Wow, what a crazy roller coaster this 2024 college football season is shaping up to be. The Tennessee Volunteers started on a high note, annihilating the first three teams on their schedule and outscoring those teams 191-13. Everyone was gossiping, and the excitement was at the maximum level. Then there was the game against the Oklahoma Sooners, “THE” game that got fans riled up and critics ready with their quills.

It was a moment to prove that it isn’t always glamorous to run up and down the floor and shoot a lot of points. This is summarized by the fact that despite not lasting too long, Heupel proved that he could be a great thinker and learn when the time came to use more sophisticated thinking to gain more yards on the field.

As Greg McElroy pointed out on ESPN College Football, “Josh Heupel understood and could get the temperature and could kind of sense how the game was being played. As a result, he kind of checked his ego at the door and said, you know what, we’re fine playing field position… but guess what if we punt the ball here there’s nothing wrong with that because we can just continue to flip the field with what Jackson is doing”

Well yes, Tennessee did manage to pin a victory on its opponent, but it was no romp, to say the least. There are already calls for heads to roll, especially toward the game plan employment by Coach Josh Heupel. They feel the Vols should have easily won this one by much more, and there are more opinions than you can shake a stick at, like when two teams are battling for the title.

After that, after the final buzzer sounded on a 25-15 victory, discussion emerged about Heupel’s ball control strategy. Some questioned if he was too safe, especially when playing against the Sooners’ poor offense. This was not merely another game; this was the final to determine if Tennessee had come of age as the program of the South.

So let’s go deeper into what Heupel did. This time against Oklahoma, it can be seen that he understood the atmosphere of the game very well. But, instead of playing selfish and attempting a goal every time he possibly could, he knew how the game worked. He cranked down the frequency of his attacks and instead resorted to political tactics.

The shift in strategy: championship potential

Heupel’s transformation as head coach is a game-changer for the Tennessee Volunteers, particularly in the hunt for a national championship. In previous seasons, the UT Vols were known to go all guns blazing on offense; however, the upset against Oklahoma showed the sort of nuance Heupel has brought in. According to McElroy, “We’re good kicking the field goal as opposed to going for it and potentially getting a touchdown.” This quote sums up much about Heupel and his desire to be conservative when the situation calls for it, a sign that he, unlike some coaches, knows the value of points both big and small.

Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Heupel kept his team in check for most of the game while also facing a very good Oklahoma defense. The defense side of the field was ok for the Vols in this game; they were able to create turnovers, and they had a perfect blitz and put pressure on the Sooners’ quarterback for the entire time of the game. McElroy especially pointed to this aspect when he said, “Their pass rush was relentless… the Sooners’ quarterbacks were both of them under duress on 22 of their 45 dropbacks.”

The Vols’ head coach was able to give his defense the spotlight and take the offense out of the equation up to a certain extent, which shows that Heupel possesses the ability to adjust when the game calls for it. That flexibility is crucial for any team that aims to become the ultimate champion one day.

This, however, is a very important part of the game, and Heupel’s capacity to make these changes while ensuring that his team remains focused will be his main weapon as the season goes on. The Volunteers have their combative play style set, which is a simple blend of good defense and well-timed offense that can get them far. The level of maturity that Heupel and his players showed can place Tennessee right back into the discussion for the national championship. That’s a misconception of the evolution of coaching; it is not all about winning and losing, but more so, it is about detecting the feel of the game. Heupel’s path of learning to take his ego out of this might be the path to achieving what fans of Tennessee sought for a long time.

Tennessee football is in a different era; it is an era where what happens offsides is just as important as what happens onsides. And if Heupel goes further along this route, then who knows? The volunteers might just find themselves right back in the national championship discussion before most people realize it.