Paul Finebaum takes shot at Tennessee, identifies momentum swing against Alabama
Paul Finebaum was asked if he likes Tennessee, as Greg McElroy described the Vols as an “enigma.”
During their regular Monday segment on WJOX and “McElroy and Cubelic In the morning,” Finebaum gave his assessment of the Vols.
“I don’t like the Tennessee team at all, Greg, if that’s what you’re asking,” Finebaum said. “I didn’t like them a week ago in Knoxville, and don’t like them much more now. They’re undisciplined at times. I think Josh Heupel, whatever anyone thinks about his decision on 4th down, I didn’t like it. Because I felt like with the lead, you have to think about what the upside is, but you have to factor in the downside, and clearly that was the momentum change in the game.”
Finebaum said he still respects Heupel immensely, but believes Tennessee is handcuffed and at a crossroads on offense, similar to Alabama.
“He’s got a quarterback that’s hard to predict where his next throw’s going,” Finebaum said.
McElroy then pointed out that Heupel had a similar regression in Year 3 at UCF as he appears to be having now at Tennessee.
“I’m probably not going to hit the panic button on Heupel,” Finebaum said. “I just think he’s kind of caught a little bit like Nick Saban, between quarterbacks. What I don’t understand is this: What everyone saw in Joe Milton that, and I’ll put myself in the group, that led us to believe that this Tennessee team had a chance for greatness. Against average or better opposition they have been pretty sub-optimal.”