College writer: Heupel to Big Ten from Tennessee

Jeff Hauser

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Josh Heupel should leave Tennessee for Big Ten job, says college football writer image

USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer believes Josh Heupel should be watching his phone closely. Especially if a call comes from State College, Pennsylvania.

In his Thursday column, Toppmeyer laid out why the Tennessee head coach could be an ideal fit to replace recently fired James Franklin at Penn State. His message to  Heupel is this will be the best move and might be to stay one step ahead of a restless Tennessee fan base.

“Penn State needs offense. Penn State needs quarterback development. Penn State needs a coach who might occasionally beat a chief rival,” Toppmeyer wrote. “That’s Heupel’s theme music.”

Toppmeyer noted that while Tennessee remains a strong job, it’s not without peril. After back-to-back playoff disappointments and a deflating loss to Oklahoma, Vols fans have grown impatient. Heupel’s early success,  including a 2022 breakthrough that revived “Feels like ’98” chants have set expectations sky-high. He may struggle to meet them again.

A move to Penn State would reset the clock. “At Penn State, he’d chart a fresh course,” Toppmeyer said, adding that Heupel’s up-tempo offense would be “a revelation inside the Big Ten.”

While Heupel’s record against top opponents trumps Franklin’s, fan frustration mirrors what Franklin faced before his dismissal in Happy Valley. “A coach either stays one step ahead of the posse, or the posse catches him,” Toppmeyer added.

For Penn State, Heupel represents a proven offensive innovator who has restored Tennessee’s relevance. For Heupel, it could be a chance to escape before the music stops in Knoxville.

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