SEC Week 5 is here, and the picks are in.
This week’s prediction board features a familiar face for Tennessee fans: former Volunteers offensive lineman Gerald Mincey, who also played at Kentucky and Florida before joining this round of SEC forecasts. Mincey has been backing the Vols since finishing his college career, and he’s now chasing a spot higher on the guest leaderboard behind Devrin Young, Bru McCoy, Jabari Davis, and Gerald Riggs Jr.
The panel split cleanly on a few matchups, but there were also some unanimous calls. Mississippi State drew support from Mincey, Eli Elrod, and Josh Greer, while Caleb Sisk, Dale Dowden, Major Passons, and the rest of the group landed on Alabama.
Georgia was another sweep, with everyone on the panel picking the Bulldogs. Florida also drew a full-house pick from every selector.
Kentucky and South Carolina produced one of the week’s few disagreements. Mincey, Dale Dowden, Eli Elrod, and Josh Greer went with Kentucky, while Caleb Sisk and Major Passons chose South Carolina.
Arkansas-Texas A&M leaned heavily toward the Aggies, with only Mincey sticking with Arkansas. LSU was unanimous across the board, and so was Tennessee.
The standings tell the story of the season so far. Major Passons leads the way at 46-5, followed by Caleb Sisk at 45-6.
Eli Elrod and Josh Greer sit at 44-7, while Dale Dowden is at 40-11. Among the guest picks, Devrin Young is 15-1, Gerald Riggs Jr. is 13-2, Jabari Davis is 8-3, and Bru McCoy is 6-3.
Mincey’s record is listed as TBD.
Fans can send questions, comments, and hot takes to tennesseeonsi@gmail.com for a chance to be featured in a future article.
In Other News...
Alex Golesh Had A Telling Read On How Neyland Shifted This Game
Auburn left Neyland Stadium with a 24-14 loss to Tennessee, but head coach Alex Golesh came away talking as much about the shift in his own offense as the final score. After a slow start and some penalties that hampered the Tigers early, Golesh said the group found better rhythm in the second half, with the run game helping settle things down and the passing attack starting to look more efficient.
For Tennessee, that kind of midgame adjustment is exactly the sort of wrinkle Neyland has a way of amplifying. The Volunteers were able to lean on the atmosphere and the flow of the game as Auburns offense began to click more cleanly, but Goleshs comments suggested his team left with a clearer sense of where the execution improved and where the early mistakes made the difference. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Offense Just Sparked A Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Tennessee got the result it needed against Auburn, but the way it got there left plenty to sort through. The Vols pulled out a 24-14 win to move to 4-1, and the offenses first-half unevenness put an immediate spotlight on true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon before the ground game took over and steadied things.
DeSean Bishop was the difference-maker, putting together a career-best outing with 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns to carry Tennessee through a tense finish. Even as the offense searched for consistency, the defense helped close the door, with Dejuan Lane adding an interception and a sack in the second half to keep Auburn from mounting a late push. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Added More Fuel To A Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Tennessee left Auburn with a 24-14 win that nudged the Vols to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, and the reward on the national side was just as notable. The coaches moved Tennessee up three spots to No. 14 in the latest poll, placing the Vols sixth among SEC teams and keeping them in the thick of a conference race that still feels wide open in October.
The bigger conversation, though, is happening under center. Josh Heupel addressed the quarterback change during the game but stopped short of naming a starter for next week, leaving Tennessee to head into Arkansas with the position still unsettled. For a team that has already shown it can win while sorting through that question, the next week now feels like another test of both timing and trust. [Read more 🡒]
