Tennessee Vols strength coach Derek Owings was front and center in one of college football’s best viral stories this week.

Owings, who is in his first year at Tennessee, spent the 2025 season as the strength coach at Indiana.

On Wednesday, USA Today dropped an excerpt from the upcoming book that chronicles the Hoosiers’ national championship season in 2025: Unthinkable to Unstoppable: How Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers Stunned College Football.

The part of the excerpt that went viral on Wednesday was Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti saying, “F–k it, pray for Oregon” after he lost track of time before last season’s game against the Ducks (Indiana typically recites the Lord’s Prayer before each game).

The person who asked Cignetti if the team was going to pray was Owings.

Here’s the excerpt.

With about 20 minutes until kickoff, IU coaches made final adjustments while players grabbed Gatorade. The Hoosiers’ typical routine involved Cignetti delivering a brief speech before leading his team in the Lord’s Prayer. In the charged atmosphere of what amounted to a small shack—with Autzen Stadium beginning to shake, and a national television audience waiting — Cignetti this time forgot himself.

A creature of habit like his coach, strength coach Derek Owings caught the error immediately. He briefly considered letting it go, but decided it was too important of a tradition to let pass: “I better say it, or he’s gonna rip my ass if I’m walking down this tunnel.”

“Coach, are we going to pray?” Owings asked.

Cignetti turned, checking his watch.

“Ah, f— it,” he said. “Pray for Oregon.”

Indiana went on to win the game 30-20.

And Owings would go on to join Tennessee’s staff the day after the Hoosiers beat Miami in the national championship game.