The Volunteer State

Heisman Trophy voters who enjoyed the closest view of Hendon Hooker's performance throughout this Tennessee football season valued him more greatly than voters on the whole.

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and Mike Wilson discuss their Heisman ballots. Hooker garnered votes from each.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

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The Vols got a choice draw by landing an Orange Bowl bid opposite Clemson, the ACC champions. Alabama, courtesy of its No. 5 ranking, will play K-State in the Sugar Bowl.

Clemson trails only Alabama as college football's persistent top dog throughout the past decade. A win against Dabo Swinney's Tigers would ring loudly and clearly: Josh Heupel's Vols are here, and they intend to stay.

On this episode, Blake Toppmeyer, Adam Sparks and John Adams examine Tennessee's draw in what should be one of the marquee matchups of bowl season.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

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Joe Milton's audition to become Tennessee's starting quarterback began in winning fashion when the Vols trounced Vanderbilt 56-0, but Milton's performance was a mixed bag. He completed a 61-yard pass to Jalin Hyatt on UT's third play from scrimmage, but he also showed a flare-up of inaccuracy and overthrows that hampered his performance last year.

The NCAA's transfer portal will open next week. With Hendon Hooker departing, should the Vols plan to portal plunder?

On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams discuss Milton's start against Vanderbilt, debate the root cause of his inaccuracy and make the case for the Vols to add a transfer.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

Connect on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoVolsXtra/

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There's not a soul who wouldn't have liked to have seen Hendon Hooker finish his Vols career in style, but his final season was cruelly cut short when he tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to South Carolina.

Now, it's time for Milton Mania.

On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams discuss the Vols' transition to the Joe Milton era, and they reflect on the horrors of the loss to the Gamecocks that knocked Tennessee out of the College Football Playoff picture.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

Connect on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoVolsXtra/

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 Josh Heupel sent sports fans and pundits into debate mode after Tennessee's reserves scored a garbage-time touchdown in a blowout win against Missouri.

Was Heupel's decision to go for points rather than a taking a knee a sign of bad sportsmanship or a strategic move to increase UT's playoff credentials? Or, perhaps neither.

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer, Adam Sparks and John Adams debate and defend Heupel's decision.

Will the playoff committee view the Vols differently because of that touchdown? Doubtful. But, the reserves earned the opportunity to score that late touchdown.

Also, they handicap Hendon Hooker's Heisman Trophy chances and map out his route to college football's top award. And they review Tennessee's path to the playoff.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

Connect on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoVolsXtra/

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Tennessee can still make the College Football Playoff after losing to Georgia. That's the good news for the Vols. The bad news: The Vols will need at least a little help elsewhere.

Tennessee (8-1) is ranked No. 5 this week and has a good chance to win its remaining games, starting Saturday against Missouri. But the Vols are unlikely to reach the SEC Championship, which will hamstring their resume a bit.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer, Adam Sparks and John Adams review what went wrong for Tennessee against Georgia and break down the best avenues to the playoff for Tennessee.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

Connect on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoVolsXtra/

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The 2019 LSU Tigers won the national championship behind an offense that no opponent could stop. Quarterback Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy. Offensive whiz Joe Brady was hailed a wunderkind for his scheme.

The Tigers went undefeated. They averaged more than 48 points per game.

Tennessee's 2022 squad is saying: We see you, and we'll raise you.

Dazzling transfer quarterback Hendon Hooker has teamed with offensive mastermind Josh Heupel to lead the Vols in a stunning sprint up the polls and to an 8-0 record entering Saturday's clash with Georgia.

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer, John Adams and Adam Sparks debate how Tennessee does (and doesn't) remind them of 2019 LSU.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra.

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The Kentucky-Tennessee rivalry was a trophy game for more than seven decades, with a beer barrel painted orange, blue and white awarded to the winning side, usually UT.

That tradition remained in effect until before the 1998 season, when the beer barrel was shelved after two college students, including a UK player, were killed in an alcohol-related accident. A Kentucky player with a reported blood-alcohol content of 0.15 was driving. The beer barrel hasn't returned to this game since then, although it apparently remains in Tennessee's possession. Brian Niedermeyer, then a Vols assistant, posted a photo of the beer barrel in his office in 2019.

On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams discuss whether the Beer Barrel should make a return.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra.

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This Tennessee team, fresh off of beating Alabama for the first time since 2006, profiles as the Vols' best team since '98. Will this one end in a national championship?

It's starting to feel possible. Work left to do, of course, with two regular-season games remaining against ranked opponents. That includes a clash with No. 1 Georgia on Nov. 5 in Athens.

On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams reflect on UT's toppling of the Tide, which kicked off a jubilant scene inside and outside Neyland Stadium, and discuss what it means for the program.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra.

Connect on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoVolsXtra/

Subscribe to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe

Tennessee on the rise. Alabama has looked vulnerable.

But we know how the Third Saturday in October goes. Nick Saban spanks the Vols, no questions asked.

Not so fast, though. Tennessee has a new sheriff in town, and Josh Heupel's offense is giving everyone fits.

Further, Bryce Young's injury situation levels the scales and should help Tennessee mask a weakness: its pass coverage. Alabama's vaunted pass rush kept Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King in a state of continual duress, but Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is skilled at unloading the ball quickly.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer, Adam Sparks and John Adams discuss the signs that point to Tennessee ending its streak of futility against Alabama.

Vols fans wouldn't be crazy to prepare a cigar.