This fanbase doesn't get it

[volmanNC]

Nick Saban's first 4 years at Michigan State: 6 wins, 6 wins, 7 wins, 6 wins. First year at Bama 7 wins.
Dabo Swinney's first 3 years at Clemson: 4 wins (in 7 games as the interim coach), 9 wins, 6 wins.
Brian Kelly's first 2 years at Central Michigan: 4 wins, 6 wins. First 2 years at ND: 8 wins, 8 wins.
Pete Carroll's first year at USC: 6 wins.

You guys would all be on here trying to run these guys off if they had the same start here at UT than at their previous stops. I would argue we are in a worse spot than all of those other school's when they took over their programs. A decade plus of instability, looming NCAA investigation and sanctions, the toughest conference in college football and the vocal idiots expect this dumpster fire of a program to be turned around in 2 games. Hell, look at our basketball program as an example. Rick Barnes had a losing record his first two seasons combined before he got it turned around. We aren't in a position to turn this around in year 1 and most likely year 2 either.

The reality is that no matter who we hired; this was going to be a rough year. We haven't recruited at a high enough level, haven't developed enough guys, and the bulk of our best players all left the program before the season. I have no idea if Heupel is the guy or not. Heupel was pretty far down the list in terms of our coaching wish list so honestly he probably isn't the guy long term. However, the hope is that he can bring in some talent, get us to 7 or 8 wins a year, and we are a much more attractive job for the guy to take us beyond that. Either way, blaming this dumpster fire of a program on Heupel is asinine and ridiculous.

It is not about win/loss as much as it about stupid play!

 

[CAVPUT]

Wish I were surprised that some want him gone after his second game as head coach. One would think the total chit storm our program has been would buy him at least a couple of years.

 

[Chitlin&theDude]

Idk that it will be different and I'm frustrated and tired of losing too. But there are people, rational or not calling for Heupel's job and it is extremely toxic to the program.

Continuously losing is toxic to the program. A tiny fraction of irrelvalnt fans' opinions isnt.

 

[JRich]

I just want better QB play. Milton did not improve, actually looked worse. Hooker seemed nervous and unprepared and it seems like the playbook was limited for him - one read then run.

You can’t tell me these guys are better than Maurer or Bailey, because they are not.

Also, why are all the running plays designed to run straight into the back of the guard? There is design to the running game. No pulls, no blocking backs, just, “here, take the ball, good luck.”

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Continuously losing is toxic to the program. A tiny fraction of irrelvalnt fans' opinions isnt.

Ok, so give me a good reason why there’s been four different AD’s under this University and not one of them has been able to lure in a proven winner?

It can’t be a money issue or else we would have landed James Franklin whom was offered 8 million to come here.

They’re turning us down for a reason and that reason is they don’t find this job attractive anymore.

 

[dcm3w]

this. Its the same old story over and over every few years for Tennessee.

It's sad but it's also true. Every time we fail and bring in a new staff, it won't get fixed year 1. Realistically it takes 2-3 years to see the results we want and/or drastic improvement.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

Uh, don't indict this entire fanbase sir. This is one of (if not the best) the best fanbase crowds in the country. With what we have as a group been asked to endure, and what we have had to watch on the field of play while getting trolled by rivals, and still loving this university and program. I'd say the great majority of us are quite football literate and understand the climb ahead of us. Let's not lump the majority of us into the "drive-by" twitter-ites that come on forums and spew foolishness without thought. C'mon man. The silent majority is watching brother.

 

[OldLofter]

Thing is they were out there all day. The whole second quarter again and much of the third. They played great but were gassed. They kept us in the game for sure

Depth is one of our big problems and will be all season.
Didnt I hear from the TV guys, that UT only has 72 scholarship players? Most teams have the full 85. I’m sure we have some walk-ons, but that doesn’t make up for being short 13 recruited players. Gonna be a long year especially if the injuries mount up. But, I will hang in there. GBO

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Uh, don't indict this entire fanbase sir. This is one of (if not the best) the best fanbase crowds in the country. With what we have as a group been asked to endure, and what we have had to watch on the field of play while getting trolled by rivals, and still loving this university and program. I'd say the great majority of us are quite football literate and understand the climb ahead of us. Let's not lump the majority of us into the "drive-by" twitter-ites that come on forums and spew foolishness without thought. C'mon man. The silent majority is watching brother.

This. Most other places the stadium would be half empty or worse Saturday.

 

[Voltopia]

The real problem is that both the pessimists and the optimists are right, to varying degrees. The calls for patience, the unreasonable expectations, the premature claims of Tennessee's return to greatness, the pent up negativity, it's all been done before, so everybody's got a valid point tied up with all the hyperbolic claims to either extreme. Folks can all argue with self-assuredness because we won't know if this was a good or bad move for Tennessee until Heupel's had a few seasons to pan out.

I admit, I've got a sore spot for both extremes. The people saying "we're on our way to being good again" and the people who say "we suck and we'll never be any good again" are both making grandiose claims. Neither has any more proof than the other. Both are assertions, usually fueled by emotional appeals made in the moment. The rational stance would be a degree of patience coupled with "wait and see." Neither overly optimistic nor overly negative. But stoicism and middling opinions are not the stuff of message boards. Not for teams mired in rebuilding, anyway.

 

[Rickyvol77]

I think it has more to do with the fans expecting DW to hire a proven winner this time and it didn’t happen.

Most are taking their frustration out on Heupel even though he has nothing to do with the shape the program is in.

A proven winner? Not a guy who as a HC has won 78% of his games?

