Am I missing something?

OK - Chicken or egg. How are we supposed to win when this league is essentially the NFL light? As I wrote the only teams we are better off than are Kentucky and...

We need the recruiting to come first to win. To recruit we need a guy that can recruit on his name alone. I really like what Jones has done and said but we need to get some of these guys in Orange. Recruiting will lead to winning. In this league I don't see how you win without the horses. Another league - different story but not here. There is the chance that we have enough talent that, with excellent coaching, can pull an upset. I think we have to hope this is the case.

My thoughts exactly!Some people just don't get it!Kids wanna play for winners!Our fans can thank Hamilton for not hiring a big name coach after Fulmer got complacent in recruiting & hired Clawson.I can only hope Jones can coach our guys up and we pull an upset or two.If not we're probably looking at a 6 win season again.Call me a negavol or whatever,I really don't give a s***!Nothing wrong with being realistic last time I checked!Whiffed on green,Bellamy is headed to georgia.We'll see what happens but I'm not very optimistic for this class.Hopefully Jones can win 8 next year and start getting the athletes we need to be competitive again.
 
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My thoughts exactly!Some people just don't get it!Kids wanna play for winners!Our fans can thank Hamilton for not hiring a big name coach after Fulmer got complacent in recruiting & hired Clawson.I can only hope Jones can coach our guys up and we pull an upset or two.If not we're probably looking at a 6 win season again.Call me a negavol or whatever,I really don't give a s***!Nothing wrong with being realistic last time I checked!Whiffed on green,Bellamy is headed to georgia.We'll see what happens but I'm not very optimistic for this class.Hopefully Jones can win 8 next year and start getting the athletes we need to be competitive again.
good Post! I hope we can win 6 Games, I'm not a big fan of on the Job training so I will cross my fingers that Our OC/DC can hang with the best in the business here in the SEC!
 
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31st ranked class (rivals)? Ole Miss out recruiting us along with Vandy and the usual suspects? Fulmers worst class was in the 30's.

How are we supposed to get back to at least competing without the players to do it?

Auburn just had a coaching change and a worse season that we did but they are of course out recruiting us buy a mile. So is West Virginia and OK State. What am I missing?

If we can't do better than this then we are in trouble.
Hello Kentucky part II.

What is going on? Is there a realistic chance that we get a bunch of good news on the 6th (or 7th)?

Also, keep in mind Auburn has had success with their coach. Franklin has a lot of momentum behind him as well. This year is Butch selling bs, not because it is not true, just because the kids do know him yet. He had success previously, but even our own Tiny didnt know who he was before this year. This year's class will be a test of two things: 1.) How well Butch can sell the program without having a year in the big leagues. 2.) How well can these guys spot a diamond in the rough. He needs to recruit to his play style, and that may or may not land him in the top whatever, but I'd rather have a good recruiting class that fits our new style than a highly rated one full of talent, but no productivity. Just look at the Lakers this year.
 
Hard to win without talent, and hard to get talent without winning.

One of those two has to give in order for UT to break the ice again. In other words, Jones better be a hell of a coach, and he better show it on the field.

That doesn't mean he has to go 10-2 next year in order for our recruiting to pick up, but he must coach up the talent he has immediately and prove that we are heading in the right direction immediately. That simply means he better field a team that plays disciplined, hard, and like it expects to win. Do that, and an upset or two could be in the works. If an upset or two is in the works, we end up with a pretty good record. If we end up with a pretty good record, recruits see UT as a well coached, upcoming program that is worth playing for.

Rebuilding is not an exact science, but it's not brain surgery, either.

I hate the current situation we are in, but UT has no one to blame but itself. It has taken numerous boneheaded decisions to pin us this far down, but here we are. Luckily, we have a few saving graces in things such as our facilities, tradition, and support that can potentially make "getting back" much easier than it is at some places; But, it's not going to happen without the right people in place.
 
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Hard to win without talent, and hard to get talent without winning.

One of those two has to give in order for UT to break the ice again. In other words, Jones better be a hell of a coach, and show it on the field.

