A week from Saturday, the Jeremy Pruitt era of football begins at Tennessee.

For months, the question has been the same: How many games will this team win in 2018?

The Volquest.com staff dives into their season predictions.

Over the summer, I have been asked more than ever what will the Vols' record be this season. After seeing some and talking to people this month about this team, I believe they are better than I thought they would be.

However, they have shortcomings. The biggest being a lack of depth, particularly on the defensive front and that's my biggest defensive worry. Staying healthy is a must. The other question I have is can the players handle this defensive scheme. Player and Pruitt say it's a simple defense to learn. Others who have known Pruitt's defense at other places say it's very complex. We will find out quickly.

Offensively, the offensive line is going to be better than I ever dreamed back in the spring. Jarrett Guarantano is improved. How much remains to be seen and who the playmakers are remains unclear?

The kicking game will be vital for this team as well. Tennessee must win on special teams.

My consistent answer to how this team will do in 2018 is that they will get to a bowl game and that fans will like this team because the Vols will improve throughout the season.

There's more confidence internally with this team than I imagined, but there are still a ton of unknowns and a lack of bodies.

Still I believe Tennessee's playing in a bowl game and will finish the year 7-6.

Honestly I could make a case for this team going 4-8 or 8-4. There are lots of unknowns heading into the season from the top all the way to the bottom. I’ve said for the last few weeks that no one will truly know what this team has until next Saturday and we may not know then.

Jarrett Guarantano will be Tennessee’s quarterback because he has been its best quarterback. He is improved but what type of jump he makes will determine how this offense flows. I do think this offensive line takes a bigger step with sudden health. Can Tennessee avoid being decimated by injury this year? It would go a long way.

On defense, Tennessee has to find a pass rush, consistent linebacker play and some young playmakers in the back end. My biggest question is the pass rush. Tennessee just couldn’t get there last year after Derek Barnett left for the NFL.

The schedule is tough. The month of September is going to huge if Jeremy Pruitt and Company make it to a bowl game. I think they steal one along the way and also find a way to lose one they shouldn’t. For that reason I’m splitting the difference and going 7-6 with a win in the Liberty Bowl.

Who is Tennessee?

Throughout camp, I’ve called the Vols the most theoretical team in the SEC because of their potential high variance.

What happens now that the stink of Butch Jones is gone? What if Jonathan Kongbo and Nigel Warrior reach their ceiling? What if the offensive line gels and stays healthy? What if newcomers like Dominick Wood-Anderson, Alontae Taylor, Brandon Kennedy and Trevon Flowers all emerge as key cogs?

They could be pretty decent, right?

The reality though is Jeremy Pruitt isn’t going flop a straight. This isn’t Rounders.

Eventually, perhaps even in Week 1, we’re going to see what Tennessee’s true cards are this year. Is the recent camp confidence fool’s gold or truly an indication of a team with a sense of urgency?

The computer models see Tennessee as a sub-.500 team and favorites in just three games in 2018. Others with stronger scotoma believe the Vols can win eight games in Pruitt’s first season as a head coach.

It’s not a copout to simply split the middle here. It’s the most likely outcome.

In the end, Tennessee looks like a very average football team. Considering the Vols went 0-8 in the SEC a year ago, that should be considered a compliment.

The Vols do have talent. It’s simply stretched too thin. Depth is the team’s biggest weakness, with unanswered questions about its pass rush, ability to protect the quarterback and stop the run all still concerns, too.

Obviously, a 6-6 campaign won’t meet Pruitt’s expectations moving forward. The man has been a part of just eight losses in five years as a coordinator, but we’ve said throughout the offseason that Tennessee’s goal in Year 1 is make sure its practicing in December.

I think the Vols will be.

After one of the most disappointing seasons in program history Tennessee has hit the reset button, completely overhauling the coaching staff with an eye towards returning to prominence in the SEC.

That will be more than one year journey but there are some early signs to suggest that first time head coach Jeremy Pruitt just may be up to the task.

Words like ‘physical’ and ‘disciplined’ are thrown around a lot at this time of year and they’re staples of any new head coach trying to put his stamp on a program. Cliche´ or not though, I expect this to be a more physical, disciplined and mentally tough football team under Pruitt than the one that stumbled to a 4-8 mark in 2017.

Yes, question marks abound all over the roster.

Can the Vols get high level play at the quarterback position? Can a defense that was a sieve against the run and couldn’t generate a pass rush grow some fangs? Can an offensive line that couldn’t move anyone off the ball a year ago develop into an SEC quality front? Will the influx of newcomers Pruitt ushered in, especially the older guys, be able to make a quick impact?

Making Pruitt’s challenge even tougher is a schedule that’s as unrelenting as any in the nation. The Vols open with West Virginia, and after a pair of cupcakes (ETSU and UTEP), dive right into an SEC grind that could be brutal — hosting Florida before brutal back-to-back road games at Georgia and Auburn then welcoming Alabama to Knoxville and heading to South Carolina. It’s a sign of how far this program has fallen that a 1-4 run through that stretch wouldn’t be viewed as bad at all.

I’ve waffled back and forth on this, but as we exit fall camp, I’ve got to say, the way Pruitt has handled his team has impressed me. Call me crazy, but put me down for 7-5.