ESPN’s Peter Burns sees a lot of the 2019 LSU Tigers in the 2022 Tennessee Volunteers.
While it remains to be seen what the 2022 Tennessee Volunteers will become, ESPN’s Peter Burns likens them a lot to the 2019 LSU Tigers.
Admittedly, this is a bold, bold proclamation, as the 2019 Bayou Bengals are arguably the most talented offense in the history of college football (Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, etc.). Then again, LSU is Burns’ favorite college team. For him to say this year’s Vols team reminds him of perhaps the best Tigers team ever should not be taken lightly.
You’re got dam right Burns hit us up with the Spider-Man meme to help try and prove his point!
Heisman Trophy Caliber QB
Playmaking WR Group
Unstoppable Offensive attack
Bend don’t break defense
Early big road win (UT/Pitt)
Unreal Home Field Advantage
Beating rival for 1st time in ages
Tennessee 2022 = LSU 2019 pic.twitter.com/nLN4D9cC9v
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) October 18, 2022
Although there are a lot of similarities between this year’s Vols and the 2019 Bayou Bengals, let’s pump the brakes for one hot minute, gang…
CFB analyst Peter Burns suggests 2022 Tennessee reminds him of 2019 LSU
In truth, there are quite a few similarities between these two SEC teams of note. Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is arguably your Heisman Trophy front-runner. Joe Burrow became the first LSU player since Billy Cannon to earn college football’s highest honor in 2019. Time will tell if the Vols’ receiving corps is as dominant as LSU’s was, but it is certainly on the uptick after the Alabama win.
While Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh’s offense looks unstoppable at times, the biggest critique surrounding Burns’ argument is the “bend but don’t break defense” component. Although 2019 LSU was not known for its defense, it did enough to help the Bayou Bengals blow out seemingly everyone. Tennessee allowed 49 points and still needed a field goal to beat Alabama at home…
Yes, beating rival Alabama “for the first time in ages” is swell. And no doubt about it, Neyland Stadium can be an incredible home-field advantage, just like Death Valley is when the Tigers are good. However, the Vols still have six regular-season games left where its porous defense can be exposed. Tennessee has to play rival teams like Kentucky and Georgia on the road back-to-back.
Overall, we are getting way too ahead of ourselves here with Tennessee. They might be giants at season’s end, but there is a great chance prognosticators are putting their thumbs on the scale to elevate Tennessee, simply because they are new, fun and exciting, and most importantly in their eyes, they are not Alabama, Georgia, Clemson or Ohio State. Tennessee should be No. 3, but still…
While Tennessee is going to pay seven figures to beat the snot out of UT-Martin on Saturday to improve to 7-0, that Kentucky home date might be the ultimate trap game for them. That huge road date in Athens on Nov. 5 looms large. Given that Tennessee is one of Kentucky’s biggest rivals, it would not be shocking if the Wildcats spoiled the big day prematurely in the Classic City.
If Tennessee hangs half a hundred on Kentucky and Georgia, Head Ball Coach style, that’ll do it.
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