Analyst makes bold claim about Josh Heupel that Tennessee fans won't like
Mike Farrell, the self-proclaimed "godfather of recruiting" (formerly of Rivals.com), made a bold prediction about Josh Heupel this week that Tennessee Vols fans won't like. Farrell put out his list this week of five "notable" coaches who will never win a national championship. And he included Heupel on his list, along with Penn State's James […]
Mike Farrell, the self-proclaimed "godfather of recruiting" (formerly of Rivals.com), made a bold prediction about Josh Heupel this week that Tennessee Vols fans won't like.
Farrell put out his list this week of five "notable" coaches who will never win a national championship.
And he included Heupel on his list, along with Penn State's James Franklin, Utah's Kyle Whittingham, UCLA's Chip Kelly, and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman.
From MikeFarrellSports.com: Heupel is off to a great start at Tennessee, but the SEC is getting tougher, and with Georgia and Alabama hard to beat, the question is — can he even win an SEC title, much less a natty.
I don't understand this take or column at all. And that's not to say that Farrell will be right or wrong — I have no idea if Heupel will win a national championship. And neither does Farrell (or anyone for that matter).
But to suggest that Heupel absolutely won't win a national championship isn't exactly fair. After all, Heupel led Tennessee to an 11 win season in just his second year on Rocky Top. Those are the kind of results that the Vols have been searching for since Phillip Fulmer was unceremoniously fired in 2008.
With the College Football Playoff set to expand in 2024, plus rise of NIL deals and Tennessee's own NIL collective (Spyre Sports), there's plenty of reason for optimism in Knoxville. The Vols obviously have to knock off Georgia at some point. But that's doable (though it certainly won't be easy).
Based on what we've seen from Heupel during his two years at Tennessee, I think it's safe to say that he's capable of leading a program to a national championship. Whether or not he does is anyone's guess. The ball has to bounce the right way, players have to stay healthy, and a host of other factors have to work out in Tennessee's favor.
But after watching Heupel lead the Vols to wins over Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Clemson last season, it's hard for me to imagine how anyone could suggest that he'll never win a national championship.
Then again, Farrell is the guy who predicted that Tennessee would go 4-8 in Heupel's first season (UT went 7-6). And he also predicted that quarterback Hendon Hooker would take a step back last season and throw 11 interceptions (he threw just two interceptions).
Maybe it's a good thing for Tennessee that Farrell is making this prediction about Heupel since all of his other Vols-related predictions have been spectacularity wrong.
Anonymous SEC coach slams Tennessee Vols QB Joe Milton
An anonymous SEC coach slammed Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton this offseason
Featured image via Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
