🏈 Tennessee's next step

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Matchups to watch as Tennessee is a big favorite on the road

• Tennessee’s strong defensive start… and what’s next for the Vols

• Could Tennessee be the No. 1 overall seed in the CFB Playoff?

• Arkansas players with added motivation vs Tennessee this week

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Tennessee is back from its bye week and off to Fayetteville to play the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night. 

📍 Fayetteville, Ark.
⏰ 7:30 p.m. ET
📺 ABC
📻 99.1 The Sports Animal/WIVK

The Vols are big favorites in this one, as high as 14 points as of this writing. 

Tennessee has a perfect 4-0 record while Arkansas is 3-2, coming off a loss to Texas A&M. 

The numbers set this up as an easy win for Tennessee. 

So will it be?

Maybe, maybe not. 

➡️ Full disclosure: Jayson Swain and I both picked Tennessee to win by multiple touchdowns during this week’s show. 

But that’s IF Tennessee handles business and avoids mistakes. 

Playing on the road, especially in Fayetteville, is never an easy task. 

What are some matchups and storylines to watch on Saturday to see if the Vols can improve to 5-0?

Let’s take a look.

🟠 Tennessee’s offensive tackle play

Lance Heard is back and ready to start at left tackle after missing Tennessee’s last two games.

Let’s see how he holds up.

What about right tackle John Campbell Jr., who’s dealing with a knee issue? 

He’s needed relief during Tennessee’s first four games, and might need a break again this weekend. 

Heard will get the biggest test of his young career when he faces Landon Jackson. 

The 6-7, 280-pound defensive end was first-team All-SEC last year and sacked Texas A&M’s quarterback twice last week. 

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava fumbled twice at Oklahoma two weeks ago due to protection issues. 

Arkansas knows its best shot to pull the upset is to win the turnover battle and create extra opportunities.

Protecting Nico — and the ball — is a must for Tennessee this week. 

⚫ Green’s mistakes

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green is an impressive athlete. 

He’s 6-6 and 230 pounds, and he can makes plays with his arm or legs. 

But he can make mistakes, too. 

He’s thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Green has also fumbled five times this season, losing two of them.

Turnovers cost Arkansas in both of its losses against Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.

The Razorbacks will make some plays on Saturday. 

But Tennessee’s playmaking defense will look for ways to take the ball away on Saturday. 

🟠 Tennessee’s D-line

Speaking of Tennessee’s defensive line, the Vols will have a chance to shine this week. 

Texas A&M had three sacks and 10 tackles for loss last week against Arkansas. 

The Razorbacks’ turnover issues came as a result from Texas A&M’s pressure.

The Razorbacks have a questionable offensive line and are dealing with several injured players at tight end. 

That could hurt Arkansas in the running game and trying to protect Green. 

Expect Tennessee’s fresh defensive line to visit Arkansas’ backfield often on Saturday. 

⚫ Tennessee’s offensive plan

How will Tennessee attack the Arkansas defense?

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman complimented Oklahoma’s defensive plan against Tennessee and said Arkansas believes it can take some things from that game. 

But Tennessee should be better at offensive tackle this week.

Will that give Josh Heupel more confidence to take some shots down the field?

We know Dylan Sampson will help lead Tennessee’s offense. 

“He’s bad to the bone,” Pittman said of Sampson this week. 

Pittman is right. 

Sampson leads the SEC with 112.25 yards per game and 10 touchdowns. 

Sampson and DeSean Bishop should see plenty of carries. 

Let’s see if UT’s receivers can break open some big plays. 

➡️ We discussed the Tennessee-Arkansas game + recruiting with Austin Price of Volquest on this week’s show. Check out the conversation below.

CHAMPIONSHIP-CALIBER DEFENSE

Tennessee’s defense has been the talk of the season so far for the Vols. 

And former Tennessee cornerback Jonathan Wade is happy to talk about it. 

Wade, an All-SEC selection in 2006 who played in the NFL from 2007-2011, visited Knoxville in August and watched Tennessee practice for several days. 

He saw something he liked from UT’s defense. 

Tennessee has legit depth on defense, which has created more competition on the practice field. 

The Vols also brought in several defensive backs who have made an immediate impact. 

Jermod McCoy, who transferred from Oregon State, is a standout at cornerback. 

He was named the Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week following Tennessee’s win at Oklahoma.

“He just does everything right,” Wade said of McCoy.

Transfers Jalen McMurray and Jakobe Thomas have also produced, and freshman Boo Carter is one of Tennessee’s best athletes playing the STAR position. 

With Tennessee’s depth up front and athleticism on the back end, Wade said he believes the Vols have a championship-caliber defense. 

So what does he want to see next from Tennessee?

He pointed to the big games on the Vols’ schedule, when they play Alabama on Oct. 19 and Georgia in November.

Those will be the biggest tests for Tennessee.

Check out our full conversation with Jonathan Wade below or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 Tennessee DL James Pearce Jr. dropped out of the top 10 in the latest mock draft from Pro Football Focus.

🏈 ESPN’s Heather Dinich wrote that Tennessee needs to go 2-0 against Alabama and Georgia “to avoid a true debate in the (playoff) committee meeting room.” No way that’s correct — if Tennessee wins its six other games and splits Bama/UGA, the Vols are a playoff lock.

🏈 Thursday kicked off 55 straight days of football. Here’s a look at some of the big games over the next two months.

🏈 Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee AD Danny White are involved in supporting a college football super league, called the College Student Football League. (The idea is not receiving much support elsewhere.)

⚾ Great story from Mike Wilson on Tennessee’s baseball team stepping up for 9-year-old Archie Green.

⚾ Jay Busbee wrote about Pete Rose, who died earlier this week, and how we’re supposed to remember the baseball legend.

🎧 Check out this week’s conversation with ESPN college football writer Chris Low ahead of Tennessee’s road game at Arkansas.

NO. 1 TENNESSEE?

We are still a long way off from knowing what the College Football Playoff picture will look like. 

But that won’t keep the predictions from rolling out every week. 

CBS Sports had a group of analysts update their playoff projections this week, and one of them was quite favorable for Tennessee. 

Here’s what former CFB head coach Rick Neuheisel sees happening after conference championships are decided:

Neuheisel has Tennessee winning the SEC championship and earning the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff. 

“Tennessee is my top team,” he said on CBS Sports.

Is that likely?

No.

Tennessee is likely to make the playoff, however, at least according to the oddsmakers.

And if Tennessee can take care of business against Arkansas and Florida the next two weeks, Tennessee will host Alabama on Oct. 19 with everyone in the nation watching.

The Vols couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.

RAZORBACKS’ REVENGE

Arkansas announced its captains for Saturday and two familiar names made the list: 

Center Addison Nichols and defensive back Doneiko Slaughter.

Both players transferred to Arkansas from Tennessee during the offseason. 

And both players are sure to have motivation going against their former teammates. 

Slaughter was a productive player for Tennessee and a fan favorite during his time in Knoxville. 

He was terrific against Kentucky in 2022, intercepting a pass and delivering a hit that forced another INT in Tennessee’s blowout win.

Nichols signed in 2022 with big expectations for his future. 

Before Nichols’ freshman season, Heupel said that Nichols would be “a great player. Not a good one but a great one.”

But it never worked out for him at Tennessee, leading to his transfer to Arkansas. 

Will either player’s presence help with the Razorbacks’ prep for Tennessee?

It won’t hurt them to have players with knowledge of what Tennessee likes to do. 

But Arkansas has coaches who can figure out plenty on their own. 

Pittman, defensive coordinator Travis WIlliams, and the coaching staff also know they have a personnel disadvantage against Tennessee. 

Nichols and Slaughter might have revenge on their minds. 

But their biggest goal is to pull off an upset of a top-5 team. 

Tennessee needs to stay focused to keep that from happening. 

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