SEC Football: Predicting the 2023 SEC standings and final rankings
By Kevin Miller
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 4 (and 2nd in the SEC East):
Tennessee Volunteers
Josh Heupel has done a tremendous job in Knoxville since replacing the disgraced Jeremy Pruitt as the head coach of the Volunteers. Only three games on a tough 2022 schedule saw the Vols look anything less than elite (an ugly win over Florida, a close-ish loss to Georgia, and a drubbing at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks).
Much of that success was due to Heupel and his elite offensive weapons from last season. Hendon Hooker had one of the best quarterback seasons in recent memory for a Vol signal caller, and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman were among the best in the entire country.
The Volunteers still have some good receivers to replace Hyatt and Tillman in Squirrel White and Bru McCoy, and presumed starting quarterback Joe Milton is supremely talented. However, the Vols need more receivers to step up as White and McCoy were already contributors on the team last year, and Milton has never had sustained success at the college level. The offense will be good in 2023, but will it be elite again?
The Vols were awful in the secondary at times in 2022, but the overall defense wasn’t bad (except against South Carolina) thanks to a boom-or-bust style that paid off more often than it didn’t by gifting the orange and white a lot of sacks and takeaways. If the defense can replicate that level of success again despite losing big-time pass rusher Byron Young, Tennessee could push for another 10-win season.
Other than two games that are always on the Vols’ schedule (Alabama and Georgia), nothing sticks out as a major hurdle for UT this fall. Heupel’s group gets their opportunity for revenge against the Gamecocks in Neyland Stadium, and the big swing game against Texas A&M is also in Knoxville.
A 5-0 start seems extremely likely before the South Carolina rematch (@Florida could be a test if the Gators play up to their roster talent), and a New Year’s 6 bowl game is in play once again if Milton (or even 5-star freshman Nico Iamaleava) can fill Hendon Hooker’s shoes well in an elite Josh Heupel offensive system.
The offseason sanctions stemming from violations in the Jeremy Pruitt era shouldn’t affect this team, and the Vols will be one of the SEC’s best again in 2023.
PREDICTION
Overall: 10-2; SEC Football: 6-2
Tennessee-Martin (W), Virginia (W), Austin Peay (W), @Florida (W), UTSA (W), South Carolina (W), Texas A&M (W), @Alabama (L), @Kentucky (W), UConn (W), @Missouri (W), Georgia (L), Vanderbilt (W)