A big weekend for UT athletics filled up the show for Off The Hook on Monday, Feb. 6. The podcast led with the basketball Vols looking awful despite picking up a top 25 win over the weekend. Tennessee football players in the Senior Bowl led to a larger conversation about players leaving. Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Network also joined.
Tennessee basketball looks awful in 46-43 win
The Vols would seem to want to celebrate after beating a top 25 team in the Auburn Tigers 46-43 over the weekend. However, the awful play of both teams made more news, and given that fact, it didn’t seem like much of a bounce back, as written here in this column on Off The Hook.
Could Tennessee football land Lane Kiffin’s or Peyton Manning’s son?
Both Knox Kiffin and Marshall Manning are starting to make headlines for their ability to throw the ball. They would be in the 2028 and 2030 recruiting classes respectively. What are the chances Tennessee football lands either of them, and would they even be a good fit for Josh Heupel’s system?
Alabama staff changes with Blake Toppmeyer
Once again, the Alabama Crimson Tide are changing coordinators on both sides of the ball. Nick Saban brought back Kevin Steele to run the defense and lured Tommy Rees away from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to run the offense. Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Network discussed what that means for the program.
Which SEC football program is the next Alabama or Georgia?
While Alabama and the Georgia Bulldogs had the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked 247Sports Composite recruiting classes for 2023 respectively, two future SEC schools, the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. The LSU Tigers were No. 6, and Tennessee football was No. 9. Blake Toppmeyer broke down which of those four schools are best positioned to take the mantle from Alabama and Georgia.
What will SEC look like when Texas and Oklahoma join?
In 2025, Texas and OU will officially be SEC members. What does that mean for the league? Will it stay at two divisions, go to a pod system or even have four divisions? Which of those options would be the best for Tennessee football, and is maintaining tradition or having the best system the most important?
Who will Tennessee football miss the most?
Last week, Darnell Wright made a name for himself at the Senior Bowl? Is he the biggest loss for the Vols? Which of the players leaving are big losses, and which are of no concern? Are there any players leaving UT fans would willingly say “so long” too?
