Media outlets often stress the importance of covering their local area. I've decided to stretch a bit and apply that philosophy to Tennessee football.
OK. So, I'm stretching a lot. But what else do you want me to do before the Vols' Sept. 6 game at Neyland Stadium? Guess how many players on ETSU's roster could make Tennessee's third team?
UT coach Josh Heupel obviously realizes the significance of handling close-to-home business, which helps explain why he hasn't lost to another team from Tennessee in his fifth year on the job.
Heupel's Vols are 7-0 against in-state teams. Their average margin of victory has been 40.6 points.
Tennessee 51, ETSU 10: Perhaps, one day, Pellissippi State will field a football team, and the Vols won't have to look further than their backyard for an in-state victory.
Georgia 51, Austin Peay 10: Why couldn't the Bulldogs show more state pride, rather than pick on an outsider from Tennessee?
Oklahoma 27, Michigan 24: The Wolverines' Bryce Underwood had an impressive debut, but I like Brent Venables' defense against a freshman quarterback.
Alabama 45, ULM 0: Kalen DeBoer has been taking heat after the Tide's "Tallahassee Takedown." So, this might be the perfect time for his media support team to remind fans that former coach Nick Saban once lost to ULM.
Arkansas 41, Arkansas State 17: Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman is on the hot seat, so you might wonder: If Red Wolves coach Butch Jones beat the Hogs in Little Rock, would Arkansas consider him as Pittman's replacement?
My answer: No.
Auburn 42, Ball State 0: In this offensive-minded era of college football, shutouts are hard to come by - unless you're playing Ball State. The Cardinals were shut out by Purdue in their opener and were shut out in their previous game against a Power 4 team (Miami) last September.
Florida 27, South Florida 17: The Bulls already have pulled off one upset - a 34-7 victory over nationally ranked Boise State. Beating the Gators in The Swamp would be even bigger for former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, who has led USF to consecutive bowl games.
LSU 46, Louisiana Tech 6: Speaking of shutouts, the Bulldogs beat Southeastern Louisiana 24-0 in their opener. They also shut out Kennesaw State in their penultimate game of 2024.
Against such a formidable defense, LSU might need four minutes to score.
Ole Miss 37, Kentucky 20: It has been a year since the Rebels lost to the Wildcats, and I still don't understand how.
I also haven't figured out why Kentucky thought it would be a good idea to hitch its offense to Incarnate Word transfer quarterback Zach Calzada, who previously acquired college credits at Texas A&M and Auburn.
Calzada left Wildcats fans hungry for more when he completed 10 of 23 passes for 85 yards and ran 10 times for 14 yards in a 24-16 victory over Toledo last week.
Arizona State 30, Mississippi State 24: Could the worst team in the SEC beat the defending Big 12 champions? Based on what happened last September, yes.
The Sun Devils needed 262 yards rushing from Cam Scattebo last season to beat the Bulldogs 30-23 in Tempe. Without Scattebo and with cowbells ringing for an upset, they might be more vulnerable.
Missouri 36, Kansas 30: In case you're wondering, Jalon Daniels is still the Kansas quarterback. The sixth-year Jayhawks veteran is off to the best start of his career with 36 completions in 45 attempts for seven touchdowns in two games.
But that doesn't mean he can outduel Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, who completed 23 of 28 passes and had 348 yards in total offense against Central Arkansas.
South Carolina 37, SC State 10: Since running back Rocket Sanders' departure, the Gamecocks might be more dependent than ever on quarterback LaNorris Sellers. They managed only 119 yards rushing in their opening victory over Virginia Tech.
Texas 49, San Jose State 13: The Longhorns schedule will help Arch Manning recover from his inauspicious start in a loss to Ohio State. After San Jose State, they will play UTEP and Sam Houston, followed by an open date before going to Florida the first Saturday in October.
Texas A&M 38, Utah State 10: Marcel Reed's four touchdown passes in the season opener indicates Texas A&M is better equipped to deal with Notre Dame (Sept. 13) than last season.
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Vanderbilt 27, Virginia Tech 24: This could be another fun quarterback matchup between the Hokies' Kyron Drones and the Commodores' Diego Pavia. They combined for 635 yards passing in Vanderbilt's 34-27 overtime victory last season.
Record: 14-2 (.875), 7-5 (.583) against the spread.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or [email protected].