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2. Tennessee

On the campus in Knoxville this goofy thing called Peyton mania has become a wee bit ridiculous. PEYTON'S BACK! T-shirts. PEYTON'S BACK! pictures. PEYTON'S BACK! socks. PEYTON'S BACK! hats. PEYTON'S BACK! underwear, hair implants, blenders, screwdriver sets, nail-polish remover. Peyton's Back! the Spice Girls album. When it comes to hailed and hyped college football heroes, Peyton Manning is peerless.

That said, for this season in Knoxville to be any different from the last 45 (read: decent record but no national championship), Manning, the Volunteers' returning quarterback and the nation's leading Heisman Trophy candidate, needs Peerless—junior wide receiver Peerless Price, who caught 32 passes for 609 yards last fall but broke his right foot during Tennessee's spring game. Price (whose mother chose his name while flipping through a dictionary) underwent surgery the day after suffering the injury; he was practicing with the team by August. "I'm playing," says Price, a 4.3 speedster in the mold of Tennessee's supreme deep threats, Willie Gault, Alvin Harper and Carl Pickens. "There's no way they can keep me off the field." With Manning throwing to Price and senior wideout Marcus Nash (53 catches, 688 yards), the Vols could field the most daunting aerial act since wrestler Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka took his last leap from the top rope.

Although both running back spots are up for grabs (star tailback Jay Graham graduated) and the offensive line is in a state of flux (junior tackle Jarvis Reado's return from a broken leg is essential), Tennessee should have little trouble scoring points. "With Peyton back there's nothing we can't accomplish," says Price, an Ohio native who passed up basketball scholarship offers for Saturday afternoons filled with Rocky Top. "Peyton's got all the tools they talk about, and probably some more you see only if you're catching his passes. How many teams can say they have an NFL quarterback starting for them?"

ALSO

Tennessee team page 1997 schedule

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The Vols also have an NFL-caliber pass rusher in Leonard Little, an all-SEC end with a dash of Lawrence Taylor, a pinch of Mark Gastineau and 19.5 sacks in less than two full seasons. Coach Phillip Fulmer likes to place the 6'3", 247-pound Little all over the field and let him rip, which he did despite missing five games with ligament damage in his right knee. His rise has mirrored Tennessee's. Two years ago the Vols had one of the SEC's most inconsistent defenses; last season they led the conference in total defense (giving up 236.5 yards per game), scoring defense (14.3 points) and passing efficiency defense (93.4).

Led by Little and 245-pound senior end Jonathan Brown (6.5 sacks in '96), Tennessee averages a modest 256 pounds on the front line but has good team speed. Its defensive backs, however, are erratic; they can be dazzlingly impressive (surrendering only 120 yards passing in the Vols' 41-3 victory over Mississippi a year ago) or egregiously bad (allowing four touchdowns in the first 20 minutes of last season's 35-29 loss to Florida). As much as he has improved Tennessee, defensive coordinator John Chavis has never had a player who was among the nation's leaders in interceptions. This year should be no different.

No one will carp about that shortcoming if the Volunteers topple Florida, a team that to Tennessee has quickly become what Evander Holyfield is to Mike Tyson. Price, for one, thinks it could happen. "Florida's a great team," says Price. "But we're a great team too." Come Sept. 20 in Gainesville, the debate will be settled.
—Jeff Pearlman

TELLING STAT
7,382 Yards quarterback Peyton Manning has passed for in his three seasons, ranking him ninth on the SEC alltime list. If he matches last year's total of 3,287 yards, he'll move up to fifth place in Division I-A, just ahead of Fresno State's Kevin Sweeney.
TWO GAMES TO WATCH
SEPT. 20 AT FLORIDA This isn't the only game that matters to the Vols, but it's the one they'd most love to win. OCT. 8 AT ALABAMA After an 0-8-1 stretch versus the Crimson Tide from 1986 to '94, Tennessee has Alabama's number. The Vols could win their third straight against the Tide for the first time since '85.
RETURNING LEADERS
Passing	Peyton Manning, Sr.	243 comp., 380 att., 3,287 yds., 20 TDs
Rushing	Mark Levine, Jr.	200 yds., 3 TDs
Receiving	Marcus Nash, Sr.	53 catches, 688 yds., 3 TDs
Tackles	LB Al Wilson, Jr.	87
Interceptions	CB Terry Fair, Sr.	4