3 BIGGEST QUESTIONS for Tennessee Football In Week 1...

hello again Chris Lee and Chase Robinson of South Eastern 16 here set to talk about Tennessee and its opener with Chattanooga August 31 and let's be a little realistic here the vs are what 43 is point favorites chases as we're looking at various lines over Chattanooga so I think we're going to be realistic about limiting our powers of observation and meaning as we do these we'll tailor sort of these predictions and things to watch accordingly but first Chase tell folks who are who is sponsoring our content today please that's right bet online is the world's most trusted betting platform and your number one source for everything online sports betting right now you can receive a 50% Free Bet of up to $250 on your first deposit to bet on anything from UFC to baseball to Formula 1 racing bet online has every stat every matchup and even live odds and spreads while the games are being played when the game's over you can go to the online casino get in on a game of blackjack or poker or onwi with one the over 150 slots games head over to the website today to get in on the action use promo code believe bav for your 50% Free Bet credit on your first deposit up to $250 that is promo code believe bav bet online the game starts here Chase uh we'll get it started with you I'll let you make your your first thing you're watching then I'll take the last two but I think I know what your big thing is but let the audience know yeah I mean all the talk all a hype around Tennessee this year I feel like starts with our quarterback uh Nico IAM malava uh it's it's his time it's his time to shine is his year we saw him in the uh the Citrus Bowl game and uh in that win over Iowa um he was 12 and 19 passing 151 yards and a touchdown and then he ran for three touchdowns as well he rushed for 51 yards um he was sacked a few times um so we we saw some really bright spots from from him in that Citrus Bowl game but obviously there's things to work on for him you know he's a younger quarterback great talent but you know hey how is he gonna fit into the offense is he gonna get Tennessee back to to where they want to be and where they think they're going to be with him um I I think that's the biggest question for me what is this offense going to look like with Nico alava leading it at quarterback I mean are we going to see you know like we did a couple of years ago that 2022 season where uh you know it the the numbers from were were amazing of what we were seeing from that quarterback position Joe Milton takes over last year and we we didn't quite see that we didn't quite live up to the hype uh for Tennessee and so they they really want to get back to what they saw in 2022 is z malava the guy I think that's the biggest question but so much hype around him in the off season and he finally gets his starting job at Tennessee how does he fit with Josh typle I think it's going to be a good year for Tennessee uh with all indications what been seeing out of fall camp and what we saw in the spring but my big qu my biggest question again is does IAM malava live up to the hype and what does this offense look like with with him at the helm Chase I think I would kind of put an asterisk next to your selection here I think I think and you're gonna be agreeing with me I think I think the real thing we're wonder is what does it look like in week two against incy State yeah because it's been kind of a by polar schedule that that he's gotten in his first two starts right like Chattanooga nobody expects this to be close Beyond probably the second quarter he's probably going to be sitting the bench most the second half as he gets ready for that one in his first chance of course was in a bowl game which bowl games are weird anyway with opt outs and everything and then he also played maybe you know one of the best two or three defenses in the country in Iowa so you know we've got to see him in one really tough weird situation now we get to see him in one what everybody thinks Tennessee is going to roll but what we're really looking forward to is next week yeah following this one so I I think uh just kind of G to be an interesting set of circumstances here in his first two games because it's very two very different situations right and very much so and and uh you know I think in this first game you get to come out and and uh find an identity of of some sort like you you get to start the game you get to control the the game you get to kind of set the tone for the year and I think that's what I'm looking to see how he does that in this first game when yeah I I think there will be a lot of points on the board for Tennessee in this game there's no doubt uh but he kind of gets to set the tone I feel like in this open game number two and and look Josh hpel has had a history of of when Tennessee is a big favorite they just seem to steamroll anybody and everybody in Tennessee's way and so I think that's what's going to happen here but um you might see a guy that I don't think he'll probably end up starting the year because they've got Brew McCoy Chris Brazzle squirrel white is presumably their starters Dante Thorton's there uh but I think Mike Matthews was the guy that when Tennessee signed Mike Matthews people were super excited supposed to be one of the best freshman in the country I would think Mike Matthews would get a decent Target share in this first game unless for some reason Tennessee wants to I guess hide him which I don't know if there's any hiding a five-star recruit but you know yeah maybe at least people don't know if it translates the way that it should but anyway um I I just think I want to see what it looks like out of the rapper with Mike Matthews and I know a lot of Tennessee fans feel that way too yeah and and I think that's a uh something something good to see but yeah it's hard to hide a guy when you know potentially what he could produce as a five-star guy but uh I I think he's going to to fit nicely into this and I think we we should see a lot of it this this could be a day that he uh that he shines uh playing against a team like Chattanooga so I I hope we get to to see a little bit of him final story we we focused all on offense this is what people do when it's Tennessee but hey the vs do have maybe the best player in the conference something maybe the best in the country up front in James Pierce Jr the the stud pass rusher but my focus isn't really on Pierce Chase it's going to be kind of that new look secondary for Tennessee a lot of balls in that secondary and it wasn't a great secondary but it wasn't bad they've either hit the portal for other places um Gabe Judy LLY saw him the other night playing exhibition game with our hometown Titans here my hometown Titans so a lot of those guys that were familiar faces in Tennessee secondary now gone you look at that left Corner Spot uh gerod McCoy the transfer from organ State who was pretty good for them as I think a true freshman last year not a very hyped guy of high school but had a couple of picks had seven breakups started five times for Oregon State Jaylen McMurray the temple transfer I guess going to be his backup the other Corner Ricky Gibson the third was a backup last year presumably he'll start um Jordan Thomas I guess the new starter at the star position and then Andre tantine I guess the one of the most experienced guys back in the secondary at at safety he played 11 games a year ago was but mostly was a part-time I think and then jacobe Thomas the star transfer safety from MTSU that is a lot of new either guys that are still on the roster from last year that are going to be asked playing bigger roles or particularly those three transfers and so um and you could see like a Carter or somebody in there too getting a bigger role don't know how the depth chart's going to shake out we're doing this mid August but uh I think I want to see you would expect that this wouldn't really be a challenge for Tennessee secondary you would think that just getting off a pass with that front seven going to be a challenge but when the ball's in the air I want to see how those guys do yeah and and even in a game like this I mean this is game Reps for these guys and yeah this may be the most worrisome position on the field for Tennessee the secondary just with so much new and and so many things to figure out so yeah in a game like this I feel like uh even against a a team who you're not going to see flashy yards and big numbers in this game but this defense has a chance to get some game reps under their belt to to play to get some continuity on the field so yeah I I think this is this is a good game for them to to be able to kind of gauge where they're at at this point again because you look ahead to a game like North Carolina state where it's gonna be much different than what we're seeing in this Chattanooga game like we talked about earlier with the offense so this game you you get ready for for what's to come to the 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Smith Southeastern 14.com for more information for Chase Robinson I am Chris Lee we are southeastern 16 presented by bet online