Why it's time to ask 'what if' about the Tennessee Vols
2005 was the last time the Tennessee Vols entered a season with legitimate national championship aspirations. The Vols opened the 2005 season as the No. 3 team in the nation after a surprising 10-3 season in 2004 that featured wins against Alabama, Florida, and Georgia (2004 was the last time UT beat all three in […]
2005 was the last time the Tennessee Vols entered a season with legitimate national championship aspirations.
The Vols opened the 2005 season as the No. 3 team in the nation after a surprising 10-3 season in 2004 that featured wins against Alabama, Florida, and Georgia (2004 was the last time UT beat all three in the same season).
Ironically, the 2005 season ended up being the beginning of a nearly two decade "down period" for Tennessee. The Vols went 5-6 in 2005, giving Phillip Fulmer his first losing season as Tennessee's head coach. Fulmer and the Vols rebounded to go 9-4 in 2006 and 10-4 in 2007. But by 2008, the end had arrived for Fulmer, who went 5-7 in his final season as the Vols' head coach.
A lot has happened since that 2005 season when Tennessee had national championship hopes. Nick Saban returned to the SEC and started an unreal run of dominance. Florida got hot for a few years with Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow. LSU had a few good runs. And Georgia is currently the "it team" in the SEC after moving on from Mark Richt in late 2015.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is on its fifth head coach (not counting interim head coaches) since Fulmer was let go in 2008. And only one of those coaches — Josh Heupel, UT's current head coach — has defeated Alabama and won more than 10 games in a season.
Heupel has reenergized the program during his short time in Knoxville. And after winning 11 games last season, the Vols enter the 2023 season as a dark horse candidate to win the national championship. Tennessee isn't the favorite — far from it — but if they reach the College Football Playoff this winter, it won't be "shocking", though it might qualify as a surprise.
Either way, Tennessee is back in the national title picture. And while the likelihood of the Vols winning it all in 2023 isn't high (the defense has to improve for UT to truly have a chance), it's a realistic enough scenario that I think it's fair for fans to ask "what if" as we await the start of the season.
What if Joe Milton plays at a Heisman level all season like Hendon Hooker did last season? What if Dont'e Thornton or Ramel Keyton deliver Tennessee's second straight Biletnikoff Award? What if the defense makes a huge jump in 2023 like the offense did in 2022? What if Tennessee beats Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Georgia in Knoxville? What if the 2023 Vols turn out to be the 1998 Vols — a team that lost its star quarterback and then still finds a way to win it all?
Obviously a lot will have to go right for those scenarios to come to fruition. But Tennessee is in a place where something special could truly happen this fall. You know those random unexpected championship seasons that happen from time to time? Such as LSU in 2019 or Florida State in 2013 or Auburn in 2010?
Tennessee could add their name to that list in 2023. If everything goes just right for the Vols, they have the ability to erase nearly 20 years of frustration with a magical season.
Of course, Tennessee fans can also ask "What if 2023 is another 2005?"
It's a fair question, but I don't think that should be a major concern. The floor for this team feels like it's a 9-3 regular season (8-4 at the absolute worst). But the ceiling for this team? Oh the ceiling is 15-0. And anyone who disagrees hasn't seen Joe Milton throw a ball 75 yards down the field dead on the money. That's the kind of special talent that it takes to win a national championship. And it's the kind of talent that Tennessee will be taking the field with in 2023.
Tennessee Football: Josh Heupel has a big test he needs to pass this summer
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel has a big test that he needs to pass this summer
Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
