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

[BernardKingGOAT]

All I know is when people say there is regression, there is a simple way to see if the data backs up that claim.... The 2024 season was an improvement over the 2023 season.... The program is currently in the midst of trending upi

I must have misinterpreted your post

 

[BreatheUT]

Some of us wanted the playoffs. When that became unrealistic, we wanted the SEC championship. When East became unrealistic, we wanted a NY6 bowl. When that became unrealistic we wanted the best bowl left, the Citrus Bowl. Our rich history means a lot more than CFP or bust to many of us.

We would have been a laughing stock if we started tanking at 5-2 after the bama loss took us out the cfp, or if we benched Milton for Nico at 7-3 after the Mizzou loss took us out of the East Division race. All that would have done is wave an embaressing flag to the cfb world saying "we hope we can compete against elite teams next year". No chance that could affect recruiting or perception......

Heck, Georgia might have damaged Nico like FL did Peterman. Milton had a slightly better stat line in 23 than Nico this year, so I find it a tough sell that Nico was the better option to win in 23 than Milton. I can't prove Nico wasn't ready and could have been damaged by playing too soon anymore than you can prove he was ready and would have improved.

We didn’t build our history by tanking when we were out of natty contention. We built it by demanding the most every year. We didn't bench Jeff Francis for Andy Kelly after we started 0-6 in 1988.

It is easy for a few clueless mouth pieces to come on here like they know who needs to be playing. Taking Milton out would've destroyed the locker room and Milton was a better QB. There is a higher probability we would've taken more L's.

Barnum & Bailey is not the only clown show in town.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

All I know is when people say there is regression, there is a simple way to see if the data backs up that claim.... The 2024 season was an improvement over the 2023 season.... The program is currently in the midst of trending up

And few on this board predicted we would win 10 games. I think the problem is, the started out the pre SEC season like they would/could win every game. We beat Alabama and tat usually means we will have a stellar year Which we did. However, our expectations were so high, many of us thought we could win it all. We have Georgia on the ropes and I still believe we should have won that game. I do not think the will win out this year. Let’s see what happens in the portal to fill a couple of holes, and see if the offense can improve with new blood along the offensive line and wide receivers. I expect Nico to improve and have more time find receivers if they are able to create separation. Depth at QB will be better in case Nico is injured or can not continue to improve. There is hope we will be a more complete team next year, but we will not know until next December I hope everyone has a healthy and prosperous 2025

 

[MemphisVol77]

Bro I'm happy. We ain't 4-8 or 5-7. We had some rough rough years. Now we win 9 to 10 games a year.

Exactly!
There's no doubt 2008 - 2020 hurt our stature, but our brand is far from dead.

We used to be alone with OSU as the only teams that had never had an 8 loss season. We also had never gone a season winless in conference play. All we can do now is move on.

A coach telling the team that's it's OK to sacrifice a season for a roll of the dice would deserve to be fired that day.

Fans denigrating any bowl or accomplishment short of a Natty or CFP appearance are an embaressment.

We didn't build our tradition with that kind of loser mentality.

 

[GAVol]

Most popular guy on campus is the backup QB.

Always.

 

[Hank Bukowski]

The beginning of the end will have more to do with his decision to not make staff changes, IMO. He has to replace a few guys if he wants to take the next step in competing for an SEC championship, and/or making a deep playoff run. He has reached his peak with what he currently has.

I have to agree with this and, honestly, I can’t fathom how any fan couldn’t agree with it. But to each his or her own, I guess.

If Heup doesn’t improve this program in every area—starting with his own in-game coaching—I fear we will remain a second-tier program with a ceiling of 10-2 every year. Can Heup actually build a championship program for us? Can he learn from these past four years and actually become a championship coach himself?

Fingers crossed and time will tell.

 

[ReelfootVol]

To all the naysayers...........................On this Christmas morning I, age 78 and a Vol fan for most of my years................I JUST WANT TO SAY LOUD AND CLEAR, THAT I THANK GOD FOR JOSH AND THE JOB HE HAS DONE FOR THE SHORT TIME HE HAS BEEN OUR COACH.

 

[EZE]

Realistically, we may not reach the playoffs for a bit. I hope that’s not the case, but this year was missed opportunity.

Our passing game was not developed. We have some big time assets coming—but not having Nico battle ready in favor of sticking with Joe Milton shows Heupel’s flaws in making executive decisions.

Him punting when we were down 28-10 in the 3rd quarter was also a real head scratcher that not many elite coaches would have made.

I believe we’ll be back next season…and better.

