Each Monday, VolReport publisher Tyler Mansfield starts off the week by examining the current state of the Tennessee football program with key observations, questions and predictions.
Following a 63-6 blowout win over Akron over the weekend, the Volunteers – who are 3-0 on the season and ranked No. 11 in the latest AP Top 25 poll – host No. 20 Florida on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Will Cedric Tillman and Jabari Small be able to play?
Nearly everything went Tennessee's way on Saturday against Akron – except for the Vols losing both wide receiver Cedric Tillman and Jabari Small to injuries. While Small went down on the second play of the game favoring his right arm and didn't return, Tillman took a low hit to his left leg while catching a pass in the second quarter and was also held out for the remainder of the game.
It's never good when a player gets injured, but it's especially worse when it comes in a blowout game they could've easily not played in. You never know what could happen, and star players aren't just going to sit out because their team is a near-50-point favorite, but it's just not good to see a star player get hurt in a buy game.
Following the game, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel provided a brief update on the offensive duo: "Ced, don’t know yet at this point but we are hopeful. Jabari, same thing. We held them from that point on in that football game just because of the scoreboard and getting those guys some treatment."
It doesn't appear that either injury is serious, but it'll be interesting to see if both Tillman and Small can be back at full speed by Saturday for the Florida contest.
Tennessee is playing like a top-10 team.
I think most people would agree with that statement – and rightfully so. It's obvious that two of the Volunteers' wins have come against a pair of Mid-American Conference opponents in Ball State and Akron, but Heupel's club was absolutely dominant in those two games. When you add a top-20 road win at Pitt to that, it's hard not to consider Tennessee a top-10 team at this point of the season.
There's still some things to clean up, but this Vols squad looks like the real deal. The players have bought into Heupel's plan for the program, and the culture is in a really good spot. With SEC play starting with Florida right off the bat, now is the time for this team to really prove itself and earn some more respect.
A win over the Gators – who the Vols haven't beaten since 2016 – would be huge for Heupel's club. There's no question about it.
Saturday's atmosphere is going to be absolutely electric.
Knoxville, Tenn. will undoubtedly be the place to be on Saturday. It'll be the ultimate college football atmosphere on the University of Tennessee's campus. ESPN's College GameDay will be there. It's a matchup between a pair of SEC teams that are ranked No. 11 and No. 20, respectively. Neyland Stadium will be checkered out and packed full of fans. It'll be aired in the 3:30 p.m. ET time slot on CBS. What more does a person need to get pumped up for Saturday?
College GameDay hasn't been to Rocky Top since the 2016 season, when the No. 14 ranked Volunteers beat No. 19 Florida 38-28. As a matter of fact, including this Saturday, the past three times College GameDay has been in Knoxville was for a Tennessee-Florida showdown.
From sunup to sundown on Saturday, Rocky Top is going to be electric.
Will the Vols get the job done?
Many eyes – from around the national college football landscape – will be focused on Tennessee this weekend to see how it performs against Florida. As history clearly shows, the Vols have had trouble beating the Gators over the years and have come out on the losing end more often than not. Can Heupel's squad flip the script this season? Now is the opportune time to do so.
It's clear that Tennessee is a far different team this season as compared to last year. The Vols have a new energy, enhanced discipline and a strong trust in what they're trying to accomplish. They're 3-0 and ranked No. 11 in the nation for a reason, and a win over Florida would continue to improve their stock. A Tennessee victory over an opponent it has consistently had trouble with would prove that the Vols are not a fluke.
Tennessee – which is currently a 10.5-point favorite heading into Saturday – has a great shot at being 4-0 and ranked inside the AP Top 10 this time next week. All the Vols have to do is take care of business.
Spoiler before our staff predictions come out later this week: I think Tennessee wins.
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