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Will TN football live up to unrealistic expectations? · Champions of Life

welcome to the champions of life podcast where 3 orangeblooded Tennessee alums discuss how there's always next year Hey, y'all.
Welcome back to the Champions of Life podcast, where we've got five-star hearts.
We're working like heck to move some logistics and make the Vols back on top.
As a reminder, we're here on behalf of R&S Logistics for all your warehousing and trucking needs.
We're everywhere you wanna be.
That sounds like a copyright infringement.
We'll edit that out.
We've got our fearless leader, Joe Mihalic, Lainey Greer, and our newcomer, Noah.
Noah, he's a broker boy.
Broker boy.
Thanks for having me.
Appreciate it.
And we're here to talk about the 2026 Tennessee Fighting Volunteers- Mm and their football prowess.
Maybe some lady soccer and what's going on with the basketball team? Yep.
Are we excited? Are we already looking forward to it? We can't already get a basketball- I am Okay, sorry.
I, I am.
Come on.
I am.
Yes.
I'll reel Joe back in.
How do we feel about this season? We just got a quarterback listed as the starter.
Mm.
My first thought when I saw the news was we've lost George MacIntyre- Mm which I think hurts a little bit.
Five-star local guy, too.
Mm-hmm.
But when you have a, a quarterback that is younger than you that's gonna be the starter, you can't really expect him to stay.
So excited for Faizon.
I am a little nervous on if our offensive line can protect him this year.
I think that's gonna be the key going into the season, is how healthy can you keep him? Which I think for any quarterback that relies on a good amount of mobility is, is a, you know, common issue.
So you, you anticipate George transferring this year? Um, yeah.
Maybe s- maybe we'll see how the season goes, but I would say I believe there's two portals, right? And so I think when that second one opens, he'll probably look to go elsewhere.
I just don't th- I think with his caliber, I would be surprised if he's happy with a backup position.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Do we have a third string that's good? What's- So we have Connor Staub from Colorado.
He started at Colorado under Deion Sanders.
Prime Prime, yep.
Coach Prime.
But he hasn't, it hasn't seemed like he even was really con- being considered for- Mm starting position through camp.
But he would be able, I think he'd be an able backup.
I do foresee this season, and Bobby you can tell me your take, I think we're gonna be very similar to Nico's season, where it's gonna be a run heavy, run heavy offense.
Probably a lot of read options, a lot of quick throws with a young, true freshman quarterback.
So that was effective though.
That, you know, when we made- Mm the playoffs, we were run heavy, so- Okay.
I agree with you.
I think McIntyre could possibly- Yeah be gone in December.
But historically with Happel, the starting QBs he's named at the beginning of the season have not always lasted- That's true into the season.
So this could be a situation like we had with Hendon.
It could be like we had with Schaefer.
Mm.
Going back to the last time we had a- Athletic QB freshman quarterback.
My guy.
Um, which I said this this morning, I heard it on the radio Schaefer was the first time in the SEC there's been a freshman starting quarterback, and the only time since like the '70s.
Hmm.
So Tennessee has done it twice.
Hmm.
And I don't know what that says.
The last thing is- Sorry, Peyton, we never started you.
Go ahead.
It's true.
I'm really excited to be in the stadium and to hear everyone yelling, "Let's go, Brandon," and it being it being a legitimate chant- Cheer and cheer.
You know that- Yes that's gonna happen.
Oh, it's gonna come out for sure.
Wow.
I hadn't thought about that.
I hadn't either until you just said it.
I thought about it instantly.
As soon as we were recruiting him, I was like, "Oh my gosh, we're gonna be able to yell- Yep 'Let's go, Brandon.'"
Yep.
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
That time has passed, right? No.
It's not relevant anymore? No, that, it doesn't matter.
Okay.
It will come back.
All right.
It'll come back.
Tennessee will bring it back.
Yep.
Well, when, when there's booze.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I do think, to your point, Noah, that you've got an all SEC running back- Mm-hmm with Deshawn coming back.
A quasi rebuild offensive line, but the vast majority of it's returning, and so- Yeah they're going to be a solid unit, whereas they have been a liability over the past couple years.
Also he got snubbed to not even be on the Doke watchlist- Yeah which is insane to me.
So maybe he comes out with a chip on his shoulder, and we...
Yeah, you're right, we're gonna run, run heavy.
What I've heard from camp is that Mike Matthews looks really, really good.
Yep.
