ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit believes Josh Heupel has what it takes to get Tennessee rolling, and he compared the change to when Robert Griffin III was at Baylor, and the offense put defenses on their heels.

That’s why he shared during an interview with The Sports Animal that getting off on the right foot will be huge for the Vols.

“With a new regime, starting well on September 2nd against Bowling Green would behoove them to buy into the new direction,” Herbstreit said. “The worst thing that can happen is to get off to a slow start and kind of a roll of the eyes and here we go kind of thing. Hopefully, they start fast and regain some confidence.”

Of course the biggest storyline entering the opener is the quarterback competition.

Last week, Heupel said the quarterback competition between Harrison Bailey, Joe Milton, Hendon Hooker and Brian Maurer will be narrowed leading up to the game.

“I anticipate us having a starter during the course of Week 1 for sure,” Heupel said at a local media day last week, “that doesn’t mean the other guys won’t have opportunities to share roles. I think it’s the challenge for every player to earn the trust of the coaching staff and show that they’re going to compete on a championship level.”