The Tennessee Volunteers went 10-2 during the 2024 college football season and made it to the playoffs. Tennessee lost in its first playoff game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Volunteers in the offseason lost quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the UCLA Bruins in the transfer portal. Head coach Josh Heupel will have a lot on his plate with this football program for the 2025 season. Tennessee is hoping to be competitive once again in the SEC Conference and potentially make the postseason. There is a road where they can make it back, but it will be a tough ask with Iamaleava out of the building.
CBS Sports Believes That the Tennessee Volunteers Can Make It Back To the Playoffs Despite Nico Iamaleava Leaving the Program
CBS Sports writer Brad Crawford wrote a best-case scenario and a worst-case scenario for each SEC team entering the 2025 season. Tennessee will be one of the more mysterious teams in the SEC Conference. There is a world where the Volunteers gets back to the college football playoffs in 2025 without Iamaleava as its starting quarterback.
Crawford thinks that the best-case scenario for Tennessee will be finishing with a 10-2 record in 2025. This could very well mean that the Volunteers are being talked about as a potential playoff team once again. Crawford said,
“To get back to the playoff, Tennessee needs to win 10 games. Nine victories will not guarantee anything after the regular season. For Vols to reach double-digit wins, former Appalachian State and UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar will have to be a difference-maker. There are four swing games on this year’s slate in Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma and Florida.”
Tennessee will host Georgia on September 13. A lot could be decided in that game alone. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if they lost that game, but the Volunteers have to play the Crimson Tide and the Gators on the road, but they also face the Sooners at home.
The SEC has a lot of talented quarterbacks. There are going to be many questions about Augilar entering the 2025 season. He only completed 55.9% of his passes for 3,003 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions during the 2024 season with Appalachian State. It appears as if he could be a really streaky quarterback for Tennessee.
He also rushed for 207 yards on 59 carries and two touchdowns, along with averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He is 6’3″ and weighs 220 lbs. Aguilar has to be a difference maker in the Volunteers offense. If he is, then Tennessee will potentially win 10 games. If not, they will win fewer than that.
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