win to become world No.dddddddddddd1 and comparing him to the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.I am really proud of myself and just amazed how much confidence Darren has in me, said the 24-year-old, who shot an opening 62 in Denmark while paired with Clarke. Today couldnt be a

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- This is the season Tennessee has been pointing to for years.Tennessees revival started with the arrival of consecutive top-five recruiting classes in 2014 and 2015 that restocked the Volunteers talent base. Tennessee ended a string of four straight losing seasons in 2014 and finished last season with a six-game winning streak and a Top 25 ranking.The next step is to compete for a Southeastern Conference title and playoff berth. SEC media have picked Tennessee to win its first Eastern Division title since 2007.We want expectations high, Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. Thats why you come to the University of Tennessee. Thats why you coach here. To me, its a compliment of your program, no more, no less. Now its what you do with it.The Vols believe they can meet those expectations if they do a better job of protecting leads. Tennessee led in each of its four losses last season and was ahead by at least 13 points in three of them.Only five starters from last seasons 45-6 Outback Bowl blowout of Northwestern arent back this year. Depth and experience could help Tennessee produce better in close games this season.Youve just got to go into those situations with confidence, knowing that youre going to make a play, knowing your teammates got your back, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. Thats what we started getting toward the end of last year. We played with a lot more confidence at the end of those games.Perhaps the biggest challenge is to avoid getting consumed by the preseason hype.Honestly, all of thats just outside noise, defensive end Corey Vereen said. All were focused on is bringing it to work every single day.Here are some things to watch this year:RUNNING WILD: Jalen Hurd, Alvin Kamara and quarterback Joshua Dobbs return after combining to rush for 2,657 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. Hurd enters his junior season with 2,187 career yards rushing. Hes well within reach of the school record held by Travis Henry, who rushed for 3,078 yards from 1997-2000.SPECIAL-TEAMS SKILLS: Tennessee had the nations leading kickoff returner (Evan Berry) and punt returner (Cam Sutton) last season. Both are back this year. Tennessee scored a combined six touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns last season. Tennessee also returns its kicker (Aaron Medley) and punter (Trevor Daniel) from a year ago.NEW COORDINATOR: Bob Shoop takes over as defensive coordinator after previously filling the same role at Vanderbilt and Penn State. Shoop, a Yale alum and former Columbia head coach, said he wants to establish an in-your-face defense thats built on relentless pursuit and never-ending pressure. Vereen noted that Shoop is not real high on the swag-meter but added that the new coordinator has made a major impact with his philosophy that how were going to be as a defense is going to look better than whatever you have drawn up on paper.PASSING CONCERNS; Tennessee must upgrade a passing game that struggled with consistency. Dobbs completed 59.6 percent of his passes last season, down from 63.3 in 2014. Tennessee doesnt return anyone who had more than 405 yards receiving last season.FRONTLOADED SCHEDULE: Tennessee hosts Florida, visits Georgia and Texas A&M and hosts defending national champion Alabama on four consecutive weekends between Sept. 24 and Oct. 15. But the schedule gets much easier from there. Tennessees final five opponents (South Carolina, Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt) had losing records last season.-------AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Custom Lakers Jerseys . 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Lee Westwood believes Europes six Ryder Cup rookies will be ready for anything when they attempt to secure an unprecedented fourth straight victory at Hazeltine next month.Captain Darren Clarke was reluctant to add another debutant to the five who qualified automatically, but ultimately found it impossible not to select Belgiums Thomas Pieters, who finished fourth in the Olympics, second in the Czech Masters and won in Denmark on Sunday.That means Europes side will contain six rookies for the first time since Celtic Manor in 2010 and the most since seven were on the team at Brookline in 1999.Lets make no bones about it, I think it will be tough, admitted Westwood, who will make his 10th consecutive appearance in the biennial event after being selected along with fellow former world No.1 Martin Kaymer.Its difficult to be a rookie on home soil when you have the crowd cheering for you, but to be a rookie in the States and be up against it, the crowd as well as the team, its a little extra.But I look at our rookies and I see them not as rookies. Theres a lot of experience there and I look at a lot of the players characters and I think they can take it, they can take a fight and a bit of stick.So Im still very positive. I think weve got some world-class players.Clarke was wildly enthusiastic about Pieters, tipping him to win to become world No.dddddddddddd1 and comparing him to the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.I am really proud of myself and just amazed how much confidence Darren has in me, said the 24-year-old, who shot an opening 62 in Denmark while paired with Clarke. Today couldnt be a better day.I lost some sleep over it on Friday and Saturday night, not because I was really nervous, but there was so much going on and everybody is asking about it and I think it just gets to you a little bit.Im just really pleased I found a way to concentrate and focus, and I had a job to do on Sunday.Pieters has experience of playing in America after a successful college career at the University of Illinois, where he won the NCAA Division 1 Championship in 2011 in a field containing two-time major winner Jordan Spieth.That means there will be no fear factor in facing such players at Hazeltine, but the three-time European Tour winner added: Its going to be a matter of dealing with the crowds I think.I havent really played in front of a crowd thats against you, so that will be interesting. But Im sure Ill be up for the task. ' ' '