Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

[Kingston Vol]

BYU’s radio play by play guy was on WNML yesterday and it was pretty interesting.

Basically said they felt like Utah got them out of their game early and two pick 6’s made the score look worse than it actually was.

He said much like Tennessee he expects BYU to come out and try to establish the run.

Their top RB, TySon Williams, transferred in from South Carolina and has played in neyland before and had some success against us. He said he thinks that will help them because he’ll be able to tell his teammates what to expect.

 

[Ace]

Fulmer will pull a Barry Alvarez if he has to. Bank on that.

Please, no no no!!!

 

[jakez4ut]

I'm sorry but as I was saying the other day, I don't believe in the "UT admin" being an actual person that's never fired.

We have a different AD, president, assistant AD, chancellor and so on. We had a type running things and we've changed that personality type. Very late in the game last go around but *IF* it comes up again and we want a name coach, I like our chances a lot better now.

yep. this isn't the same "admin" that got us in this mess in the first place.

they ARE here to supposedly fix it.

that said, if they are in a position to have to do the coaching search thing again, i still don't know how much difference it makes as to the attractiveness of the job at this point, nor do i have an inkling what the financial ramifications would be at the prospects of having 3 staffs on a buyout and looking go spend another $10m+/year on a new staff.

honestly, i don't want to find out. really hope we get our s**t together. fast.

 

[chargervol]

Watching the game last night and seeing the guys jogging around the field during the play makes me sick

Even my wife noticed it. "Why are their guys buzzing around like bees and some of ours look like they're just walking around".

 

[jakez4ut]

Watching the game last night and seeing the guys jogging around the field during the play makes me sick

you watched it again? eww.

 

[Kingston Vol]

I think reality is starting to set in that this build is way bigger than we thought. Some just don't want to admit it yet or trying to pin other things that they could do to stop the bleeding (fire Pruitt, Fulmer/Alvarez takeover, etc.). Just can't do that anymore.

I think you’re right. I’ve said before I’d ride out three straight 5-7’s because firing a guy doesn’t fix our problems and I still believe that. However, I’m not sure you can come back from a 3 or 4 win season which might be coming if we lose to BYU. Recruiting would be so difficult at that point.

Also, I wonder how the common fan would feel about it. We’re all hyper focused in here - but does the average fan say “give him more time” or “he was in over his head from the beginning.” I guess that’s what I’m interested in the most - the sociology of it all.

 

[awaitingawin]

Best support we could give the players we see giving effort and improving is for one of you guys to start a PLAYERS OF THE WEEK THREAD so the players who do play well and give effort or continue to improve can read our impressions and be supported. I still think we should do this after every game. It would be great in my view.......................................

 

[volinbama256]

I agree with all of what many are saying on here about it looking like a total rebuild. I want to point out that what is getting lost in all of this is the negative effect this is having on recruiting.

The lack of effort needs to end immediately.

If we have to play all underclassmen, but they are flying around giving it everything they got, then that is what we need to do. Recruits are looking elsewhere right now.

As many have stated, there are elite recruits that are interested in us, waiting to see how the season pans out. I don't think it is necessarily all about wins and losses for some of them. If they see Fresh/Soph playing their asses off, they may still want to jump on board and be part of the rebuild and the right type of culture.

We keep playing grab-ass out there with all of these stupid subs and crap, jogging around, then Pruitt will be left with a crop of 3* recruits to build off of and try and compete with GA FL AL LSU TAM MIZZ USC and others for talent and wins.

Still blows my mind what Vandy traditionally has to work with on talent and they are on a different level than us...

 

[zhangliao04]

Firing Pruitt would be a disaster. You just can't do that unless we go like 3-9 or something and everything falls apart. We need stability. Better to help him with whatever he needs than to start over.

Honestly, I don't think we can fire him even if we go 3-9. 0'fer yes, but in order to right this ship and instill the attitude that the program needs to have we need continuity and I think Pruitt can do that. Real football players and not premadonna's.

 

[jakez4ut]

I think you’re right. I’ve said before I’d ride out three straight 5-7’s because firing a guy doesn’t fix our problems and I still believe that. However, I’m not sure you can come back from a 3 or 4 win season which might be coming if we lose to BYU. Recruiting would be so difficult at that point.

Also, I wonder how the common fan would feel about it. We’re all hyper focused in here - but does the average fan say “give him more time” or “he was in over his head from the beginning.” I guess that’s what I’m interested in the most - the sociology of it all.

i think the average fan just checks out for a while honestly, if htat's what happens.

 

[zhangliao04]

not for nothing, but this is something i've been saying for a while..........so i agree.

all the year 2/year 3 talk...never held water to me. used to burn me up to hear/see the comparison to all the coaches that did something great in year 2.....so if we didn't, pruitt sucks.

doesn't mean losing to GSU is on the table........ever............but it did most certainly make the rebuild issue a reality.

For sure. Losing this past Saturday hurt Pruitt and made his job harder and he does have himself to thank for that and not just players. I think he knows that and is moving forward with it. If we are talking years like some on here like to do I think reality is this is Year 0/1.

