Phil Steele shares feelings on Tennessee's schedule

Ahead of the 2023 season, college football expert Phil Steele took time to talk Tennessee football and assessed the Volunteers’ chances of another successful season this year. One of the key components of how Tennessee will fare this year is their schedule. The way Steele sees it, there are five key conference games the Volunteers will have to look out for, starting with a trip to Gainesville, FL, to take on the Florida Gators.

“When I look at Tennessee’s schedule this year, the Florida game is no gimme,” said Steele on 99.1 The Sports Animal. “I mean, yes, they finally got the Florida jinx done last year, got the big victory there. But they do have to play them in The Swamp. I think that’s going to be a tough game early on.”

Last year Tennessee got the best of their SEC East rival, pulling out a 38-33 victory for their fourth win of the season. That victory occurred in the Volunteers’ home of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. This year Tennessee will see if they can repeat the results of last year’s matchup at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept 16.

Still, the Florida game is just the tip of the iceberg. As Steele continued, he highlighted the other four critical games for the Volunteers this season and why they will be challenging for Tennessee to overcome.

“The Texas A&M game, thank goodness Tennessee’s off a bye for that one and get that one at home. I think that’s why I’ve got them favored in that one. But A&M’s going to be one of the surprise teams. The Bama game, of course, is going to be a tough one. Bama is even tougher at home than they are on the road. And then you look at Kentucky on the road; it’s not easy. Kentucky is coming off a bye. And the Georgia game would be the final one. So those five games are key.”

Tennessee got the best of Alabama last year, beating the Crimson Tide 52-49 on a game-winning field goal. And like the victory over Florida last year, this was a home-field affair for the Volunteers. This year will see Tennessee travel to Tuscaloosa, AL, to take on one of the biggest rivals in the conference.

Another significant matchup Steele highlights is against Texas A&M. The Aggies had a down year in 2022, finishing the season 5-7, but will look to redeem themselves in 2023. Tennessee will also travel to Kentucky in October to take on the Wildcats just before Halloween. And they will get a chance to exact revenge on the eventual national champions in 2022, the Georgia Bulldogs, as they will host their SEC East rival in their second to last game of the season.

The five games Steele circled for the Volunteers will all be challenging, to say the least. But the college football expert does not believe Tennessee will fall in all five contests. In fact, he has them favored for the majority of the season except for two games.

“I do have Tennessee favored in three of the five, though. The only two games I have an underdog in all year are the Alabama game on the road and Georgia at home.”