Josh Heupel is a quarterback whisperer.
At least, that’s been his reputation, right?
Now Heupel, lauded throughout his career for his offensive scheme and ability to coach up and develop quarterbacks , faces the biggest decision he’s ever faced as head coach at Tennessee. And no, that’s not hyperbole.
Heupel has to decide who is going to start for the Vols at QB. Maybe not anoint someone for the entire season, but pick one guy — be it FaizonBrandon or George MacIntyre — and throw his full faith, support, and play-calling behind that individual for this game.
Heupel can’t hedge on this. He can’t say he’s going to base who plays at QB against the Razorbacks on feel, or vibes, or even performance during the game. He’s got to pick one quarterback and stick with them.
If he doesn’t, then the uncertainty at QB for Tennessee becomes a full-blown quarterback controversy. And that’s the type of thing that can derail a season.
We’ve seen it before, right?
Vol fans old enough to remember 2005 can recall the back and forth between Erik Ainge and Rick Clausen at QB. One would come in, and if there was poor play or a mistake, here came the other. That Tennessee team, which began the season ranked in the top five in the preseason polls, cratered and finished with a losing record.
Let’s go back a little farther: 2003, at Virginia Tech, when Bryan Randall began the season as QB1 for a ranked Hokies team, then lost his job to Marcus Vick. The cliche is the backup quarterback is always the fans’ most popular guy on a football roster, but that’s especially true when you share a famous last name. Once the turmoil at QB started, Tech’s season nosedived, and a Hokies team that began that November in the mix for a BCS championship spot (back then, only two teams had a chance at the national title, imagine that) lost four of its last five including a bowl game played on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ baseball field.
More recently, in 2024, then-ETSU coach Tre Lamb started shuffling quarterbacks with what looked like reckless abandon at times. Who knows where that Bucs season may have ended up with more continuity under center?
My point is this:
An ongoing quarterback controversy is poison to a football team. It creates a divide in your coaching staff and your locker room, as each QB has people who think he should be the guy. It also makes it impossible for either quarterback to play well. You can’t effectively run an offense if you’re too afraid to make a mistake, for fear of getting pulled. You have to have laser focus on the task at hand, and you can’t do that if you’re looking over your shoulder, thinking you might get pulled on the next drive.
Heupel may announce a starter at his press conference this morning. Or he may wait. Or it may not be known until the Vols’ offense takes the field in Fayetteville Saturday.
The time table is irrelevant. Making the choice, and sticking with it, that’s what matters. If only for one game. Otherwise, the Vols and their fans are in for a mess.
First-place Bucs
The ETSU football team is riding high right now. Saturday’s 14-3 win over rival Chattanooga gave the Bucs a third straight win, and with Tennessee Tech losing at Western Carolina, ETSU sits alone atop the Southern Conference with a 2-0 record. Considering the next two games are at The Citadel and VMI, the Bucs should be favored in both, which means they’d be 4-0 in the SoCon going into a Halloween home game against Tennessee Tech. That contest ultimately could decide the SoCon champion, and with it, an automatic berth in the FCS playoffs.
I’m not sure ETSU will face a better defense the rest of the way than what Chattanooga brought to Johnson City. Maybe Mercer can compare? I’m inclined to trust in an offense that has moved the ball consistently against FCS opponents this season, and still had more than 300 total yards on Saturday, even though it only led to 14 points. The Citadel and VMI both set up as wins for the Bucs, in large part because ETSU has been sound defensively against the run. You’re going to have to throw the ball to beat the Bucs, and Chattanooga could not.
Monday morning musings
Please spare me all or any of the lobbying by former Alabama coach Nick Saban for the Protect College Sports Act. Hearing Saban talk about the financial damage caused by the current model for player compensation, while also arguing there should be no caps or limits on coaching salaries, is hypocritical at best from a man who has accrued generational wealth from the longstanding business model of college football. The PCSA has passed the Senate and is scheduled to be taken up by the House of Representatives after the midterm elections in November. … Could North Dakota State make the College Football Playoff in is first year as a Football Bowl Subdivision team? The Bison are 5-0. Boise State is probably the front runner, but I also would not overlook James Madison, which is also undefeated under deposed Florida coach Billy Napier. … Wondering which current Southeastern Conference coach is in more trouble? Take your pick between Shane Beamer at South Carolina, after the Gamecocks blew a 17-0 lead at home and lost 35-34 to Kentucky, or Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield. Yes, Silverfield just got hired by the Hogs, but Arkansas has looked abysmal in its three defeats, losing to Utah, Georgia, and Texas A&M by a combined score of 122-34. … Arguably no coach in the FBS looks more cooked than Deion Sanders at Colorado, though. The Buffs fell apart in the second half of a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech, throwing four total interceptions, including a pick six that went for 0 yards. Colorado also had eight men on the field at one point, ended up running the ensuing play after a timeout with just nine guys on the field, and had Texas Tech fans stumble across a Buffs playbook and game plan at the team hotel.