Paul Finebaum Names SEC Powerhouse That Won't Win 9 Games

Head coach Josh Heupel has turned around the Tennessee Volunteers football program. In his five seasons, he's led the Volunteers to a 45-20 record.

Josh Heupel Turns Tennessee Around

Heupel has orchestrated two double-digit-win seasons. The most recent one was in 2024, when Tennessee went 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. The Volunteers' run was short, as they fell 42-17 to the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

Tennessee entered the 2025 season ranked No. 24 in the preseason AP Poll. The Volunteers would get as high as No. 11 in the country. However, they would lose three of their final five games, finishing the season 8-5 and not ranked.

Paul Finebaum Gives His Take on Tennessee's No. 20 Ranking

Now, Tennessee enters this season ranked No. 20 in the preseason AP Poll. ESPN's Paul Finebaum was asked about his thoughts on that ranking on "The Paul Finebaum Show."

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel speaks to the press. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The SEC Network analyst said he doesn't disagree with the ranking, as he sees Tennessee as an eight-win team this season.

"I think that's about right," Finebaum said. "I think Tennessee is in that 8-4 range. I say this all of the time: that's a game up or game down. I don't see them having a vintage Tennessee year unless something dramatically changes."

Finebaum's projection puts Tennessee in a similar position to last season, when the Volunteers finished 8-5 after climbing into the top 15 during the year. The No. 20 preseason ranking reflects expectations that Tennessee can remain competitive in the SEC while facing a challenging conference schedule.

For Heupel, the goal will be to get the Volunteers back into the College Football Playoff conversation after missing the postseason tournament in 2025. He will do that with a new quarterback for the fifth straight year under Heupel. That will go to sophomore George MacIntyre or true freshman five-star Faizon Brandon.

Josh Heupel Faces Another Important Season at Tennessee

Heupel has already taken Tennessee to its first College Football Playoff appearance, but maintaining that level of success in the SEC is a different challenge. The Volunteers will need to improve on last season's 8-5 finish if they want to make a serious push toward the postseason.

Finebaum's 8-4 projection gives Tennessee a relatively clear benchmark entering the season. If the Volunteers can outperform that projection, they could quickly move up from their No. 20 preseason ranking and put themselves back in the national conversation.

Add us as a preferred source on Google