Tennessee's 2025 football schedule provides a nightmare scenario for Vols fans

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Dec 12, 2024 3:46 PM ET

The Tennessee Vols entered the final month of the 2024 regular season knowing they could afford another loss and still have a good shot to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff.

And that's exactly what ended up happening.

Tennessee, which lost earlier in the season to Arkansas on the road, lost its second game of the season in a November matchup against Georgia in Athens.

The Vols, however, still made the playoff since they were one of just three SEC teams (along with Georgia and Texas) that finished the season with two or fewer losses.

That scenario will likely become common for SEC teams moving forward. Undefeated seasons are going to become even rarer thanks to the parity that has quickly invaded the sport. Two-loss SEC teams will probably be heading to the playoff in most years, which means the old saying, "they remember what you do in November", will be more true than ever.

That's why a detail on Tennessee's 2025 schedule could be a concern for Vols fans.

for your fall planning purposes

the 2025 @Vol_Football schedule is here! pic.twitter.com/y9fW8WfhFm
— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) December 12, 2024

Tennessee will play on the road against Florida in the penultimate game of the regular season in 2025. The Vols will travel to the Swamp before finishing the regular season at home against Vanderbilt.

We obviously have no way of knowing what the scenario surrounding that game against Florida will be, but based on what we saw in 2024, and what we think the sport will look like in the coming years, it seems more likely than not that the Vols' game against the Gators in Gainesville next November could be a "win and get in" situation for Tennessee.

And that has to be a scary thought for Vols fan.

It's not that Tennessee can't win in the Swamp -- the Vols will certainly have the talent to do get the job done.

It's that Tennessee hasn't won in the Swamp since 2003.

Can you imagine the level of anxiety that Vols fans will be feeling if Tennessee's playoff hopes hinge on getting the program's first win in Gainesville in over two decades?

Imagine the feeling that Tennessee fans had before that win-and-get-in game against Vanderbilt a couple of weeks ago and multiply it by about a thousand.

But hey, those are kind of games you want Tennessee to be in if you're a Vols fan. If you want to consistently compete for championships, you have to win big games on the road. This is what Tennessee fans have dreamed of for the program since Phillip Fulmer was forced out in late 2008.

Of course, that doesn't make the anxiety go away. You might just have to learn to live with that if you're a member of Vol nation.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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