That doesn't mean he has to go 10-2 next year in order for our recruiting to pick up, but he must coach up the talent he has immediately and prove that we are heading in the right direction immediately. That simply means he better field a team that plays disciplined, hard, and like it expects to win. Do that, and an upset or two could be in the works. If an upset or two is in the works, that means we end up with a pretty good record. If we end up with a pretty good record, recruits see UT as a well coached, upcoming program that is worth playing for.

Rebuilding is not an exact science, but it's not brain surgery, either.

We have talent. I mean you cant put too much into the rankings of a 17-18yr old kids. They are scouts' predictions of how the kids will pan out over 4 yrs, and the rankings are general, not per specific system/needs. I agree with your thinking about building momentum, and upsets are huge for this. Look at A&M this year. We need to show up a program next year. People hype up teams on the rise. Hopefully, we will be in that category next year.
 
We have talent. I mean you cant put too much into the rankings of a 17-18yr old kids. They are scouts' predictions of how the kids will pan out over 4 yrs, and the rankings are general, not per specific system/needs. I agree with your thinking about building momentum, and upsets are huge for this. Look at A&M this year. We need to show up a program next year. People hype up teams on the rise. Hopefully, we will be in that category next year.

We do, but not enough of it.

As for the rest of your post, the rankings are there for a reason. There will always be diamonds in the rough along with flame outs, but it averages out to be pretty damn accurate. Much more so than many people around here wish to believe. We must eventually start recruiting at a comparable level to our competition if we want to consistently compete with them. That's just the way it is. We are still searching for a kick start right now.
 
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If Jones is not the guy the Admin must have their sights on a can't miss guy and when the time is right get him.

Our Admin. is the biggest problem we have going right now. Hart is an egotistical buffoon with delusions of grandeur and Cheek isn't too much better. To think those 2 slappies will right the ship is a dream not founded in reality. Just look at the train wreck of a coaching search.
 
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We do, but not enough of it.

As for the rest of your post, the rankings are there for a reason. There will always be diamonds in the rough along with flame outs, but it averages out to be pretty damn accurate. Much more so than many people around here wish to believe. We must eventually start recruiting at a comparable level to our competition if we want to consistently compete with them. That's just the way it is. We are still searching for a kick start right now.

First, Im not sure I agree with you that we didn't have enough talent. If we'd had more confidence and better communication on defense, I think we may have been competitive. I think how bad we were falls onto our previous coaching staff, namely sal.

Secondly, I'm not sure I communicated what I was trying to say about judging the staff on recruiting. The rankings are not based on team needs, nor on specific play styles. In other words, the number 1 dual threat qb doesnt have to be a 5 star guy, and even though he'd fit some teams better, he will not boost their ranking the way a 5 star qb would. Same goes for filling spots with more talented players than your current starters or players that see PT. You are improving your team. You say the rankings average out to be accurate; my other point is that it is more important that, not only do we land our targets, but our staff can target the right guys for their system, not just aim to be in the top 5 in ratings. On the other hand, when we go neck and neck with a player we are targeting with competition, then I agree with what everyone is saying.
 
when You Hire 2* Coaches to recruit 5* players it's an up hill climb

Ever think that maybe its hard to land a big time coach right now? Most "5*" coaches don't want to come in and rebuild a program. And maybe you could wait a season before judging him as a 2*, or at least let him even coach a single game. When Saban was at MS, people were probably thinking he was a 2* coach too. Im sure Florida fans were doubtful about Meyer's SEC potential even though he had success at BG and Utah when he was hired. Everyone has to start out somewhere and move up. Give CBJ a chance before you spill garbage.

Fans here are ridiculous. They think that UT is the top job available, we have the best fans, best facilities, and more championship trophies than anyone else.

The reality is that UT is a major rebuild job, a lot of the fans are completely delusional, the facilities are good, but not anything that blows away most SEC schools, last time we won a NC is 98, and we have back to back losing seasons and some down right embarrassing showings.

If you were a big time recruit or coach, wouldn't you be skeptical about spending the next 4 years here?? Part of being a true fan is hanging with the ups and downs. Every program has them. If all you care about is winning, you should be a Bama fan right now.

