If this is the beginning of the end of Heupel at Tennessee—his executive decision to continue to play Joe Milton in 2023 is what prevented a breakout

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

What I said all year last year, Milton was in his 6th year and never was gonna be better. Get Nico ready and so much better this year.

Truly should have been to obvious to anyone that knows ball. I think Michigan told Milton it would be best if he looked elsewhere because they knew right away he just wasn’t going to be able to put it together. And if you can’t make it at Michigan at QB you have to be really bad.

 

[Golfprovol]

100% correct. CJH has reached his ceiling if he stays status quo. There's NO doubt. His offenses have regressed the last 2 years and his DC is about as vanilla as it gets. Other coaches are hoping we roll around on the schedule before he makes any changes.

We do not have a coach problem, a system problem, a predictability problem. What we do have is a QB problem. I have explained it a few times in other threads that the QB this year was the issue. Not that Nico is bad or wont be the guy we want him to be, but this year he could not process information fast enough. Same with Joe. Our offense is built to go fast, there is no misdirection, no motion, nothing to move the eyes of the defense. It is made to be fast, so fast that defenses have to mainly play a base.

Our offense slowed down the last 2 years because our QB's could not process what the defense quick enough. This gave the defense time to see our formation and adjust. Nico had predetermined receives to throw the ball to and we ran simple plays because of his processing time and the OL.

When Hendon was here he was a 5th year QB, he could process the information quickly and get us into the right formation and get the ball snapped quick. We ran the same plays then as now, the defense just did not have time to adjust or get lined up correctly.

Think about when Hendon got to the red zone, we slowed down and scoring became much more difficult. In 2022 we were much more deadly from the 40 than we were from the 15.

If Nico gets quicker, our pace gets quicker, and teams will not be able to adjust. 2022 Georgia was 27-13 with a defensive secondary built in the image of a high school team.

If we get Nico to read the defense quicker, or go to someone who can, then we will speed up and these conversations can go away.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

I really don’t understand the doom and gloom for next year. We have a very favorable schedule to be at minimum 9-3 with a 10-2 record not being that far off.

9-3 doesn’t make the playoffs. And that’s a step back. If we’re progressing, not only are we making playoffs, we’re winning a game and hosting.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

Some of y’all are certifiably insane.

Doing the same thing over and over again…and expecting a different result—is the definition of what?

 

[NighthawkVol]

Doing the same thing over and over again…and expecting a different result—is the definition of what?

It’s not the definition of insanity. Insanity is a clinically defined mental illness. Poorly contrived cliches don’t change that.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

It’s not the definition of insanity. Insanity is a clinically defined mental illness. Poorly contrived cliches don’t change that.

Bet if I go through your post history you’d be sitting there saying no one should critique Guarantano for 3 years of sub par Qb play…..we did the same thing with Milton and had Hooker and Nico on the bench behind a player that made our team play worse with him on the field for the duration of his time as QB1.

It’s not personal with Hooker or Guarantano. But if you have someone like Nathan Peterman starting games consistently, you’re not going to have a winning program.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

We do not have a coach problem, a system problem, a predictability problem. What we do have is a QB problem. I have explained it a few times in other threads that the QB this year was the issue. Not that Nico is bad or wont be the guy we want him to be, but this year he could not process information fast enough. Same with Joe. Our offense is built to go fast, there is no misdirection, no motion, nothing to move the eyes of the defense. It is made to be fast, so fast that defenses have to mainly play a base.

Our offense slowed down the last 2 years because our QB's could not process what the defense quick enough. This gave the defense time to see our formation and adjust. Nico had predetermined receives to throw the ball to and we ran simple plays because of his processing time and the OL.

When Hendon was here he was a 5th year QB, he could process the information quickly and get us into the right formation and get the ball snapped quick. We ran the same plays then as now, the defense just did not have time to adjust or get lined up correctly.

Think about when Hendon got to the red zone, we slowed down and scoring became much more difficult. In 2022 we were much more deadly from the 40 than we were from the 15.

If Nico gets quicker, our pace gets quicker, and teams will not be able to adjust. 2022 Georgia was 27-13 with a defensive secondary built in the image of a high school team.

If we get Nico to read the defense quicker, or go to someone who can, then we will speed up and these conversations can go away.

I think Nico’s short comings as a starting QB made the entire team not as good. The WR’s never developed rhythm. Heupel limited the stretch plays down field.