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

It's sad but it's also true. Every time we fail and bring in a new staff, it won't get fixed year 1. Realistically it takes 2-3 years to see the results we want and/or drastic improvement.

we just need a little overachievement in the right couple of games to change the narrative and flip some difference-maker prospects our way in the 2022 class. When Pitt threw that lateral double pass, I was thinking why in the heck are we not doing stuff like that. The staff may have four years because of their contracts but the program is still in desperation mode. We have to have wins to get good players to get more wins.

 

[GVol1966]

I think it has more to do with the fans expecting DW to hire a proven winner this time and it didn’t happen.

Most are taking their frustration out on Heupel even though he has nothing to do with the shape the program is in.

He did and I can prove it. It’s a matter of public records.
He won as a QB, a Coordinator and as a HC before he got here

 

[Boston Vol]

Ok, so give me a good reason why there’s been four different AD’s under this University and not one of them has been able to lure in a proven winner?

It can’t be a money issue or else we would have landed James Franklin whom was offered 8 million to come here.

They’re turning us down for a reason and that reason is they don’t find this job attractive anymore.

There’s a myriad of reasons that Tennessee hasn’t landed a proven winner. This past go round it wasn’t an attractive job. A coaching search in late January with NCAA sanctions looming is going to make any coach think twice. Tennessee has had its chance to hire proven winners, they’ve either just been too cheap or passed over proven winners.

 

[camp_steveo]

People are allowed to criticize the coach, especially when he makes bone headed decision.

Maybe next time he will call the QB sneak instead of handoff from the shotgun on 4th and inches with the game on the line.

And I aint even complaining about leaving Milton at QB even though he can't hit the ocean from the beach.

 

[GVol1966]

Pitt Points
Q1 - 0
Q2 - 27
Q3 - 7
Q4 - 7

We lost the game in the 2nd quarter. Eliminate many of the mistakes there and/or capitalize on the whiffs in Q1 and this game is a win.

2 games in a row the 2nd was awful.
Team comes out with fire and makes plays.
Then gets deflated after Milton misses on 2-3 wide open receivers and everyone gets deflated and momentum turns. Takes a while to get settled back in

 

[BeardedVol]

Think you missed the point.

Our fanbase is expecting a "proven winner" to come in here and immediately turn this around. It's not going to happen.

Quote the post(s) where someone is expressing the expectation for an 'immediate turnaround'.

Nearly all of the criticism against Heupel that I've read, centers in his handling of the QB position which he is supposed to excel at, and some questionable play calls.

You seem to have set the bar for success to just bring "better than Pruitt", and that not how it works.

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

Yeah I think we will score 30+ points per game this year with the exception of Georgia and Alabama games. What baffles me is, watching the game yesterday, it seemed like the defense played really well. But then look at the scoreboard and we gave up 41 points. I knew we were going to give up points in bunches, but it’s odd how it still happened considering defense looked solid yesterday.

Our defense had one horrible quarter.

We have one guy capable of generating a pass rush and he missed half the game with a cramp.

We are getting a lot out of what we have to work with. I’d take a guy like Banks with some juice than a retreat like Kevin Steele with ties to Fulmer.

 

[GVol1966]

Wish I were surprised that some want him gone after his second game as head coach. One would think the total chit storm our program has been would buy him at least a couple of years.

You can’t fix stupid!
And Volnation has a bunch

 

[Gandalf]

Frankly, for as bad a shape as the program has been in, I am pretty encouraged with what I saw yesterday with the glaring HUGE exception at QB. Otherwise, there was much to like and it seems the coaching both in game and practice is going along.

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

2 games in a row the 2nd was awful.
Team comes out with fire and makes plays.
Then gets deflated after Milton misses on 2-3 wide open receivers and everyone gets deflated and momentum turns. Takes a while to get settled back in

Those turnovers and 3 and outs due to a slew of offensive penalties put the D in some bad spots.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

A proven winner? Not a guy who as a HC has won 78% of his games?

They were expecting a James Franklin, Lane Kiffin, Freeze type of coach considering Heupel wasn’t on our radar until the last minute.

 

[UTK]

Anyome that even questions CJH Jon status the first two years are boarder line insane.


If that was Pruitt coaching yesterday, the team would of quit and got blown out. Facts.

 

[bigl3327]

Yeah I think we will score 30+ points per game this year with the exception of Georgia and Alabama games. What baffles me is, watching the game yesterday, it seemed like the defense played really well. But then look at the scoreboard and we gave up 41 points. I knew we were going to give up points in bunches, but it’s odd how it still happened considering defense looked solid yesterday.

Our defense has to fix the 2nd quarter issues. They've played 3 solid quarters in each of the first 2 games, but the 2nd quarter has been awful in both. We have up 27 points in the second yesterday. They cut that to 14, and we win the game, even with all the other bad that happened.

 

[Chitlin&theDude]

Ok, so give me a good reason why there’s been four different AD’s under this University and not one of them has been able to lure in a proven winner?

It can’t be a money issue or else we would have landed James Franklin whom was offered 8 million to come here.

They’re turning us down for a reason and that reason is they don’t find this job attractive anymore.

So they're turning us down because of our fans? Pls tell me you don't think that?

They turned us down because the admin decisions have put them in no win situations. 1) kiffins contract was joke and he left the program a mess. (Should have hired an interim coach to give us a chance to make a good hire after a year) 2) Dooley was a total joke who did nothing for 3 years and left the program in no better shape. 3) Hart made a terrible hire. Decided to wait, take his time and was left with a clown. 4) Currie had a whole year to set the table but never got beyond plan a and b, and it created an ever bigger mess. 5) Fulmer had no idea what to do and created an even bigger mess. Behind all of it was a revolving door of presidents and BOT who were clueless. That's why we're where we are.