Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter (23) celebrates with Tennessee defensive back Edrees Farooq (15) after returning a punt during a college football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN Claims Tennessee Volunteers Could Make or Break Georgia's Season

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Jonathan Williams | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 9:28 AM ET

ESPN claims that the Tennessee Volunteers could make or break Georgia's season.

The Tennessee Volunteers are coming into the 2025 college football season with the hopes of making the college football playoffs for the second year in a row. The Volunteers, much like every other SEC team, have a tough conference schedule that they will have to get through first in order to accomplish that.

However, according to ESPN, Tennessee could play spoiler to one SEC team's season and it's when the Georgia Bulldogs come into town within the first few weeks of the season.

"After hosting Marshall and FCS program Austin Peay to start the season, the Bulldogs will play an early SEC road game at Tennessee on Sept. 13," Mark Schlabach wrote. "It will be a significant road test for starting quarterback Gunner Stockton and the offense playing in one of the most intimidating road environments in the SEC. The Volunteers dominated the Bulldogs throughout the 1990s, but Georgia has flipped the script, winning eight in a row and 13 of the past 15 contests in the series. The Bulldogs won each of their past four games at Neyland Stadium by at least 24 points. With a home game against Alabama coming next on the schedule, coach Kirby Smart will be looking for a similar performance at Rocky Top."

With Tennessee being the first conference game on the schedule, it seems unlikely that Georgia could afford an early loss to Tennessee if they want to continue their run of competing for national titles. After the game against the Volunteers, Georgia still has games against Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Texas remaining on the schedule.

On the flip side, Tennessee picking up an early conference win against Georgia would be good for momentum going into the meat of the schedule.

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