National media outlet predicts which games the Tennessee Vols will win and lose in 2026
The Tennessee Vols will face a nine-game SEC schedule in 2026.
The Tennessee Vols’ schedule will have a different look in 2026 than fans are used to.
For the first time ever, the Vols will play a nine-game SEC schedule. And for the first time in nearly 40 years, Tennessee won’t play the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs (the last time the Vols played neither of those schools was in 1987).
The absence of Florida and Georgia on the schedule doesn’t mean that things will be easy for the Volunteers in 2026. Far from it, in fact. Tennessee will still have tough games against Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Alabama. The Vols also play Georgia Tech in the second week of the season.
National media outlet predicts which games Tennessee will win and lose in 2026
CBS Sports doesn’t think the Vols will improve on their 8-5 record from last season.
The national sports media outlet has Tennessee going 7-5 this fall.
CBS Sports has the Vols beating Furman, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. They have Tennessee losing to Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and LSU.
“With Joey Aguilar’s bid for another season denied, Josh Heupel will turn to either redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon this season,” wrote CBS Sports’ John Talty. “It’s one of the reasons why it’s understandable to be a bit less optimistic about Tennessee’s prospects, even if it is an important year for Heupel.”
There’s no doubt that the schedule is tough for the Vols, and we don’t know how the quarterback situation will play out. For that reason, 7-5 is a reasonable prediction for Tennessee this fall, though it feels like that’s probably the floor.
The Vols, however, have enough talent to win 10 or more games — but they’ll need to stay healthy.
Predictions don’t mean, well, anything. But it’s still interesting to see how Tennessee is viewed nationally.
Tennessee Volunteers News
‘It’s night and day’ – Former Vols RB Peyton Lewis gets extremely honest about Tennessee’s offense after transferring to Virginia
Running back Peyton Lewis transferred from Tennessee to Virginia this offseason.
