By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Tennessee is a proud member of the SEC. The Vols are second, only to Alabama, in all-time wins and tied with UGA for second in SEC titles with 13 behind only Alabama.

2019 will mark the end of the worst decade in Tennessee football history. The 2019 Vols will try to avoid a third straight losing season under second year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, who inherited a huge mess to clean up in Knoxville after the Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, and Butch Jones experiments went terribly wrong.

Tennessee has not won an SEC title since 1998, and hasn’t played for one since 2007, which was the last time this program won 10 games in a season.

When Pruitt was hired, he told everyone to be patient because it was going to take a few recruiting cycles to get the Vols back into contention with the upper tier of the SEC.

Jeremy Pruitt is a tough hard-nosed football coach that knows the recipe for winning. Will Tennessee give him the time to get the job done? That is the real question.

For the first time in three years, Tennessee heads into the season with the same starting quarterback it had in the opener the previous year with Jarrett Guarantano. Guarantano should make big improvements in 2019. Tennessee has a really good set of wide receivers with Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway.

The running game must improve this fall with Ty Chandler, who is the best playmaker on the roster.

The offensive line play was horrible in 2018 and must get better but how with transfers, medical retirements, etc.?

Jim Chaney comes back from Georgia as offensive coordinator and is very well respected in the college football ranks.

Defensively, the Vols look good at safety and have some young talented corners.

Tennessee recruited the JUCO ranks hard for defensive line depth.

This team will be better in 2019 but the won/loss record may not reflect that.

Here are my game by game predictions for Tennessee in 2019.

Aug. 31 | Georgia State | Knoxville: The Vols take care of Georgia State at home 34-17 to go to 1-0 on the season.

Sept. 7 | BYU | Knoxville: The Cougars come to Knox Vegas and get beat by Tennessee 31-27. Vols go to 2-0 on the season.

Sept. 14 | Chattanooga | Knoxville: Vols win easy 41-13 to go to 3-0 on the season.

Sept. 21 | at Florida | Gainesville: The Swamp is not very kind to Tennessee and it won’t be again in 2019. Florida wins 31-20. Tennessee drops to 3-1 and 0-1 in the SEC.

Oct. 5 | Georgia | Knoxville: Dawgs won 41-0 in 2017 at Neyland Stadium. UGA is the most talented team in the SEC East and the team the Vols have to catch up with in recruiting. UGA wears UT down and pulls away for a 38-17 win. Tennessee goes to 3-2 and 0-2.

Oct. 12 | Mississippi State | Knoxville: This is a game UT must win. It will be tough as nails but the Vols get back on track with a 24-20 win. UT goes to 4-2 and 1-2.

Oct. 19 | at Alabama | Tuscaloosa: 12 straight losses to Alabama and have given up 40 points or more in 7 of them. This is another ugly one. Alabama 42-10. 4-3 and 1-3 in SEC.

Oct. 26 | South Carolina | Knoxville: Battle of two pretty much even teams. Give UT the edge at home 21-17. 5-3 and 2-3.

Nov. 2 | UAB | Knoxville: Vols get bowl eligible 38-13. 6-3 on the season.

Nov. 9 | at Kentucky | Lexington: Another tough one on the road. Give me the Cats 27-24. UT goes to 6-4 and 2-4 in SEC

Nov. 23 | at Missouri | Columbia: Tennessee is not winning in COMO. Mizzou wins 41-27. 6-5 and 2-5 in SEC.

Nov. 30 | Vanderbilt | Knoxville: Vandy hasn’t beat Tennessee in four straight games since 1923. Not happening in 2019. Vols get to seven wins with a 35-20 win over Vandy.

Tennessee finishes the regular season at 7-5 and 3-5 in the SEC and probably goes to the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

A winning season to close out the worst decade in Tennessee football history. Will the Vols ever be what they once were again? I hope they make it back. We miss you Big Orange.