Josh Heupel offers sharp response to the idea that Tennessee is playing with 'house money' in game against Ohio State
One narrative surrounding Tennessee's matchup against Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff is that all of the pressure is on the Buckeyes, who are "expected" to win a national championship, while for the Vols, simply making the playoff is a significant achievement. The feeling for many is that Tennessee is […]
One narrative surrounding Tennessee's matchup against Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff is that all of the pressure is on the Buckeyes, who are "expected" to win a national championship, while for the Vols, simply making the playoff is a significant achievement.
The feeling for many is that Tennessee is playing with "house money" because the game is on the road and no one in the program is concerned about their job security in the event that the Vols don't advance past the Buckeyes.
Vols head coach Josh Heupel, however, doesn't see it that way.
Heupel was asked on Monday about the idea that Tennessee is playing with "house money" and he made it clear that any program with that mindset won’t last long in the postseason.
“If you’re just happy to be there, it’s going to be a quick cup of coffee," said Heupel. "The mindset of this team is get ready to go play our best football. We understand the opponent that we’re playing. They got an elite roster, really good coaches, prestigious program. We gotta to go play good football. Doesn’t take anything extraordinary, at the same time. It’s us doing the ordinary things at a really high level consistently for 60 minutes. Looking forward to continuing our prep to get ready to go play.”
It's fine for Vols fans to have a "house money" mindset going into the game against Ohio State — it's true that Tennessee won't face much criticism if the Vols lose in the first round in Columbus.
But it's a good thing that Heupel and his players don't share that mindset. The Vols are playing to win the whole damn thing. That doesn't mean that they will, but that's the goal. And anything less will feel like a letdown for the coaches and players who will take the field/sideline in the horseshoe on Saturday night.