He looks extremely athletic, you know.
I think the receiving core is gonna be much improved.
Yep.
I think we'll miss Brazzel.
But yes, quick reads, tight end friendly.
Mm-hmm.
I feel like Ethan is due for a breakout year.
Are we gonna throw it to our tight ends or just use them as blockers? If you can recreate what we did with Noah Fant- Yeah four years ago, whatever that was, I mean- Yeah, he was very effective, especially in red zone.
Yes my worst case, being a lifelong Tennessee fan, I always go to worst case.
My worst case scenario is we get into SEC play and Faizon struggles- Mm-hmm and we bench him, and I think that is where my brain also goes to with the true freshmen is the psychological factor of you're the starter, how long are we gonna maybe ride out the fact that you are a true freshman? Are we just calling this a rebuild year? Is it just, you know- Yeah wait for the recruits for next year to come in and just try to gain experience this year? How many of Rose rebuild years can we do? Can't do that.
Right, so, Can't do that yeah, I think I would love for everything, you know- To play out, but obviously our schedule's extremely difficult, especially for a true freshman quarterback.
We have some great home games in SEC play, and have avoided maybe some of the harder away games that we've had- Mm previous years.
You know, we're not going to Georgia.
But that would be my fear with a true freshman, is that you start him, he struggles, you pull him.
And then he transfers.
Where do you go from there? Yeah.
Where do you go from there? So.
Flip side to the, the coaching coin is Heupel has had great success at Tennessee with- Yes new, inexperienced quarterbacks.
It's true.
Joey is probably the most decorated player that he's had to coach.
Everybody else is kind of a career backup/NCAA.
So I have hope for that.
What about the defense? Mm.
Lots of questions, lots of injuries.
Mm-hmm.
Has there been any this week? I mean injuries- No in general.
Farooq last week.
Yeah, mm-hmm.
He's out for the season, which is gonna be a blow.
He, I think he's gonna be a key part of the defense this year.
But his backup got a pick in practice too, right? In scrimmage two? Oh, we'll get that insight.
Yeah.
All right.
Yeah.
That is hopeful.
I have hope.
Now, the word coming in was, okay, this guy's defense is really intricate.
There's a lot of stuff with it, so it may take a year or two for players to really get it and be able to play it out on the field, but he did bring in some of his own guys, so that could be helpful.
And he brought a lot of his coaches with him too.
Yes.
You mean those guys, his players? Both.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm, players and coaches.
Yeah.
I didn't watch m- he was at Penn State last year.
Mm.
So I didn't watch much of Penn State, because it's Penn State.
I felt like their defense was pretty strong, though.
Yes.
'Cause I know they struggled with Aller, was the quarterback.
Mm-hmm.
He was injured.
But they were still in some tough games, Oregon and that.
So I know- Yeah at Ohio State, obviously, won a national championship.
Yep.
Yep.
So that's great.
I was surprised when we let Tim Banks go, but it made sense after we got Jim.
But yeah, we'll see.
It's been so hit or miss the last four years.
One year, defense looks great.
Next year- That's it not.
So some consistency would be good.
Yeah.
How much do we think James Pierce, this is a really side tangent that we can just have for a second.
How much did he cover for Tim Banks? In the year- Mm that we're like, "Whoa, our defense is incredible," and our offense was like, "Okay, what's happening out there?" If we can just get it happening at the same time, that'd be great.
But was that all James Pierce? If you go back and look at the two years that he had, I would say the year before he left for the draft was probably more impactful than, his draft year was still good.
Right But it was a collective unit.
That defensive line and the fact that they were so deep, they'd go seven or eight deep, and they were rotating.
You had fresh legs, and they were all just, I mean, they never stopped running.
And so I think that a lot of that goes to Rodney, the coach.
But that, yes, i- if the quarterback doesn't have time to throw the ball, then it's gonna cover up the sins of the secondary But you got Redmond back there and he's, he had tons of great experience last year, whether we liked it or not.
Yeah, trial by fire for sure.
Yeah.
He's gonna be all right.
Yeah.
He's sort of coming around.
I think the linebacking crew- Mm-hmm if you can figure out some ways to help them in coverage, I think when it's a pass-heavy offense, you've gotta either get them off the field or give them some help to cover up in the secondary.
I think this defensive line will be solid.
I don't think they're gonna be as, as impactful as the Jame Pierce years but, there's probably a breakout guy this year.
How do we feel about offensive line? I never feel good about a Tennessee offensive line.
