more important issues tennessee football 2024 expectations arkansas loss

Chase Thomas is the Sports Renaissance Man, Atlanta Sports Guy & VFL. On today's program, Chase is joined by More Important Issues' Landon Raby & Caleb Mitchell to talk about No. 8 Tennessee falling to Arkansas, if we need to adjust 2024 expectations for the Vols, if Vol fans worries after the Razorbacks loss are fair, questions with the Volunteers wideouts, if the Vols can beat Florida in Neyland Stadium on Saturday and if 10-2 or 8-4 is more realistic for Tennessee football this fall now.

Host: Chase Thomas

Guests: Landon Raby, Caleb Mitchell

On Tennessee 2024 Football Expectations

No. 8 Tennessee lost their first game of the season against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday in Fayetteville. Chase, Landon and Caleb talk about how that loss changes their outlook and expectations for the Vols in 2024, what Tennessee can most realistically fix right now, and why this team feels a bit like the 2023 Tennessee baseball team. In 2023, Tony Vitello’s squad started the season with high expectations but got hit in the mouth early by Grand Canyon and Arizona and the Vols had to fight through adversity to reach the College World Series that year. It wasn’t perfect and it was frustrating a lot, but the Vols still made it in. That’s how the 2024 Vols offense feels, that it is never going to be pretty but they should fight their way through the adversity.

On Vol Fans Worries

Tennessee fans did not like what they saw against Arkansas. If you’re a Vol fan worried about the offensive line, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most rationale worries coming out of the game. It’s bad, and John Campbell Jr. and Lance Heard had terrible nights at the two tackle spots. If you’re concerned about the o-line being able to protect Nico Iamaleava, you wouldn’t be alone. If the pass protection does not improve starting with Florida on Saturday night in Neyland Stadium, the Vols’ offense will continue to have problems all season long.

On Vols WRs

Tennessee really needs a wide receiver to break out for Nico. Indeed, Dont’e Thornton Jr. has been great on the outside in a Javonta Payton-like role. He is a big-play threat every time he catches the football and is clearly one of the three wideouts Kelsey Pope should trust to get a lot of snaps for Tennessee right now. However, one of Chris Brazzell II, Bru McCoy, Chas Nimrod or Mike Matthews need to step up to make life easier for Iamaleava. With pass-protection issues, the Vols need their receivers to start getting open more and need some of these quality pieces to become go-to guys for Iamaleava.

On Florida vs. Tennessee

This is the most important game for head football coach Josh Heupel in his Tennessee coaching career. To keep the Vols’ CFP hopes alive they have to win this game. If they lose, they have Alabama coming to town the week after. A three-game skid is certainly possible at that point and you still have to go to Athens to take on Georgia in November, too. So Tennessee has to flush the Arkansas loss and take care of business against the Gators. If you win, you right the ship and calm a lot of fans’ nerves. You lose, and the rest of the season gets very dicey and more and more fans start to panic about what is going on with the Vols’ offense and direction.