As the doldrums of the college football offseason inch closer, preseason rankings and predictions are already providing good fodder that will likely mean significantly less in three months.
ESPN's Football Power Index—a predictive ratings system released earlier this week—is the latest to weigh in on the prospect of several teams ahead of the 2024 season, including Tennessee.
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The FPI gives the Vols a 5.5% chance to win the SEC, which will include 16 teams with newcomers Texas and Oklahoma and no divisions for the first time since 1991.
Georgia is the favorite with a 32.8% chance to win the league for the second time in three years, followed by the Longhorns at 24.2% and new-look Alabama under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer at 14.4%.
Oklahoma had the fifth-highest chance, one spot behind Tennessee at 5.1%.
The Vols are set to return a plethora of experience on both sides of the ball, most notably on the offensive and defensive lines, while first-year starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava and a wide receiving corps that is teeming with potential is expected to spearhead an improved offense.
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These factors have Tennessee on the fringe of most early College Football Playoff projections, which will expand to a 12-team format this season. The Vols won nine-games last year and the FPI has them finishing close to that again with 8.6 wins and 3.5 losses.
An expanded playoff could allow Tennessee to get in without winning double-digit games and the FPI give the Vols 36.9% chance to get in, the fourth-highest percentage among SEC teams and a 2.7% chance at winning the national championship.
As for the FPI rankings, Tennessee jumped into the top 10 since the last update following spring practices, moving up to No. 9. Eleven SEC teams were featured in the top 20, including four teams on the Vols' schedule.
Tennessee is set to open its season on Aug. 31 against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium.
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