I want to win as bad as anyone, but Im Orange all the way, regardless of what happens now or in the future. GBO!!
 
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First, Im not sure I agree with you that we didn't have enough talent. If we'd had more confidence and better communication on defense, I think we may have been competitive. I think how bad we were falls onto our previous coaching staff, namely sal.

Secondly, I'm not sure I communicated what I was trying to say about judging the staff on recruiting. The rankings are not based on team needs, nor on specific play styles. In other words, the number 1 dual threat qb doesnt have to be a 5 star guy, and even though he'd fit some teams better, he will not boost their ranking the way a 5 star qb would. Same goes for filling spots with more talented players than your current starters or players that see PT. You are improving your team. You say the rankings average out to be accurate; my other point is that it is more important that, not only do we land our targets, but our staff can target the right guys for their system, not just aim to be in the top 5 in ratings. On the other hand, when we go neck and neck with a player we are targeting with competition, then I agree with what everyone is saying.

I agree with much of what you're saying here. But, the fact of the matter is, all coaches recruit players for their system needs. I'm not saying we need to aim for a certain number in the recruiting rankings, but we should be aiming for the most talented players that do fit our system. And a very good deal of the best talent out there can be fit into almost any system, which is why even if we are recruiting to our system strengths alone, we will still be competing against the Bamas, UFs, and UGAs of the world for players.

We have to be able to win a good percentage of those battles.

Believe me, regardless of what system CBJ is running, if he was allowed to sign his ideal class of players, I guarantee you it would be very highly ranked by the recruiting services.
 
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Blind check! Dumb Check ! Troll check ! have no clue about football check! Ok looks like you pass!

Yeah you spout football knowledge or spit something..if I'm keeping it positive how am I a troll?...you're a joke that's not even funny...you fail...I'm done with you
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Ever think that maybe its hard to land a big time coach right now? Most "5*" coaches don't want to come in and rebuild a program. And maybe you could wait a season before judging him as a 2*, or at least let him even coach a single game. When Saban was at MS, people were probably thinking he was a 2* coach too. Im sure Florida fans were doubtful about Meyer's SEC potential even though he had success at BG and Utah when he was hired. Everyone has to start out somewhere and move up. Give CBJ a chance before you spill garbage.

Fans here are ridiculous. They think that UT is the top job available, we have the best fans, best facilities, and more championship trophies than anyone else.

The reality is that UT is a major rebuild job, a lot of the fans are completely delusional, the facilities are good, but not anything that blows away most SEC schools, last time we won a NC is 98, and we have back to back losing seasons and some down right embarrassing showings.

If you were a big time recruit or coach, wouldn't you be skeptical about spending the next 4 years here?? Part of being a true fan is hanging with the ups and downs. Every program has them. If all you care about is winning, you should be a Bama fan right now.

I want to win as bad as anyone, but Im Orange all the way, regardless of what happens now or in the future. GBO!!
when recruits choose Vandy ,miss State ,Kentucky and yes Division II schools over Tennessee it tells me we have a staff thats gota long ways to go. Yes idiot I do care about winning! wow boy you pulled the true fan card outa your ass for this?
 
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Got to wonder how many of these 4 and 5 star recruits that are at Auburn, Ole Miss, Okla State and West Va (etc.) are eligible for coach Jones and staff to recruit due to Dr Cheeks standards that he has set. Make no mistake people, this is a REAL issue. While Dr Cheeks crew are allowing a few Academic exceptions per year(CP) the bottom line is that just because a player is NCAA and SEC eligible it does not mean they are eligible by UTs standaeds. It is what CPF referred to, as well as CDD and several sportswriters also. Hart has said it is something that they are "working" to get fixed and Dr Cheek says he needs to look into it, but as of now, nothing has changed. This is a huge deal.. If they are eligible in at other SEC schools, why not Tennessee?. Cheek needs to publically make the change or be removed by any means possible.
 
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But it doesn't seem to be for Auburn, they currently have the 16th ranked class, an order of magnitude better than ours with that doofus Gus Malzahn.

I don't think you understand the order of magnitude concept. Google it. That would simply be twice better than ours.
 
