The Vols Have A HUGE Problem That Could Ruin Their Season...

The Tennessee Vols' loss to Texas exposed a major problem that could have a huge impact on the rest of the 2026 season. Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down Tennessee's offensive line issues after the Vols were dominated in the trenches against Texas, allowing an incredible 10 sacks in a game Tennessee ultimately lost by only three points. The offensive line was already a concern entering the season, but the performance against Texas raised much bigger questions about whether Tennessee can protect Faizon Brandon well enough to compete at the highest level of the SEC. Brandon is only 18 years old and was playing in his first SEC game against one of the best defensive fronts in college football. Charlie and Zach discuss why Brandon deserves some grace for his performance, while also explaining why Tennessee has to do a much better job of protecting its young quarterback. The guys break down the individual struggles along Tennessee's offensive line, including the problems at guard and right tackle, the lack of depth and the difficulty of replacing injured players. They also discuss David Sanders Jr.'s struggles against Colin Simmons and why his performance should be viewed differently from some of the other offensive line issues Tennessee experienced against Texas. Was Tennessee's decision not to make a bigger investment in the offensive line during the offseason a mistake? Charlie and Zach debate whether Josh Heupel and Tennessee need to become more aggressive in the transfer portal when it comes to adding offensive linemen, especially at right tackle. The guys also discuss Faizon Brandon's performance and the areas where he needs to improve. Brandon missed some opportunities against Texas and held onto the football too long at times, but the hosts argue that it is difficult to evaluate an 18-year-old quarterback when pressure is consistently arriving in his face. With Auburn coming up next, Tennessee has an important opportunity to respond. Auburn does not have a defensive front comparable to Texas, meaning this game should provide an important test of whether Tennessee's offensive line can bounce back and give Brandon more time to operate. The Vols still have a path to a strong season, but the offensive line has become one of the biggest questions surrounding this team. Can Tennessee fix the problem before it costs the Vols another game? Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break it all down on the latest Big Orange Podcast. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Tennessee for Tennessee Volunteers football news, analysis, recruiting updates, game reactions and Big Orange Podcast episodes throughout the 2026 season. 00:00 Tennessee's offensive line problem 01:00 Zach's reaction to the Texas loss 02:00 Faizon Brandon's first SEC game 03:00 Tennessee got dominated in the trenches 04:00 Is the offensive line actually garbage? 05:00 Texas isn't the best team in America 06:30 Tennessee wasted a huge opportunity 07:00 The offensive line is the bigger problem 08:30 What happened to Tennessee's OL? 09:30 Can Glenn Ellerbe fix it? 10:30 Tennessee's offensive line depth 12:00 Faizon had no time to throw 13:00 Ethan Davis' absence mattered 14:00 Tennessee's play-calling vs. Texas 15:00 Faizon's mistakes 16:00 Josh Heupel has to make changes 17:00 Tennessee needs better transfer portal additions 19:00 How much can Tennessee fix? 20:00 Auburn is the next test 22:00 Can Tennessee get the run game going? 24:00 The path to 10 wins 25:00 More offensive line changes? 26:00 Alabama and the rest of the schedule 27:00 Looking around the SEC 29:00 Next: Tennessee's final drive Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com 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 #TennesseeFootball #Vols #FaizonBrandon #BigOrangePodcast