The Tennessee Vols landed on a preseason list no team really wants to be on, but it was unavoidable
The Tennessee Volunteers landed on a preseason list this week that no team really wants to be on, but it was pretty much unavoidable.
The Tennessee Vols landed on a preseason list this week that no team — at least no team’s fan base — really wants to be on.
Longtime college football analyst Phil Steele included Tennessee on his list of top 25 teams with the toughest schedules in college football in 2026.
The Vols aren’t at the top of the list — Tennessee comes in at No. 22 — but they’re on the list nonetheless.
A tougher schedule obviously means a tougher path to the College Football Playoff. But that’s just life in the SEC — especially with the conference moving to a nine-game SEC schedule in 2026.
14 of 16 SEC teams are included in Steele’s top 25. The only SEC teams that aren’t included on the list are Auburn and Texas A&M.
Tennessee’s schedule isn’t as difficult as it could be — the Vols don’t play Georgia this fall — but it’s still going to be a gauntlet (the Vols also play a conference game on the road against Georgia Tech in September).
But again, that’s just life in the SEC.
Teams in other conferences, NC State for example, play a high school schedule compared to what the Volunteers will face in 2026.