Tennessee hosts BYU in a must-win for the Vols. How will things go against the Cougars? We offer up our thoughts in our weekly picks.

I get the idea that you make great improvements from your first game to your second. I get that if the Vols don’t turn it over three times, they win despite being horrible on defense in the second half. I get the notion that Tennessee over looked Georgia State.

But I can’t get over the lack of emotion and passion displayed with the loss and even in reaction to the loss. God Bless Jauan Jennings for bringing a little fire on Tuesday.

The million dollar question for me is how does Tennessee respond? How do they respond from the loss? How do they respond to adversity when things go badly Saturday?

Then there’s the defense, can they get lined up? How much more can they simplify things? I’m not sure.

I think Tennessee responds emotionally. I think they will play with more passion. This one feels like a BYU win based on last week. But this is Tennessee and as we have seen, crazy things happen on Rocky Top. Picking the Vols makes no sense, but so does Georgia State winning last week.

Tennessee 31, BYU 28

How much changes this week? The game plan will change. I’m sure some of the players will change but what about the outcome? My biggest concern is the ability to change the ‘want to’ for some of the players. Is losing just to comfortable for some of the veterans. I know it bothers Juan Jennings but who else does it eat at?

It sounds like the offensive line rotation will continue for another week or two. Is that good? I’m not so sure it helps anything. Trey Smith will continue to see more action, which will help him knock the rust off.

Jarrett Guarantano has to be much better this week. He was clearly off early and often last week. That can’t happen going forward.

Defensively, they are who they are in my opinion. Will they fractionally get better? I’m sure but the defensive front is just dreadful in my mind. It doesn’t appear Daniel Bituli will play so thus the linebackers are also short on experience.

BYU is solid but not to flashy. Frankly I just can’t get last week out of my mind. I’ll quote the great Brent Hubbs in that to believe in the improvement I’ll have to see it.

BYU 21, Tennessee 17

Tennessee hasn’t opened the season 0-2 in more than 30 years, and based on the folks in the desert and many of the prognosticators on TV and the internet, most believe that streak will stay in tact Saturday night.

The Vols should beat BYU. Their backs are against the wall. They have a better roster. They’re at home.

But on pure principle, I can’t pick them to win tomorrow. I wrote after last weekend’s historic loss how college football exists in the shadows all offseason. For nine months, you hear about all the S&C happy talk, individual growth, positional improvement, etc., and then they play the game. The Georgia State loss was like the worst Instagram-filtered blind date ever for Tennessee fans.

That's not what they signed up to see.

Much of this week’s fodder has been about a “wake up call” for the team? How many of those does this group need?

They had two chances to get to bowl eligibility last season and came out flat both times. I’ve heard all the pet theories about Tennessee looking ahead to BYU, but this is a program that currently has no business disrespecting any opponent.

The Vols will play better tomorrow. I believe that. But I don’t know if having a little more juice will be the pixy dust that magically fixes all the real problems. BYU is an average football team. The Vols haven't been anywhere close to average for several seasons now and I don't know if they will be tomorrow.

BYU 24, Tennessee 23

This is a tough one. Vegas seems unswayed by Tennessee’s dismal performance last week, installing the Vols as a 3.5-point favorite over BYU this week despite struggling in nearly every area on both sides of the ball last week.

BYU certainly didn’t look great in a 30-12 loss to Utah, but the Cougars hung around and were really done in by two defensive touchdowns against them.

I won’t be shocked if Tennessee regroups and wins this one, not in the least. After all, I had penciled this one in as a win just seven days ago before witnessing the unthinkable against Georgia State. But I did witness and I just can’t shake it. Can the Vols really make dramatic improvements on both lines of scrimmage in such a short amount of time? I’m just not sold.

I could easily see myself eating some crow late Saturday night if Guarantano and the passing game find a way to make some plays down the field and the Vols can muster up some answers in the front seven. For now though I’m in ‘have to see it to believe it’ mode after that performance against Georgia State.

BYU 27, Tennessee 24