Why won‘t Heupel take sole responsibility for Saturday

[Go47]

That's just dumb, what we saw against Alabama were the limitations in Joey's abilities. He did not play well and had two really poor errors in judgement on the safety and interception. He isn't and shouldn't comment on those two plays. Heupel's biggest flaw is holding onto a defensive staff that just isn't very good at creating effective defensive schemes.

I like JA. But the knock on him was he was turnover prone . . . And as the season has gone on . . . We are starting to see that. He can hit hot streaks like he did against UGA and he is much better at the deep ball than anyone we have seen since Hooker.

But he has made mistakes over the middle that could have been picks . . . And while I don’t love the play call at the end of the first half, it was poorly executed. He may have indeed been rattled from that previous hit . . . But it’s also possible he simply is turnover prone and had one at the worst possible time. It was a terrible throw . . . And the reason we lost the game (IMO).

 

[Skooter]

Agree If the throw comes out on time it’s 6 points. And we leave 4-5 seconds on the clock. Nothing wrong with the play or time management

People are not seeing the defender between Joey and where he wants to go. It’s why he hitched. He’s ready right here. 3 is on the ground and 87 looking at the db. DL is in his line which is why he hitched, left his feet a little and tried to lob it over his head.
It’s not the easy pass people are making it out to be because there is no lane to pass and don’t know what he can and can’t see.
Shoulda launched it. He knows. We all know.

 

[JMSqb11]

Heupel will probably never throw a player under the bus publicly. While the play call on the pick 6 was bizarre if executed well we score. It was a bad throw from a QB who was clearly not at his best after getting hammered on 2 different plays. He just didn't have the zip on the throw. It was a dumb play call in that situation which would have required perfect execution.
That being said, had they gone 4 wide and just run a QB draw he probably walks in untouched.

Part of the reason Bama for a pick 6 is everyone knew the pass was coming because we had no timeouts left.

Additionally, we had defensive linemen in on the play as “blockers” and the only fast player we had was Bishop.

So in short, Bama had 3 defensive backs against a jumbo package offense that had no intention to run the ball.

The fact Heupel doubled down on the play call after the timeout is what I truly can’t comprehend.

 

[Hairy Vols]

Heupel can't even groom himself or choose a shirt that didn't come off the floor. You expect him to demonstrate leadership?

Only half kidding. Heupel is happy to be making 9M a year and he is gonna milk that as long as he can. And he likely has 2-3 years before his seat gets hot.

He isn't gonna take personal responsibility for anything. Heck, he doesn't even hold his coaches accountable.

Late stage Fulmerism is where we are heading. Stand by for endless players who "fail to develop"

Yeah, I'm bitter today. And I have a right to be.

::: Cue "Coach-is-Always-Right" crowd to tell me to find another team :::

When you think about your dream coach who do you think about? What build are you looking for? You seem to prefer a well shaved lean man. What kinda man is your type looks wise at Coach? You seem to have put a lot of thought into Heupel’s body and physical build. I have no doubt you’re an expert on the matter so I look forward to hearing more.

 

[Godfatha]

Because it wasn’t all his fault. The old saying it all falls back to coaching doesn’t work anymore. These guys are now getting paid. Did Heupel Make the defense miss tackles and get burned in the secondary? Did Heupel make the WRs drop passes? Commit false starts? Get an unsportsmanlike penalty? Get DPI penalty?

No.

He’s the dude in charge of recruiting, developing, and starting/benching players. He’s also in charge of his coaching staff and holding them accountable. Ultimately he is accountable for not holding his players and coaches accountable.

 

[JMSqb11]

When you think about your dream coach who do you think about? What build are you looking for? You seem to prefer a well shaved lean man. What kinda man is your type looks wise at Coach? You seem to have put a lot of thought into Heupel’s body and physical build. I have no doubt you’re an expert on the matter so I look forward to hearing more.

I’m not trashing the dude at all. But it’s not debatable that if he or anyone made lifestyle changes that included diet and exercise, he would have better feeling and more energy. That’s literally the #1 “side effect” from people who lose weight /exercise.

 

[Hairy Vols]

I’m not trashing the dude at all. But it’s not debatable that if he or anyone made lifestyle changes that included diet and exercise, he would have better feeling and more energy. That’s literally the #1 “side effect” from people who lose weight /exercise.

It just seems like you’ve put a lot of thought into his body. I just wanted to know what kind of body and face you prefer in your man? Are you a Mile Tomlin or Kliff Kingsbury kinda guy? Do you prefer a “bad boy” like Kiffin? Who is your type? I’m just actually curious of who does it for you.

 

[Skooter]

Why would you want to be told an untruth? We made coaching mistakes sure. Welcome to almost every game ever played. We also ended drives with multiple penalties, dropped multiple passes for 1st downs, lost yards on snap issue when in fg range, threw some poor passes and missed a lot of tackles. I don’t need or want to be lied to. It was a total team loss too to bottom and players are responsible for plays on the field unless they aren’t put in good positions to make them.

 

[JMSqb11]

It just seems like you’ve put a lot of thought into his body. I just wanted to know what kind of body and face you prefer in your man? Are you a Mile Tomlin or Kliff Kingsbury kinda guy? Do you prefer a “bad boy” like Kiffin? Who is your type? I’m just actually curious of who does it for you.

Heupel is fine for me. But the whole topic of complacency that started all this isn’t hard to connect the dots.

People who often fall complacent in their profession do it in other parts of their life.

Heupel seems to have loss some energy and creativity over the last 12-15 months that he really prospered with his first 3 seasons.

Something has to change for him to recapture that energy. He easily capable of doing so.

On top of it, we just saw one of the top jobs in the country open up because the school decided that paying their coach $50 million to not be there was the best path.

Heupel has a $37 million buyout. He’s not the only one with a comfy buyout either. This whole era of salaries and buyouts is unsustainable but they will benefit coaches left and right.

I don’t think it’s a reach to say that based off Heupel’s demeanor the last 12-15 months, you can’t tell he is genuinely excited.

I’m glad he’s going to be here a long time but he has to make some changes in the program on and off the field to avoid regression.

 

[RTVFL89]

After a loss, he always says 'We need to play better, and coach better, and that starts with me".

 

[wmcovol]

The word used all day today on the Knoxville homer radio shows was "ceiling", perhaps the SEC has changed significantly in the short time Heupel has been here and the NIL/revenue share dollars are all tilted heavily in favor of the football program and again you get this mistake filled, error prone result when on the big stage on the road. Don't confuse Mississippi State or Starkville for Alabama and Tuscaloosa, they are very close on the map, but light years apart in terms of talent, skill level, in game adjustments, scouting and competitive level.

The guy still hasn’t had 4 full years without dealing with the pile Pruitt left behind. Some people are idiots.

 

[JMSqb11]

The guy still hasn’t had 4 full years without dealing with the pile Pruitt left behind. Some people are idiots.

Anyone using the Pruitt years having any relevancy on year 5 for Heupel just aren’t people with a functioning brain.

Heupel took over this program and quickly returned it to relevance at a nuclear pace in just 26 games. While he deserved all the riches that came with doing that in the speed he did, he also deserves the pressure that comes with keeping the program trending upward and not plateauing or regressing….

To sit here and invoke “what he inherited” or the “Pruitt debacle” as a crutch is a just not an educated stance to take.

Doing so can only mean you think 2022 was a fluke and that Heupel played outside his capabilities which is an absolutely brain dead position.

 

[EZE]

And if he doesn’t score on the QB draw, everyone hollers about what a dumb play that was.

Then some get on a complains that Heupel needs to shave and lose weight.

And that, in a nutshell, is why it is always ridiculous to analyze a play after you know the result.

 

[Tnphil]

Surely this thread is Satire.

The loss was not SOLELY his fault. Should he fall on a sword for the bad play call? Yes/No 5th year Senior QB should have known to throw that ball away. Should Heup take responsibility for his inept staff? Absolutely

But the players have to do their part as well. As mad as the pick 6 made me, it didn’t compare to how mad I got with the beyond poor effort Redman made on Bamas last TD. Did he expect the runner to trip over him? He would never play another down for that lack of effort if I was coach. And he’s not the only one. I know we have to do what we can with what we got, but if you don’t show effort, I bet one of those kids on the sidelines would give their all.

Exactly....The next time he came into the stadium he'd have to by a ticket and watch from the stands. Tackling is 95 percent want to....he didn't want to.

 

[wmcovol]

Anyone using the Pruitt years having any relevancy on year 5 for Heupel just aren’t people with a functioning brain.

Heupel took over this program and quickly returned it to relevance at a nuclear pace in just 26 games. While he deserved all the riches that came with doing that in the speed he did, he also deserves the pressure that comes with keeping the program trending upward and not plateauing or regressing….

To sit here and invoke “what he inherited” or the “Pruitt debacle” as a crutch is a just not an educated stance to take.

Doing so can only mean you think 2022 was a fluke and that Heupel played outside his capabilities which is an absolutely brain dead position.

You’re the one with brain issues. Heupel staff’s recruited under severe NCAA penalty pressure for ‘22 & ‘23 classes. Those classes are the senior & jr class this year. The 2021 class (Pruitts last) was a complete bust minus Jaylen Wright. That would be a redshirt senior class if they had one. There’s 5 players left from ‘22 recruiting class & while they are good/great players, there’s only 5. The ‘23 class was alittle better boosted by Nico’s 5 star. None of the ncaa pressure & opponents negative recruiting ended until the NCAA lost the Greenville case in 2024.

The 2022 was a mix of Heupel taking what was here and working a miracle with it. Nobody thought Hooker was a great QB after his first spring. Nobody saw Tillman or Hyatt being the WRs they were. And the offense took some DCs by surprise.

The last two seasons were boosted by a number of 5 & 6 yr guys who got an extra year but without those, the roster would have been a disaster based on the 21-23 recruiting classes. Heupel has definitely helped Tennessee weather hard times. Some were upset OSU looked on another level than Tennessee last Dec. Well, DUH, OSU only recruited top 3 for 5 straight years & had about 25-30 5 star recruits on their roster. Tennessee had 5. 4 were soph or freshmen.

