Tennessee hosts Georgia this week. That game might just be the beginning of something special.

While Saturday’s game will likely result in another Bulldogs victory, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel vs. Georgia coach Kirby Smart is something to keep an eye on. Why? There are a number of reasons.

First, both coaches approach the game very differently. Heupel is an offensive-minded coach who has his players moving so quickly that it’s tough for television networks to keep up. Smart is all about defense, which is why he has one of the best defensive units in recent memory.

Heupel has also proven that he can “coach-up” players. He’s certainly done so this season. There is a very good chance that Heupel was a bit taken aback by the low level of talent that he saw when he arrived on campus shortly after being hired. Heupel knew that being the head coach at Tennessee was a good job. However, he probably didn’t know what a difficult challenge it would be initially. That hasn’t slowed him down.

Over the course of one season, Heupel has developed a top-notch quarterback and a group of potent receivers despite the fact that they won’t blow anyone away with pure talent. Heupel has also held together an injured offensive line by developing players that can provide much-needed depth up front.

Smart is a bit different in his approach. When he was hired at Georgia, he wasn’t shy about saying the Bulldogs’ roster needed a major overhaul. Smart has been able to rebuild that roster, especially on defense. His defenders come in waves. Georgia’s second-team defense would be above average nationally if Smart decided his starters could take a week off.

Smart, of course, has a head start on Heupel in regards to assembling talent. This is Smart’s 6th season at Georgia while Heupel is in Year 1 at Tennessee. Heupel may prove to be a good recruiter at Tennessee, but matching Smart on an annual basis isn’t likely. Smart has had too much success as a recruiter throughout his career to think Heupel can beat him often on the trail. Smart also has the advantage of more in-state talent to rely on. Heupel will likely upgrade Tennessee’s roster, but his ability to coach offensive schematics and develop players will be needed to match Georgia, which will always be at least a bit more talented as long as Smart is there.

Recruiting against Smart as opposed to his predecessors will be far more challenging. Tennessee can’t expect to win nearly as many recruiting battles in Georgia in the foreseeable future with Smart at the helm. However, the Vols don’t have to do that. Tennessee teams once had its fortunes relying on recruiting the Atlanta area. That’s not the case any longer. The Vols will still pull some top talent out of Georgia, but they can also lean on Nashville, which has exploded in terms of a recruiting area. Heupel can also call on some of his recruiting contacts when he was the head coach at Central Florida.

That brings us to the other intriguing aspect about Heupel vs. Smart. We don’t really know what kind of coaches they’ll be long term. Heupel may turn into a fantastic recruiter with the right assistants by his side. Smart may turn over his offense to someone who likes to move fast and light up the scoreboard. After all, Smart’s mentor, Alabama coach Nick Saban, went in that direction. No one saw that coming. In one season, Bama went from a ground-and-pound to a score-some-more offensive approach.

Smart has only been a head coach for 5 full seasons. Heupel has only been a head coach for 3 full seasons. Both will continue to evolve as head coaches. As long as Tennessee can keep Heupel, there is a very interesting rivalry setting up for many years. Let’s hope so.

As far as job security, Smart isn’t going anywhere. He has his alma mater at a championship-contending level and is the favorite to win a national title this season. Things would have to really go south for Georgia to not want Smart to be its head coach anytime soon. There also isn’t any other college job that Smart would prefer. As for the NFL, Smart saw Saban try that. Both are far too controlling to be happy coaching in the NFL. All indications are that Smart will be at Georgia for a long, long time.

Heupel’s allegiance to Tennessee isn’t nearly as clear. His background isn’t tied to Tennessee so it’s always appropriate to be concerned that he could go elsewhere for another coaching job. Oklahoma would seem like the likely destination if Heupel becomes a sought after coach. If Sooners coach Lincoln Riley ever decides to go to the NFL as many have suggested, Heupel — as long as he’s having success — would be on the the short list of candidates that Oklahoma would consider. Keeping Heupel from Oklahoma could be tough. Heupel nearly won The Heisman Trophy as Oklahoma’s quarterback when he finished second in 2000. Heupel then spent nine seasons in Norman as an assistant coach.

Allegiance aside, the Oklahoma and Tennessee head coaching jobs are held in similar regard. Both have significant status in the coaching community, especially now that Tennessee’s athletic department has stabilized. Both have overly sufficient budgets and facilities. Both have to recruit outside of their state. Both have fan bases with overly high expectations. Both even have their fans wear matching colors in certain stadium sections for special home games. They’re practically the same program. Well, at least the colors are different.

So as long as Oklahoma doesn’t mess things up, Heupel vs. Smart has legs for years to come. I’m certainly not suggesting that Heupel is as good of a coach as Smart just yet. Smart is likely to win the SEC this season and perhaps a national title while Tennessee is still trying to become bowl eligible. However, I’ve seen enough of Heupel to think that he could be a part of a special coaching rivalry worth watching.