Bleeding.Orange
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Man this football forum is so doom and gloom right now. Yes we got absolutely embarrassed Saturday night. Yes I was angry at players, coaches, and the world for about 24 hours. But after really taking in the situation and taking a step back I feel like we have had an insanely great season that so many people are taking for granted. People are talking about CJH not being the guy, us never being able to be elite for this reason or that, even contemplating their fandom (which is unfathomable to me) because we just won 10 games and made the CFP but were embarrassed by Ohio State in our worst game of the season by far. Fun fact, Peyton Manning's last game of his Tennessee career, a Vol legend and whom many consider the greatest QB to ever play at UT, was a 42-17 blowout loss to Nebraska. Nico is a redshirt FREASHMAN. But I see many people say how Nico will never be a great player?
Lets breakdown a few of the first seasons for the best QBs in recent Tennessee History shall we?
Peyton Manning (Freshman Year) - 11 games, 61% completion percentage, 1141 Pass Yards, 11 Tds, 6 Ints, -23 yards Rush, 1 Rush Td, 8-4 record
Josh Dobbs (Junior Year) - 13 games, 2291 Pass Yards, 59% Completion Percentage, 15 Pass TDs, 5 Ints, 469 Rush Yards, 8 Rush Tds, 9 - 4 Record (Dobbs had played in 10 games for UT at this point and ended the previous year as the starter)
Hendon Hooker (Sophomore at VT) - 11 games, 61% completion percentage 1555 Pass yards, 13 Pass Tds, 2 Ints, 356 rush yards, 5 Rush Tds, 8 - 5 Record
Nico Iamaleava (Redshirt Freshman) - 13 games, 2616 pass yards, 63.8% completion percentage, 19 tds, 5 ints, 358 Rush yards, 3 Tds, 10 - 3 Record (Yes I get the Defense was awesome this year at times for him)
Now lets check out how Coach Josh Heupel Compares in his first 4 seasons versus some of UT's Best in their first 4 seasons.
Phillip Fulmer - 1992: 4 -4, 1993: 9 - 2, 1994: 8 - 4, 1995: 11 - 1
Johnny Majors - 1977: 4 - 7, 1978: 5 -5. 1979: 7 - 5, 1980: 5 - 6
Josh Heupel - 2021: 7 - 6, 2022: 11 - 2, 2023: 9 - 4, 2024 10 - 3 - All while being under pretty insane NCAA sanctions that greatly restricted his recruiting especially in the first two seasons of his tenure
We are also still under those sanctions till 2028 although most of the impact was already dealt with in 2021 and 2022.
Josh Heupels 2022 recruiting class with Nico was also Tennessee's First Top Ten class since 2015. LET ALL THAT SINK IN.
Was the Ohio State game a huge disappointment? Yes. Did the defense have one of their worst games of the year? Yes. Did the team have one of their worst games of the year? Yes.
But we were without our best player Dylan Sampson, with less athleticism, coming off stretch where our first top ten class in 7 years is just now at the most sophomores and we have been hampered in recruiting, on the road, at night, against a really good team despite the Michigan loss. They played really good and we played really really bad. There is a talent gap imo and there is a money gap. We undoubtably have to spend more in NIL I agree. But also these powerhouse programs take time to build and we need to stack recruiting classes together. Other programs like LSU spent about the same as OSU did in NIL as well but had way worse of a season so is that really the issue? I think only time will tell. We aren't there but we are close and if you take a step back and look at the numbers we actually might be in the best position statistically we ever have been, outside of the General of course. So no the sky is not falling and Josh Heupel has this program in an incredible spot right now with some serious dudes coming in down the line. It wasn't the ending we all wanted but at the end of the day. I didn't expect to win a national championship this year, but my goal for the team was for them to make the playoffs and we even beat Bama and Florida in the process. HELL OF A SEASON in my opinion and Nico and the boys will only get better! There is a BRIGHT future on Rocky Top so cheer up and enjoy the great years to come! GO BIG ORANGE!
Lets breakdown a few of the first seasons for the best QBs in recent Tennessee History shall we?
Peyton Manning (Freshman Year) - 11 games, 61% completion percentage, 1141 Pass Yards, 11 Tds, 6 Ints, -23 yards Rush, 1 Rush Td, 8-4 record
Josh Dobbs (Junior Year) - 13 games, 2291 Pass Yards, 59% Completion Percentage, 15 Pass TDs, 5 Ints, 469 Rush Yards, 8 Rush Tds, 9 - 4 Record (Dobbs had played in 10 games for UT at this point and ended the previous year as the starter)
Hendon Hooker (Sophomore at VT) - 11 games, 61% completion percentage 1555 Pass yards, 13 Pass Tds, 2 Ints, 356 rush yards, 5 Rush Tds, 8 - 5 Record
Nico Iamaleava (Redshirt Freshman) - 13 games, 2616 pass yards, 63.8% completion percentage, 19 tds, 5 ints, 358 Rush yards, 3 Tds, 10 - 3 Record (Yes I get the Defense was awesome this year at times for him)
Now lets check out how Coach Josh Heupel Compares in his first 4 seasons versus some of UT's Best in their first 4 seasons.
Phillip Fulmer - 1992: 4 -4, 1993: 9 - 2, 1994: 8 - 4, 1995: 11 - 1
Johnny Majors - 1977: 4 - 7, 1978: 5 -5. 1979: 7 - 5, 1980: 5 - 6
Josh Heupel - 2021: 7 - 6, 2022: 11 - 2, 2023: 9 - 4, 2024 10 - 3 - All while being under pretty insane NCAA sanctions that greatly restricted his recruiting especially in the first two seasons of his tenure
We are also still under those sanctions till 2028 although most of the impact was already dealt with in 2021 and 2022.
Josh Heupels 2022 recruiting class with Nico was also Tennessee's First Top Ten class since 2015. LET ALL THAT SINK IN.
Was the Ohio State game a huge disappointment? Yes. Did the defense have one of their worst games of the year? Yes. Did the team have one of their worst games of the year? Yes.
But we were without our best player Dylan Sampson, with less athleticism, coming off stretch where our first top ten class in 7 years is just now at the most sophomores and we have been hampered in recruiting, on the road, at night, against a really good team despite the Michigan loss. They played really good and we played really really bad. There is a talent gap imo and there is a money gap. We undoubtably have to spend more in NIL I agree. But also these powerhouse programs take time to build and we need to stack recruiting classes together. Other programs like LSU spent about the same as OSU did in NIL as well but had way worse of a season so is that really the issue? I think only time will tell. We aren't there but we are close and if you take a step back and look at the numbers we actually might be in the best position statistically we ever have been, outside of the General of course. So no the sky is not falling and Josh Heupel has this program in an incredible spot right now with some serious dudes coming in down the line. It wasn't the ending we all wanted but at the end of the day. I didn't expect to win a national championship this year, but my goal for the team was for them to make the playoffs and we even beat Bama and Florida in the process. HELL OF A SEASON in my opinion and Nico and the boys will only get better! There is a BRIGHT future on Rocky Top so cheer up and enjoy the great years to come! GO BIG ORANGE!