If Nico got experience the year before, that very well could have been the difference.

 

[vols 30]

I cant believe "beginning of the end" is even being discussed. It's never crosses my mind until I see it on here.

This is beyond negavol, it's just plain stupidity

 

[knoxvol52]

Just another great thread in the Football Forum.

 

[The_topis_Rocky89]

I wonder if Nico has the mental/IQ to be a really good QB. He seems like he’s a prey animal when he drops back. When he scrambles like a deer running from predators, rather than someone aggrsssivly trying to make moves and advance the ball.

He had flashes where he looked in command. But his complete inability to throw the deep ball held us back. The timing is another aspect of his game that could have been developed if he played thru 2023.

This is just inaccurate- guys we have to be objective how many balls were not caught due to PI at least 10 and how many drops. RockyTopTalk.com showed Nico was 6th in the country lost to yds lost to drops

 

[CAPTAIN--VOL CAVALRY]

The "Beginning of the End' the OP spoke of will be when Josh Heupel decides to leave the University of Tennessee and we return to the 6-8 win seasons of yesteryear.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda, my big old hairy arse. Some of you keyboard jockys missed your calling, somewhere no doubt someone is looking for a person to spew ridiculous click wasting nonsense on the Internet, you'd be a good fit

Word

 

[stolitonic]

To be honest, next year was kind of the year I had penciled in for us to go to the playoffs.

I didn't think we would make it this year, but we got a few breaks and UF, Oklahoma, and Bama were all way down vs normal this season so our "window" got moved up

Florida and OU are gonna be much bigger mountains to climb next season and we have to travel to Bama.

Next year is gonna be an 8-4 type year at best the way things look right now. If we do not grab a few for the Oline rotation and receivers out of the portal then we could be in big trouble.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

I cant believe "beginning of the end" is even being discussed. It's never crosses my mind until I see it on here.

This is beyond negavol, it's just plain stupidity

This is just inaccurate- guys we have to be objective how many balls were not caught due to PI at least 10 and how many drops. RockyTopTalk.com showed Nico was 6th in the country lost to yds lost to drops

Valid point. How many drops were due to timing not being on point? I am not trying to say Nico should be told to pack his stuff and get out—I’m saying we had a window this year to really progress as a program. And it was squandered because Nico wasn’t ready for the majority of the season because Heupel lacked the executive decision making to see he should have benched Milton to prep for the future.

What if we had talent at WR that was sitting on the bench because Heupel isn’t capable of putting the right guys on the field?

 

[njvols]

Milton did fine. With Milton at QB in 2023, with the exception of a mystifying loss at Florida, we beat who we were supposed to beat, and got beat by who we were supposed to get beat by. Nico QB'd his own mystifying loss at Arkansas in 2024, and no less than Hendon Hooker himself QB'd a mystifying loss at South Carolina in 2022.

Nico wasn't ready to be the starting QB in 2023, and spent a decent chunk of last season injured.

Yes! We are on our slow climb, but unfortunately, progress isn't linear with at least 8 legit teams in SEC vying for top shelf SEC legitimacy. Finished 3rd this year w/ a good but flawed team. 10-2 is quite an accomplishment any year in SEC.

As for moving forward, you change and adapt if you want to continue to grow...coaches, players and schemes. Gonna be a battle every year to maintain.

 

[JMSqb11]

9-3 doesn’t make the playoffs. And that’s a step back. If we’re progressing, not only are we making playoffs, we’re winning a game and hosting.

Sure, but people are crazy to think we are such a sure thing to fall back.... The only 3 games of note on the schedule are

At Florida - 2 decade winless streak in Swamp
At Bama - 2 decade winless streak in Bryant Denny
Host Georgia - Won't believe we beat Georgia until the day we actually do beat them


We basically have to win 1 of the 3 to finish 10-2 and be in playoff buzz.

This notion we just shot our one chance to make a move in the playoff is chicken little-ish....

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

I don’t think this game was the beginning of the end necessarily. If he won’t replace his assistants bc they’re his buddies then that’ll be what brings him down eventually

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Love Josh Heupel. He’s done some great things for us. Couple of head scratching decisions. The biggest one being—not having Nico ready to roll in 2023.

Joe Milton was never a major starting QB. Michigan saw it right away. He has great tools, a great young man, and a great teammate.

But the way this season played out is precisely why he should have had Nico hitting the field as early as possible.

