ChatGPT predicted how Tennessee-Furman would play out down to the stats and big plays — we checked to see how accurate it turned out to be
The Tennessee Volunteers opened the 2026 season with a 56-9 win over Furman this past weekend.
Back in July, before we knew who Tennessee’s starting quarterback would be, we asked ChatGPT to predict how the Vols’ season would go this fall.
ChatGPT provided us with game-by-game predictions that included stats, big plays, and storylines. Here’s the article for reference.
We thought it would be fun to revisit those predictions each week to see how accurate they end up being.
What ChatGPT predicted for Tennessee vs Furman
Here’s what ChatGPT predicted back in July for the season opener against Furman.
Tennessee 45, Furman 10
Record: 1-0
Brandon starts, but Tennessee does not immediately unleash the entire passing game.
He finishes with approximately:
- 17-of-25 passing
- 228 yards
- Two touchdowns
- One interception
MacIntyre enters late in the third quarter and leads a scoring drive.
Bishop and the offensive line control the game, while Mike Matthews produces the first explosive reception of Tennessee’s season.
Main storyline: Brandon looks talented rather than polished.
ChatGPT didn’t nail the prediction, but it wasn’t terribly far off.
Tennessee beat Furman 56-9, so the score prediction was close.
Brandon finished the game 13-of-17 for 226 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. ChatGPT almost nailed the passing yardage, but they missed on the interception and the third passing touchdown. ChatGPT also didn’t account for Brandon’s two rushing touchdowns and 68 rushing yards.
As for the rest of the predictions, George MacIntyre did enter the game late in the third quarter and lead a scoring drive. And while the offensive line didn’t play its best early in the game, the Vols finished with 329 total rushing yards (DeSean Bishop led the team with 97 rushing yards).
Mike Matthews, as predicted, produced the first explosive reception of the season, catching a 55-yard touchdown pass from Brandon.
Also, it’s fair to say that Brandon looked “talented rather than polished,” though I wouldn’t say he necessarily looked unpolished — it’s just that there’s clearly room for improvement (which should be the case — he’s 18 years old).
So, ChatGPT wasn’t 100 percent accurate, but it was fairly close.
ChatGPT’s Georgia Tech vs Tennessee prediction
As a refresher, here’s what ChatGPT predicted for Tennessee’s road matchup this weekend against Georgia Tech.
Tennessee 31, Georgia Tech 27
Record: 2-0
This is Brandon’s first difficult college environment and his first four-quarter game.
Georgia Tech controls possession and creates problems with quarterback movement and misdirection. Tennessee trails 20-17 entering the fourth quarter.
Brandon responds with his first defining drive:
- Third-and-long completion to Braylon Staley
- Red-zone scramble
- Go-ahead touchdown pass to Ethan Davis
Georgia Tech gets one final possession, but Edwin Spillman ends the threat with a fourth-down stop.
Main storyline: Tennessee survives because Brandon responds well after making mistakes.
