Pat McAfee feels Tennessee football is the SEC's dark horse team in the SEC in the 2023 NCAA season.

McAfee thought highly of Josh Heupel's team on ESPN's “College GameDay” on August 26. “It kind of feels like a cop-out because they're the 12th-ranked team in the country, but I like Tennessee. Now, it's another year with Heupel's system and obviously (Joe) Milton is going to have a to do a good job at quarterback. They're +1500 to win the SEC, so it's a long shot,” Pat McAfee said on Saturday.

It hasn't just been McAfee has been singing Tennessee football's praises in recent weeks. His former Indianapolis Colts teammate and Tennessee football alum Peyton Manning also chimed in. The Hall of Fame quarterback thought Heupel's offense will give other teams fits this season.

“It just works. It's effective. Look, good coaches run the offense and recruit players that can execute that offense. That's the system, how it works, and you build off that,” Manning said on August 14.

Tennessee football quarterback Hendon Hooker had a season for the ages in 2022. He had 3,135 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions last season. To nobody's surprise, he earned First-Team All-SEC honors and won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award.

Tennessee football's high-octane offense averaged 46.1 points per game in 2022. Their gaudy 525.5 yards per game overwhelmed opponents last season. They routed their SEC opponents LSU, Missouri, and Vanderbilty by 27 points, 42 points, and 56 points, respectively.

Now that Hooker is with the NFL's Detroit Loins, Heupel has tapped redshirt senior Joe Milton as Tennessee football's starter in 2023. Milton filled in admirably for Hooker after the latter injured his ACL late in the 2022 NCAA season. Milton threw for 971 yards, 10 touchdowns, and no interceptions as Hooker's backup.

Josh Heupel became a finalist for the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 on July 21. If his offense can help Tennessee football win its third national title, he will add another feather to his cap. It will be interesting to see if Heupel and Co. can prove Pat McAfee right this season.