Is Josh Heupel A Top 10 College Football Coach?

Image: Tennessee Athletics

By Cody McClure

Tennessee Football is fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance.

The Vols have won double-digit games in two of the past three seasons.

It’s safe to say the standard has been raised to a point where Tennessee expects to win every game on its schedule.

So, is Josh Heupel a top 10 coach in college football? According to USA Today, the answer is no.

The publication updated its ranking of the 25 best coaches in college football, and while Heupel did make the list, he wasn’t near the top.

Instead, he comes in at No. 17 ranked behind five other SEC coaches — Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkisian, Kalen DeBoer, Lane Kiffin, and Brian Kelly.

“If Tennessee didn't hit rock bottom after firing Jeremy Pruitt amid an NCAA investigation, it at least could reach down and touch the bottom,” the USA Today article stated. “Then Josh Heupel arrived and pulled the Vols out of peril. He’s beaten Alabama twice. He jolted Tennessee’s offense to life with his warp-speed system.

“In a sign of coaching growth, he made the playoff by building a good defense. He’s a coach with a high floor, even if he might be nearing his ceiling.”

Is it accurate to say Heupel is nearing his ceiling? Has Tennessee maxed out on winning in the Heupel era?

It’s great that the floor is high, because it’s hard to imagine the program going back to the days of 5-7 or 6-6, even though we may be coming up on a “down year.”

If the floor ends up being 8-4, most of us can be happy with that. But is the ceiling only 10-2?

Can Tennessee and Heupel reach the actual championship level?

These are the questions that will need to be answered sooner rather than later.