Projected losses for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2024

The Tennessee Vols will get off to a 1-1 start, but end up with a very strong season in 2024 under third year head coach Josh Heupel. Under Heupel, the Vols have gone 27-12 and appear to be heading in the right direction with the recent success on the recruiting trail and team poised for success in 2024.

With the additions of Oklahoma and Texas, the SEC gets even tougher this year. However, the College Football Playoff has also expanded to 12 teams which gives all teams in the conference some more grace when it comes to having a shot at the National Championship.

While the Volunteers will not go undefeated in 2024, they will improve upon an 8-4 regular season campaign in 2023. Under redshirt freshman starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, watch for the Vols to go 10-2 on the season and make the College Football Playoff.

What games will the Tennessee Volunteers lose in 2024?

NC State

You may very well see this as a playoff rematch. And if that is the case, the Vols will take the rematch easily. However, expect the Vols to lose a week two regular season contest against the Wolfpack at a neutral site.

The Vols will be breaking in Iamaleava who will be starting in only his third game as a Vol. While the good thing for the Vols long-term is that Iamaleava already has over one year on campus, it is still his first regular season power four start. This compared to Wolfpack senior quarterback Grayson McCall who has started 40 games for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers gives in my opinion a clear advantage to McCall despite only two career starts against power four programs.

In addition to quarterback, the Wolfpack return sophomore wide receiver KC Concepcion who had a sensational freshman season catching 71 passes which ranks his sixth all-time in school history for receptions in a season.

Unfortunately here for the Vols, the game is in week two which favors the Wolfpack given their experience at multiple positions.

By mid-season however, expect the Vols to be clicking under Iamaleava as he gains experience. This will include wins over the rival Kentucky Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide.

Georgia

With the Vols turning the early season loss against the Wolfpack into a learning experience and growing from it, do not expect their next loss to come until they travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in mid-November.

With this game being played in Athens, one may think it will be a cakewalk for the Bulldogs like last years contest was when they traveled to Knoxville and throttled the Vols 38-10. Do not expect this to be the case however as the Vols are a program on the rise as mentioned under Heupel. By this point in the season, Iamaleava should have plenty of poise and experience to have the Vols within at least a touchdown late.

Although I anticipate a loss here, this performance by the Vols should propel them to the College Football Playoff as a two-loss team even if they do not end up playing in the SEC Championship.