Right.
That is the correct answer, Noah.
Yeah.
But I do think we've returned a lot of, a lot of key guys, so I, I could see us being better.
I do, I do think we're gonna rely on such a quick offense to try to mitigate that too.
So, I don't know.
I do think, to go back to the defense real quick, it'd be interesting to see what they do with Ariyon Carter after they've now let guys who have played NFL snaps in pre-season come back and enter back into college football, if they're gonna actually uphold this $400 plane ticket to go to go to a dra- pre-draft process.
We'll see.
If this was a Ohio State player or a Alabama player- Right is this happening? No, that's exactly it.
It's Tennessee.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'd be, I'd be interested, though.
I know there's some appeals processes going on, so.
How many games? Two games.
Two games.
So, I mean- You know, they wanted it for the season.
Really? Yes.
For $400? They were trying to get him out for the entire season.
So what do they have against us? Why are they- It does feel that way.
Yeah.
It does feel intentional.
And even my victim mentality of- It feels like every time they show an, uh- Yeah an ESPN highlight, it's Tennessee getting destroyed.
Oh.
Yes.
I agree.
Yes.
Same thing in basketball, like a highlight reel.
It's, it's...
Yeah.
Anyways, yeah, so probably won't miss him for the first game.
Yeah.
Knock on wood.
Obviously.
Or hopefully.
You know, I've also sat and watched us barely beat Austin Peay in the previous years, so.
Georgia Southern.
Yeah, yeah.
So but, you know, we imagine probably won't need him, but I do think week two, Georgia Tech- Mm-hmm.
Oh, yeah is a pivotal game.
I would go so far as to say our season rides on winning that game.
I would agree.
I agree.
Do we wanna go there? Are we ready for season- Do it anyway? predictions? Oh, well- We should go.
Physically.
Yeah.
Season predictions? Season predictions.
I do think that's the swing game.
I think you kind of chalk up Texas but Georgia Tech kind of, it does set the tone as to Faizon's confidence level- Yeah the rest of the team feeding off of that.
I don't think anybody's gonna throw in the towel after week two if you lose, but that is gonna affect the rest of the season.
My guess is we drop, a dumb game either at Arkansas or at South Carolina, and those are both- Yeah two v- very different situations, but those are both dumb games that we historically lose on the road.
Last year was tough, the fact that we didn't beat a team over 500.
So you would like to think that this team will be better than that.
My official prediction is 8 and 4, beating Bama and LSU at home.
So then our losses You would...
I'm saying Arkansas, I'm saying South Carolina, Texas, and- A&M? A&M.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, I don't see us beating Texas.
I don't see us beating A&M.
Definitely not away at Kyle Field and, and Texas A&M.
I would love to beat Kiffin.
I don't think we beat that LSU roster.
It's a good team most expensive roster in- college sports.
So those are three losses.
I do think we get Bama.
I think we can beat Bama at home.
So I do think we win that, but I would agree.
I would say South Carolina.
I feel better about Arkansas.
I feel like South Carolina.
Lenoir-Sellars before last season was a Heisman hopeful- Mm-hmm and had a rough year, but still is a really good quarterback, so, Maybe loser leaves town- Yeah that game- Yeah for the coaches.
Yeah, could be- Yeah for sure.
Will we rush in the field for the third time in a row if we beat Alabama? I don't think you have to at that point.
Yeah.
I would say, I mean, do I think we will? Probably.
Do I think we should? Probably not.
I mean, we're Tennessee.
I'd like to think that we've got enough relevancy to where it's old hat third time- Yeah you know, but I don't know.
If I'm there, I would still maybe do it- if people are doing it.
If they're gonna do it, I'll do it.
Yeah, I would say eight and four probably, but I could see us winning seven games too.
I think it's probably too much to expect a nine-win season or more with a true freshman quarterback.
Mm, seven and five.
Little less optimistic.
Wait, did you give a what'd you want to say? I said eight, yeah, eight and four.
Eight and four, okay.
But I could see us being seven and five as well.
Seven and five.
It'll be probably LSU will be that fifth loss.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Or Alabama.
I mean, I'll let you go, but it could very easily be six and six.
Yep.
I was going eight and five, or eight and five, seven and five too.
Georgia Tech definitely massive.
I mean, even if we win that, the concern is gonna be how we win.
I want, obviously want us to win period, but what did that win look like? Then when you get that like triple A section of whatever order it is, like Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, we always struggle on the road just like pretty much all SEC teams except for Georgia.
