The Tennessee Vols will kick off the 2024 season on Saturday at 12:45 PM ET in Knoxville against Chattanooga.
A new season of Vols football means a new season of fresh storylines.
And believe me when I say that there are some extremely interesting storylines for Tennessee in 2024 when it comes to the opponents on their schedule.
Here are the five schedule-related storylines that every Vols fan should be aware of this fall.
1. NC State head coach Dave Doeren's first game against the Vols since the 2017 coaching search
It's been seven years since former Tennessee athletic director John Currie attempted to hire NC State head coach Dave Doeren after the attempted hire of Greg Schiano and a failed pursuit of Mike Gundy.
Doeren's agent told Currie in 2017 that the head coach was "fired up" to get a deal done with Tennessee. Currie, however, ghosted Doeren and his agent, failing to return numerous text messages. Doeren eventually signed an extension with NC State, but it was clear that he wanted to leave Raleigh for Knoxville.
From the Knoxville News Sentinel : After Tennessee didn’t reach a deal with Gundy, Currie exchanged messages with Doeren’s agent, Jordan Bazant.
”Let’s get this done,” Bazant wrote to Currie on Nov. 28.
Two days later, on the morning of Nov. 30, Bazant wrote: “He is fired up.”
When Currie didn’t respond, Bazant wrote: “Really need to hear from you.”
Doeren received a new deal from N.C. State later that day.
It'll be interesting to see if Doeren faces any questions from the media about his interest in the Tennessee job in 2017 ahead of NC State's matchup against the Vols in Charlotte on September 7.
2. Josh Heupel's return to Norman
This is probably the biggest schedule-related storyline for the Vols in 2024. Heupel is a legend in Oklahoma after leading the program to its last national championship way back in 2000. After his playing career ended, Heupel spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, eventually rising to the position of offensive coordinator. Former Sooners head coach Bob Stoops fired Heupel after the 2014 season, despite the fact that Oklahoma had the No. 21 scoring offense in the nation. The matchup between Tennessee and Oklahoma in September will be Heupel's first time returning to Norman since the 2014 season. I'm sure there will be plenty of emotions on both sides of the ball (Heupel will have former teammates, co-workers, and players he coached on the Sooners' sideline).
3. Tennessee has to beat Florida in Knoxville
Tennessee hasn't won consecutive home games against Florida since 1990 and 1992. It's imperative that the Vols accomplish that feat in 2024 (UT beat Florida at home in 2022). Gators head coach Billy Napier is very much on the hot seat after struggling during his first two seasons in Gainesville. This is a game that Tennessee absolutely has to win if they want to have any shot of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024.
A loss to the Gators in Knoxville would be devastating for the Vols. Tennessee has been mostly dominated by Florida over the last 20 years. If the Vols can't get past this Gators team, then it will be fair to wonder if Tennessee will ever have the upper hand again in this rivalry.
4. Former Vols OL Gerald Mincey returns to Rocky Top when Kentucky takes on Tennessee
Former Vols offensive lineman Gerald Mincey transferred to Kentucky earlier this offseason and immediately started talking trash to his former Tennessee teammates.
"I think I owe it to all the Kentucky fans to handle business on Nov. 2 (when UK and UT play)," said Mincey in late January . "So I'm excited for that...."Kentucky has got to do more to earn it (a win against Tennessee)....I love the underdog (role). So when we go there Nov. 2 to Neyland and we bust them in the mouth, we can put the standard back over here ."
Mincey will have to put his money where his mouth is on November 2 when he faces a Tennessee defensive line that some folks think could be the best in the nation in 2024.
5. Josh Heupel faces a familiar face when Tennessee takes on Jeff Lebby and Mississippi State
Josh Heupel and Jeff Lebby run essentially the same offense (with each having their own twist on it), so it'll be quite the chess match when these two former Oklahoma Sooners assistants face off each other on November 9.
Lebby, who was Heupel's offensive coordinator at UCF in 2019, knows exactly what Tennessee will be trying to do offensively in this game. And Heupel will know exactly what Mississippi State will be trying to do offensively. The Vols have more talent, so this is game they should win. But anytime two coaches that know each other well are going head to head, you have to assume that anything is possible. This is a win for the Vols on paper, but I have a feeling this will be a challenging game for Tennessee thanks to the presence of Lebby.
Related: Former Sooners QB Jason White offers strong comments on Josh Heupel's time at Oklahoma and Heupel's exit from Norman
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