Aside from the top-25 matchup on Saturday pitting No. 6 Tennessee against No. 15 Oklahoma, one of the major story lines in college football this week is the return of Josh Heupel to Norman, Oklahoma, 25 years after quarterbacking the Sooners to a 13-0 perfect season and their seventh and most recent national championship.
In addition to leading Oklahoma to the national championship in 2000, Heupel was runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting that season.
He probably didn't think much about it at the time, but his two seasons as a player and later as a member of Bob Stoops' coaching staff -- a staff he was sadly dismissed from after nine seasons -- set Heupel on a career path that eventually landed him in Knoxville, Tennessee, as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.
On Saturday night, Heupel will lead his No. 6-ranked Tennessee team onto the field at sold-out Gaylord Family--Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and take his position on the opposing sideline to go up against his alma mater. Because of his dismissal under difficult circumstances in 2014 as Oklahoma's co-offensive coordinator, many Tennessee fans will undoubtedly view this weekend's road showdown with the Sooners as long-awaited redemption or revenge their beloved head coach.
It's easy to understand why Heupel would have feelings of bitterness and betrayal for the way he was let go at Oklahoma. But time does heal, and although Heupel still may have some hurt feelings, he also acknowledges his time at OU created the foundation for where he is today, and he is highly appreciative of that fact.
Josh Heupel said he’s expecting Oklahoma fans to be quiet when Tennessee is on offense out of respect 😂 pic.twitter.com/PSGeIfBEOP
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 16, 2024
The Sooners were 8-5 in the 2014 season with Heupel in charge of the offense and calling the plays. Some called it the worst season in Bob Stoops' 18-year career at Oklahoma. The fact is, the Sooner defense was a bigger liability than the offense, yet in was Heupel who took the fall, while Stoops retained his brother, Mike, as defensive coordinator.
OU's defense ranked 20th nationally in scoring that season, while the defense finished 55th, allowing 25 points per game. Lincoln Riley was brought in to replace Heupel and Jay Norvell as offensive coordinator.
"It'll be unique going back into that stadium," Heupel said during his weekly press conference this week ahead of the Oklahoma game. "It's going to be a (different) viewpoint -- I'm not sure I've ever spent a day on the opposing sideline inside that stadium. Not even for a scrimmage. So it will be different, but one I'm really looking forward to."
Heupel and Brent Venables were at Oklahoma together both while Heupel was a player and while he was an assistant coach, and they know each other well.
"Josh is one of the most appreciated and respected players that I've known of all the great ones," Venables told reporters this week. "He just always had great humility. He loves the locker room, he loved the staff room. Just always wanted to learn, and he was just a sponge."
Heupel will be recognized during the game on Saturday for his many contributions to Oklahoma football both as a player and as a member of the coaching staff. He may be the first head coach on the opposite sideline to be recognized in that way at OU other than perhaps Darrell Royal, who played at Oklahoma, also as a quarterback, and was head coach of the Texas Longhorns.
The Tennessee head coach and former Sooner did not begin his college career at Oklahoma. Heupel began his collegiate playing career at Weber State in Ogden, Utah. He redshirted in the 1996 season and played in four games in 1997 before suffering an ACL injury in spring practice the following year. He transferred to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, for the 1998 season. Bob Stoops and his offensive coordinator, Mike Leach, recruited Heupel and got him to transfer to Oklahoma in 1999 with two years of eligibility remaining.
The Sooners went 7-5 the first season under Stoops before surprising everyone in college football with an undefeated season in Year 2. Heupel was a major part of that turnaround.
As you would imagine, Heupel was hit with questions all week about his time at Oklahoma and the relationships he developed while he was there. "I wouldn't be here today at Tennessee if I didn't have all those experiences, so I'm tremendously grateful for all those people."
The former Sooner All-American also had some fun this week with the OU questions, jesting:
"Should be a great crowd. It's a passionate fan base. I'm expecting them to be extremely quiet for us, out of respect for me and our program, too."