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Year Two is the new Year Three
RaceBannon
Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 104,888 
Look out DeBoer
https://si.com/college/2022/10/18/tennessee-josh-heupel-year-2-litmus-test-coaches
With Tennessee’s dazzling performance in upsetting Alabama and the Volunteers’ 7–0 start, it’s time to wonder whether coach Josh Heupel (31) is the next great one in his profession. A lot will depend on how the rest of this season transpires, of course, but so far the 44-year-old Heupel is checking boxes for the Second-Year Litmus Test.
We’ve seen it before: New coach comes into a traditional power program that has been performing below its traditional norm. He needs one year to establish his own culture—apologies for applying that trite and vague word, but it applies. In his second year, the program takes off.
Kirby Smart (32), whose No. 1–ranked Georgia team figures to have a lot to say about how far this Tennessee run can go, started 8–5 with the Bulldogs. In his second year they went 13–2 and were a Tua Tagovailoa bomb in overtime away from winning the national title. Four years later, Smart got his title.
Smart, of course, was a protégé of Nick Saban, who had his own second-season flex in the SEC. Saban started 7–6 at Alabama, then went 12–2 in his second season. The Crimson Tide took an undefeated record into the SEC championship game in 2008 and battled eventual national champion Florida deep into the fourth quarter before submitting. In Year 3, Saban won the first of his six national titles at Alabama.
Speaking of that era of Florida football, Urban Meyer (33) was a Year 2 breakthrough guy there. He went 9–3 his first season, then the next season went 13–1 and won the national title in an upset of Ohio State. The coach he beat in the 2006 championship game was Jim Tressel (34), who catapulted from a 7–5 first season with the Buckeyes in ’01 to a 14–0 national title in ’02. (Tressel also went from 2–9 to 8–2 in his first and second seasons at Youngstown State, well before getting the Ohio State job.)
And two years before Tressel won the natty with the Buckeyes, Bob Stoops (35) did it in his second season at Oklahoma. Year 1 was a 7–5 labor, and Year 2 was a 13–0 masterpiece. His quarterback on that championship team? Josh Heupel.
Heupel was in his second season as the Sooners’ starting QB, after transferring in from junior college, when they won it all. That’s similar to Hendon Hooker’s path to Tennessee, arriving last year as a transfer from Virginia Tech. Saban had a second-year starter at QB on that 2008 team in John Parker Wilson. Craig Krenzel took over as the Ohio State starter late in Tressel’s first year, and that carried over into his second.
Looking elsewhere, should we be giving the same Year 2 breakthrough credit to Lane Kiffin (36) at Mississippi? Ole Miss doesn’t have the consistent, long-haul record of success as the other schools mentioned here, but his arc has been similar in Oxford. Kiffin’s first Ole Miss team went 5–5, then last year jumped up to 10–2 and a Sugar Bowl berth. This season the Rebels are, at present, the only undefeated team in the SEC West.
But not every second-season success story carries forward. Beware the Mel Tucker (37) false breakthrough. After the 2–5 pandemic season debut at Michigan State, the Spartans jumped up to 11–2 and a top-10 finish last year, prompting the school to massively overcompensate Tucker in a new contract. Year 3 has been a 3–4 bust, with all losses coming by double digits. (If Tucker wants to salvage this season, upsetting Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 29 would go a long way.)
Heupel’s agent will absolutely be asking for a massive contract extension—perhaps he already has—but Tennessee athletic director Danny White would be wise to keep the Tucker example in mind. Then again, White should also keep an eye on the situation at Heupel’s alma mater, Oklahoma. Brent Venables assuredly will get a second season leading the Sooners, but if 2023 goes poorly you’d have to wonder whether Oklahoma would try to bring Heupel home.
https://si.com/college/2022/10/18/tennessee-josh-heupel-year-2-litmus-test-coaches
With Tennessee’s dazzling performance in upsetting Alabama and the Volunteers’ 7–0 start, it’s time to wonder whether coach Josh Heupel (31) is the next great one in his profession. A lot will depend on how the rest of this season transpires, of course, but so far the 44-year-old Heupel is checking boxes for the Second-Year Litmus Test.
