some season's are spread out from beginning to end in pitfalls- every week a trap. Some have their work up front, and some have their work on the backstretch. Atop this, there is always and forever the 'gelling' period where things really start to click- most call it reaching 'mid season form'. Often, the construction of the season (schedule) helps with that by forcing teams to execute simple plays and sets offensively, and defensively often play a bit aggressive in effort to both disrupt an offense that is also trying to gel as well as simply trying to 'control' what they can as anticipating plays is trickier early on.
With Tennessee I'm thinking the Mississippi State game is when we'll truly know what kind of team they have... They'll, at best, split UF or UGA but will most likely be two stacked in the loss column at that point. Chattanooga and Georgia State should be wins. BYU should likely be a full third advantage UT, but.... who knows. So- somewhere around 3/2 or 2/3 by the time MSU comes to town. MSU will be the point the team has an identity.... so, MSU is the hump game. it just so happens it's also the sixth.
my opinion of UGA, for instance, is they are a supremely rounded and fundamental team- they don't need a lot of room to 'gel'. We'll know what they're all about after their second game and how they leave South Bend.
UF might be as deep as Kentucky or Tennessee before they can be pegged.
USCjr tags into Mack Brown's UNC right offf the bat- which is fortunate for them early in the season with a first year coach we know is pretty dang good at his job... they also play both Bama and Mizzou before September ends... we'll know what they're about likely right after Bama.
anyway.... your team?