 

[chargervol]

yep. this isn't the same "admin" that got us in this mess in the first place.

they ARE here to supposedly fix it.

that said, if they are in a position to have to do the coaching search thing again, i still don't know how much difference it makes as to the attractiveness of the job at this point, nor do i have an inkling what the financial ramifications would be at the prospects of having 3 staffs on a buyout and looking go spend another $10m+/year on a new staff.

honestly, i don't want to find out. really hope we get our s**t together. fast.

I agree with that, we brought the supposed "fix" in way late in the game.
But Fulmer already said what I wanted to hear about TN football drives the boat and that it has to be fixed at all costs.

 

[tnhunter 10]

True story............I saw him a couple of years ago at this 90's music concert tour (Salt n Peppa, Coolio, etc) and he was ****ing terrible.

Go ninja go ninja go

 

[zhangliao04]

I think you’re right. I’ve said before I’d ride out three straight 5-7’s because firing a guy doesn’t fix our problems and I still believe that. However, I’m not sure you can come back from a 3 or 4 win season which might be coming if we lose to BYU. Recruiting would be so difficult at that point.

Also, I wonder how the common fan would feel about it. We’re all hyper focused in here - but does the average fan say “give him more time” or “he was in over his head from the beginning.” I guess that’s what I’m interested in the most - the sociology of it all.

It is a true cluster ef if there ever was one. One side is just going to have to give and I think fans just need to be ready and do that. I get the "want to win now" mentality though because I am a fan and tired of excuses.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

i think the average fan just checks out for a while honestly, if htat's what happens.

He needs time. Our program needs consistency. The odds of us hiring a savior to come in here and fix the program if we fire Pruitt in year 2 are nil. Give the guy time, and if it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out. I still think he can get it done. He's a first time head coach, and, in spite of what we saw Saturday, we know that he knows talent and football. Give him time and if he fails then he fails. At least other coaches see that we gave him a chance. I still think he can succeed here.

 

[rjd970]

Overheard two Bama fans talking at the office today. It was a discussion about how the center on the offensive line didn't play his best game.

smh...oh to have such problems.

 

[Paper_Towel]

Just had a shot of some nasty ass vodka. Regret tf outa that

 

[tnhunter 10]

Firing Pruitt would be a disaster. You just can't do that unless we go like 3-9 or something and everything falls apart. We need stability. Better to help him with whatever he needs than to start over.

You cant fire him unless you have a proven coach guaranteed to take the job. But, its unlikely a proven coach would want this job if we fired Pruitt in 2 yrs.

 

[Smokeytom]

I think Pruitt is having trouble instilling his culture and that it is partly due to how diametrically opposite it is to Butch’s culture.

I think he’s been told to not throw his players under the bus, but he’s also beyond fed up with certain players.

Our only path is to drive ahead and hope that as more and more of his guys start to play and take leadership of the team that we see the change we want to see.

 

[chargervol]

The one speculation I do believe..

Regardless of the coach, we have a split in the locker room. We have Jennings trying to instill his culture and others passing along theirs. I hope we see several more exits and soon. The quicker we turn the numbers in our favor, the better.
Keep anyone that shows (not talks) they want on board and weed thru the rest like fire.

We need bodies but not at the cost of the culture. I'll eat this entire season and look to the future, as long as I see guys out there that want to win.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Hopefully we can get this season back on track. Looking at the other teams on our schedule, if we can get it together, we can still win 6 games if not more. BYU, MSU, SC, KY, Mizzou, Vandy are still very beatable. We just have to figure out what went wrong and get off the rails and the season can at least be salvaged. This Saturday will tell us a lot.

 

[jakez4ut]

He needs time. Our program needs consistency. The odds of us hiring a savior to come in here and fix the program if we fire Pruitt in year 2 are nil. Give the guy time, and if it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out. I still think he can get it done. He's a first time head coach, and, in spite of what we saw Saturday, we know that he knows talent and football. Give him time and if he fails then he fails. At least other coaches see that we gave him a chance. I still think he can succeed here.

this is basically where i've been since we hired him.

so i don't disagree with it at all.

but this is where the "fan" comes out....

i never thought GSU was even potentially a loss.
I believe at some point this program has to do something it's not expected to....from a positive result stand point....that seems less likely...RIGHT NOW....
i'm just tired of sucking. really. i mean seriously.
i can't imagine a bad season positively affects recruiting, and that class we thought we could get, likely isn't....which just adds more time to what was already going to be a long rebuild.

just gonna go game by game this season and see what it adds up to at the end.......

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

 

[jakez4ut]

I agree with that, we brought the supposed "fix" in way late in the game.
But Fulmer already said what I wanted to hear about TN football drives the boat and that it has to be fixed at all costs.

AGREED.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

this is basically where i've been since we hired him.

so i don't disagree with it at all.

but this is where the "fan" comes out....

i never thought GSU was even potentially a loss.
I believe at some point this program has to do something it's not expected to....from a positive result stand point....that seems less likely...RIGHT NOW....
i'm just tired of sucking. really. i mean seriously.
i can't imagine a bad season positively affects recruiting, and that class we thought we could get, likely isn't....which just adds more time to what was already going to be a long rebuild.

just gonna go game by game this season and see what it adds up to at the end.......

I'm with you. I'd kill for 8-4 and 3 years ago we wanted to kill over 8-4.