It’s time to end the pity party. It’s Florida week for Tennessee’s football team and there will be no sympathy from the Gators on Saturday when the play the Vols.
To be clear, I’m not referring to Tennessee’s players or coaches. They’re professionals and I’m sure have moved on from the incredibly disappointing loss to Arkansas on Saturday. However, it doesn’t seem the fan base has done as much.
Per the Off The Hook Sports Youtube channel, some Tennessee fans think coach Josh Heupel is suddenly an 8-4 type of guy, instead of a coach that can win a national championship sometime in the future. Some of those fans are questioning quarterback Nico Iamaleava as a bust. Let’s slow down just a bit.
The SEC is not going to serve up a gimme-win this season. Vanderbilt proved that to Alabama in the Commodores’ upset win over the Crimson Tide. The Vols were just one of the teams that have gotten foiled by an upset in recent weeks. Kentucky beat Ole Miss. Missouri got hammered by Texas A&M. Yet the Vols simply lost to a physical Arkansas team on the road with a great game plan. That’s no reason to throw Heupel nor Iamaleava under the bus.
I’m sure Heupel has been outcoached before. It happens to all coaches, great or not. I’m sure that Iamaleava has been frustrated and ineffective before. That also happens to elite quarterbacks as they develop and, remember, Iamaleava is just a redshirt freshman with six starts under his belt.
Was Iamaleava confused by a great defensive game plan against Arkansas? Certainly. Was he flustered by pressure caused by two struggling offensive tackles that struggled to block air on Saturday? No doubt. However, that’s not on him. That’s on coaching and, history would suggest, that Tennessee can coach its way out of bad times. We’ll get to that in a second.
I’m not concerned that Tennessee’s team could suddenly split apart just because of a loss to Arkansas. However, if the Vols lose to Florida on Saturday, that would be a different story. Two consecutive losses to unranked teams would all but end any goals that the Vols had set headed into the season, which were as lofty as a national championship and, at least, a berth in the College Football Playoff, which brings us to…
To remind everyone, there is a 12-team College Football Playoff in place this season so the Vols still have everything to play for. Had this been previous seasons, then I would certainly be more understanding of a doomsday scenario. That’s not where these Vols are.
I can’t completely tell you if the Vols’ vaunted culture can overcome such a disappointing loss as the game against the Razorbacks. However, I think that’s the case. I think team chemistry is strong enough to handle what could end up being a bump in the road. If not, there was a crater in the highway in Fayetteville, Ark.
Heupel’s greatest challenge is making sure that Iamaleava doesn’t lose confidence following the Arkansas game in which he struggled and ended the game in rather embarrassing fashion by running out of bounds on the final play. That all has to be forgotten. Tennessee coaches and player have repeatedly used the term “flush” to discuss how the Vols need to quickly put the Arkansas game behind them.
If recent history is any indication, the Vols will do that. Tennessee hammered UTSA last season after losing to Florida, defeated Kentucky after losing to Alabama and rebounded with a resounding win over Vanderbilt after losing to Georgia. If that isn’t enough proof, the Vols hammered Missouri after losing to Georgia in 2022, then hammered Vanderbilt following the devastating loss to South Carolina later that season.
The Vols haven’t lost consecutive games since Heupel’s first season as head coach when the Vols lost to Ole Miss and Alabama in consecutive Saturdays. That, however, wasn’t really surprising considering the previous coaching regime had left the Vols with mediocre talent and an incomplete roster. The Vols can’t make that claim now. Tennessee has plenty of talent to rebound from a devastating loss – if their heads are right.
Again, it’s not Tennessee’s team that should be so disconcerting. It’s the fan base that is questioning if Iamaleava should be benched and if Heupel has suddenly become a mediocre coach. Let me clarify. Neither is going to happen nor has happened.
The Vols have plans to checker Neyland Stadium. I have little doubt that the stands will be filled, but what if Iamaleava struggles? Could their be some “boos” instead of “Brus” from the home crowd. That could only make things worse. While I don’t think that will happen, the Neyland crowd could be a bit more docile, which is absurd to even consider with Florida coming to town. I have faith in Heupel, Iamaleava and Tennessee’s fan base to right the ship.
Prediction: Tennessee 33, Florida 23
