One could be forgiven for accidentally leaving head coach Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers out of the College Football Playoff conversation (or even the SEC regular season conversation).
With so much attention rightly given to Heisman favorite Carson Beck and the Sporting News composite poll No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, Quinn Ewers led Texas Longhorns, incoming hot-handed head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide, and even dark horse du jour Ole Miss with their firebrand play caller Lane Kiffin and another Heisman hopeful in Jaxson Dart.
But as I pointed out in my top five SEC offensive rankings, it was only a couple of seasons ago, in 2022, when the Volunteers were the scariest offense in college football, finishing the year No. 1 in scoring output. Greg McElroy hasn’t forgotten, and he thinks Tennessee could be headed back to big scoring (and the playoffs) in 2024.
You can find the former Alabama QB and current ESPN analyst's full take below.
While McElroy seems to have a great deal of confidence in Josh Heupel’s play calling, a strong returning offensive line, and a defense led by No. 1 overall ranked college football player and disruptive edge rusher James Pearce Jr., his one caveat is the development of incoming and much hyped QB1 Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava burst onto the national scene with an electric performance in the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl at the end of the 2023 season, absolutely dominating the Iowa Hawkeyes 35 - 0. He scored three rushing touchdowns, threw for another, and added 151 yards through the air with no interceptions.
The question McElroy and the rest of the SEC (especially the Volunteer faithful) are asking is whether or not Iamaleava lives up to the lofty expectations he set for himself in the Citrus Bowl and becomes the program’s next Hendon Hooker, or will he fall back down to earth and look more like Joe Milton III, who could only take the Tennessee offense as high as 37th in 2023.
Football fans of any kind should be rooting for the former, as it could mean the addition of one more electric offense into the shiny, brand new expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. And the promise of what could be some of the most thrilling matchups of the season.
