Longtime Vols fans should appreciate Josh Heupel's comments on Tennessee's 2022 season

Longtime fans of the Tennessee Vols — folks who are around 35 years old or older — should appreciate Josh Heupel's comments on Thursday about UT's 2022 season.  Tennessee went 11-2 in 2022 while taking down teams like Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Clemson. Though the season ended without a championship, it was still a magical […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Longtime fans of the Tennessee Vols — folks who are around 35 years old or older — should appreciate Josh Heupel's comments on Thursday about UT's 2022 season. 

Tennessee went 11-2 in 2022 while taking down teams like Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Clemson. Though the season ended without a championship, it was still a magical year for the Vols after a tough 15 year period where the Vols failed to find much success. 

For Heupel, however, the season fell short of Tennessee's goal. The Vols' goal last season was to win the SEC East and get to Atlanta. They came close by finishing second in the SEC East, but a loss to Georgia and a subsequent loss to South Carolina meant that Tennessee had to watch the SEC Championship game from Knoxville. 

Heupel made it clear on Thursday at SEC Media Days in Nashville that anything less than winning the SEC East is coming up short of the Vols' goals (via Jimmy Hyams). 

Younger fans who weren't around for the glory days of the 90s or the Johnny Majors years aren't accustomed to Tennessee being a national title contender or a powerhouse program. For the younger fans, going 11-2 and reaching the Orange Bowl is as good as it gets. 

But not for older fans. And not for Heupel. The goal is for Tennessee to win national championships, hang banners, and hold parades. And Heupel clearly isn't going to let up until he and his players start accomplishing those feats (and even then, he won't let up). 

I don't know if Heupel will accomplish his goal (though I think he has a really good shot to win a natty while at Tennessee), but fans — especially the older fans — have to respect the mindset that he's bringing to Rocky Top every single day. 

Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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