Ok. Let’s try this again. I just tried to write this all up once, and my computer went all Ed Orgeron on me and I couldn’t save the text before it was too late…
When I think of Tennessee, I think of the 2005 Notre Dame/Tennessee game when Tennessee was thoroughly beaten and it seemed quite clear the beating was mostly at the hands of the ND coaching staff more so than at the hands of superior talent on ND’s side of the ball. That sort of performance, coupled with the fact that Tennessee hasn’t been in real contention for a NC in a while, plus the fact that Tennessee’s hated rival, Florida, has won a National Championship in the last year, is probably why Phil Fulmer finds himself on the hot-seat right alongside coaching luminaries like Ty Willingham and Ed Orgeron.
But last year really wasn’t “that bad,” despite an ugly loss to Penn State in their bowl game. They went 9-4 last year, while darn near beating LSU and Florida (both at home) and scoring 51 at Georgia. And new Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe, formerly ND’s short-lived QB coach, showed that this Vols squad has abitily and potential that can and should be mined. Meanwhile, the defensive side of the ball continues to look excellent.
Offense: Erik Ainge is still there at QB. Hey, lots of people go to school for 7 years. But they do lose their top 3 wide receivers while getting a lot more health and depth at running back.
Defense: A very solid group at linebacker, a pretty darn experience group at DL, and quite a bit of talent at DB, there’s not a ton of reason to expect anything but a solid defensive unit. The Vol’s DC has been doing this for 13 years, and he’s got a pretty solid track record.
Special Teams: Speed to burn, but they lose arguably the best kicker in the conference to graduation. And, frankly, they’ve had speed to burn the last few years, but I can’t remember any “household” names coming out of the return squads of Tennessee for quite a long time.
Facts:
- The Vols only return 11 starters this year (6 O, 5 D).
- Fulmer only has a 7 and 7 bowl record despite having a 77% lifetime winning percentage.
- A search on the Dunkin Donuts website reveals that Knoxville has only 1 Dunkin Donuts franchise. Fulmer is very aware of this. Krispy Creme boasts 2 Knoxville locations.
HLS Top 25 Meta:
- Highest spot on a HLS Ballot: 11
- Lowest spot on a HLS Ballot: 21
- Average ranking on HLS Ballots: 17
Why Alex Trebek Loves Them:
- The lyrics to the Ballad of Davey Crockett, about Davey Crockett, who led the militia after which the Tennessee football team is named, is one of the most common Mondegreens in American Music.
Around the Web:
HLS Tracker 10 Forecast Technology Says:
Tennessee reminds me a lot of Boston College, but better. I don’t really think they’ll break thru in the SEC. I think they’ll be stuck in Plateau-ville this year. They’ll lose to LSU and Florida, probably, and possibly Cal, but those 3 teams should be so good that everyone will say, “yeah, but…” and then keep them ranked in the middle of the pack of their top 25 polls. Meanwhile things will move from a lite sauté to more of a fry for ole’ Phil. I don’t think he’s getting the axe this year, but next year he’d better set the world on fire, or he’s toast.
- HLS Tweets for the Week of 2009-11-15 - November 15, 2009
- HLS Tweets for the Week of 2009-11-08 - November 8, 2009
- HLS Tweets for the Week of 2009-11-01 - November 1, 2009
I think there’s a White Castle somewheres near Knoxville too.
I thought Southerners all ate chicken fried steak or possum or something like that. I know for sure they always marry cousins.