The Vols made a nice turnaround from a shocking 5-6 season in 2005 to win nine games. However, a disappointing loss to Penn State in the Outback Bowl left room for some grousing from the Orange faithful. With rival Florida winning the national title, don't expect the grousing to die down. Still, UT coach Phillip Fulmer appears to have things headed back in the right direction. Quarterback Erik Ainge was a revelation in 2006 despite mediocre offensive line play. Expect that to change and Ainge to remain solid, though the receiving corps will experience heavy losses. John Chavis' defense also wasn't up to its usual self (50th nationally in total defense), but it did have some major injury problems. The defense returns six starters and should bounce back toward the top 20.
hmy:
