The Tennessee Vols finished the 2021 season with a 7-6 record (7-5 in the regular season), which was a far better outcome to the season than most analysts expected in Josh Heupel's first year.

Expectations will be higher for the Vols in 2022 since we now know that Heupel's offense works in the SEC.

Tennessee needs to improve on its record from last season — even if it's just a slight improvement — to show that the program is continuing to move in the right direction.

ESPN, however, isn't confident that the Volunteers will be better in 2022 than they were in 2021.

In fact, they have Tennessee finishing with the same regular-season record in 2022.

ESPN's Football Power Index predicts that the Vols will go 7-5 this upcoming season.

The Vols have a tough schedule in 2022 as they have to go to Pittsburgh and to LSU.

But I think they win at least one of those games. The only "automatic" losses on the schedule are against Alabama and Georgia.

That means ESPN's FPI likely believes Tennessee loses to Alabama, Georgia, Pittsburgh, LSU, and another team (maybe South Carolina or Kentucky).

I think that's a bit of a stretch after what we saw last year. It's certainly possible that Tennessee falls to Pitt and LSU. But I don't see this team losing to South Carolina or Kentucky after what we saw last season.

8-4 feels like the floor for the Vols in 2022, which would be a slight improvement from last season.

ESPN's FPI is usually pretty accurate, but I think they missed the mark a bit on this one.

Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK