Tennessee capped an 11-win season with a 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl last December and the Vols may be heading back to Florida next postseason according to one bowl projection.
Action Network released its early College Football Playoff and bowl projections for the 2023 season on Monday, which had Tennessee facing Wisconsin in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
If that projection holds up, Tennessee will play in its first Citrus Bowl since Jan. 1, 2002. The Vols last played Wisconsin in the 2008 Outback Bowl.
Tennessee is coming off of its best season in more than 20 years. The Vols beat Florida, LSU and Alabama behind one of the best singe-season offensive performances in program history and were in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation heading into the final two weeks of the season.
Record-setting quarterback Hendon Hooker and standout wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman are now in the NFL, but Tennessee returns experience with Joe Milton III back for another season after starting the last two games at quarterback, including the Orange Bowl where he passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton are back after contributing last season and the Vols added former Oregon receiver Dont'e Thornton from the transfer portal. The two top running backs in Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright also return, providing plenty optimism that Tennessee's offense won't drop off.
The defense will have to improve after allowing nearly 300 passing yards per game last season but the Vols will have much of their secondary back.
Tennessee faces Alabama, Texas A&M and Georgia as well as Florida and Kentucky on the road but the path to another double-digit win season is possible. If the Vols can get past at least two of those teams, they'll likely be back in a New Year's Six Bowl for the second-straight season.
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