Tipsheet: Heupel takes center stage as he leads Tennessee into Oklahoma

UNLV coach Barry Odom was not surprised to see Josh Heupel drive Tennessee back into college football's fast lane with his "Blur Ball" offense.

When Odom was the defensive-minded head coach at Mizzou, he hired Heupel as offensive coordinator and turned him loose on the Tigers' passing attack.

"I trusted him," Odom told USA Today, "There wasn't anybody in the building who outworked him."

There was some push-pull between these men, given Heupel's desire to force a breakneck pace while Odom valued offensive time of possession to complement his defense.

But those two years with Heupel running the offense was a LOT of fun for Missouri fans. The Tigers didn't quite turn the corner under the Odom/Heupel collaboration, bit they were not dull.

Heupel moved on to become head coach at UCF and Tennessee, where he built offensive juggernauts.

"I knew we wouldn't probably have a chance to work together very long, because I thought he would be a head coach because of his vision, his consistency, his disciplined approach and his ability to see the big picture," Odom said.

Now Heupel takes center stage this week as the Vols travel to Norman to face Oklahoma, where Heupel starred at quarterback and later ran the offense for coach Bob Stoops - before getting cashiered with a gut-punch dismissal.

"I hope enough time [has gone by] that he still understands how much he means to this state, how much he means to the program," former Sooners star and Rams washout Sam Bradford told ESPN. "I hope that he gets a warm reception. I hope that he's able to appreciate that and take that in before the game gets going."

But once the game gets going, Tipsheet expects Heupel to do his absolute best to crush the Sooners. Getting fired at OU left a mark on him. His competitive fire runs hot and he's not one to let up in games where he gets the upper hand.

Here is what folks are writing about the game:

Andy Staples, On3: "Stoops . . . fired offensive coordinator Heupel after a miserable 40-6 loss to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl ended Oklahoma's 2014 season. Oklahoma had at that point gone five seasons without winning the Big 12 title. (The league considered the 2012 title shared with Kansas State, but Kansas State beat the Sooners head-to-head and went to the better bowl.) The Sooners had won five of the previous seven before that stretch. An offense that had once shredded nearly every defense it faced had grown stale. It could move the ball against average opponents, but it left Oklahoma helpless against better defenses. The firing wasn't unexpected, but it floored Heupel. It crushed Stoops, too. Heupel was the quarterback who led Stoops' 2000 national title team. Heupel had worked his way up the ladder from graduate assistant to OC. For years, he'd felt like the chosen one who ultimately would succeed Stoops. He was family."

Blake Toppmeyer, USA Today: "The January 2015 day that Bob Stoops canned Heupel, his former star quarterback and longtime lieutenant, placed an even bigger chip on Heupel's shoulder. It also freed Heupel of his bonds to his alma mater and afforded him the chance to restart. Heupel set out from Norman to freely build the offense he wanted to operate. That offense put Heupel on a path to restoring Tennessee to prominence, rather than face the burden of Stoops' shadow. Heupel's career shines as bright as ever."

Connor O'Gara, Saturday Down South: "Think about what this game means not just for Heupel, but for Oklahoma. After years of facing the question of whether the program is 'SEC-ready,' how fitting it is that the Sooners' first SEC game will be against this Tennessee team. Like, one that might be as solid on the offensive and defensive lines as any team in America. It's the ultimate test. Shoot, the Vols' defense hasn't allowed an offensive touchdown yet, and it also boasts the nation's No. 1 scoring offense at 63.7 points per game."

Joe Rexrode, The Athletic: "Even if Brent Venables' Sooners take advantage of a rare opportunity for this program to pull off a home upset, the rest of Oklahoma's road doesn't convey delight. Texas, trips to Ole Miss and Missouri and a visit from Alabama remain. Considering all that and the underwhelming sight of Oklahoma's offense and offensive line so far, the Sooners getting into the 12-team field . . . would be an upset."'

Tipsheet highly recommends tuning into this game Saturday night.

