron will win a national championship at LSU, but he will illegally kill a bear during a recruiting trip and lose his job. Jimbo Fisher, after turning down Alabama, will become the new head coach at LSU. Former Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker replaces Fisher at Texas A&M.

Gus Malzahn FINALLY gets fired at Auburn. Arkansas decides they don't want him. Derrick Ansley, former Vols defensive coordinator, ends up landing the gig.

Mississippi State and Joe Moorhead prove they're meant for each other. That dude isn't going anywhere as long as he wins six or seven games a year — which is pretty much what he does.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is still — oh yes, Kiffin is back in the SEC — causing trouble, but getting results. Kiffin nearly leads Ole Miss to a SEC West division title in his second season, but he can't get past Mississippi State.

The SEC will be as fun as ever in 10 years. No Saban, no more kickoffs and a whole lot of drama.

In other words, it'll be mostly business as usual.

Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports