Josh Heupel Talks About Cold Temps For Playoff Game, Vols Fan Support Headed To Columbus

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel spoke with reporters this week ahead of the Vol's first-round matchup against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.

Two things that Heupel was asked about was the Vols fanbase that is expected to show up in large numbers at the Horseshoe on Saturday and also the cold weather that is expected in Columbus. Per On3:

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Despite the road game, Tennessee is expecting plenty of fans to make the road trip to Columbus. That’s something that Huepel says makes sense to him given how good the fanbase is at Tennessee and the circumstances around the game.

“Not [surprised] with this fanbase,” Josh Heupel said. “It’s a nice short drive up there and Christmas is right around the corner. It’s a great Christmas present.”

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On top of how many fans are going to be there for Tennessee, Josh Heupel is also expecting to need to contend with the weather. Going north in the winter is always going to lead to concerns about how a southern team can handle the cold. That’s especially true for a night game. At the same time, Heupel knows it’s something the Volunteers are going to need to get over.

“Yeah, it’s a June day in South Dakota,” Heupel joked about his home state. “It’s gonna be great football weather, you know, a couple weeks ago we played in, you know, 30 degree weather. We practice in the morning. Still chilly, you know, as cold as it will be around this area, and at the end of the day, you know, you get between the white lines. The weather doesn’t matter, the temperature doesn’t, and we’re ready to go play.”

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