Everything I said about Tennessee football still stands. I said we need to learn to be happy being a 8-9 win program with the potential for occasional spikes with elite quarterback play. That's not Georgia or Alabama (elite). Texie's premature, arrogant chest-beating is only further evidence of the delusion I was talking about. The downside to this year is that even more TN fans feel entitled to relive the 90's. There's a considerable contingent within the fan base that are disgruntled with nothing less than a national championship. Likely he over-consumption of rightwing media has affected their personalities and that toxicity infects everything in their miserable lives.
Hypothetically, if Heupel was forced to take a 5 year hiatus from college football and then told he had to coach in the SEC and had to win a natty within 6 years to save his family and he could choose any job he wanted, Tennessee might not be in his top 8. Sorry, Texie.
Coaching. That's the difference.
We've had a clown show in that capacity since the last years of Fulmer. Who, like Smart now, just out-talented everybody in the 90s. But when other schools caught up, his weaknesses were exposed.
Heupel has sold me. Quiet competence in all phases. Doesn't wow with his personal magnetism -- that's cool. He's a perfect fit for East Tennessee. He's not a poet. But he says the right things, and doesn't sound like a doofus (CJP) or a flake (Kiffin, Dooley, Jones) while doing so.
With the right system, players, and culture -- the sky's the limit. Look at Clemson. 6 playoff appearances. I know, I know -- ACC v SEC. But still...
Our first TD in Friday:
we get to the 4. And they flag Heup for UC. I put on another site that I could not recall ever seeing a HC flagged for UC. And it wasn't like he was going berserk or anything.
Weird. The kind of momentum-killing weirdness that had become defining for our program for YEARS. Backs us up 15 yards. Against a top-flight D. The difference between 7 and 3. Or maybe nothing.
What do we do? Line back up and get at 'em. 15 yards? So what. A run play for positive yardage sets up a PINPOINT strike from the flat-footed one.
I wrote "this is not your old Tennessee anymore."
Things have CHANGED. It is EVIDENT.
Watched the end of the Georgia game last night. OSU had just moved into long FG range. And then proceeded to look kinda stupid with their play selection. 10 more yards woulda been HUGE. But instead, they lost 2 or 3. You saw the result.
I thought "there's nobody in the nation I'd rather have at HC in that situation than CJH."