We’ve seen it before: New coach comes into a traditional power program that has been performing below its traditional norm. He needs one year to establish his own culture—apologies for applying that trite and vague word, but it applies. In his second year, the program takes off.
Kirby Smart (32), whose No. 1–ranked Georgia team figures to have a lot to say about how far this Tennessee run can go, started 8–5 with the Bulldogs. In his second year they went 13–2 and were a Tua Tagovailoa bomb in overtime away from winning the national title. Four years later, Smart got his title.
Smart, of course, was a protégé of Nick Saban, who had his own second-season flex in the SEC. Saban started 7–6 at Alabama, then went 12–2 in his second season. The Crimson Tide took an undefeated record into the SEC championship game in 2008 and battled eventual national champion Florida deep into the fourth quarter before submitting. In Year 3, Saban won the first of his six national titles at Alabama.
Speaking of that era of Florida football, Urban Meyer (33) was a Year 2 breakthrough guy there. He went 9–3 his first season, then the next season went 13–1 and won the national title in an upset of Ohio State. The coach he beat in the 2006 championship game was Jim Tressel (34), who catapulted from a 7–5 first season with the Buckeyes in ’01 to a 14–0 national title in ’02. (Tressel also went from 2–9 to 8–2 in his first and second seasons at Youngstown State, well before getting the Ohio State job.)
And two years before Tressel won the natty with the Buckeyes, Bob Stoops (35) did it in his second season at Oklahoma. Year 1 was a 7–5 labor, and Year 2 was a 13–0 masterpiece. His quarterback on that championship team? Josh Heupel.
Heupel was in his second season as the Sooners’ starting QB, after transferring in from junior college, when they won it all. That’s similar to Hendon Hooker’s path to Tennessee, arriving last year as a transfer from Virginia Tech. Saban had a second-year starter at QB on that 2008 team in John Parker Wilson. Craig Krenzel took over as the Ohio State starter late in Tressel’s first year, and that carried over into his second.
Looking elsewhere, should we be giving the same Year 2 breakthrough credit to Lane Kiffin (36) at Mississippi? Ole Miss doesn’t have the consistent, long-haul record of success as the other schools mentioned here, but his arc has been similar in Oxford. Kiffin’s first Ole Miss team went 5–5, then last year jumped up to 10–2 and a Sugar Bowl berth. This season the Rebels are, at present, the only undefeated team in the SEC West.
But not every second-season success story carries forward. Beware the Mel Tucker (37) false breakthrough. After the 2–5 pandemic season debut at Michigan State, the Spartans jumped up to 11–2 and a top-10 finish last year, prompting the school to massively overcompensate Tucker in a new contract. Year 3 has been a 3–4 bust, with all losses coming by double digits. (If Tucker wants to salvage this season, upsetting Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 29 would go a long way.)
Heupel’s agent will absolutely be asking for a massive contract extension—perhaps he already has—but Tennessee athletic director Danny White would be wise to keep the Tucker example in mind. Then again, White should also keep an eye on the situation at Heupel’s alma mater, Oklahoma. Brent Venables assuredly will get a second season leading the Sooners, but if 2023 goes poorly you’d have to wonder whether Oklahoma would try to bring Heupel home.
Comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Sioux_Falls_Cougars_football_team
Imagine this team if it was still starting Morris.
Still waiting for better we were promised
But his record there is insane
If only WE could bring back ole whatshisname
10-2
5-6
8-4
7-5
11-1
8-4
7-6
If you wanted to win big in year 2, Rick was your guy. But he's a proven short term high. But what a good high it was.
Got the big contract too
The only way I could see UW having a Tennessee-level breakthrough is a coach that's an Urban/Chip/Harbaugh-level hire and I just have a hard time seeing that in Deboer so far.
Jen loves these posts
Beboer was a good hire to me, especially when you look at who Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Texas and hell even Oklahoma have hired in recent years.
They needed to take the money they saved in hiring Deboer instead of Campbell supposedly and invest that in a real DC and position coaches. A real AD should say hell no, we're not bringing over the Fresno State D staff up here. Someone like Tim Derutyer should have been a floor. Should have also brought on a consultant for the offense who has been in the Pac-12 before as well. I'm fine with Grubb and Deboer but need someone who has been there before as well.
NIL and how to it could be better is a dead horse, but obviously that needs to happen too.