Purdue's players think beating the Tennessee Vols would be a statement win
The Tennessee Vols haven't been a powerhouse in college football for nearly two decades, but the program still has a reputation as being one of the "it programs" in the sport. On Thursday afternoon, the Vols will take on the Purdue Boilermakers in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. And Purdue's players are viewing the […]
The Tennessee Vols haven't been a powerhouse in college football for nearly two decades, but the program still has a reputation as being one of the "it programs" in the sport.
On Thursday afternoon, the Vols will take on the Purdue Boilermakers in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. And Purdue's players are viewing the matchup against Tennessee as an opportunity to make a statement against an SEC program.
“I got a lot of my friends who went to Tennessee from high school," said Purdue tight end Payne Durham this week (via Rivals.com). "It's a big opportunity for us and I think it will kind of help us prove to ourselves who we are, if that makes sense. And everyone talks about, there's nothing like the SEC, all this and all that."
"It's a little bit different down there with just how people approach football and how people act on game days and stuff," added Durham. "I'm excited. I'm super excited."
The comments from Durham, who went to the same high school (Peachtree Ridge) as Vols defensive lineman Amari McNeil, show that the Tennessee brand still carries a lot of weight in college football.
That kind of brand recognition is something that can't be created by a coach. It's something that's taken nearly a century to build. And a few rough years on the field isn't going to erase that reputation.
This reputation is one of the big reasons why Tennessee is going to continue to thrive on the recruiting trail under Josh Heupel. Playing at UT gives high school recruits a chance to play at the highest level of college football. In this age of the transfer portal, Tennessee is still a "destination school" for the best players in the country.
Featured image via Tennessee Athletic Communications/Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
