They're pretty self-contained at Tennessee, having been slow to embrace former winning coaches who didn't have Knoxville roots, such as Doug Dickey and Bill Battle. But they also like to win at Neyland Stadium, and nary a word has been heard about third-year head coach Josh Heupel hailing from Oklahoma. That's what happens when a new coach revives a program that had been in the wildness for more than a decade and was headed in the wrong direction under predecessor Jeremy Pruitt, whose regime for good measure also ran afoul of the NCAA. By the time Pruitt walked the plank after the desultory 2020 campaign, the Volunteer fan base just wanted to win. Now, after a pair of uplifting campaigns and a run at a playoff spot last fall, Heupel has been firmly embraced. 

(Volunteer backers are extra-pleased that Heupel covered 10 of 13 vs. the spread in 2022 as well)...

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Tennessee's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the SEC season.

SEC preview: Conference winner | Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | LSU | Mississippi State | Missouri | Ole Miss | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas A&M | Vanderbilt

2023 Tennessee at a glance

• Last Year: 11-2 SU, 10-3 ATS, 7-6 O/U
  
• Returning Starters: Offense 7; Defense 7
• Win Total: 9.5 (Over +140, Under -160)
  

What do you need to know about Tennessee before locking in your SEC futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see SEC futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!