Volume 1, Issue 8: Did Tennessee Catch A Break With 2025 Schedule?
The Vols flipped when they'll play Georgia and Florida in 2025.
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It is way too early to be thinking about the 2025 Tennessee Volunteers football season. I get that. I understand that. However, the 2025 SEC was schedule was released eight days ago, which obviously included the Vols. Days after the release, I still can’t help but think about how important some of the unexpected changes could be for Tennessee in 2025. Sure, we always knew that the Vols would be traveling to Tuscaloosa and Gainesville in 2025. We always knew Georgia would be coming to Knoxville in 2025, too. What we did not know was when these rivalry games would occur, though.
Now we know.
As of this writing, I can’t help but feel that the 2025 Tennessee Volunteers caught a break. Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina all lost three regular-season games this season and they all missed the College Football Playoff this season. Sure, the Crimson Tide just missed the cut, but they missed the cut. If you did not win double-digit regular season games in the SEC this season, you’re not playing for a championship right now. Tennessee did so they are. Their CFP quest begins in Columbus on primetime against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night.
Tennessee had a nice schedule this season, and for the second time in the last three seasons, they took advantage of getting the Gators and the Tide in Neyland and beat them both again. Head football coach Josh Heupel is undefeated against them in Knoxville, but he’s winless against them in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville. He’s winless against Georgia in both venues. Part of the reason Tennessee won eight regular season games last season instead of the ten they won in 2022 was the road games in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa. It’s no coincidence that the two best seasons in the Heupel era have come in the seasons where the Vols have gotten the Gators and Tide at home.
Heupel has lost one home game in the last three years, and that team will return to Knoxville for game No. 5 between Huepel and Kirby Smart. It’s hard to win on the road in the SEC, and it’s been nearly impossible for opponents to win on the road in Neyland Stadium since Heupel arrived in 2021. In 2025, Heupel will get his fifth opportunity to beat Smart and the lone program that has had his number in this conference for the last four years. And he’ll get it at home.
It’ll just be at a very time of the year. Indeed, in 2025 the Vols will host the Bulldogs in September. The thirteenth of September to kick off SEC play for Tennessee. The last time the Vols beat the Dawgs it was around this time, as the Hail Mary In Sanford game took place on October 1 in Athens. The Vols also won’t travel to play Billy Napier and the Gators until November 22. The last time Tennessee played Florida that late in the season was 2001 when the game was moved to December 1 due to the September 11 attacks. The Vols won that game in Gainesville 34-32.
There is a very real chance that game in The Swamp is a CFP Elimination Game for the Vols. If they win, they could be in for the second straight season. If they lose, they could be just where Alabama, South Carolina and Ole Miss found themselves this season. Before the Gators welcome the Vols, Napier’s team will face Georgia in Jacksonville, travel to play Kentucky and Ole Miss and then face Tennessee. Zero byes included. Florida is going to get a lot of hype going into next season, and rightfully so, but with the way their arduous schedule falls Tennessee could not get them at a better time. It’s obviously too early to predict how the game goes one way or another, but if you’re a Vol fan how could you not love getting Florida around Thanksgiving and Georgia at home early on with a new quarterback?
For Tennessee to make the CFP in back-to-back seasons, they are in all likelihood going to have to win one of these three games. Zero 9-3 SEC teams made the CFP this season. With this 2025 schedule, I like Vols’ chances a whole heck of a lot more now.
TODAY ON THE CHASE THOMAS PODCAST
Chase Thomas is the Sports Renaissance Man, Atlanta Sports Guy & VFL. On today's program, Chase is joined by fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green to talk Tennessee adding Wendell Moe Jr. out of the transfer portal, Georgia going after top wide receivers in the transfer portal, Tennessee vs. Ohio State, CFP first round preview and predictions, Texas vs. Clemson, Notre Dame vs. Indiana, & Penn State vs. SMU.
Host: Chase Thomas
Guest: Matt Green
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Tennessee Football Transfer Portal Tracker
Outgoing:
Jalen Smith, LB —> Mississippi State
Jordan Matthews, CB —>Vanderbilt
Cameron Seldon, RB—>N/A
Khalifa Keith, RB —>N/A
Vysen Lang, C —> N/A
Kaleb Webb, WR —> Maryland
Chas Nimrod, WR —>
Nathan Leacock, WR —>
Nate Spillman, WR —>
Incoming:
Wendell Moe Jr., G <—Arizona
ICYMI: Yesterday Over At TPL Tennessee
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Make sure you’re also subscribed to the TPL Tennessee YouTube channel and hear from some of your favorite Tennessee Vol athletes each week.
Check out the latest episode featuring Tennessee Volunteers football star wide receivers Mike Matthews and Dont’e Thornton Jr. talk CFP and the Vols vs. Ohio State.
Watch the full episode below:
HOMEFIELD APPAREL VOLS MERCH
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The Vols Hub Daily Column Schedule
Each day, I write a different column over here on VolsHub on the Tennessee Vols all year long.
MONDAY- 48 Hours After Tennessee Vols Recap
TUESDAY- Terrific Tennessee Spotlight
WEDNESDAY- Tennessee Vols Wednesday Wonder
THURSDAY- Know The Foe Vols Game Preview
FRIDAY- 3 Thoughts & 1 Prediction For The Tennessee Vols
SATURDAY- Instant Reaction To Latest Tennessee Vols Game
SUNDAY- Stock Report For The Tennessee Vols
The Chase Thomas Podcast Lineup
There are a lot of different ways to stay locked in on all the Tennessee Vols podcasting coverage I’m putting out every day.
Below is my weekly podcast lineup, so you always know what’s coming down the pike each day on the program. (Note: There are always surprise special Tennessee Vols guests that pop in throughout the week as well. Some examples include Volquest’s Brent Hubbs, Tennessee CF Hunter Ensley, 99.1 The Sports Animal’s Tyler Ivens, GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan, Tony Basilio, Sports Source’s John Pennington and so many others.)
MONDAY - A Pod Divided w/ Fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green
TUESDAY - Tennessee Vols Sports Guys w/ Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert, Saturday Down South’s Ethan Stone and Omaha Production’s Jack Foster
WEDNESDAY - More Important Issues w/ Landon Raby & Caleb Mitchell
THURSDAY - A Pod Divided w/ Fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green
FRIDAY - Vols Hoops Hour w/ Vol Report’s Ryan Sylvia
FRIDAY DOUBLE FEATURE - Vols Best Bets & Tennessee Baseball w/ Omaha Production’s Jack Foster
(Final Note: All of this and more information on Knoxville’s No. 1 independent Tennessee Vols podcast is available over at the official website which you can find here.)
Make it a great Friday, everyone.
Best,
Chase