Tennessee football has had massive success in the four years under Josh Heupel compared to what he inherited. In 2022, the Vols won 10 regular-season games and just missed out on the four-team playoff. In 2024, UT won another 10 contests and earned a spot in the 12-team playoff.
This year, in 2025, there are expectations to compete at a minimum for another spot in the expanded playoffs. For the Vols to do so, a win this weekend over Georgia would go a long, long way. That’s been a hurdle that Heupel and Tennessee haven’t been able to get over yet, though. In both the 2022 and 2024 seasons, the Vols went on the road and fell to strong UGA squads.
So, besides the game being played in Neyland Stadium this time, what gives Tennessee hope that this year will be different? For safety Andre Turrentine, who has been with the Vols since 2022, it’s the way the team has ‘upheld the standard.’ To him, there hasn’t been a closer group that’s more dedicated than this one.
“Coach Heup and his message he sends to us,” Turrentine said on what is different this year. “The brotherhood that we’ve built this year. The trials that we’ve been through. The way that we’ve upheld the standard this year has been greater than any other year. I feel like this is a closer team, and this team is prepared for anything.”
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The mission to uphold this standard is something that began right after the final whistle blew in Columbus, Ohio, a season ago. When Tennessee was eliminated from the College Football Playoff in blowout fashion to Ohio State in the first round, the Vols instantly began their self-scout.
Turrentine said it wasn’t just for the Ohio State (the school he played his true freshman season at) loss, either. It included losses to Arkansas, Georgia and other plays that went wrong. The consensus was that it’s in the ‘margins’ that need to improve.
“Soon as the final game ends, we’re already on breaking down the film from the entire year, problem plays that we had. Whether that’s Georgia, whether that’s Ohio State, Arkansas, other games like that,” Turrentine said. “We know we have to be better in the margins. I think it starts just with that. As soon as that last game ends, get right back on the preparation, looking at this game and areas that we weren’t performing in the areas that we needed to. Upholding that standard and bringing it back where it needs to be.”
This year’s clash with Georgia is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on ABC. ESPN’s College GameDay will be on campus, along with a checkered crowd for the annual ‘Checker Neyland’ game.
