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Tennessee football: Ranking every win of 2021 season

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee offensive lineman Cade Mays (68) points to fans while celebrating after an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 45-42.Tennvskentucky1106 2877
Tennessee offensive lineman Cade Mays (68) points to fans while celebrating after an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 45-42.Tennvskentucky1106 2877 /
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Sep 18, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel talks with quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) during the first half against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel talks with quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) during the first half against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

The hope was six wins for Tennessee football Josh Heupel’s first season on the job, and after they lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers, that hope seemed as lost as any. However, despite being underdogs in seven of their regular season games this year, the Vols walked away with seven regular season wins en route to a 7-6 record.

Included in that was a top 25 victory and three victories over teams that made bowl games. Okay, so it’s not the best season UT ever had, but for a first-year head coach who had to deal with more roster attrition than anybody in the nation while fighting off an NCAA investigation, it’s not bad.

Which victories had the biggest impact on Rocky Top this year? Well, that’s what we’re going to break down here, ranking every win they had by the thrill of that win in the moment and what it meant for the season. Let’s go ahead and dive in. This is our countdown of all seven Tennessee football wins in Heupel’s first season.

7. Tennessee: 56 Tennessee Tech: 0

Game 3 | Saturday, Sept. 18 | Neyland Stadium | Knoxville, Tenn.

Rank: 7

Obviously, the FCS win will be the lowest ranked one on here. Regardless of who is coaching and how bad they are, the Vols deserve credit for always beating the FCS team on their schedule, and they did it again here, beating the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 56-0. This game wasn’t a complete waste either.

Hendon Hooker got his first start in this matchup, and Harrison Bailey came in and showed everybody why he was third on the depth chart in Heupel’s system. He transferred a month later. Meanwhile, UT needed a break after a tough 41-34 loss to Pitt a week earlier.

Games like this are fun, but they don’t mean anything. It was just a way for Tennessee football to entertain its fans for a weekend. Because of the Pitt loss, morale was still somewhat low. At this time, Vol fans were rightly concerned that they didn’t have a path to six wins and bowl eligibility, and beating Tennessee Tech wasn’t going to put them on it.

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