The Tennessee Vols don't necessarily need any extra motivation in 2023 — coming up short of the playoff in 2022 should serve as plenty of motivation — but as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said last month, if extra motivation is there, you might as well use it.

And that extra motivation is there for the Vols thanks to the national media.

Since it's the offseason, we've started seeing plenty of predictions for the 2023 season. And many of those predictions haven't been kind to Tennessee.

247Sports added to the motivation with one of their "bold predictions" for 2023.

One of their early bold predictions is that Michigan will lead all of college football in scoring offense in 2023.

Tennessee might have something to say about that.

The Vols, after all, had the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation last season. And the goal in 2023 will be to finish as the top-scoring offense again.

247Sports dismissing Tennessee in favor of Michigan should give the Vols' offense an incredible amount of motivation next season.

The other piece of motivation came from ESPN.

ESPN recently made their College Football Playoff predictions for next season and not a single one of their eight writers picked Tennessee to reach the playoff.

Six of them, however, picked Alabama to reach the playoff.

Unlike Kirby Smart's bogus "no one picked us to reach the playoff" line, Tennessee will be able to truthfully say that no one picked them next season.

And they can use it as bulletin board material each time they take the field this fall.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports