Tennessee has one of its most attractive home schedules in 40 years.

Translation: One of its toughest.

When the SEC went to nine league games, it meant another home conference game every other year.

This year, UT faces five home SEC opponents.

Texas is one of the SEC preseason favorites and features an outstanding quarterback and multimillion dollar roster.

Auburn has struggled lately, but new coach Alex Golesh has one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks.

Alabama is coming off back-to-back four-loss seasons and has back-to-back losses to UT at Neyland Stadium.

Kentucky is by far the weakest home SEC foe but new offensive-minded coach Will Stein might be a thorn with Notre Dame transfer quarterback Kenny Mincey.

Then comes the Lane Train, LSU and coach Lane Kiffin, with 40+ transfers and high hopes of competing for a national championship.

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The road schedule is no piece of cake.

Georgia Tech is a dangerous non-conference opponent.

The Vols have struggled of late at Arkansas and South Carolina, even though both are coming off subpar seasons.

Texas A&M made the College Football Playoff last year.

And Vanderbilt embarrassed the Vols in Knoxville a year ago.

With all that being said, Tennessee has four key games that will determine the success or failure of the team.

Anything at 8-4 or better is a success in my book.

Anything 7-5 or worse is failure, even with inexperience at quarterback.

Here are my four most important games for UT this season:

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At Georgia Tech Sept. 12:

Tennessee will be making its first road trip of the season with either redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon at quarterback. To expect one of them to win the game would be a reach. But the QB can’t lose it.

That means UT must rely on the running of DeSean Bishop, two solid receivers, an experienced offensive line and a got-to-get-better defense to beat the Yellow Jackets.

Tech is breaking in a new quarterback in Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza (younger brother of last year’s Heisman Trophy winner) to replace the dynamic Haynes King. But coach Brent Key is coming off his best season in four years. Tech started 8-0 – including a win at ACC champion Duke — and were ranked as high as No. 7 before losing four of its last five games. Yet, they were ranked in the final coaches poll for the first time in 11 years.

If the Vols can’t win a Grant Field, winning eight games will be that much more challenging.

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Hosting Auburn Oct. 3

This fits into two categories.

One, if you can’t beat a rebuilding Auburn team that just fired its coach, what does that say about your own program?

Two, if you lose to Auburn, you lose to your former offensive coordinator (Alex Golesh) who was a central figure in your 2022 success.

Auburn will be one of the SEC’s most improved teams. South Florida transfer quarterback Byrum Brown will make sure of that. Brown passed for more than 3,000 yards and ran for more than 1,000 yards last season for the Bulls. If his play translates to the SEC, the Tigers will be a tough out.

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Host Alabama Oct. 17

Alabama is in a similar boat to Tennessee. The Crimson Tide has a sound roster but is breaking in a new quarterback after Ty Simpson bolted for the NFL.

The team whose quarterback plays the best likely wins this game.

The Tide won 11 games last season, went 7-1 in the SEC, beat Georgia and won a College Football Playoff game. But that was negated by the fact Bama lost four games and was routed 38-3 by Indiana in the CFP. So this is a big season for coach Kalen DeBoer.

If Heupel can win three in a row at home against the Tide – something UT has done only twice in history – that would buy Heupel some equity.

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At Vanderbilt Nov. 28

Vanderbilt? Why Vanderbilt?

Because the Commodores blew your doors (or is it Dores) off last year at Neyland Stadium. UT’s 45-24 defeat left a lasting impression on what turned out to be a disappointing 8-5 season.

Go 9-3 in the regular season and the Vol Nation is mostly OK.

Go 8-4 and get hammered by Vandy, that’s not OK.

The same scenario applies this year. And since Vandy doesn’t have the boastful Diego Pavia at quarterback, many figure the Dores won’t be as competitive.

Any way you cut it, losing the last game to a disliked in-state rival won’t sit well with the fan base.

You need this one, Heupel.