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Tennessee Volunteers 2013 NCAA Football Gambling Odds & Predictions

2013-14 Preview (SEC) Tennessee

For the third time in the past decade Tennessee is trying to regroup with a new coach. I like the hire of Butch Jones who did good things at Central Michigan and Cincinnati but I think he might have been wise to stay out of the SEC if he wants to have the kind of success he is used to.

Tennessee Volunteers (Team Link)
Coach: Butch Jones
2012 Record: 5-7
Odds of winning BCS Championship: +63000

Nothing is impossible but with the way the game is right now it is going to be harder and harder for Tennessee to compete for players and victories down south right now.

It is going to be very difficult for the Vols to improve on their 2012 season even though they won just 1 league game and only 5 in total. That is in part because the nonconference schedule is a little less friendly including a trip to Oregon that could be an embarrassment.

This team has a ton of questions marks, pretty much everywhere but offensive line as they try and build a new tradition with their new coach. In the SEC that isn’t very easy.

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The strength of this team will be an offensive line that feature 4 returning starters and has 4 seniors, so at the very least this group should be able to hold its own.

The rest of the offensive unit has been on campus a while, with just one underclassman expected to start, but they have not been asked to carry the team as they will be this season.

The player with the most experience is senior running back Rajon Neal who led the team in rushing a year ago even though he wasn’t really the starter.

He and former starter Marlin Lane could be a very effective duo.

The running game will be under extra pressure because expected starting QB Justin Worley is untested. Last year the Vols had a great passing offense with NFL bound talent in QB Tyler Bray and WRs Cordarelle Patterson and Justin Hunter, but they have all moved on.

Worley has looked shaky in his limited action in the past but mostly they are hoping that he will not make too many mistakes. I know that is hardly a winning philosophy but it will have to do until Jones can get the kind of players he wants for his system.

The defense will definitely be ahead of the offense to start the season and in linebacker A.J. Johnson and safety Byron Moore they have a couple of very good ones. Johnson, last year’s leading tackler, made the preseason All SEC team. Moore didn’t but he did intercept 5 passes last season to lead the club. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

They are both going to need to continue to play great to make up for a defensive line that returns just one starter. At least all the projected starters are seniors though.

2013-14 Record Projection: 3-9

I think things are going to get worse before they get better in Knoxville. The only good thing about their schedule this year is that South Alabama now is considered FBS and they get Auburn at home in a crossover. Other than that one they are going to be hard pressed to win a league game with this unit this season.

At Central Michigan, and at Cincinnati, Jones was able to put together very effective passing offenses but the material might not be there unless Worley can be dramatically better than he has shown to date.

It will be nice to rely on a solid running game but in the SEC you need at least have the threat of the pass or even the mediocre defenses will bottle you up. Jones and his staff are going to have to get creative and hope for some luck just to reach last year’s win total of 5.

I don’t see that happening and I don’t they are going to be much of an ATS spoiler either. It seems like every bad team has a super crazy hard run in the SEC. For the Vols it is Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama in a row.

Volunteers 2013 Schedule:

AUG 31 – Austin Peay
SEP 7 – Western Kentucky
SEP 14 – @Oregon
SEP 21 – @Florida
SEP 28 – South Alabama
OCT 5 – Georgia
OCT 19 – South Carolina
OCT 26 – @Alabama
NOV 2 – @Missouri
NOV 9 – Auburn
NOV 23 – Vanderbilt
NOV 30 – @Kentucky

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By The Wiesguy

The Wiesguy is a newcomer to the handicapping scene. Hailing from Toronto, Canada he is always sweet on the underdogs and you can often find his thoughts, musings and picks at moneydogs.blogspot.com.