Breathe a big sigh of relief. Football is back in Neyland tomorrow. The world feels right again. It has been a long offseason and I cannot wait to start another season long ride. First stop is the Furman Paladins, so let’s get to the pick.
Tennessee is starting its first true freshman quarterback in decades. That has been the offseason soundtrack. How good can this loaded offense be with a young guy holding the reins? On defense it is all new. First year coordinator Jim Knowles gets his first crack at fixing an up and down unit under Heupel.
Furman is supposed to be pretty average at the FCS level. After watching them against a Division II team in week zero, they may not even be that. They are breaking in a new quarterback too.
This has the makings of a bug meeting a windshield on Interstate 40. I cannot see it playing out any other way Saturday.
Tennessee could hand the ball off every play to that running back room and still win comfortable. They will not do that. They want to see Faizon Brandon make plays all over the field. They want to find out what he is good at and what still needs work. Furman is the crash dummy for those experiments. Worse for them, George MacIntyre needs live snaps too. If Furman was hoping for a break after halftime when the twos come in, that break is not coming. They are going to have to earn every penny of that $500,000 payday.
On the other side you have a talented defense coming off a rough year and itching to show it has a new identity.
Add in this: Heupel rarely takes his foot off the gas in these games. This should be a bloodbath. If you do not believe me, ask Kent State in 2024. The Vols were up 30-0 in the first quarter when Heupel called an onside kick and recovered it. The man will put up every point he can against lower level competition.
As I type this, DraftKings has Tennessee at -47.5. Given Heupel’s history, two young quarterbacks who need work, and Furman looking like a bad FCS football team last week, I have Tennessee winning and covering. I do not see Furman finding the end zone. I see Tennessee finding it at will. The only question is when Heupel eases off. History says never.
Tennessee 62 Furman 6