Tennessee's 2026 Season Prediction Is In... How Good Will The Vols Be?

The Tennessee Vols are finally entering the 2026 college football season but how good can Josh Heupel's team actually be? Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down the entire Tennessee football schedule, predict every game, reveal their final records and discuss whether the Vols have what it takes to compete for a College Football Playoff spot. Entering the season, Tennessee has plenty of questions. The biggest one? How quickly can true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon develop against an SEC schedule? The Vols have talent all over the roster, including playmakers like DeSean Bishop, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley, but the quarterback position will determine just how high this team can climb. Charlie and Zach go game-by-game through Tennessee's 2026 schedule, including major matchups against Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M and LSU. They discuss: 🏈 Whether Tennessee can beat Texas early in the season 🏈 Why Alabama in Neyland Stadium could be a massive opportunity 🏈 The biggest road challenges for the Vols 🏈 Why the LSU matchup could become a revenge game 🏈 Whether Tennessee can finally solve Vanderbilt after last season's loss The guys also make their bold predictions for the season. Zach predicts breakout seasons for Kayin Lee and Mike Matthews, believing both players could enter the first-round NFL Draft conversation. Charlie predicts Tennessee will have an offensive player enter the Heisman conversation and believes Jim Knowles can transform the defense into a top-20 unit by the end of the season. Can Tennessee really finish 10-2? Is 9-3 the more realistic expectation? Or could the Vols surprise everyone and make a playoff run? Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down the Tennessee Vols' entire 2026 season on the Big Orange Podcast. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Tennessee for Tennessee football news, analysis, recruiting updates and Big Orange Podcast episodes throughout the season. 0:00 Tennessee 2026 season preview 1:30 Furman and Georgia Tech predictions 4:00 Texas matchup breakdown 7:30 Auburn and Arkansas games 11:00 Alabama showdown 14:30 South Carolina trap game? 17:30 Kentucky and Texas A&M predictions 22:00 LSU revenge game 27:00 Vanderbilt finale 30:00 Final records: 10-2 vs 9-3 33:30 Bold predictions 36:00 Mike Matthews breakout? 38:00 Jim Knowles defense prediction Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more VOLS coverage: https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/volforlifetn Twitter: https://x.com/BigOrangePod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsvols TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsvols #tennesseevols #tennesseevolunteers #secfootball