2 Tennessee Vols games listed among 10 most important college football games in 2023

Two Tennessee Vols games were listed this week by 247Sports as two of the 10 most important conference matchups in 2023. 247Sports picked two conference games for Tennessee that could end up having a major impact on how the final College Football Playoff rankings look next season. You can probably guess which two games they […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Two Tennessee Vols games were listed this week by 247Sports as two of the 10 most important conference matchups in 2023.

247Sports picked two conference games for Tennessee that could end up having a major impact on how the final College Football Playoff rankings look next season.

You can probably guess which two games they picked:

  • Tennessee's road matchup against Alabama on October 21
  • Tennessee's showdown against Georgia in Knoxville on November 18.
Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart (left) and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel (right) meet at midfield after the game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart (left) and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel (right) meet at midfield after the game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY SportsBryan Lynn-Imagn Images

247Sports pointed out that Georgia's game against Tennessee is the toughest game on the Bulldogs' schedule in 2023 as they look to three-peat as national champs.

From 247Sports:

A matchup of epic proportions last season between the hedges, Georgia outlasted Tennessee with an impressive defensive showing and pushed ahead in the playoff rankings at the time. The Volunteers' season unraveled at South Carolina two weeks later while the Bulldogs went on to finish unbeaten and capture their second straight national title. This time around, Kirby Smart's group goes to Neyland Stadium, where they could be carrying a nation-leading 25-game winning streak into a sea of orange. This is Georgia's toughest game on an otherwise cakewalk SEC schedule in 2023 by league standards.

If Tennessee can win the other 10 games on their schedule — which is very doable (the toughest game will be at Florida) — they'll likely just need to go 1-1 against Alabama/Georgia to reach the playoff.

Of course, that's easier said than done. Alabama has the top recruiting class in the nation and Georgia has the No. 2 recruiting class. Both programs are essentially just reloading next season.

Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee will all have new starting quarterbacks in 2023. And for once, the advantage at quarterback goes to the Vols. I don't know if that will be enough for Tennessee to earn a victory in one (or both) of these games, but one thing is clear — these are no longer "automatic losses" for the Vols.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

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