Tennessee football final game-by-game predictions for the 2025 season.
No. 18 Tennessee will kick off its fifth football season under head coach Josh Heupel. Rankings reflect the US LBM Coaches Poll.
Heupel guided the Vols to a 37–15 (20–12 SEC) record, one College Football Playoff appearance and two bowl wins in four seasons.
The Vols will face Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia (noon EDT, ABC) to open regular-season play.
Tennessee’s other nonconference matchups will be against East Tennessee State, UAB and New Mexico State at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols will also host Georgia, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, while playing at Mississippi State, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida during the regular season.
Ahead of Week 1, Vols Wire provides a final 2025 season record prediction for Tennessee. Vols Wire correctly projected regular-season win-loss records for Tennessee in 2021, 2022 and 2024 under Heupel.
2025 Tennessee football game-by-game predictions
Syracuse Orange
Tennessee will kick off its 2025 season against Syracuse in a neutral-site matchup. Tennessee leads the all-time series, 3-0, and last played the Orange in 2001.
Prediction: W
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
Date: Aug. 30
East Tennessee State Buccaneers
The two in-state schools will play for a second time with the first meeting taking place in 2018. The Vols were victorious, 59-3, at Neyland Stadium.
Prediction: W
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Sept. 6
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia has won eight consecutive games against Tennessee. Tennessee's last win in the series was in 2016. The longest win streak in the series is nine games by the Vols from 1989-99.
Prediction: L
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Sept. 13
UAB Blazers
Tennessee leads the series against UAB, 5-0, all time. The Vols and Blazers have played two one-possession games in the series (2005, 2010).
Prediction: W
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Sept. 20
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Tennessee defeated Mississippi State, 33-14, in 2024 at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will play at Mississippi State for the first time since 2012.
Prediction: W
Location: Davis Wade Stadium (Starkville, Mississippi)
Date: Sept. 27
Open date
Date: Oct. 4
Heupel in games after an open date at Tennessee:
Nov. 6, 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (Lexington, Kentucky)
Oct. 8, 2022: Tennessee 40, LSU 13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Oct. 14, 2023: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Oct. 5, 2024: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14 (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Nov. 2, 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Arkansas Razorbacks
Tennessee suffered its first loss after an open date under Heupel at Arkansas in 2024. The Razorbacks last played at Neyland Stadium in 2015.
Prediction: W
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Oct. 11
Alabama Crimson Tide
Tennessee defeated the Crimson Tide, 24-17, at Neyland Stadium in 2024. Tennessee's last win at Alabama was in 2003. Heupel is 2-2 against Alabama as the Vols’ head coach.
Prediction: L
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Date: Oct. 18
Kentucky Wildcats
Tennessee will play back-to-back road games against Alabama and Kentucky in 2025. The Vols are averaging 39.0 points per game at Kentucky under Heupel.
Prediction: W
Location: Kroger Field (Lexington, Kentucky)
Date: Oct. 25
Oklahoma Sooners
Tennessee defeated the Sooners, 25-15, in 2024 for Heupel's return to Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners will play at Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2015.
Prediction: W
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Nov. 1
Open date
Date: Nov. 8
Heupel in games after an open date at Tennessee:
Nov. 6, 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (Lexington, Kentucky)
Oct. 8, 2022: Tennessee 40, LSU 13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Oct. 14, 2023: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Oct. 5, 2024: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14 (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Nov. 2, 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
New Mexico State Aggies
Tennessee and New Mexico State will play for the first time in 2025. The Aggies went 3-9 (2-6 C-USA) in 2024 under first-year head coach Tony Sanchez.
Prediction: W
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Nov. 15
Florida Gators
Tennessee defeated the Gators, 23-17 in overtime, last season. The Vols have not won at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2003 under then-head coach Phillip Fulmer.
Prediction: L
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Gainesville, Florida)
Date: Nov. 22
Vanderbilt Commodores
Tennessee has won six straight games in the in-state SEC series. The Vols won at Vanderbilt, 36-23, in 2024 to clinch an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Prediction: W
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date: Nov. 29
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tennessee football game-by-game predictions for 2025 season
Category: General Sports
