Alabama Football 2013 Season Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

We've already predicted the season's wins and losses for each SEC school, Including Tennessee. Now we'll work backwards through the 2013 Alabama schedule and preview each SEC game, ending with Va Tech.

Tennessee

What Happened Last Year?

TOUCHDOWNS! You get a touchdown! You get a touchdown! And YOU! And YOU!

But seriously....I hate Tennessee.

Tennessee Volunteers

How Does Tennessee Look In 2013?

To start things off Tennessee will still look god awful no matter how hard they try not to. BTW, no amount of smoke grey will cover up that much ugly. And I mean did Adidas really need four different shades of orange on one uniform? I know the rest of the country doesn't think so.

As for the football team, the new uniforms may be the most exciting addition of the season. Sure, they have this fancy new head coach but after losing eight players to the NFL draft, including QB Tyler Bray, WR Justin Hunter, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, LB Herman Lathers, and CB Eric Gordon what is left in the cupboard form Butch to work with? Answer — not much.

One thing you can expect from Butch Jones and his offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian is a run oriented, untemp offense. Underutilized in 2012, running back Rajion Neal should see a significant increase in carries in this new offense. And according to ESPN, Tennessee should have the best offensive line in the SEC.

1. Tennessee: The Vols might have lost most of their offensive firepower at the skill positions from a year ago, but they return some serious muscle in the trenches. The tackle tandem of Antonio "Tiny" Richardson and Ja’Wuan James is one of the best in the country. Senior guard Zach Fulton ranks among the best interior linemen in the SEC, and senior center James Stone is on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award. The Vols enter the 2013 season with 123 combined starts in the offensive line and are as talented as they are experienced.

The most likely questions that Vol fans are asking themselves has to be "Who is our QB?" and "Who will he be throwing to?" Well, Justin Worley is expected to start at QB but UT will have to rely on two true freshmen Marquez North and Ryan Jenkins at Wide Receiver.

On defense, Tennessee will return to a 4-3 base set after failing miserably at the 3-4. DT Daniel McCullers and LB A.J. Johnson return but honestly, that's about it as far as quality starters are concerned.

The sad truth is, much like Auburn, Tennessee can't honestly be any worse in 2013. Butch Jones is an upgrade at Head Coach and that alone is worth a couple wins. They'll still lose to the SEC elite but expect games to be a tad more competitive against the Vandy's and Missouri's of the world.

Why Tennessee Might Win

They won't, sorry. I tried but I can't really say any thing positive enough about this team to make a compelling argument for a win. MAYBE and this is a huge maybe, if the offensive line can impose their will in the trenches and Tennessee is somehow able to control the line of scrimmage, maybe, perhaps, in a fantasy land where leprechauns and Frodo Baggins exist, they can keep the game with-in 20 points.

Why Alabama Might Win:

Because Alabama is about 50x, nay 200x times the better team? (Sorry it's nearly midnight on Friday and my gump is showing). Outside of the Tennessee OL, Alabama will have the advantage at every position and it's also a home game. It's not exactly unreasonable to believe Alabama will win easily.

What I Think Will Happen:

Alabama will do what it is suppose to do against inferior teams — beat them by 30+. The UT defense will be attacked from all sides by a balanced Alabama offense and the Alabama defense will force Tennessee to be one dimensional.

Is it too early to lite em up? Yes but only cause the Process© says so.

08/31/13	vs Virginia Tech	Atlanta, GA
09/14/13	at Texas A&M *	College Station, Texas	?
09/21/13	vs. Colorado State	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	WIN
09/28/13	vs. Ole Miss *	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	?
10/05/13	vs. Georgia State	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	WIN
10/12/13	at Kentucky *	Lexington, Ky.	?
10/19/13	vs. Arkansas *	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	?
10/26/13	vs. Tennessee *	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	WIN
11/09/13	vs. LSU *	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	WIN
11/16/13	at Mississippi State *	Starkville, Miss.	WIN
11/23/13	vs. Chattanooga	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	WIN
11/30/13	at Auburn *	Auburn, Ala.	WIN