Ranking UT Vols' schedule from Alabama to UTEP

Tennessee fans should appreciate the disparity in college football after next season.

Not only will UT play defending national champion Alabama, which is a popular pick to finish No. 1 again, but it also will play UTEP, which Athlon ranks as the worst team in college football.

And fans won’t have to travel farther than Neyland Stadium to view those extremes.

Here’s how UT’s schedule shapes up in order of difficulty:

Alabama: Home-field advantage doesn’t mean much against Alabama, which has outscored Tennessee 168-53 on its past four trips to Knoxville. The Tide could be better offensively this season than last when they scored 45 points on Tennessee.

Georgia: The Bulldogs will be an overwhelming favorite to win the SEC East again this season, even though they won’t be as experienced on defense in 2018. Good memories of Sanford Stadium might help the Vols, who beat Georgia there in 2016 on a Hail Mary.

Auburn: Jordan-Hare Stadium has long been a hostile environment for opponents, and the Tigers again should field a nationally ranked team. Veteran quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be throwing to talented receivers and against a not-as-talented Tennessee secondary.

West Virginia: The season opener against the Mountaineers will present another unfavorable matchup for Tennessee. West Virginia might have the best group of receivers in the country, and quarterback Will Grier has a dramatic and successful history against the Vols. The former Florida quarterback beat the Vols in The Swamp in 2015 with his clutch, fourth-quarter passing.

South Carolina: Quarterback Jake Bentley already has beaten Tennessee twice. And he will be throwing to star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who didn't play against UT last season because of injury. Williams-Brice Stadium has been a troublesome venue for the Vols, who have lost four of their past five games there.

Missouri: Although the Vols will get the Tigers at home, they will have to deal with the same issue as last season in Columbia, Mo. – namely, quarterback Drew Lock, a likely first-round draft pick in 2019. Lock will be throwing to proven receivers, and his offensive line will return intact from last season's 50-17 thumping of the Vols.

Florida: Dan Mullen figures to be an improvement over former coach Jim McElwain. However, Florida still can’t be assured of reliable quarterback play. Playing at home early in the season will be a plus for Tennessee, which rallied to win at Neyland Stadium in 2016 for its only victory over Florida in the past 13 games.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores might be the worst team in the SEC East on paper. But Tennessee has brought out the best in them – and quarterback Kyle Shurmur, in particular – the past two seasons. The Vols could be playing for bowl eligibility in their regular-season finale at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Kentucky: Running back Benny Snell is a force, and the Wildcats will have an experienced offensive line. But this is a game UT should win at Neyland Stadium.

Charlotte: Athlon ranked the 49ers as the second-worst team in FBS for 2018. If not for a 25-24 victory over UAB, they wouldn’t have won a game last season.

UTEP: The Miners couldn’t even beat UAB last season. And they couldn't beat anyone else.

ETSU: The Buccaneers have gone 11-22 since restarting their football program in 2015. They didn’t field a team from 2004 through 2014. Tennessee will pay ETSU $500,000 for the victory.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.