Everyone that's worried about what would UT do if he leaves, whether for another gig or being fired, sound afraid of change.
When UGA fired Mark Richt, they were winning a lot of games, just not championships. Kirby Smart wasn't even a HC, was he?
I know he is a special case, but that's the fearless pursuit of greatness required to be the champion. Not someone afraid of losing a coach who could be compared to coach Richt.
In all fairness, I thought UGA was wrong for firing Richt at the time.
ETA: I'm not calling for Heupel firing, but IMO the writing is on the wall. Get it going on Rocky Top, or find somewhere else to be middle of the pack.