Tennessee Football Gets Named to a List No Fan Wants to See

The Tennessee Volunteers have a massive season coming up as they are set to push for a potential college football playoff appearance for the first time since 2024. First, they have to focus on the regular season and the games that they have ahead, which is something that landed them on a list that maybe they don't wanna find themselves on.

Tennessee Football Listed Among Teams Who Could Drop Out of the Top 25 Quickly

Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis (0) and Tennessee defensive lineman Carson Gentle (35) laugh while signing autographs at a Tennessee Football meet and greet at Food City at 6710 Malone Creek Drive in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In a recent article by CFB HQ on SI, reporter Matt De Lima shared his thoughts on the teams that could fall out of the Top 25 quickly. This includes the Tennessee Volunteers, who were one of the seven teams that made the cut.

"Tennessee travels to Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 for a prime-time game on ESPN, then hosts Texas on Sept. 26. Both games are losable, and the Volunteers sit at No. 20 with almost no room to absorb either loss."

"The Atlanta trip is dangerous. Georgia Tech has recruited well, plays at home, and gets Tennessee before the Vols have solved anything on offense. The Volunteers will be breaking in a new starting QB, whether that's Faizon Brandon or George McIntyre. A loss there would be treated as a bad loss, not a competitive one."

"Then Texas arrives in Knoxville two weeks later. The Longhorns lost their opener to Ohio State last season and responded by getting better all year."

"At No. 20, Tennessee needs to win in Atlanta and then look good doing it. Making it look like an equal fight against the Longhorns could boost the Vols' chances of surviving September still in the ranks," De Lima said.

Thoughts and Comments Following De Lima's Statement

While it isn't ideal for Tennessee fans to read what De Lima said, it is factual information. The Vols will have an extremely tough road test, and this is something that people can't afford to overlook. This is a banged-up team that has lost three contributors to season-ending injuries. Those three are Jadais Richard, Edrees Farooq, and Jaedon Harmon. All three were going to have a big role, with Farooq even being the starter and captain of the safety group.

The Vols will also be without Arion Carter, who is suspended for the first two games of the season due to an NCAA rule that is questionable considering the cautious actions Carter took following his decision to return to college football.

Georgia Tech is one game that the Vols will likely be favored in, but could still lose the contest. The Vols will need to be on their A-Game if they want to walk away victorious.

As for the Texas Longhorns, this is arguably the toughest game that the Vols will play inside Neyland. This is an early game that they can absolutely win, but the last thing the Vols want is to lose two of these contests.

I do believe that a loss to Texas won't drop the Vols out entirely if they defeat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. However, anything is fair game when it comes to college football, so you can't rule that out entirely either.

Regardless, the beginning of this season will be a great measuring stick of what is to be expected when it comes to the remainder of the 2026 season.

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