Nico played his ass off against Ohio state but it was obvious he wasn’t ready for game speed for much of this season.

don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but next year won’t be a playoff year. And then we have no idea what our schedule will look like the following year, but I think it’s going to get more difficult to recruit and this may be the high water mark of Heupel as our head coach.

I hope it’s not. But it’s going to be difficult to get back to where we were this year.

Fun year. Proud we made the playoffs. Should have had Nico ready for rush run after it was obvious Joe Milton wasn’t the guy. Instead we rode Milton for the entire 2023 season and missed the opportunity to really make progress in 2024.

lol. If our WRs would have been sure handed and consistent last year, we win at least 10 games.

 

[Majors]

Love Josh Heupel. He’s done some great things for us. Couple of head scratching decisions. The biggest one being—not having Nico ready to roll in 2023.

Joe Milton was never a major starting QB. Michigan saw it right away. He has great tools, a great young man, and a great teammate.

But the way this season played out is precisely why he should have had Nico hitting the field as early as possible.

Nico played his ass off against Ohio state but it was obvious he wasn’t ready for game speed for much of this season.

don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but next year won’t be a playoff year. And then we have no idea what our schedule will look like the following year, but I think it’s going to get more difficult to recruit and this may be the high water mark of Heupel as our head coach.

I hope it’s not. But it’s going to be difficult to get back to where we were this year.

Fun year. Proud we made the playoffs. Should have had Nico ready for rush run after it was obvious Joe Milton wasn’t the guy. Instead we rode Milton for the entire 2023 season and missed the opportunity to really make progress in 2024.

You expected a true freshman to be ready? Hypothetically which game does Nico win that we lost with Joe was QB?


In four years we go from 3-7, to beating Bama twice, Florida twice, #1 ranking and make the 12 team playoff.

 

[EastTNVol6240]

Goodness…there must not be any egg nog left in VolNation.

I’m impressed at how the craziness just seems to grow and grow after a loss.

A lot of you folks might want to consider prescription meds.

I think our staff drank all the egg nog during the prep weeks leading to OSU. Prob the script meds to. Joe Biden could’ve been better prepared as head coach.

 

[Majors]

Valid point. How many drops were due to timing not being on point? I am not trying to say Nico should be told to pack his stuff and get out—I’m saying we had a window this year to really progress as a program. And it was squandered because Nico wasn’t ready for the majority of the season because Heupel lacked the executive decision making to see he should have benched Milton to prep for the future.

What if we had talent at WR that was sitting on the bench because Heupel isn’t capable of putting the right guys on the field?

Nico has been here two years. He’s as ready as he’s going to be…supporting cast will make or break him.

 

[BigOrangeFanatic]

I really don’t understand the doom and gloom for next year. We have a very favorable schedule to be at minimum 9-3 with a 10-2 record not being that far off.

JH has a strong, proven track record for certain things. The biggest of those being he cannot win big games on the road. That automatically puts us losing to Bama and UF. We will not be good enough to beat UGA at home especially with that game being early in the year. That's 9-3 without looking at another thing JH has been notorious for and that's having a stinker of a game somewhere that is unexpected. Could be Syracuse, could be Arky again. Who knows but to have any kind of confidence whatsoever that this team will win 10 games next year is laughable. That is, unless he makes some major upgrades on the staff and through the portal.

 

[zeppelin128]

Y'all have lost your collective minds, even for VolNation.

 

[Lekvolrrah]

Huep is an intelligent man. He and Vols will be alright long term.

 

[apevol]

some folks love sniffing their own farts

 

[Gandalf]

Love Josh Heupel. He’s done some great things for us. Couple of head scratching decisions. The biggest one being—not having Nico ready to roll in 2023.

Joe Milton was never a major starting QB. Michigan saw it right away. He has great tools, a great young man, and a great teammate.

But the way this season played out is precisely why he should have had Nico hitting the field as early as possible.

Nico played his ass off against Ohio state but it was obvious he wasn’t ready for game speed for much of this season.

don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but next year won’t be a playoff year. And then we have no idea what our schedule will look like the following year, but I think it’s going to get more difficult to recruit and this may be the high water mark of Heupel as our head coach.

I hope it’s not. But it’s going to be difficult to get back to where we were this year.

Fun year. Proud we made the playoffs. Should have had Nico ready for rush run after it was obvious Joe Milton wasn’t the guy. Instead we rode Milton for the entire 2023 season and missed the opportunity to really make progress in 2024.