Two shades of Orange. Only one can come out on top.
With a new Syracuse Orange football season looming, we’re pleased to start that a fan favorite TNIAAM series is making its return once again to help you get ready for the new year.
(Writer’s note: as some of our readers know, writer Michael Ostrowski previously carried the mantle of previewing all of Syracuse’s upcoming opponents for the last three years. There will be some pretty big shoes to fill considering all the work and then some that he put in, but we won’t let him down!)
Syracuse’s upcoming campaign projects to be a much tougher one in 2025 after a 10-win season this past year. The 2025 season for coach Fran Brown and the Orange starts off under a big spotlight with a high-profile, season-opening matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers on national television.
Does ‘Cuse stand a chance in the battle of Orange? Will it be heartbreak like ‘98 or does DART get the last laugh?
Here’s your breakdown of Syracuse’s first opponent:
What to know about the Tennessee Volunteers
School: University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN)
Nickname: Volunteers, Vols
Mascots: Smokey the dog (“Smokey XI”), Smokey the mascot, Davy Crockett (occasionally)
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#BRAND Slogans: #GoBigOrange, #GoVols, #VolsForLife, #RockyTop
Recommended Blog: Rocky Top Talk
Conference: SEC
History vs. Syracuse: The Orange are 0-3 all-time versus the Vols and last played Tennessee in 2001. Syracuse’s first two games against Tennessee (1966 and 1998) both resulted in one-score losses, the latter of which is considered a game which lives in infamy for the Syracuse faithful. This will be Syracuse’s second neutral-site matchup against the Vols ever.
Coach: Josh Heupel enters his fifth season as Tennessee’s coach and brings plenty of experience, both as a former play and current coach. Heupel played quarterback at Weber State and Snow College, then churned out a Heisman Trophy-caliber season in 2000 with the Oklahoma Sooners. After a very brief playing career in the NFL, Heupel turned to coaching, first as a graduate assistant with the Sooners. He then had various offensive coach roles with Arizona, Oklahoma, Utah State and Missouri. Heupel’s first head coaching job came with UCF, finishing with a 28-8 overall record and a trio of bowl appearances in three seasons. He took over at Tennessee 2021. He is 37-15 with four bowl trips and one College Football Playoff berth with the Vols.
2024 Record: 10-3
What happened last season: Tennessee started off 4-0 with two ranked wins over NC State and Oklahoma, climbing as far as No. 4 in the AP poll before briefly stumbling after a 19-14 loss to Arkansas. The Vols then went on another four-game win streak with victories over Florida, Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi State. Tennessee lost by two scores to Georgia before ending the regular season with wins against UTEP and Vanderbilt. The Vols earned a nine-seed in the 12-team CFP, but was trounced 42-17 against Ohio State in the first round.
The defense partly led the way for the Vols, who gave up the seventh-fewest points per game in 2024. That unit was led by James Pearce Jr. (23 tackles, 13 TFL, 7.5 sacks), Jermod McCoy (44 tackles, 4 INTs), Will Brooks and company (35 tackles, 4 INTs). Running back Dylan Sampson (258 carries for 1,491 yards and 22 TDs) made All-American second team and won SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
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What happened during the offseason: One of the biggest offseason stories by far was the fallout between the program and its starting quarterback last year, Nico Iamaleava, over NIL. That situation aside, Tennessee will bringing in 25 prospects and the 11th-best recruiting class per 247Sports, which includes 16 four-stars. The Vols will certainly rely on returning production and that recruitment class to step up. Tennessee’s transfer portal addition rank just 78th overall, according to 247Sports.
2025 season projections: ESPN’s most recent SP+ rankings have Tennessee ranked 13th in returning production, including 7th on defense and 34th on offense. The Vols project for 8.8 wins in the SP+ rankings. Tennessee’s over-under line for regular season wins is set at 8.5, per DraftKings.
Game Date: Saturday, August 30
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Odds of Orange Victory: 30%
Odds of “marquee game” potential: 40% (Ed Note: I think a win here for Syracuse would be a major win so I’d put this one at 90% or higher)
Very Early Outlook vs. Syracuse: The advantages for Syracuse — Tennessee will certainly have some turnover at its key positions (especially QB). It’s also the first game of the year, and as the saying usually goes, don’t take any of the preseason numbers on paper. Syracuse could easily go to Atlanta with the right mentality and at least keep Tennessee fans nervous.
For me, the big concern for the Orange will be on offense. The Vols boast a very great defense on paper, and Syracuse will have a lot to prove on that side of the ball. Additionally, this is a neutral-game on paper, but Tennessee fans will be out in full force in SEC country. Ultimately, I’ll make the pick now that it will be close, but a few turnovers by Syracuse just blow this game completely away in the second half.