After losing key pieces from its College Football Playoffs squad throughout the offseason, some expected Tennessee to take a step back in 2025. Not anything drastic and certainly not program-defining, but perhaps just not a return to a 10-win season as it did in two of the past three seasons.
But while analysts and fans all had their talking points throughout the offseason, whether it be into a microphone or around a table grabbing food, Josh Heupel and his staff were reloading and retooling the Vols’ roster for another big run in 2025.
That offseason work resulted in an explosive 45-26 win over Syracuse in the season opener last weekend. No, it wasn’t upsetting a team ranked considerably higher, like what Florida State did to Alabama, but it was a statement win nonetheless. One that said, essentially, we’re still ready to go out there and blow people’s doors off.
Josh Pate, host of Josh Pate’s College Football Show on YouTube, talked about his possible miscalculations about the Vols’ 2025 team during a recent episode of his show. The well-respected college football commentator explained where Tennessee exceeded expectations in particular areas and reiterated strengths in others.
“You find yourself having to say, ‘Josh, it’s just Syracuse. Don’t get carried away,’ And then you watch another play and they drive block a guy seven yards downfield and you’re like, ‘Oh.’ And then you start fanning yourself a little bit,” Pate said. “And you start saying, ‘though this defense looks familiar. That offensive line is not the offensive line I feared they’d have. Boy, this quarterback looks like he’s been playing for Heupel for seven years.’ Just things I didn’t think I would say. I didn’t think they’d lose to Syracuse. I didn’t think they’d click that way against Syracuse.”
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Heupel’s 2025 team was shrouded in mystery heading into the season. While the defense retained some key pieces from last year, the offense did not. What would things look like with a quarterback who has never played in a Power 4 conference? Can Tennessee’s new receivers rise to the occasion? How will the Vols replace four starters on the offensive line? It’s still early in the season, but those questions began to produce some optimistic results in Saturday’s 19-point win.
“So, be careful,” Pate continued on to say. “I have to tell myself this multiple times at this time of year. Be careful. It’s one game. It is one out of 12 samples that we’re going to get of these teams. However, if that offensive line really is remotely that good, if Joey Aguilar really does that seamlessly fit into Josh Heupel’s system, and if that defense really didn’t take that much of a step back, that’s the biggest potential mover. That fundamentally changes the SEC picture.”
Pate goes on to talk about Tennessee’s favorable schedule this year, and how the Vols’ initial impression against Syracuse could potentially set them up to cause unexpected chaos in the SEC. He even goes on to mention that Tennessee’s rise could have an impact on the SEC title picture.
“They got Georgia coming to them in two weeks, by the way,” Pate said. “That is a fundamental game changer in the SEC. Because if those elements of Tennessee are there, I’m going to whisper this because it’s only one week, Tennessee is an SEC Championship-contending type team. Instead of one that is in a cycling year. Like a reload year, we’ll get ’em in 2026 – Which is how I viewed them preseason.”
Give Pate his credit for speaking so openly about his Tennessee predictions, among a handful of other teams listed in the clip from his YouTube show on Friday. He’s fearless with his takes, and that’s what makes him one of the most entertaining and respected commentators around.
Check out Josh Pate’s full clip about Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, and more teams below:
