A View from Big Ben: Is Josh Heupel lucky?

[feathersax]

Rumor has it that @feathersax WAS actually hired as an offensive consultant in 2022 and called in our plays. He abruptly left after the season so I think this explains the vanilla play calling the past 2 years! Bring him back!

Not sure about that...though I've often been described as offensive, abrupt, & vanilla. It's a gift.

 

[London Vol]

Tally-ho, @London Vol . With all the N.I.L./transfer portal/lawsuits, etc. I've become jaded, pouty & pessimistic about the direction of college football. You, however, re-awaken my Volunteer spirit. Your observations about CJH being both "lucky & GOOD" are spot on.

Good morning Featherax, Please dont lose interest, you realize fans cannot enter the Portal or sue for more N.I.L . Its people like you "die hard fans" are what make Tennessee something special to all those "jump on the band wagon glory hunters" teams

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Thanks, London, for a fun read.

I disagree with this installment of English insight, though. Luck is a fella who keeps falling into good situations despite not having done anything to earn them. That just doesn't have the right feel for Josh Heupel. In fact, he has a bit of a feel of the guy who works at it and finds ways to craft something new and exciting out of not much at all.

But nonetheless, I appreciate you. I appreciate your Volunteer fandom. I appreciate the incredible LUCK we have that our program can attract friends from around the globe, like you.

Go Vols!

 

[London Vol]

Thanks, London, for a fun read.

I disagree with this installment of English insight, though. Luck is a fella who keeps falling into good situations despite not having done anything to earn them. That just doesn't have the right feel for Josh Heupel. In fact, he has a bit of a feel of the guy who works at it and finds ways to craft something new and exciting out of not much at all.

But nonetheless, I appreciate you. I appreciate your Volunteer fandom. I appreciate the incredible LUCK we have that our program can attract friends from around the globe, like you.

Go Vols!

THANK YOU

 

[Tin Man]

I believe Josh Heupel was on Scott Frost’s staff and was elevated to Head Coach when Frost left UCF. Danny White thought highly enough of CJH to reach back and bring him with him to Tennessee.

 

[Volunteer16]

Is Josh Heupel lucky?

Hello Volnation its August again and time to come out of hibernation.

I am a big fan of Josh Heupel, any man who has won 30 games in three years get my support. Try to remember the pre Heupel days when the last time Tennessee beat Alabama or Florida the players wore leather helmets; when the Vols went 0-6 in SEC play and when Kentucky and Vanderbilt had winning streaks against the boys in Orange. Yes, I am a big fan, but I am asking the question is he also lucky?

Napoleon once said when being offered a new general “I know he’s good but is he lucky?” it seems Napoleon knew the importance of being lucky.

Lucky No 1
If it wasn’t for the appointment by Tennessee of Heupel’s AD at UCF Danny White, I think feathersax probably had a better chance of the getting the job at Knoxville. As they say ‘right place right time’.

Lucky No 2
Josh personally recruited Joe Milton whilst he inherited Hendon Hooker and Josh anointed Milton as QB1. If Milton had not got hurt, I am sure Hooker would never have had the chance to cement his name in Tennessee folklore. Definitely ‘by accident than design’

Lucky No 3
Josh put all his chips on 32 Red or more accurately Nico Iamaleava (this is the last time I call him Nico, he is no friend or member of the Vol family). But by strange fate he swapped a 3 star journeyman for a 5 star Heisman candidate and I think he will have won again, here is why:

American Football loves a good measurement, how fast can he run? how high can he jump? how big is the Quarterbacks hands? How long is the Offensive Tackles arms?. But there is one thing that there is no method on how to measure and that is if he is A Gamer.

I have watched quite a bit of tape of Joey Aguilar and here are my observations. Firstly, you will notice this season that even when the ‘heat is coming’ this guy doesn’t lower his eyes, he keeps focused on the route regardless of the impending punishment coming (no running out of bounds on the last play by this guy). Secondly, he throws what I bizarrely call ‘catchable balls’, the TEs and Slot Receivers are going to love this guy. Thirdly, his arm strength is good enough for the deep ball which is such a staple of the Huepel offense. Fourthly, people will highlight the number of INTs he threw at App State but when you go back to the tape this guy was often 14 points down in the 1st Quarter and regularly put the team on his back and took many chances for the good of the team. I believe JA will win a least one game this season on his own.

If I can come back to arm strength, remember the five last quarterbacks are Dobbs, Hooker, Milton, Iamaleava and Aguilar, now Milton and Iamaleava had by far the strongest arms, but that really means nothing when throwing from the deck of a ship in the ocean, they would rarely hit water. Yes Dobbs, Hooker and now I believe Aguilar were and are the most successful of the five because I believe they were and are Gamers.

I know it s the time of year where everybody wallows in optimism, but I really think we, by accident or design, have the better quarterback than UCLA and this season is going to be a pleasant surprise.

GO VOLS

He's also lucky that the portal wasn't what it is now when he took over.
He might've lost Hooker after signing Milton. Plus he likely would've lost a lot more of the roster.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Is Josh Heupel lucky?

Hello Volnation its August again and time to come out of hibernation.

I am a big fan of Josh Heupel, any man who has won 30 games in three years get my support. Try to remember the pre Heupel days when the last time Tennessee beat Alabama or Florida the players wore leather helmets; when the Vols went 0-6 in SEC play and when Kentucky and Vanderbilt had winning streaks against the boys in Orange. Yes, I am a big fan, but I am asking the question is he also lucky?

Napoleon once said when being offered a new general “I know he’s good but is he lucky?” it seems Napoleon knew the importance of being lucky.

Lucky No 1
If it wasn’t for the appointment by Tennessee of Heupel’s AD at UCF Danny White, I think feathersax probably had a better chance of the getting the job at Knoxville. As they say ‘right place right time’.

Lucky No 2
Josh personally recruited Joe Milton whilst he inherited Hendon Hooker and Josh anointed Milton as QB1. If Milton had not got hurt, I am sure Hooker would never have had the chance to cement his name in Tennessee folklore. Definitely ‘by accident than design’

Lucky No 3
Josh put all his chips on 32 Red or more accurately Nico Iamaleava (this is the last time I call him Nico, he is no friend or member of the Vol family). But by strange fate he swapped a 3 star journeyman for a 5 star Heisman candidate and I think he will have won again, here is why:

American Football loves a good measurement, how fast can he run? how high can he jump? how big is the Quarterbacks hands? How long is the Offensive Tackles arms?. But there is one thing that there is no method on how to measure and that is if he is A Gamer.

I have watched quite a bit of tape of Joey Aguilar and here are my observations. Firstly, you will notice this season that even when the ‘heat is coming’ this guy doesn’t lower his eyes, he keeps focused on the route regardless of the impending punishment coming (no running out of bounds on the last play by this guy). Secondly, he throws what I bizarrely call ‘catchable balls’, the TEs and Slot Receivers are going to love this guy. Thirdly, his arm strength is good enough for the deep ball which is such a staple of the Huepel offense. Fourthly, people will highlight the number of INTs he threw at App State but when you go back to the tape this guy was often 14 points down in the 1st Quarter and regularly put the team on his back and took many chances for the good of the team. I believe JA will win a least one game this season on his own.

If I can come back to arm strength, remember the five last quarterbacks are Dobbs, Hooker, Milton, Iamaleava and Aguilar, now Milton and Iamaleava had by far the strongest arms, but that really means nothing when throwing from the deck of a ship in the ocean, they would rarely hit water. Yes Dobbs, Hooker and now I believe Aguilar were and are the most successful of the five because I believe they were and are Gamers.

I know it s the time of year where everybody wallows in optimism, but I really think we, by accident or design, have the better quarterback than UCLA and this season is going to be a pleasant surprise.

GO VOLS

The way Milton was performing in 2021, I think he would’ve been benched even if he hadn’t been injured.

Great post full of great thoughts and points.

 

[NighthawkVol]

I believe Josh Heupel was on Scott Frost’s staff and was elevated to Head Coach when Frost left UCF. Danny White thought highly enough of CJH to reach back and bring him with him to Tennessee.

He wasn’t.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

In a couple of respects he is lucky. He is very lucky that Hendon Hooker was somehow added to this roster during that weird limbo period when Pruitt was being investigated and got lucky again when he screwed up the QB decision until Joe Milton got hurt. I’d also say he is quite lucky to have taken over when he did, because of the portal. Outside of the DL, there have been very few big contributors from the high school recruiting ranks that were Heupel recruits since he arrived. Sampson, Squirrel, Gibson, Arion Carter are really the only ones aside from multiple D Linemen. That’s one reason why this past offseason seems like such a failure to me.

 

[NighthawkVol]

In a couple of respects he is lucky. He is very lucky that Hendon Hooker was somehow added to this roster during that weird limbo period when Pruitt was being investigated and got lucky again when he screwed up the QB decision until Joe Milton got hurt. I’d also say he is quite lucky to have taken over when he did, because of the portal. Outside of the DL, there have been very few big contributors from the high school recruiting ranks that were Heupel recruits since he arrived. Sampson, Squirrel, Gibson, Arion Carter are really the only ones aside from multiple D Linemen. That’s one reason why this past offseason seems like such a failure to me.

It’s not screwing up the QB situation to play the QB who outplayed the other in preseason. It’s profoundly stupid to think that.

 

[RockyTopTexas]

Damn red coat !!!

 

[OffTackleVol]

In a couple of respects he is lucky. He is very lucky that Hendon Hooker was somehow added to this roster during that weird limbo period when Pruitt was being investigated and got lucky again when he screwed up the QB decision until Joe Milton got hurt. I’d also say he is quite lucky to have taken over when he did, because of the portal. Outside of the DL, there have been very few big contributors from the high school recruiting ranks that were Heupel recruits since he arrived. Sampson, Squirrel, Gibson, Arion Carter are really the only ones aside from multiple D Linemen. That’s one reason why this past offseason seems like such a failure to me.

Did you get bullied as a kid?

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

It’s not screwing up the QB situation to play the QB who outplayed the other in preseason. It’s profoundly stupid to think that.

Playing Joe Milton over someone with a pulse was screwing up the QB situation. If Milton hadn’t gotten hurt, Heupel could have been fired by now for all we know. It is profoundly stupid to defend it. It’s okay to admit a football coach made a mistake. The only people who will think less of you for it are the dumbest people in the entire state.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

Did you get bullied as a kid?

No, and most of you whiny piss ants wouldn’t dare talk to me or anyone else over 5’8” in person the way yall do on here. In the real world, people don’t get outraged at someone being slightly critical of a football team. That’s a pretty uniquely online phenomenon

 

[Imallvol]

Me… if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all!

 

[Volfan76]

Is Josh Heupel lucky?

Hello Volnation its August again and time to come out of hibernation.

I am a big fan of Josh Heupel, any man who has won 30 games in three years get my support. Try to remember the pre Heupel days when the last time Tennessee beat Alabama or Florida the players wore leather helmets; when the Vols went 0-6 in SEC play and when Kentucky and Vanderbilt had winning streaks against the boys in Orange. Yes, I am a big fan, but I am asking the question is he also lucky?

Napoleon once said when being offered a new general “I know he’s good but is he lucky?” it seems Napoleon knew the importance of being lucky.

Lucky No 1
If it wasn’t for the appointment by Tennessee of Heupel’s AD at UCF Danny White, I think feathersax probably had a better chance of the getting the job at Knoxville. As they say ‘right place right time’.

Lucky No 2
Josh personally recruited Joe Milton whilst he inherited Hendon Hooker and Josh anointed Milton as QB1. If Milton had not got hurt, I am sure Hooker would never have had the chance to cement his name in Tennessee folklore. Definitely ‘by accident than design’

Lucky No 3
Josh put all his chips on 32 Red or more accurately Nico Iamaleava (this is the last time I call him Nico, he is no friend or member of the Vol family). But by strange fate he swapped a 3 star journeyman for a 5 star Heisman candidate and I think he will have won again, here is why:

American Football loves a good measurement, how fast can he run? how high can he jump? how big is the Quarterbacks hands? How long is the Offensive Tackles arms?. But there is one thing that there is no method on how to measure and that is if he is A Gamer.

