Josh Heupel shares how team will handle high expectations

Expectations and excitement are sky-high for the Tennessee Volunteers at this point of the season. The Vols remain undefeated, sit sixth in the AP Poll, and have a date with No. 3 Alabama this weekend. With the roof ready to come off Rocky Top, though, Josh Heupel knows he and his team will have to continue to keep their attention where it needs to be.

Heupel spoke about managing expectations during his press conference on Monday. He says they’ve found success by muting the outside noise overall. Now he wants to see them continue to do that by focusing on their play alone.

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“The expectations we should be concerned about are our own expectations,” said Heupel. “The reason our kids have gotten and continue to build and get better is because they’ve paid attention to the things that matter this week. We’ve got to prepare the right way, we’ve got to practice well. The playing part of it will take care of itself. The outside noise has no bearing on how we play. Let’s go compete and be our best on game day.”

This is the highest Tennessee has been ranked in the AP Poll since 2005. After years of losing to Nick Saban as well, it’s not at all far-fetched to suggest the Volunteers can win this weekend against the Crimson Tide. It speaks volumes about where Heupel has the program and how his team has bought in to this point of their season.

The good news for Tennessee is this isn’t their first wild environment of the season. All the same media attention was already on them two weeks ago when Florida came to Knoxville. With Saban and Alabama in Neyland Stadium to play for a game that now has as many CFP implications as it does SEC ones, Heupel will need his team to lock in to what matters if they want to do something truly special.