Here is what else folks are writing about college football:

Brandon Marcello, CBSSports.com : "Las Vegas' footprint is everywhere in sports and entertainment, and UNLV, a program with a handful of winning seasons since the Randall Cunningham days of the early 1980s, is having a run in the middle of it all. How it reversed its fortune is not simply a big gamble gone right. The Rebels, ranked in a major poll for the first time, have quickly become a case study of finding immediate success with an open-minded veteran coach who can balance recruiting and the transfer portal. Barry Odom is doing historic things just 17 games in. At No. 25, UNLV appeared in the Coaches Poll for the first time in its 46-year history. The 3-0 start is anchored by a blowout over Houston and a comeback at Kansas, which is (theoretically) good enough for No. 1 (2-0) in the Big 12 standings. There's a difficult schedule still to navigate, but Odom has UNLV in contention for a second straight appearance in the Mountain West Championship Game - and perhaps more, with a roster of veteran holdovers complemented by transfers ranging from the SEC to the FCS."

Adam Gorney, Yahoo! Sports: "If (Billy) Napier is fired and if (Lane Kiffin) is the No. 1 target and the Florida boosters, so sick and tired of being mediocre after having the taste of greatness for all those years, backs up the Brinks truck for him, maybe Kiffin takes the job. The history is there. It's undeniable that Florida has a richer football history than Ole Miss. But Kiffin has the Rebels rolling. They're a top-five team and the Gators are 5.5-point favorites this weekend against Mississippi State, which just lost 41-17 at home to Toledo. It's a shock they're favored at all. Sure, Florida has a stronger recruiting base but Mississippi is loaded with talent as well and in today's transfer portal era, location means far less in building a roster than when everybody came from the high school ranks. There have always been rumors that Kiffin isn't exactly enamored with staying at Ole Miss for his entire career. He wanted the Auburn job badly, he wanted the Alabama job badly when Nick Saban retired, he was rumored to be the top candidate at Florida State if Mike Norvell left for the Bama job. But his team is absolutely loaded for a run at the national championship, Florida is an unmitigated mess on and (maybe even more importantly) off the field, Kiffin has had tremendous success in the portal and the biggest reason of all – Ole Miss' collective is locked, stocked and ready to roll."

Heather Dinich, ESPN.com : "UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said he watched 'the little bit of tape of that was out there' on (Texas quarterback Arch) Manning in preparation for last week's game against Texas. When asked if anything about Manning's performance against them surprised him, Traylor just laughed. 'No,' he said. 'Nothing.' Every coach in the country knows what they're up against when Manning takes the field - talent, speed and big-play capability. As much as Manning grabs the headlines, though, fans need to remember the loyalty that Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has shown to Quinn Ewers. While the future is on full display when Manning takes the field, what it reiterates is that Texas has the best quarterback room in the country, and the duo of Manning and Ewers is exactly the kind of depth at the position a team needs to make a run at the national title."

Manny Navarro, The Athletic: "The Cornhuskers are playing their first weekday home game since 2001 in front of what will be the program's 400th consecutive home sellout crowd. The best part of this 3-0 start for Nebraska has been its defense, which has held UTEP, Colorado and Northern Iowa to a combined 20 points and a measly 4.2 yards per play. Stopping Illinois will pose a tougher physical test up front, but the Illini frankly don't have the firepower needed to pull the upset without the aid of turnovers (Illinois is plus-8 for the season). Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has thrown just one interception to date, and I expect he'll continue to protect the ball this week (zero turnovers). It'll be another good showing for Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (100-plus total yards, two TDs) as the Cornhuskers hold Illinois under 300 yards of offense and win by 11 points."

Paolo Uggetti, ESPN.com : "Despite any momentum USC might have, the concept of playing - and winning - a road game in the Big House looms large on any opponent, especially one that hasn't been there since 1958. Though USC players keep harping on their improved physicality in the trenches being the deciding factor in this game, (coach Lincoln) Riley has remained adamant over the past week that despite its struggles, Michigan is a really good team with NFL-caliber players. You can see how much he is trying to will his team to not view itself as the favorites, even if the odds say so."

Pete Fiutak, College Football News: "The Heisman campaign starts or ends in two weeks against Georgia. If (Jalen Milroe is) brilliant in that and Bama wins, this thing might be over. At the moment, after three games - and a flawless game at Wisconsin - Milroe is hitting 67% of his passes for 590 yards and 11 touchdowns with no picks, and he has two rushing touchdowns in each of the three games. Again, though, we'll see if he's just renting this No. 1 spot, or if he owns it, in a few weeks."

"In the world of college football now, I don't believe in rebuilds because of the way you can build a roster. I believe the expectation is the kids don't want to hear 'rebuild.' My vision for them from Day 1 is we're going to go to work. There is a standard and expectation that UNLV should compete and win a championship ever year. That is our goal."

UNLV coach Barry Odom

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