I mean this is always a fun one. Bonus points if you're brave enough for score projections. I'll start for Tennessee.
- UVA: W
- Austin Peay: W
- Florida: W*
- UTSA: W
- SCAR: W
- TAMU: W*
- Alabama: L*
- Kentucky: W
- UConn: W
- Mizz: W
- UGA: L
- Vandy: W
Florida, Texas A&M, and Alabama are my swing games. Florida looks like a favorable match up for us as it stands, but having grown up through the early 2000's I just know that uf has some of that swamp magic. ATM is just a massive question mark for everyone from every perspective right now, certainly glad they play Alabama the week before they play us. Unfortunately we play Alabama in ttown the next week. Speaking of if there are any other vols reading this please help me flood Danny White's inbox with requests to return TSIO to a color clash game by wearing orange in Tuscaloosa this year. If that game looks good, or if we even pull out a win, we can start talking about the UGA game. Until then let's take this one game at a time. Overall I've got us going 10-2 with 8-4 being the absolute worst case for us to still have a 'decent' season. Also shout out to the scar game, I bet that one's going to be a barn burner.
I'll play...for Iowa:
Lose to ISU, UW, Minn, and Nebraska? Subscribe.
Yeah, I feel like our luck for some of these trophy games might be out. Historically, even on years with no offense, we have performed adequately against Minnesota and Nebraska, and we capitalize on down years for Wisconsin. ISU is always a coin flip.
I won't be happy if this comes true, so maybe I'm putting it on paper to inure myself to what might be if the OL doesn't shape up and the new offensive pieces aren't enough.
I understand. I (ISU fan) always assume we will lose to Iowa so it doesn't hurt so bad when it happens.
My new boss is a hawkeye. Any good conversation pieces other o bad d good?
Ah, that's easy! "Fire Brian Ferentz, Amiright?!" should get you on his good side.
In seriousness though, we have new tools on offense and an easy schedule this year, but we have the same offensive line and terrible OC. It's kind of a tossup to see how this team does. I actually am a little optimistic that the offense will be not abysmal based purely on skill position talent. I'm a little worried our defense will not carry the team as much without our MLB Jack Campbell next year, but our DC (Phil Parker) is fantastic and always seems to put forward an awesome group.
The way Iowa has survived on suffocating defense with absolutely zero offense has been fun to watch from the outside!
I'm ready for them to move past this phase... "fun to watch" is only true when used in this case, as a turn of phrase. Actually watching this team, week after week last year was the definition of masochism.
Oh I’m sure it’s absolute torture as a fan. I understand it is a lot to pay with a guy in Ferentz that has been there 25 years, but there comes a time when you have to move on.