ESPN just did Vols head coach Josh Heupel dirty and the entire Tennessee football program is paying the price
ESPN definitely didn’t do Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers any favors this week. And it’s certainly more than understandable if Heupel and the program are livid over it.
ESPN didn’t do Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols any favors this week.
In fact, it can be argued that ESPN flat-out screwed over the Volunteers.
ESPN’s handling of the Texas vs Tennessee game in Knoxville is ridiculous
News broke on Thursday that Tennessee’s game against Texas in Neyland Stadium this fall — the first meeting between the programs in almost 60 years — will kick off at 12:00 pm ET on September 26.
I mean, what are we doing here ESPN?
This is ridiculous on so many levels, and while Heupel likely won’t complain about it publicly, I’m sure he’s fuming about it behind closed doors.
First off, ESPN is missing a golden opportunity to highlight the incredible Checker Neyland tradition at night. It’s one of the coolest sights in college football, and it’ll be buried in the dreaded noon slot while most college football fans are watching their kids play in a travel ball tournament, or whatever Saturday afternoon activities they have going on. Not to mention the drama of Vols legend Peyton Manning, who will undoubtedly be at the game, trying to hide from the camera so he won’t be captured either cheering for his nephew, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, or cheering for Tennessee (which would probably be framed as Peyton cheering against Arch).
What really matters, though, is how it impacts Tennessee. This is one of the Vols’ most important games of the year. If they beat Texas in late September, suddenly the Vols enter the month of October in the driver’s seat in the race for a College Football Playoff spot, while Texas would have some work to do. The Longhorns are viewed as a championship contender — they should be one of the best teams in college football this fall. Having home field advantage in this game is very important for the Vols, but playing the game at noon instead of at night significantly weakens that advantage.
There are a lot of good SEC games on September 26, but the Texas vs Tennessee game is by far the most intriguing of the matchups.
I truly can’t believe ESPN/ABC missed the mark like this. It’s an insult to the entire Tennessee program and fan base.
And look, ESPN knows what they’re doing. This game has been designated as the Checker Neyland game since May 5. ESPN knows the storyline involving Arch and Peyton, and they know the importance of this game.
Yet they still chose to handle this game like they’re De’Aron Fox in Game Four of the NBA Finals.
A ridiculous decision, plain and simple.