The Tennessee Vols sit at 3-1 overall and 0-1 in SEC play after a tough 20-17 loss to the top-ranked Texas Longhorns on Saturday in Knoxville. It was a game that some had circled as winnable before the season, and frankly, with a better game plan and/or offensive line showing, it’s one Tennessee should have won.

Speaking of circling games before the season, four weeks into the season, some of the expectations around Tennessee’s schedule might have changed a bit, both with who they’re playing and who they avoided.

Swing game at Texas A&M in November looks far more winnable than it did before the season

Tennessee travels to Texas A&M on Saturday, November 14. That had looked like a game that was one of the tougher ones on the Vols’ schedule after last season. The Aggies went 11-1 in the regular season, won at Notre Dame, and made the College Football Playoff. Despite a 10-3 loss to Miami, QB Marcel Reed was back in 2026, and Mike Elko’s team looked potentially fearsome again.

Well, not so much now. Kentucky went into Kyle Field and won 31-21 in a game where the Wildcats led 28-7 in the fourth quarter. The Aggies followed that up last weekend with a trip to LSU. A&M was atrocious all around, losing 35-6 to the Tigers.

Despite talk of Tennessee’s brutal offense last weekend, A&M’s offense is absolutely broken right now, and the mid-November trip, at least at this point, looks far less daunting than it did before.

Road trips to Arkansas and South Carolina, who are absolutely terrible teams, look easier

Tennessee’s house of horrors have included Arkansas and South Carolina over the years. The Vols are a combined 3-10 at both programs going back the last 20 years.

Tennessee hasn’t won at Arkansas since 2001, when that elite Vols team squeaked out a 13-3 win. They’re 0-4 since. Tennessee is 3-6 at South Carolina over that stretch, and one of those wins (2020) was vacated.

Both programs look absolutely rotten this year, particularly Arkansas, who Georgia beat so badly the Bulldog players were doing drills on the field during timeouts a couple of weeks ago. South Carolina is a dysfunctional wreck right now, and even with LaNorris Sellers’ athleticism, it’s hard to see how Tennessee doesn’t have a major edge right now in both games.

Tennessee avoids Florida and Mississippi State in conference play

The Vols’ also avoid two of the SEC’s most electric surprise teams this season in the Florida Gators and Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Tennessee has had their way with Florida in recent years, winning three of the last four. But the move from Billy Napier to Jon Sumrall at head coach clearly appears to have been a terrific one. Sumrall has the Gators playing tremendous football, dominating then-No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 last Saturday. It’s the first time since 1989 that Tennessee and Florida haven’t played, and that might not be such a terrible thing this year.

The Bulldogs are also soaring high with rising star QB Kamario Taylor under center. State handled South Carolina on the road convincingly, and

Making the College Football Playoff often largely about good fortunes and schedule strength as anything else, and Tennessee getting some breaks there could be a difference maker in staying in contention to the end of the season and falling out altogether.

Of course, Josh Heupel is going to have to find answers on the offensive side of the ball very quickly, or it won’t matter how much more favorable their schedule is now.