Why November is Such an Important Month For Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers

Why the month of November will have such a drastic impact on Josh Heupel and Tennessee's success during the 2026 college football season.

The college football regular season is an extremely important slate of games for any team looking to make a deep run in the postseason. And while each game is just as important as the other, there are some periods of the schedule that have an extra sense of importance for some programs.

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the many programs who are looking to once again reach the College Football Playoff in 2026 and the team will have a plethora of massive contests throughout the regular season. But for head coach Josh Heupel, there is one month that may have some added significance.

Why the Month of November is So Important for Josh Heupel and Tennessee

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel high-fives fans at Vol Walk before a NCAA football game between Tennessee Volunteers and New Mexico State Aggies at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 15, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Since taking over as the Vols' head coach ahead of the 2021 season, Josh Heupel has suffered 17 total losses during the regular season. Of those 17 losses, eight of them have come during the month of November.

The month of November is the final stretch for a college football team's regular season, and can provide programs with their biggest challenges. Having success in this month not only helps increase momentum, but can also have massive impacts on a team's postseason goals.

November's unforgiving challenges have hindered the Vols in a plethora of ways under Josh Heupel. During the team's fantastic 2022 season, a shocking upset loss to South Carolina doomed the program's College Football Playoff hopes and upended quarterback Hendon Hooker's chance to win the Heisman Trophy.

The Volunteers also suffered a massive loss during the 2024 season, as a loss to Georgia on the road prevented the program from reaching its first conference championship game in over a decade and potentially winning its first ever SEC Championship game since 1998.

This year, the team will once again be tasked with some immense challenges as the Vols will face Kentucky, Texas A&M, LSU, and Vanderbilt to close out the regular season. Should Tennessee close out this slate with a 4-0 record, the Vols will have a fantastic chance at reaching the College Football Playoff.

While closing out the regular season 4-0 against all SEC opponents is certainly a difficult ask. Having a strong finish to Tennessee's schedule will be mandatory for the Vols should the team have aspirations of success in 2026.

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