Game-by-game predictions for entire 2024 Tennessee Volunteers football schedule
With fall camp beginning the time to make predictions is fast running out, so On3’s JD PicKell set out to make his official prediction on the Tennessee Volunteers for the 2024 season.
He’s got them exceeding expectations by quite a bit.
“The over/under win total on Tennessee is 8.5 wins,” PicKell explained on The Hard Count with JD PicKell. “Tennessee fans are like, ‘Hey, we’re thinking way more than that in 2024.’ I respect it.
“What’s in house? Nico Iamaleava, I would say arguably the most anticipated quarterback since Tim Tebow when he first got the keys to Florida‘s offense. I think that’s the kind of hype and pressure on Nico. The good news if you’re a Tennessee fan, I think he’s built for it.”
PicKell went through Tennessee’s schedule one game at a time to determine how many wins he thought the Volunteers might be able to pile up.
Very quickly he identified games against Chattanooga, NC State (in Charlotte) and Kent State as wins. That would leave the Volunteers at 3-0 heading into a pivotal road contest at Oklahoma.
PicKell predicted a “coming out party” for Iamaleava in that game and a “back and forth” affair that ultimately ends with a Tennessee win.
In addition to Iamaleava’s even-keeled personality, PicKell thinks the defense will make a real difference.
“The 2022 defense at Tennessee left something to be desired with that elite offense,” he said. “That’s not what you have here in 2024. Some new pieces in the secondary, absolutely, but you’ve got James Pearce, a top-15 pick if not a top-10 pick coming off the edge for you out there in Knoxville. A lot more depth up front than you’ve had in a long time. This is a defense now that’s going to give you more than a chance. You can lean on this defense. You don’t have to score every single possession if you’re Tennessee.”
After giving Tennessee a win on the road at Arkansas, PicKell came to the Florida game. He noted Florida’s turmoil with coach Billy Napier being on the hot seat, then expressed relief for Tennessee that the game is in Knoxville, rather than Gainesville, where the Volunteers have mightily struggled for the last two decades.
Ultimately, PicKell gave Tennessee the win to move to 6-0.
That would set up a monster showdown with Alabama. But PicKell does not have Tennessee going undefeated. In the second half of the schedule he predicted losses to both Alabama and Georgia (on the road).
Still, it’s an excellent overall campaign for Tennessee should those predictions play out.
“Don’t look now, Tennessee’s 10-2,” PicKell said. “First year with Nico Iamaleava running the show, 10-2. I think if you offer any Tennessee fan that they take that tomorrow. 10-2 means you’re probably competing for a College Football Playoff spot. It also means that Nico is for real. All the hype, all the pressure, all the anticipation of what he was going to be, the No. 1 recruit in 2023, lives up to it. His first year as the guy.”
You can view PicKell’s complete game-by-game picks for 2024 below.
Tennessee Game-by-Game Predictions
W – Chattanooga
W – vs. NC State
W – Kent State
W – @ Oklahoma
W – @ Arkansas
W – Florida
L – Alabama
W – Kentucky
W – Mississippi State
L – @ Georgia
W – UTEP
W – @ Vanderbilt