No. 11 Tennessee is 2-0, and the early read on this team is pretty clear: the Vols have taken care of business and done it with defense.
After Monday night’s 70-47 win over Radford at Food City Center, Tennessee has now opened the season with back-to-back comfortable victories, following up its 90-59 win over Wofford by holding both opponents under 60 points. The schedule stays in Knoxville for a little while longer, with Tennessee State coming Friday and Michigan State arriving four days after that.
Friday’s matchup brings an in-state opponent that just came off the best season in decades. Tennessee State visits Food City Center on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. ET, with the game set to stream on SEC Network+.
The Vols have owned the series, winning all seven meetings, including an 89-60 victory in Knoxville last November. Tennessee State, under Nolan Smith in his first season as head coach, went on to share the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title with Morehead State. The Tigers also captured their first OVC tournament since Frankie Allen guided them to back-to-back titles in 1993 and 1994, and that run delivered their first NCAA Tournament berth in 32 years.
Tennessee State has already had a busy start to the year. The Tigers dropped their opener to Murray State, then bounced back with a 127-61 win over East-West University in their home opener. On Monday night, they beat Fisk University 123-73.
That sets up another chance for Tennessee to keep its unbeaten start rolling before the competition ramps up.
The bigger test comes next week. Michigan State visits Food City Center on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 9 p.m.
ET on ESPN2, opening a home-and-home series that will send Tennessee to East Lansing next season. It also gives the Vols a shot at one of the sport’s premier programs on a national stage before conference play takes over.
The Spartans climbed to No. 5 in Monday’s AP Top 25, and they arrive with a schedule that could move their ranking again before they ever reach Knoxville. Tom Izzo’s team plays No. 2 Duke in Chicago and hosts Northern Iowa before the trip.
Michigan State has not played a regular-season game in Knoxville since 1993. The last official meeting between the programs came in the 2010 Elite Eight, when the Spartans edged Tennessee 70-69. The Vols did beat Michigan State in a charity exhibition in East Lansing in 2023.
So far, Tennessee has handled its first two games with ease. Michigan State should tell a lot more about where this team stands, especially whether the Vols’ defense can dictate the tempo and keep them in striking distance against a team sitting near the top of the polls.
In Other News...
Josh Heupels DaSaahn Brame Update Gives Vols Fans Some Relief
DaSaahn Brames exit against Kentucky briefly added another uneasy moment to Tennessees night, especially after the tight end went down following the controversial incomplete-pass ruling in the end zone. Anytime a player leaves with a head injury, the immediate concern is bigger than the result on the field, and for the Volunteers it was another reminder of how quickly a game can turn.
Josh Heupel eased some of that worry after the game, saying Brame is doing well and is expected to be in good condition for the upcoming matchup with Texas A&M. Tennessee still has to get through the first availability report, which comes Wednesday night, but for now the update gives Vols fans a little relief heading into a game week that already has plenty of attention on it. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Playoff Standing Suddenly Looks Less Comfortable Than It Seems
Tennessees spot in the latest College Football Playoff conversation looks secure on paper, but the broader SEC picture is starting to feel crowded. In ESPNs latest round of predictions, 11 of the networks 12 writers projected four SEC teams into the 2026 bracket, with Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas showing up most often as the leagues presumed heavyweights.
For the Volunteers, the takeaway is less about being in the mix and more about how little margin there may be if the conference keeps stacking contenders around them. Kentucky, despite sitting No. 6 in the initial CFP rankings, did not appear in any of the new projections, a reminder that early positioning can shift quickly once the selection debate starts to narrow. The full set of ESPN picks only reinforces how tightly the race is being judged at the top. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Defense Just Sent Texas A&M A Brutal Message
Tennessees defense kept rolling in a 34-6 win over Kentucky, and Arion Carter was at the center of it with 13 tackles, four for loss and two sacks. The Volunteers smothered the Wildcats from start to finish, forcing three turnovers and shutting down fourth-down chances as the game tilted decisively in Tennessees favor.
That kind of performance lands with extra force this week because Texas A&M is next on the schedule, and the Aggies are already in a precarious spot after a loss to South Carolina. They need to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible, and now they have to do it against a Tennessee defense that just spent an afternoon sending a very clear message. [Read more 🡒]