Josh Heupel Has A LOT Riding On Tennessee's 2026 Season...

The Tennessee Vols don't need Josh Heupel to win the national championship in 2026, but Tennessee absolutely needs to see signs that the football program is moving toward something bigger. Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down what should actually constitute a successful 2026 season for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers on the Big Orange Podcast — and why simply looking at Tennessee's final win-loss record might be the wrong way to evaluate this team. Tennessee is entering a fascinating season under Heupel. The Vols are expected to start a young quarterback, with Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre battling for the job. Jim Knowles is installing a new defense. Tennessee has made significant changes throughout the program, and the Vols are beginning the SEC's new nine-game conference schedule. That creates a much more complicated standard than simply saying Tennessee needs to improve on last season's 8-4 regular-season record. Zach explains why Tennessee could potentially finish 8-4 or even 7-5 and still be a better football team than it was last season. With games against Texas, Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt and more, the Vols will have plenty of opportunities to prove whether the program is actually improving. So what does Charlie need to see? Progress. Tennessee's defense needs to look significantly better under Jim Knowles. The Vols need to be more physically prepared late in the season. The young quarterback needs to develop. Tennessee can't continue suffering embarrassing performances like last season's loss to Vanderbilt. And most importantly, the Vols need to finish 2026 looking like a program that's positioned to take another major step in 2027. Charlie and Zach also discuss why Heupel deserves credit for his response to the end of last season. Tennessee made meaningful changes to its coaching staff, defense and strength program while continuing to add high-level talent. Those moves have created another window for Heupel to prove he can take Tennessee deeper into the College Football Playoff conversation. How many games does Tennessee actually need to win in 2026? Could an 8-4 season still represent progress? What would have to happen for legitimate questions about Heupel's future to emerge? And which games simply cannot become another embarrassing loss? Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break it all down on the A to Z Sports Big Orange Podcast. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Tennessee for Tennessee Volunteers football news, analysis, recruiting, reactions and Big Orange Podcast episodes throughout the 2026 college football season. Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more VOLS coverage: https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/volforlifetn Twitter: https://x.com/BigOrangePod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsvols TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsvols #tennesseevols #tennesseevolunteers #secfootball