Josh Heupel details complicated return to Oklahoma on College Gameday

Tennessee football's head coach, Josh Heupel, is returning to Oklahoma for the first time since being fired after the 2014 season. His exit was not ideal, and he has created a love/hate relationship with OU over the years.

Heupel led the Sooners to a National Championship as the starting quarterback in 2000. After a short stint in the NFL, he returned to Norman to as an assistant coach. He rose up the coaching staff ranks and became the offensive coordinator before being fired after the 2014 season. 

His firing fueled his drive to become one of the best young coaches in the country. In his first 42 games at Tennessee, he led a struggling program to a 30-12 record.

Despite being fired, Heupel still has a deep connection with Oklahoma. He still won a National Championship there, he's coached some great players who are now on the coaching staff, and some of those players and coaches attended his wedding. 

A mixture of emotions, memories, and unresolved feelings after a bitter exit will run through Heupel throughout Saturday and the game as he looks back on his time in Norman as a player and coach. 

"The first time I step on the grass, I'll have some flashbacks to a lot of great experiences that I had there in Norman, Oklahoma," Heupel said in the feature. "I'm sure by the time the ball is teed up, I'll feel that we're not in a friendly confine, and it'll be time to go compete."

Since Heupel's bitter exit from Norman, he has coached with a chip on his shoulder. From Utah State and Missouri to UCF and Tennessee, he has brought a Michael Jordan quality to the teams he has coached, and this year, it remains true on both sides of the ball. 

This game is personal for Heupel, and we will see how that affects how the Vols come out and play early in the game. The Vols and Sooners will kick off in primetime at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.