Why Tennessee Will Lose Their Next Four Games

Hopefully Layla cushions the blow.

The Vols step into the meat of the SEC schedule with facing a 4 game gauntlet that few could survive. First on the slate is high-octane Auburn, then Georgia, Bama, and a South Carolina team that rolled the Vols last season. Lane Kiffin’s got a tough row to hoe, and we just can’t see the Vols winning one of these games. Here’s why:

• Injuries: There wasn’t a whole lot of talent on this roster to begin with, and the losses of Quentin Hancock, Nick Reveiz, and Josh McNeil are huge. It would be more than optimistic to expect that Ben Martin and Chris Walker to be available for all 4 games as well. The team could be without out 2 of their starting OL and 4 of their starting front 7 by the Georgia game.
• Depth: God bless the Sullins brothers, but they wouldn’t see the field for any other SEC team and may not be on the 2 deep for any other BCS conference school not named Duke or Syracuse. If the Vols lose another OL, this team may be toast.
• Jonathan Crompton: The Vols are incapable of throwing the ball downfield with Crompton under center. They have to throw the ball to beat any of these teams. In the 5 passes that Tennessee threw downfield (over 15 yards) in their SEC opener against Florida: 2 were picked off, 1 was dropped by a Gator DB, another was thrown away out of bounds, and Crompton overthrew a wide open TE on the other. One more note, last week Crompton threw a season low 1 interception.
• Quality Opponents: Auburn has dropped 500 yards of offense on 3 of their 4 opponents, including a Mississippi State team that held LSU to 30 net yards rushing. Georgia’s second team is as talented as Tennessee’s first. Alabama might be the best team in the nation, and South Carolina is much improved after rolling the Vols 27-6 last season.  

Sorry to drop the doom and gloom on you UT fan. There’s just no way that you can look at these next 4 games on paper and see where UT has a game changing advantage.

The Vols may be headed in the right direction, but they’re about to run into a few roadblocks on the way.