I have watched quite a bit of tape of Joey Aguilar and here are my observations. Firstly, you will notice this season that even when the ‘heat is coming’ this guy doesn’t lower his eyes, he keeps focused on the route regardless of the impending punishment coming (no running out of bounds on the last play by this guy). Secondly, he throws what I bizarrely call ‘catchable balls’, the TEs and Slot Receivers are going to love this guy. Thirdly, his arm strength is good enough for the deep ball which is such a staple of the Huepel offense. Fourthly, people will highlight the number of INTs he threw at App State but when you go back to the tape this guy was often 14 points down in the 1st Quarter and regularly put the team on his back and took many chances for the good of the team. I believe JA will win a least one game this season on his own.

If I can come back to arm strength, remember the five last quarterbacks are Dobbs, Hooker, Milton, Iamaleava and Aguilar, now Milton and Iamaleava had by far the strongest arms, but that really means nothing when throwing from the deck of a ship in the ocean, they would rarely hit water. Yes Dobbs, Hooker and now I believe Aguilar were and are the most successful of the five because I believe they were and are Gamers.

I know it s the time of year where everybody wallows in optimism, but I really think we, by accident or design, have the better quarterback than UCLA and this season is going to be a pleasant surprise.

GO VOLS

I've brought up the Hendon-Milton fumble a few times and have gotten blasted but I agree that CJH has had to get out of his own way a few times... particularly with QBs. I had little optimism for this season with nico under center but have a lot more excitement with a guy that could have the game put on his shoulders at times if needed. I don't think that would ever have been an option with nico.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

I still buy into the old saying "you make your own luck" but I agree sometimes you just get pure dumb luck.

 

[Tin Man]

He wasn’t.

So, White hired him away from Mizzou and gave him his first HC job?

 

[Tin Man]

Me… if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all!

 

[OffTackleVol]

No, and most of you whiny piss ants wouldn’t dare talk to me or anyone else over 5’8” in person the way yall do on here. In the real world, people don’t get outraged at someone being slightly critical of a football team. That’s a pretty uniquely online phenomenon

I apologize if I hurt your feelings............so sorry.

 

[NighthawkVol]

So, White hired him away from Mizzou and gave him his first HC job?

Correct.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I like to think of it as The building is still wonderful its just that the current tenants are a nightmare, but in time they will move on or move out and then the building can return to its beauty.

Think after Neyland, Majors and Fulmer, Dooley, Jones and Pruitt squatted but now we have Heupel

Yeahhhh... But if Heupel committed to recruiting only soccer players...?
And though architecture reflects the values of the past, demographics is destiny.

I hope the British have not become so passive as to leave their culture to the tennants rather than the owners.

Bringing it back to football, I think we've all found our guardian institutions (like the NCAA) suddenly compromised by the decoupling of wealth from production, and paralyzed by the pace of change in society and technology.

 

[DonDiego]

No, and most of you whiny piss ants wouldn’t dare talk to me or anyone else over 5’8” in person the way yall do on here. In the real world, people don’t get outraged at someone being slightly critical of a football team. That’s a pretty uniquely online phenomenon

Nothing wrong with being slightly critical of a football team. Problem is, there is almost never a thread that you post on where you're not negative. That's the reason you get so much flak from other posters. You're either a pretend fan troll or one of the most miserable people alive.

 

[DonDiego]

Yeahhhh... But if Heupel committed to recruiting only soccer players...?
And though architecture reflects the values of the past, demographics is destiny.

I hope the British have not become so passive as to leave their culture to the tennants rather than the owners.

Bringing it back to football, I think we've all found our guardian institutions (like the NCAA) suddenly compromised by the decoupling of wealth from production, and paralyzed by the pace of change in society and technology.

You're too smart for this place..

 

[barrylee]

Yep, he’s had some luck and add that on to the fact he’s also good, equals great news for Vol fans!