Remember how life was for Tennessee football fans before head coach Josh Heupel made his way to campus? To say things weren't any fun would be a massive understatement, as Tennessee was nowhere close to the level this team is currently at.
Not long ago, the Vols were in the hunt to make the College Football Playoff under Heupel, but they missed out when only four teams made it in. This year, though, Heupel was able to make program history by locking in a CFP spot.
Obviously the Vols aren't satisfied with just making it into the tournament, but you can't forget about how far the program has come under Heupel's direction. While speaking to the media on Monday, Heupel himself was able to sit back for a moment and appreciate what his group has been able to accomplish in 2024.
Josh Heupel is more than proud of his guys for reaching the College Football Playoff
“Yeah, absolutely, (it’s) the next step for us as a program," Heupel said via 247Sports. "Two years ago, I think we finished sixth in the country. There’s a lot of guys that have been a part of building this. You look at the senior class, a guy like Dylan (Sampson) that bought in to the vision before there was tangible proof on the field of who we are, what we’re about and how we’re going to go play together. It only happens because of the guys inside of that locker room. It’s a room filled with guys that care about the guys around them. They’re elite competitors, and really proud of what they’ve done, again, to re-stamp this program.”
That's the kind of emotion we love to see out of Heupel. He has every right to be proud of his playmakers, as the Vols posted a 10-2 record during the regular season. The loss to Georgia had people worried Tennessee would be on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff, but back-to-back wins against UTEP and Vandy helped lock things up for UT.
Come Saturday night, a major test is on the way against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Heupel and his players know things aren't going to be easy, as they're six-point underdogs. That doesn't matter to anyone inside of the locker room, however.
Every single Tennessee playmaker is confident the Vols will be able to take care of business against the Buckeyes. Should UT come out on top, a date with No. 1 Oregon will be on the way on Jan. 1. Only time will tell if the Vols will make the trip to Eugene, but regardless of what happens, this team has a TON to be proud of.