The future looks bright to me.

 

[EZE]

Tennessee makes the the College Football Playoff.

Tennessee Fans:
View attachment 709064

Unbelievable

Well played!

 

[JMSqb11]

Bro I'm happy. We ain't 4-8 or 5-7. We had some rough rough years. Now we win 9 to 10 games a year.

The one thing that has made this whole situation so “frustrating” to put it is that Heupel is like 20-1 over the past 3 seasons at home.

We are then 6-7 on the road over that same stretch away from Neyland not counting the 3 postseason games….

The very evident task or obstacle standing in his way of taking next step of elevating this program is winning on the road.

I trust him to sort it out but the fans need to chill.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

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.

Garbage post

Take your meds

 

[Volnuck]

You would think that Tennessee wandering the desert of suck for over a decade would humble the fanbase, but here we are talking about a 10-2 year being the beginning of the end for the head coach.

I like it when folks are happy, sad, or mad, that means they care. Apathy is what scares me, when folks just don’t care. That’s where we were from 2008 until 2020 and it was miserable. That’s when you have 75,000 people in the house Neyland built. I don’t ever want us to go back there again.

 

[Batman1948]

To all the naysayers...........................On this Christmas morning I, age 78 and a Vol fan for most of my years................I JUST WANT TO SAY LOUD AND CLEAR, THAT I THANK GOD FOR JOSH AND THE JOB HE HAS DONE FOR THE SHORT TIME HE HAS BEEN OUR COACH.

I had to turn my hearing aids down reading this

 

[m1al]

Are you seriously saying that this program didn’t make “real progress” this season? Were you living under a rock the past 20 years?

His theory got rejected in another thread so he had to start a new thread in hope of a consensus...

Been here a while, seen it.... many times.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

Yeah Joes processing all the way to the bank

Does that change the fact on anything I said? No. It doesn’t. There’s always been tools like you that said: Joe throw far. Joe good.

Listen to me: Joe throw far. Joe not good.

 

[Carl Pickens]

Ohio State probably won’t beat Oregon. And they’ll get beat hard by Texas if they get by Oregon. This is a team that lost to Michigan at home. We just weren’t ready and this game should have been in Knoxville.

They’re better than you think bro

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

Garbage post

Take your meds

So we go 8-4 next year and looking at 7-5 the year after—what are you going to say? Say what you’ll say now.

 

[WhenUrVolUrVFL]

They’re better than you think bro

I watched them enough this year to know what they are. They played the best game they have this year because it was in Columbus and they got the momentum after the facemask call.

If we don’t get the face mask call you could feel how tense the air was—I think if we get the ball and score…they play MUCH MUCH tighter like they did against Michigan. Instead, they got relief on that big play and that momentum inflated their egos and allowed them to get the result it did.

 

[m1al]

Does that change the fact on anything I said? No. It doesn’t. There’s always been tools like you that said: Joe throw far. Joe good.

Listen to me: Joe throw far. Joe not good.

"Little Billy, despite trying really hard and yet still gaining no traction among the VolNation masses resorts to the last ditch ploy known as the personal insult. A tactic so effective in bringing home the argument that Dale Carnegie left it out of his best seller How to Win Friends and Influence People......."

 

[jeff1vol]

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.

You make great points. However, if Nico cannot process (meaning that he simply operates the system the way it needs to be to be successful) than we need to have a QB derby in the Spring WIDE OPEN, no excuses, and find the one that can operate in Heupels system best. My fear is that wont happen because of the $ Nico has been paid.

 

[Golfprovol]

You make great points. However, if Nico cannot process (meaning that he simply operates the system the way it needs to be to be successful) than we need to have a QB derby in the Spring WIDE OPEN, no excuses, and find the one that can operate in Heupels system best. My fear is that wont happen because of the $ Nico has been paid.

I think CJH cares more about winning than he does about Nico's $$.

 

[cgrish]

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.

I agree 100% about Nico should have been the starter early last year when it was obvious to most people he was not a good starting qb. Nico, had he started several games would have been ready to roll from the start of this season. If not then another qb should be in.

 

[cgrish]

You make great points. However, if Nico cannot process (meaning that he simply operates the system the way it needs to be to be successful) than we need to have a QB derby in the Spring WIDE OPEN, no excuses, and find the one that can operate in Heupels system best. My fear is that wont happen because of the $ Nico has been paid.

I was thinking the same thing. We have Nico for 3 more years regardless if he can do it or not. I hope he improves, I do like the heart he plays the game with though. And hopefully he can continue to improve and process the defense faster.