There are some moments where you know a program is heading in the right direction. It’s as clear as day. And it’s happened right now with every major sports program at the University of Tennessee.
Josh Heupel’s Volunteers toppled Alabama for the first time since 2006 back on October 15, 2022 with a walk-off 52-49 win. The relief and exultation wafted up from the field in the form of cigar smoke, and it was something that could be felt through TV screens across the country. Heupel’s Vols would go on to win the Orange Bowl that year, and two years later, they made their first College Football Playoff appearance.