What Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said about facing OU football at SEC Media Days

DALLAS — Before OU's turn at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, an OU alum made the rounds.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, the quarterback for the Sooners' 2000 National Championship team and a former OU offensive coordinator.

The Sooners opens their SEC schedule at home against Heupel's Volunteers on Sept. 21 in Norman.

Heupel's comments on OU on Tuesday echoed the ones he made at the SEC spring meetings earlier this year.

"First time I will have been back. It will be unique for myself to be on the other sideline. .... There's so many great teammates, friends who will be there. Got great respect for the university, the program.

"It'll be unique to be back there but excited to be there."

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Heupel is entering his fourth season at Tennessee, going 27-12 with the Volunteers. Tennessee was 9-4 last season.

Heupel arrived in Norman ahead of the 1999 season, one of the centerpieces of Bob Stoops' first OU class. It was also the same time Brent Venables arrived at OU as the Sooners' co-defensive coordinator under Stoops.

Heupel expressed respect for Venables.

"Those are two really good brands coming in," Heupel said of OU and Texas' additions to the league.

Heupel said he was looking forward to returning to OU for a game for the first time since he was fired as an assistant after the 2014 season, opening the door for Lincoln Riley to join Stoops' staff.

"It'll be a completely different viewpoint," Heupel said. "I've got family that still lives back there, lot of friends, teammates."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel embracing 'unique' game at OU