"Crazy sh*t happens all the time": CFB analyst lists three must win games for Josh Heupel's Tennessee 

The Tennessee Volunteers are going into what could be a difficult season for the program. This is mostly due to the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Iamaleava led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff last season, and with years left in his college career, fans were expecting him to bring the program to greatness. However, his controversial departure has put a massive dent in the fans' hopes, and they now will be hoping for a respectable season, not a championship-winning one.

On Friday's edition of "That SEC Podcast," college football analyst Mike Bratton named the three must-win games for the Volunteers this season, one of which may shock fans.

"I really think Syracuse should be up there (Timestamp: 58:13)... (On being told that Tennessee are two touchdown favorites)... (that) doesn't matter. Week one, crazy s**t happens all of the time."

The original three games that were seen as must-win were against the Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, and Alabama Crimson Tide. These are all part of their SEC schedule and are likely going to play a role in deciding if Tennessee is going to be in contention for the College Football Playoff. Wins in two of these games would seriously help their cause.

The choice of the season opener against the Syracuse Orange may be a strange one, but there are good reasons for it.

Firstly, as mentioned, weird results can happen in the early weeks of the season. A prime example of this was Northern Illinois' victory over Notre Dame, which would go on to play in the national championship game.

Then, we need to factor in that this will be a very different Tennessee side from last year and will be our first chance to see how Joey Aguliar fares as quarterback. If he struggles against a Syracuse team that plays in a Power Five conference, this could set the tone for what may be a difficult season for the Volunteers.

Tennessee Volunteers 2026 Schedule: Is it easy?

This year's Tennessee Volunteers schedule is not an easy one, and the lack of Nico Iamaleava may make it even harder. They open against Syracuse in a game played in Atlanta, and two weeks later, face reigning SEC champions Georgia. The schedule gets easier from there, with games against UAB and Mississippi State.

Then, the "must-win" games mentioned above are spread out between numerous SEC opponents. All of these games could end with the Volunteers losing. As per the norm, they will end their season against Vanderbilt.

By then, we will know what kind of season they have had and if they are in contention for the CFP or not.

Edited by Gio Vergara