OK, when you bring recruits, specifically Tee into the discussion, this goes towards a specific opinion I have on current state of affairs. You say that these kids gravitate towards the "flavor of the month", and I agree. Hindsight is 20/20, and I really really wish that UT had formulated a transition plan out of the Fulmer years (ie FSU from Bowden years) rather than what appeared to be a reactionary, seat of the pants non-plan. I was on the field before the Alabama game in 2008, and overheard some AD staff discussing the amount of Crimson in the stands, and that this was unacceptable, and a change had to be made.
My biggest issue currently with UT is that Butch just doesn't "feel" like a "Tennessee Man" to me. I've seen him too many times come across as disingenuous. An example would be asking his handler to sign a piece of memorabilia for a long time member of the athletic department, and Butch refusing, claiming not to have time. In contrast, the times I've interacted with Dabo, he's almost unbelievably nice. An example was during the "pizza party" playoff selection show, we bumped into Dabo as his handler was rushing him from the field up to the press box for a live interview on ESPN. Our 4 year old daughter asked him if he'd take a picture with her. His handler told him he was to be live on air in 3 minutes, his response "Honey I've got plenty of time for you!" and squated down and grinned from ear to ear for what is currently one of her favorite pictures. I think this is part of what makes him a great recruiter, the Mamas probably melt and trust him immediately.
On the "Flavor of the Month" angle, look at the past 5 years that these kids have been tuned in to who's hot. Clemson is 56-10 in the past 5 years, and 11-10 vs ranked opponents. Tennessee is 31-31, and 3-23 vs ranked opponents. Tennessee is improving, but it's a process, Clemson won ten or more games for 4 years before last year's run, and built through recruiting. The roster at UT points to this year being a possible year to make a run, but I don't know about the playoffs. I believe that they can get to Atlanta, and a win there should put them in(with <2 losses), but that's an awfully tall order. That will pay off with recruits over a couple of years, but this season's results are for the current Sophomores and Juniors, it takes building relationships.
A couple of things that I also hope work in Tennessee's favor, are the coaching changes at UGA and USCe. I believe that Kirby is an experiment and parting with Richt was a mistake, and as a Clemson fan, I couldn't have hand picked a better choice for the cocks, other than maybe Bama's Offensive Coordinator. Hopefully these two mistakes will clear the path a little bit for UT to be in Atlanta more often, and reap the benefits.
Lastly, and I know this was a long winded post, but College Football Ebbs and Flows. It's like a soap opera for us dudes, complete with rumors, scandals, and drama. I am enjoying the heck out of Clemson's current run, and the down years(3-8 in 98 while y'all were winning the National Championship) just make it sweeter. The down years suck, but I know we'll be there again, and I'll just outlast them again.
