There are certainly plenty of overreactions from the Tennessee loss to No. 1 Texas, but the pathetic performance of the offensive line certainly isn't one of them. Vols fans were livid on Saturday watching Colin Simmons and others have their way with the Tennessee hosses, as Texas sacked Faizon Brandon 10 times. Unacceptable. With that, countless eyes are now on Glen Elarbee.
Let's be real here, though: Elarbee hasn't been getting the job done overall for a little while, and the loss to Texas was not the first time that his group has looked overwhelmed and unprepared. Enter Sam Pittman? While there's no indication that Elarbee is going to be on his way out soon, there's no question Pittman would be a home-run hire to replace him if Heupel ends up making a move here sooner rather than later. After what we saw vs. the Longhorns, just how much rope will Elarbee have?
As per the esteemed @_JoshRWhite, Texas' 10 sacks are the second-most in a single game in program history.
— David Eckert (@davideckert98) September 26, 2026
Glen Elarbee had Tennessee fans absolutely livid in the loss to Texas
Faizon Brandon easily had the worst game of his young Tennessee career, but he was given no chance to succeed with the guys in front of him not doing their job. Again, that's always going to be on Elarbee. On top of that, it's on Heupel to make sure his coaches are being held accountable as well, which is why the idea of Pittman taking over either later this season or next year isn't as crazy as some might think it is.
Pittman was fired by Arkansas a year ago today (Sept. 28, 2025) as the program was in steep decline. Still, his experience coaching up offensive lines is impressive, of course, including his stint with Tennessee back in 2012. After that, he coached the lines at Arkansas and Georgia before taking over as head coach for the Hogs in 2020.
Earlier this summer, Pittman was asked about coming out of his early retirement to get back on the sidelines, but he made it clear he was in no rush to stop enjoying his time off living close to the lake while enjoying some cold beers. Hey, we get it.
Still, there's a huge difference between being the leader of a program and being a position coach. The pressure would be WAY less for him in Knoxville if he were to lead the offensive line, with Heupel still, of course, running the show. Heupel and Elarbee are close friends, which would probably make this difficult for him, but he simply has to do what's best for the program. It's why he's paid the big bucks.
What everyone saw against Texas wasn't just inexcusable; it was downright infuriating. The Tennessee offensive line must do a complete 180 against Auburn this weekend. Otherwise, even more yells will come in for Elarbee to be shown the door. If that eventually does happen, then Heupel's first call needs to be to Pittman. He'd bring needed energy to the offensive line, and with him being 64 years young, there's still time for him to make an impact on the gridiron the way he's supposed to.
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