Josh Pate on Neyland Stadium and Heupel

[Casual Mustard Yeeter]

I know some posters on here get unreasonably angry at the mention of Josh Pate. If that's you then just keep scrolling.

Josh recently ranked the toughest places to play in America as a response to EA Games. You'll be surprised where he has Neyland ranked.

He also talked at length about Heupel as a head coach and had some pretty encouraging things to say.

 

[Orangesmokey]

I saw the clip where he was calling out EA for ranking Neyland so low on their list of places to play. Pretty funny.

 

[HeuperDrive]

I know some posters on here get unreasonably angry at the mention of Josh Pate. If that's you then just keep scrolling.

Josh recently ranked the toughest places to play in America as a response to EA Games. You'll be surprised where he has Neyland ranked.

He also talked at length about Heupel as a head coach and had some pretty encouraging things to say.

All I’m gonna say is that I think your username and pfp combo may be the funniest thing on this entire forum

I will say no more

 

[RockyTop140]

Pate has seemed to be pretty high on the Vols under heupel, I also think he’s fairly unbiased and correct on most of his takes on college football in general.

The fact EA keeps ranking Tennessee so low in terms of talent and stadium noise is puzzling. We’re rated the same overall as Auburn for the second year in a row and our stadium is still at 12.

 

[Rocky Top T]

We could have the loudest stadium if the other half of the fans would yell! I beg them around me every year, doesn't help.

 

[Voltopia]

I think EA picks a few things every year to generate a little controversy and conversation ahead of the game's release, if you know what I mean.

The people who are going to buy it will buy it no matter what they rank where. But it doesn't hurt them to have the game constantly in the newleading up to the ship date.

That said, the EA stadium rankings were definitely stupid as hell and Tennessee is definitely one of the toughest places to play. Drunk fans, blaring PA system, vertical stadium design, it's a killer. I'd say there's a little cluster at the top; Tennessee, LSU, maybe Oregon with their overhang that captures the noise (although I don't know how their fans are now that they're fat and happy on winning all the time). I've been to about a dozen college football stadiums, which isn't many but includes places like Michigan, Oregon, USC, etc., and none save Oregon have ever touched Neyland with a 10 foot pole.

Put it differently, Pate ranking them UT 1 and LSU 2 is pretty accurate to me. Outside the blessed cacapohony of Neyland, the only game I've wanted to experience is Tennessee-LSU at night. That one's a bucket list game if ever there was one.

 

[TNHopeful505]

EA literally has Alabama as the top ranked team.

Fools.

 

[wmcovol]

I know some posters on here get unreasonably angry at the mention of Josh Pate. If that's you then just keep scrolling.

Josh recently ranked the toughest places to play in America as a response to EA Games. You'll be surprised where he has Neyland ranked.

He also talked at length about Heupel as a head coach and had some pretty encouraging things to say.

How could a sensible person not? We, as Vol fans, should be exiting the 4 darkest years of our programs history with scholarship reductions, NCAA penalties & 15 year record of mediocrity, at best. Instead, Tennessee has weathered all the Pruitt $hit & come out competitive with the top programs over the last 3 years. I can not see, looking back, how anyone could be disappointed based on what we were facing.

I heard this week Heupel’s record is close to Fulmer’s record after their first 4 years. So why are some concerned? Fulmer took over a program that had been to Jan 1 bowl games the previous 4 years. Heupel took over a program that had losing seasons in 3 of the previous 4 years. Fulmer inherited a staff made up of great coaches like Cutcliffe, Brown, etc. Heupel had to rebuild a staff with a program rumored to be facing major NCAA penalties. Looking back, we all should feel great where the program is compared to where it very well could be. The future is as bright today than I can remember & I’ve followed the Vols since 1963.

 

[NighthawkVol]

I know some posters on here get unreasonably angry at the mention of Josh Pate. If that's you then just keep scrolling.

Josh recently ranked the toughest places to play in America as a response to EA Games. You'll be surprised where he has Neyland ranked.

He also talked at length about Heupel as a head coach and had some pretty encouraging things to say.

Josh Pate might be the most reasonable voice in college football. That was a great view.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

How could a sensible person not? We, as Vol fans, should be exiting the 4 darkest years of our programs history with scholarship reductions, NCAA penalties & 15 year record of mediocrity, at best. Instead, Tennessee has weathered all the Pruitt $hit & come out competitive with the top programs over the last 3 years. I can not see, looking back, how anyone could be disappointed based on what we were facing.

I heard this week Heupel’s record is close to Fulmer’s record after their first 4 years. So why are some concerned?Fulmer took over a program that had been to Jan 1 bowl games the previous 4 years. Heupel took over a program that had losing seasons in 3 of the previous 4 years. Fulmer inherited a staff made up of great coaches like Cutcliffe, Brown, etc. Heupel had to rebuild a staff with a program rumored to be facing major NCAA penalties. Looking back, we all should feel great where the program is compared to where it very well could be. The future is as bright today than I can remember & I’ve followed the Vols since 1963.

Because the difference is Fulmer and his staff were recruiting at an elite level in those first 4 years. Despite the record similarities, what we all knew back then was Fulmer had built a roster that had the raw talent to compete with anybody in the country. Under Huepel, this is simply not true, wether fans want to admit it or not. Now, that's not to say that Huepel cant or wont get there! Im not saying that at all. I keep saying over and over that his ceiling is still unknown. But saying Huepel's current recruiting isn't good enough to compete for championships isn't a slam on him. Its just a fact.

 

[Vfl2407]

We could have the loudest stadium if the other half of the fans would yell! I beg them around me every year, doesn't help.

