The USA Today Coaches Poll is always newsworthy, especially since there are only 25 spots to fill. Every year many college football fans end up feeling snubbed by one poll or another. Fans will be fans, but most don’t really have a leg to stand on when it comes preseason rankings. However, there is a fanbase that has been egregiously left behind. How do I know? I’ve done the research.
The Tennessee Volunteers are deserving of a top 25 spot above the following teams: Pittsburgh, Texas, and Ole Miss, even if this list portrays the expectations of how each team will finish.
Pitt – No. 16
Pitt lost two of their most important players from the 2021 season: Pickett, the Heisman-finalist quarterback, and Addison, who won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in the nation. To replace Pickett, they have two options: a USC transfer and a backup QB that broke his collarbone last season. They also lost another important piece: their offensive coordinator responsible for the electric offense displayed last season. They return five starters on their offensive line and most of their stable of running backs, but without a Heisman-candidate like Pickett and the offensive coordinator that made him successful, I don’t like their chances.
The one bright spot for the Panthers is that they’re returning their entire starting defensive line. However, the linebacker position will surely suffer thanks to the transfer of captain Cam Bright and the loss of three others. The secondary will also be a weak spot for the Panthers – one which Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Cedric Tillman should be able to take advantage of in their meeting on September 10th.
Tennessee is currently a 4.5-point favorite over Pitt.
Texas – No. 18
Everyone calm down; Arch Manning isn’t in Austin just yet. And coming off a 5-7 season isn’t ideal, especially when your own fanbase is trolling you via social media. How Texas is sitting at No. 18 is a mystery, much less how anyone could’ve voted them #1, considering that 2021 was one of the most disappointing seasons that the Longhorns have ever produced. Like Ole Miss, Texas hit the transfer portal hard, but is it enough to warrant a top 25 ranking?
No.
There were major issues with Texas last season, and not many of those will be solved overnight. The Longhorn defense was at the bottom of the BIG12 and ranked 100th in the nation in 2021. The offensive line did well in run blocking, but not so well in pass protection. The idea that the offensive line needs work in protecting the quarterback isn’t reassuring for redshirt freshman/transfer QB Quinn Ewers, who will likely be tasked with leading this offense. Yes, he had a perfect recruiting rating coming out of high school but played just two snaps at Ohio State before transferring after only 4 months on campus. That’s not to say that Ewers won’t end up being a star, but with Arch on the way, it’s not likely. And with one of the best defenses in Alabama scheduled for September 10th, Ewers has his work cut out for him.
Ole Miss – No. 24
Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss are always dangerous, but this season will be unchartered territory for the Rebel-Landshark-Black Bears. This is the year of the transfers. Since Ole Miss isn’t exactly at the top of the food chain as far as the NIL goes, Kiffin is on a mission to get the best players possible via the transfer portal. Persuading these transfers to play for you is one thing; teaching them to compete as a team in just a few months is something completely different. And as an offensive-minded coach, Kiffin will have quite the challenge with only four returning starters on that side of the ball, three of which are playing different positions than the previous season. Ole Miss will also have a big hole to fill at the QB position with Corral in the NFL, as well as replacing nearly every other position.
The defense returns just 5 starters but bring in at least two seasoned players from other programs to fill some major gaps. Although both are talented, only time will tell if they give this defense the boost it needs for the Rebel-Landshark-Black Bears to be successful.
Tennessee has a lot to prove, but being ranked outside of the top 25 is laughable, especially when Pitt, Texas, and Ole Miss have more questions and bigger issues than the Vols.