Heupel ain’t going anywhere for several more years. The administration knows the mess he took over & how long he was in a gun fight with a stick even thou many of our idiot fans don’t.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

The guy still hasn’t had 4 full years without dealing with the pile Pruitt left behind. Some people are idiots.

Jeremy Pruitt doesn’t make him mismanage the clock, make horrible playcalls, field one of the sloppiest teams in the country every single year, etc.

Nothing going on now at UT is the fault of Jeremy Pruitt. And when it was Jeremy Pruitt’s fault, you were blaming Butch Jones.

 

[The Original Fade]

Yes it was a team loss; but I am very disappointed that Heupel keeps saying „we“ and „us“ instead on „I“ and „me“.
Great leaders share the praise but accept the blame.
I would have so much more respect for Heupel if he just came out and said „I screwed up“.

I would have so much more respect for you if you would just come out and say “this is a dumb post”

 

[DrTNT]

Yes it was a team loss; but I am very disappointed that Heupel keeps saying „we“ and „us“ instead on „I“ and „me“.
Great leaders share the praise but accept the blame.
I would have so much more respect for Heupel if he just came out and said „I screwed up“.

Football is a team sport. The ultimate team sport in fact. It takes everyone doing everything together for anything to work. It’s not like Basketball where Michael Jordan can score enough points in one game to beat the opposing team almost (not entirely there either) single handedly. Or baseball that can be a boring strikeout fear for most of the game then one guy hits a home run & a team wins. Football isn’t like that. Look at Barry Sanders, arguably one of the 2 or 3 best running backs to play the game. Didn’t matter since he was in Detroit, the team around him was never good enough for him to get a Super Bowl win. There are a number of examples like this in football. A player can be great but if they have 10 other guys around them that execute things right it doesn’t matter how great the are. So yes, his use of we & us is appropriate you win as a team, you lose as a team.

 

[Oldvoldad]

Yes it was a team loss; but I am very disappointed that Heupel keeps saying „we“ and „us“ instead on „I“ and „me“.
Great leaders share the praise but accept the blame.
I would have so much more respect for Heupel if he just came out and said „I screwed up“.

This is why I can't stand to hear fans moan about assistant coaches. All the decisions are the responsibility of the HC.

Saban had tons of idiots that worked under him over the years, but he didn't allow them to do stupid stuff.

 

[KTrain]

I’m not trashing the dude at all. But it’s not debatable that if he or anyone made lifestyle changes that included diet and exercise, he would have better feeling and more energy. That’s literally the #1 “side effect” from people who lose weight /exercise.

That's what John Madden said.

 

[BruiserVol]

We have alot of people defending CJH’s looks in here. I hate to shame based on looks, but come on. There is definitely a point to be made. Every single week for the last five years that we have played I flip through and watch multiple games on Saturdays. Our coach is THE most lazily dressed and sloppily groomed coach week in and week out. It stands out to me, and apparently plenty of others. What is a major complaint we can all agree on? “We never look prepared.” How much do you think this guy focused on certain details that doesn’t have self respect first? I’m gonna get flamed and that’s fine. Maybe I come from a different culture and mindset, but if I am setting an example then I am going to try to look the part.

 

[UTFanForLife]

Imagine how Saturday night would have gone if this was what our coach looked like.

He spends too much time grooming his hair and working out. Cares more about his appearance than coaching. He can’t even coach his horse to turn toward the camera, he obviously doesn’t coach his DBs to turn and look for the football.

 

[UTFanForLife]

Jeremy Pruitt doesn’t make him mismanage the clock, make horrible playcalls, field one of the sloppiest teams in the country every single year, etc.

Nothing going on now at UT is the fault of Jeremy Pruitt. And when it was Jeremy Pruitt’s fault, you were blaming Butch Jones.

Nothing is a strong word. We are still on penalties from Pruitt, so nothing does not apply. He still has a stain on this program.

 

[UTFranklinVol]

If I had to guess, Heupel is probably extremely frustrated at his WRs and TEs not catching the damn ball. this may be a not-so-subtle reminder to his team that hey, you are a part of this failure too.

 

[volfan102455]

Yes it was a team loss; but I am very disappointed that Heupel keeps saying „we“ and „us“ instead on „I“ and „me“.
Great leaders share the praise but accept the blame.
I would have so much more respect for Heupel if he just came out and said „I screwed up“.

It is a team sport. And it takes both coaches and players working in tangent.

- The best called play doesn't work if the players do not execute.
- Players can sometimes make a bad play work, sometimes they can't.
- A coach can't make a player catch a ball when they should or make a QB under pressure do what they should.
- Players are not perfect.
- Coaches are not perfect.
- Us fans viewing from the stands or from our TV don't know that play was called and why.

Finally, naming names, calling a player, a coach etc. out publicly does NOT build team trust. Conversations should happen privately. Those who made mistakes are more than likely fully aware of what mistakes they made - no need to roast them in public.

My way of saying "we" and "us" are the right terms to represent and talk about a "team".

Those of you who want coaches to use "I" and "Me" just want someone to blame, someone to complain about, someone to fire.