The level of blindness to the talent problem here

[JohnnyBall]

amazes me.... the Crompton thing isnt all of the problem....FULMER LET THE TALENT LEVEL SINK TO THE 10-12 LEVEL OF THE SEC...then had the balls to say he should have been given the chance to coach all of the 2 and 3 star studs he "recruited"...talent he bottom fed for after everyone in the south had picked over the studs..HELLS BELLS 7-5 would be a friggin COY performance from what they are working with..

 

[tango]

QFT.

I can't believe all the crap I'm reading on this board with everybody expecting Kiffin to make chicken salad out of chicken @$&%.

 

[Volstate]

qft.

I can't believe all the crap i'm reading on this board with everybody expecting kiffin to make chicken salad out of chicken @$&%.

+2000000000000000000000000000

 

[WA_Vol]

Go compare UT's recruiting rankings with Auburn and UCLA over the last 5 years. I'll bet we have more talent on paper. Just saying. I think the talent gap thing is overblown.

 

[emainvol]

Most of us do recognize the talent problem. Those that are blaming yesterday on Crompton are just plain stupid. The defense couldn't get stops when they needed to, kickoff coverage was awful and the receivers couldn't catch anything. The only reason that game was close was coaching.

 

[IPorange]

Go compare UT's recruiting rankings with Auburn and UCLA over the last 5 years. I'll bet we have more talent on paper. Just saying. I think the talent gap thing is overblown.

If you look at certain key positions, it's obvious that we weren't recruiting full classes of our actual needs.

 

[WA_Vol]

Rivals recruiting rankings:

2009
UT#10
UCLA #14
Auburn NR

2008
UT NR
UCLA #13
Auburn #20

2007
UT #3
UCLA NR
Auburn #7

2006
UT #23
UCLA #17
Auburn #10

2005
UT #4
UCLA NR
Auburn #13

Rivals.com Team Rankings

I understand the need to defend the first year coach, but the talent gap with UCLA and Auburn is............well doesn't really exist.

 

[BeecherVol]

Go compare UT's recruiting rankings with Auburn and UCLA over the last 5 years. I'll bet we have more talent on paper. Just saying. I think the talent gap thing is overblown.

Exactly.

Things being as they were when CLK and staff got here. No one should expect him to jump right in with what is here, and go toe to toe with UF/Bama/LSU/UGA even.

Where I have a problem, is hollarin "no talent" after we lose to UCLA, and AU. You can't play that card against everyone on the schedule.

 

[allvol123]

Go compare UT's recruiting rankings with Auburn and UCLA over the last 5 years. I'll bet we have more talent on paper. Just saying. I think the talent gap thing is overblown.

While doing this exercise remember in the back of your head how highly Crompton was ranked and then ask yourself why you're performing this stupid exercise.

 

[WA_Vol]

Exactly.

Things being as they were when CLK and staff got here. No one should expect him to jump right in with what is here, and go toe to toe with UF/Bama/LSU/UGA even.

Where I have a problem, is hollarin "no talent" after we lose to UCLA, and AU. You can't play that card against everyone on the schedule.

:good!:

 

[LawVol13]

Rivals recruiting rankings:

2009
UT#10
UCLA #14
Auburn NR

2008
UT NR
UCLA #13
Auburn #20

2007
UT #3
UCLA NR
Auburn #7

2006
UT #23
UCLA #17
Auburn #10

2005
UT #4
UCLA NR
Auburn #13

Rivals.com Team Rankings

I understand the need to defend the first year coach, but the talent gap with UCLA and Auburn is............well doesn't really exist.

Somehow I doubt that Auburn and UCLA start 2 walkons and a converted TE on their O-line. Also, both have recruited quarterbacks that are on another planet than Crompton.So, yes, we haven't done a good job recruiting in certain positions. We have SEC caliber RBs and have a few SEC caliber WRs, with absolutely no depth on the offensive line. When you are starting two walk-ons and a converted TE on your offensive line in the SEC, that usually means that you haven't recruited very well. And, it would be interesting to see the numerous highly recruited players that Fulmer recruited that aren't even here now like Kenny O'Neal, Lamarcus Coker, and the list goes on.

 

[WA_Vol]

While doing this exercise remember in the back of your head how highly Crompton was ranked and then ask yourself why you're performing this stupid exercise.

So we just ignore the fact that the top 3 teams in the nation happen to have the highest recruiting rankings over the past 3 years?

Go look at Texas, Florida, and Alabama's recruiting rankings. Any surprise they are the top 3 ranked teams in the country? Well maybe to you........

 

[IPorange]

So we just ignore the fact that the top 3 teams in the nation happen to have the highest recruiting rankings over the past 3 years? Go look at Texas, Florida, and Alabama's recruiting rankings. Any surprise they are top 3? Well maybe to you........

Just like you ignored my post, sure.

Also, consider how many defections and losses of players we've had.

 

[allvol123]

So we just ignore the fact that the top 3 teams in the nation happen to have the highest recruiting rankings over the past 3 years?

Go look at Texas, Florida, and Alabama's recruiting rankings. Any surprise they are the top 3 ranked teams in the country? Well maybe to you........

