Rece Davis Names College Football Program That Has 'Surprised Many People'

A timeless tradition in college football is when fans, analysts and even teams begin to realize which programs were worth the preseason hype.

It has already been determined that programs like Florida State, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arizona aren't as good as once advertised. On the flip side, programs like BYU, Miami, USC and Iowa State likely deserved more buzz heading into the season.

However, there is one SEC program that ESPN's Rece Davis believes has turned a lot of heads, which he revealed to be the Tennessee Volunteers on the most recent episode of the "Paul Finebaum Show."

When speaking about teams on the cusp of college football's elites, Davis tossed out names like No. 4 Alabama and No. 7 Miami. When it came to No. 5 Tennessee, Davis expressed that he thinks they are legitimate contenders who have surprised people.

"I do believe that Tennessee has surprised many people," Davis said . "In that, they're not just a good team, but they are potentially a championship-caliber team."

Through four games, Tennessee has won by an average of 47 points. However, they haven't just been beating up on Group of Five or FCS programs, as two of their wins have come against ranked opponents who they have beaten by an average margin of 25.5 points.

They also happen to be one of the most complete teams in college football, ranking No. 1 in total defense and No. 4 in total offense.

The Volunteers have a bye this week but will return to action for their second-consecutive SEC road game on October 5 against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Related: Rece Davis Reveals Biggest Question About One College Football Powerhouse