So we're dropping one of those A games.
Mm.
Maybe two.
If we come out of the Georgia Tech and the three A's two and two, okay.
But yeah, we'll, Texas, we're not beating Texas, we're not beating A&M, and I think, gosh, I don't wanna lose again to Shane Beamer.
I would love for us to be the reason that he is fired.
Like, after our game that would be so great.
But it's like, okay, if you have to pick, are you losing to LSU or South Carolina? LSU's at home.
Maybe we can beat them.
Maybe our players who just came here because they want the money, not because they're proud of Tennessee, but maybe they can understand the vitriol towards Lane Kiffin, even though some of us would have taken him back in recent years.
It's true.
I mean, I would take him back next year.
I know.
So- No.
There's no do I like him? No.
Do I think he's a good coach? Yes.
Do I think winning a national championship would be possible with him? Potentially.
Yes.
If I'm there, I got some Max Flytes in my pocket that I'll throw- You're gonna toss down there? Yeah, maybe just- All right.
I think the fans will get them in that game.
Yeah.
They'll jack the players up.
I hope so.
They'll feel it.
Yeah.
That's why I'm like, okay, maybe we won't lose both those games.
Here's the thing.
This schedule, you've got a bunch of teams with new coaches, Auburn, Arkansas.
Alabama's got a new quarterback.
Vanderbilt's gonna have a new quarterback.
So you- half the, the SEC slate is other teams just like us trying to figure it out.
But I do believe if you lose Georgia Tech, you could very easily go five and seven.
And I think if you lose to Golisch and you lose to Vandy, that's gonna be hard for a coach to survive.
Yeah, I would definitely agree.
Vanderbilt is away, too, which, I mean- Mm-hmm I think it's, the capacity is so small, it doesn't really feel that intimidating, but- We'll be there.
Yeah.
We'll be the orange.
Yeah.
I do think Vanderbilt's quarterback is really, really good.
And, I don't know, Clark.
What's his name? Clark Laya? Clark Lay.
He just seems to have something on high pulp.
It's always been tough, I feel like.
It's not been easy with him.
And we have breathed life into Vandy the last few years.
Yes, we have.
Okay.
So we're not feeling very good about- I'm still going eight and four.
Eight...
Bobby, you're eight and four? Yeah.
Okay.
Well.
Yeah, I could see us eight and four if we can, if our offensive line plays well and we can run the ball down people's throats.
Run the ball Maybe.
I feel like you really just need one or two long shots a game- Mm-hmm from Faison to keep them honest.
Yep.
And then let Bishop- Pressure Bishop do it, and then the speed of Tennessee always is gonna cause problems.
We're, we're a matchup nightmare for anybody- Mm-hmm with our offense, so, maybe we can grit out nine wins.
That'd be great.
I did see a stat.
We are, w- in the last, I think, two s- two or three seasons, Tennessee has scored 301 points, which is second only to Ohio State at 303.
Gosh.
So we're gonna score points.
Yeah.
We're gonna keep scoring points.
It's just whether or not Knowles and the rest of the defense can figure it out and score points when it matters.
Obviously- Exactly we, we put up a lot of points against games that are maybe even out of hand.
But if we wanna just really open up the wounds, how do you have a second half against Georgia again- Right from last year? How do you finish off these games? That's where those points really matter.
Can we score in the red zone? Does Heupel, is he gonna play with one, like, his foot kind of on the gas, off the gas? Scared.
Right.
He needs to have a killer instinct.
I still don't want him calling plays.
I'd still rather him completely relinquish that, but I don't think that's happening.
Yeah.
Be interesting.
Auburn will be interesting.
Yes.
Yes.
Because I think the best Tennessee's ever looked was with Golosh, so- Yep we'll see.
He'll have some wrinkles for us, for sure.
Yeah, we should understand their offense.
If we don't- We should we're in trouble.
All right.
Next week we'll be back with a preview of Furman, right? Furman.
Maybe some, something else thrown in the mix.
Well, we may have to go ahead and look at Ricky B's team just to- Thank you.
Thank you just to start looking ahead at- maybe the best transfer class in the country.
I don't know.
Thank you, Bobby.
We cannot be prior to football season talking about basketball season.
We have to.
We have to hang on to something.
We...
Okay.
Track team should have a good year this year.
All right, Bobby, sign us off.
Hey, go Vols go Vols.