I’ve often thought that along with a “checkered Neyland night” and an “Orange out game” that we also should have
a “loud fans only” game. This would be where we asked that one game a season that fans who don’t like or can’t stand and yell and scream to sell or give their tickets to someone who would. Generally, this would mean older and wealthier fans giving their seats once to younger and poorer fans. I know this would never happen but just imagine if it did what Neyland would sound like.

 

[wmcovol]

Because the difference is Fulmer and his staff were recruiting at an elite level in those first 4 years. Despite the record similarities, what we all knew back then was Fulmer had built a roster that had the raw talent to compete with anybody in the country. Under Huepel, this is simply not true, whether fans want to admit it or not. Now, that's not to say that Huepel cant or wont get there! Im not saying that at all. I keep saying over and over that his ceiling is still unknown. But saying Huepel's current recruiting isn't good enough to compete for championships isn't a slam on him. It’s just a fact.

Obviously you missed the point that elite recruits in the early-mid 90s saw Tennessee as a great program during their middle & high school years. Elite recruits during Heupel’s first couple years never saw Tennessee as a contender for anything. Hell, some of our recruits parents today don’t recall 1998.

Do you think Manning comes to Tennessee if the program had 3 losing seasons in the 4 previous years & was facing major NCAA penalties? Of course not. That’s exactly why he didn’t go to Ole Miss.

Heupel’s recruiting has improved considerably since the NCAA cloud has cleared. 4 5 stars in the past two classes is much better than the last 10+ years. Talent today is far more spread out than just 5 years ago when Ala, Ohio State & Ga took the majority of the 5 star players. In 2021, Ala & OSU each signed 7 5 star guys. Today, these type players are more spread out.

 

[VolFan_stuck_in_the_901]

Obviously you missed the point that elite recruits in the early-mid 90s saw Tennessee as a great program during their middle & high school years. Elite recruits during Heupel’s first couple years never saw Tennessee as a contender for anything. Hell, some of our recruits parents today don’t recall 1998.

Do you think Manning comes to Tennessee if the program had 3 losing seasons in the 4 previous years & was facing major NCAA penalties? Of course not. That’s exactly why he didn’t go to Ole Miss.

Peyton would've still gone to OM in spite of all that had Cooper not suffered a career-ending injury. People forget that his dream was to play with his brother and throw TD passes to him

 

[wmcovol]

Peyton would've still gone to OM in spite of all that had Cooper not suffered a career-ending injury. People forget that his dream was to play with his brother and throw TD passes to him

And he’d probably gone to Ole Miss, even with Cooper hurt, if they were not facing major penalties & scholarship reductions.

I heard Billy Brewer, OM coach at the time, speak after he was fired & he said “Archie & Olivia realized we wouldnt be able to build a team good enough to protect him. They were protecting his NFL career”

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Obviously you missed the point that elite recruits in the early-mid 90s saw Tennessee as a great program during their middle & high school years. Elite recruits during Heupel’s first couple years never saw Tennessee as a contender for anything. Hell, some of our recruits parents today don’t recall 1998.

Do you think Manning comes to Tennessee if the program had 3 losing seasons in the 4 previous years & was facing major NCAA penalties? Of course not. That’s exactly why he didn’t go to Ole Miss.

Heupel’s recruiting has improved considerably since the NCAA cloud has cleared. 4 5 stars in the past two classes is much better than the last 10+ years. Talent today is far more spread out than just 5 years ago when Ala, Ohio State & Ga took the majority of the 5 star players. In 2021, Ala & OSU each signed 7 5 star guys. Today, these type players are more spread out.

I dont understand why you're defending Huepel, when I never attacked him. All I did was clearly lay out the facts.

As I said, all we can say about Huepel right now is that his ceiling is unknown and as of right NOW he doesnt have the necessary roster to legitimately compete for championships, where Fulmer did. None of that is an attack on Huepel.

 

[dduncan4163]

All I’m gonna say is that I think your username and pfp combo may be the funniest thing on this entire forum

I will say no more

FACTS

 

[dduncan4163]

Pate has seemed to be pretty high on the Vols under heupel, I also think he’s fairly unbiased and correct on most of his takes on college football in general.

The fact EA keeps ranking Tennessee so low in terms of talent and stadium noise is puzzling. We’re rated the same overall as Auburn for the second year in a row and our stadium is still at 12.

He was there for the 2022 Bama game and he's stated it was the best game and gameday environment he's ever witnessed.

 

[xpsyclonex2002]

I've always thought Josh was the most level headed sports caster out there. Even when we were still bad, you didn't have to like what he was saying but he was always pretty accurate. His assessments of our team's strengths and weaknesses and individual players strengths and weaknesses have pretty much been spot on. He's dang hard to argue with. You may not always like the message which is hard to tell him he's wrong.

 

[wmcovol]

I dont understand why you're defending Huepel, when I never attacked him. All I did was clearly lay out the facts.

As I said, all we can say about Huepel right now is that his ceiling is unknown and as of right NOW he doesnt have the necessary roster to legitimately compete for championships, where Fulmer did. None of that is an attack on Huepel.

Did you forget the program had 8 losing seasons in the 15 years prior to Heupel? Did you really expect to have a championship roster after 4 years knowing whatTennessee was facing in 2021?

I appreciate what PF did but he came in after 4 straight January 1 bowls. Heupel came in after 3 losing seasons in the last 4 & scholly reductions. To expect Heupel to recruit a roster at the same level Fulmer had in ‘93-97 is simply not realistic. That’s as nice as I can be.