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Tennessee football: Five reasonable goals for 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during the team’s football practice on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during the team’s football practice on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp /

Turmoil has once again engulfed Tennessee football. As Josh Heupel gets set to begin his first season ever on Rocky Top, he’s got to deal with a program coming off a 3-7 campaign that is in the midst of an NCAA investigation and suffered a wave of transfers this offseason. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things they can control this year.

UT may or may not reach a bowl game, depending on the investigation. They can still give fans a product to accept on the field, at least during Heupel’s first season on the job. Even if it doesn’t always translate to wins, it could at least make for an entertaining season. There is a path to achieve lots of wins, though.

As we get set to break down what the Vols should strive for this year, we’ll leave a bowl out of it since that’s dependent on the investigation itself. However, there are things they could do to at least reach bowl eligibility. Looking at that and providing a good product, these are five solid goals for Tennessee football in 2021. We’re ranking them from least to most ambitious.

top five in SEC in offense

Beat ever non-Power Five team plus vanderbilt and south carolina

finish fifth in the SEC East

Secure a winning record

Crack the top 25

5. Total and scoring offense both top three in SEC

Both years Heupel was offensive coordinator of the Missouri Tigers, they were ranked No. 1 in the SEC in total offensive yards per game. In 2016, they finished fifth in total points with 31.4 per game. That number upped to No. 1 in 2017, as they averaged 37.5 points per game, and that’s what earned Heupel his job with the UCF Knights.

In three years at UCF, he was No. 2, No. 1 and No. 1 in points per game, and he was always No. 1 in total offense. Simply put, offense is Heupel’s calling card, and if nothing else, he should have that side of the ball be entertaining to watch his first year on the job.

Although defense is a major concern for Tennessee football, if the offense can put up points, it could make quite a few games interesting. That could also generate some much-needed national buzz for the program. As a result, this is a crucial goal for the Vols. They should have one of the best offenses in the league, if nothing else.

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