No but use some common sense when analyzing something. The rankings mean nothing when your highly touted QB turns out to be a bust and you never bothered to recruit another quality QB.

 

[JohnnyBall]

There was a 4 point "talent gap" between Tennessee and AU...and a 10 point gap between us and UF...mathematically speaking

Or is the coaching better now??

 

[IPorange]

Several of the players from those classes aren't even here any more.

 

[WA_Vol]

No but use some common sense when analyzing something. The rankings mean nothing when your highly touted QB turns out to be a bust and you never bothered to recruit another quality QB.

I am using common sense. You're the one argueing that because of the outlier (Crompton) we should ignore the norm.

 

[perico]

Our starters:

QB: Crompton- 5 star recruit, terrible under two different staffs
TB: Hardesty- 4 star recruit
FB: Cooper- 3 star recruit
WR: G. Jones- 5 star recruit
WR: Q. Hancock- 2 star recruit
TE: L. Stocker- 3 star recruit
T: Scott- 4 star recruit
G: C. Sullins- walk on
C- C. Sullins II- walk on
G- J. McClendon 4 star recruit
T- Aaron Douglas 3/4 star recruit (as a TE)

DE: Chris Walker- 3 star recruit
DT: Dan Williams- 3 star recruit
DT: Wes Brown- 3 star recruit
DE: Ben Martin- 5 star recruit
OLB: Rico McCoy- 4 star recruit
MLB: Reveiz- Walk On<> Frazier- 2 star recruit
OLB: Thompson- 3 star recruit
CB: Rogan- 3 star recruit
CB: Art Evans- 2/3 star recruit
FS: Jansen Jackson 5 star recruit
SS: Eric Berry- 5 star recruit

That ain't to good. Half of those 5 star recruits that jacked our ratings up in the past are no longer with the program

 

[golf437]

f-ing amazes me.... the Crompton thing isnt all of the problem....FULMER LET THE TALENT LEVEL SINK TO THE 10-12 LEVEL OF THE SEC...then had the balls to say he should have been given the chance to coach all of the 2 and 3 star studs he "recruited"...talent he bottom fed for after everyone in the south had picked over the studs..HELLS BELLS 7-5 would be a friggin COY performance from what they are working with..

:clap: :clap:

 

[allvol123]

I am using common sense. You're the one argueing that because of the outlier (Crompton) we should ignore the norm.

Evidently he is not an outlier. Between the players that have quit/been run off and the ones that never materialized it seems the classes weren't that great. If some piece of paper makes you believe they were, more power to you.

 

[hndog609]

I think you're in the coaching position of Sisyphus trying to win games with a bad QB. Parsing the rest of it is nice but if we landed the #1 class for the next four years but still had Crompton at QB we'd only be a "better" one dimensional offense. The kid is just not a D1 talent. Not going to beat him up over it, neither am I, but there's no sense in dodge the issue. Regardless of who is or isn't on the OL, DL, WR or anywhere else we aren't going to press the FL/AL's of the world without an SEC caliber QB. It's just that simple.

As a side note about coaching I would like to point out there is no small number of people on this board who had no problem putting ALL the blame on coaching last year. Now many of the same people are arguing it's ALL about the talent this year. Just saying.

 

[perico]

I think you're in the coaching position of Sisyphus trying to win games with a bad QB. Parsing the rest of it is nice but if we landed the #1 class for the next four years but still had Crompton at QB we'd only be a "better" one dimensional offense. The kid is just not a D1 talent. Not going to beat him up over it, neither am I, but there's no sense in dodge the issue. Regardless of who is or isn't on the OL, DL, WR or anywhere else we aren't going to press the FL/AL's of the world without an SEC caliber QB. It's just that simple.

As a side note about coaching I would like to point out there is no small number of people on this board who had no problem putting ALL the blame on coaching last year. Now many of the same people are arguing it's ALL about the talent this year. Just saying.

2 losing seasons in four years at UT is unacceptable.

Under Fulmer's last four years:

2005: 5-6
2006: 9-4
2007: 10-4
2008- 5-7

We lost 4 games each year- UNACCEPTABLE

Bowl Record under Fulmer since 2000: 3 wins 4 losses
UNACCEPTABLE

Record Against Florida since 2000 under Fulmer: 3-6

Record Against Alabama since 2000 under Fulmer: 5-4

Record Against UGA since 2000 under Fulmer: 4-5

Record Against Vandy since 2000 under Fulmer: 8-1

All UNACCEPTABLE

Sec Championships under Fulmer since 2000: 0
National Championships under Fulmer since 2000: 0

 

[jwells]

Rivals recruiting rankings:

I understand the need to defend the first year coach, but the talent gap with UCLA and Auburn is............well doesn't really exist.

Go back and look at who all left during that time. What you have from signing day rankings and what we have left on the field is not the same.

 

[BeecherVol]

If AU and UCLA have that much more talent than we do, we will STRUGGLE to win 5 games.

 

[adamyq]

There is a big difference between guys that Rivals and Scout rank high and guys that fit a coach's system. I am not content to be one of those guys that says "oh, just wait until next year." I want to win now, just like everyone, and I would like to see the coaching staff to improve on their use of what they have available this year.