Does it make me a bad person that every time "Volfootballlover" posts, all I can think is "meth is a hell of a drug"??

Sorry for the hijack, y'all go on ahead now.
 
Does it make me a bad person that every time "Volfootballlover" posts, all I can think is "meth is a hell of a drug"??

Sorry for the hijack, y'all go on ahead now.
ahh does the truth about our football program hurt you this bad? We are stinking it up in recruiting, we blowed the coaching hire, and the best staff in the nation is laughable! Just look back a year from now and don't forget how Hart refused to hire a coaching search firm and panicked when he hired Jones. Jones says the right things, but his staff is full of no namers who can't compete in recruiting with other SEC schools it's being proven every day so far! No I don't do Meth, but I'm not a panzie like you . I'm not afraid to say what I feel unlike some of you who think a football message board is about popularity
 
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Answer Me this would you as a high school player rather have Mahoney or Pittman ? It's stupid hires like this that keep setting Tennessee back! Line of scrimmage wins in the SEC!
 
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ahh does the truth about our football program hurt you this bad? We are stinking it up in recruiting, we blowed the coaching hire, and the best staff in the nation is laughable! Just look back a year from now and don't forget how Hart refused to hire a coaching search firm and panicked when he hired Jones. Jones says the right things, but his staff is full of no namers who can't compete in recruiting with other SEC schools it's being proven every day so far! No I don't do Meth, but I'm not a panzie like you . I'm not afraid to say what I feel unlike some of you who think a football message board is about popularity

Answer Me this would you as a high school player rather have Mahoney or Pittman ? It's stupid hires like this that keep setting Tennessee back! Line of scrimmage wins in the SEC!

I don't often respond to the posts of slow people, so count yourself lucky. I really like how you just happen to KNOW all these things....can I borrow your crystal ball sometime, so that I too can see into the future?? I'm just gonna go ahead and shoot your argument all to hell, you ready?? Mmkay, here goes.

1: "ahh does the truth about our football program hurt you this bad?"

Your version of the "truth", and that of others is laughably dissimilar. However, you keep on with your doom and gloom if that's what works for you. Been there, done that, gonna try and see the positives now.

2: "We are stinking it up in recruiting"

Where?? Let's see......(arguably) the #1 RB in the nation had us at #2 on his list.....we stand a very good chance of landing the #1 DE in the nation (Lawson), I forget what Levenberry's ranking is as a LB, but we're certainly in the running for him as well, among others (Jaylen Miller, Vonn Bell....IIRC, the #1 safety in this class, etc, etc, etc). All this with a coaching change, new staff, and all the changes. Contrary to your belief, you can't hold a gun to a 17 year old's head and MAKE him play for Tennessee if he doesn't want to.

3: "we blowed the coaching hire, and the best staff in the nation is laughable! Just look back a year from now and don't forget how Hart refused to hire a coaching search firm and panicked when he hired Jones. Jones says the right things, but his staff is full of no namers who can't compete in recruiting with other SEC schools it's being proven every day so far!"

Lemme guess.....you wanted that sack of fail Jon Gruden, didn'tcha?? Words cannot describe how glad I am that that POS isn't anywhere near Neyland Stadium. But, in the interest of fairness.....how did the coaching search get blown?? How do you know that they can't compete with the others?? Christ amighty, man.....how long have they been on the job now?? You're one of those types that likes start and park NASCAR racing, ain'tcha?? Pretty much the same thing you're saying here.

4: "No I don't do Meth, but I'm not a panzie like you . I'm not afraid to say what I feel unlike some of you who think a football message board is about popularity"

(chuckle) Maybe the meth comment was out of line....nah, it wasn't. I'm tired of playing nice around here. You're right on one point, this ain't a popularity contest. I'd be willing to bet there's 100+ people on here that have me on ignore over the Gruden fiasco (the fact that his name was even mentioned for the job still makes me want to projectile vomit). Simple rules for dealing with me......try to spell correctly, and if you're going to bash the coaches/players, have facts to back them up. Don't use emotion because your sistermomma or your aunt/girlfriend didn't give you no cuddle time last night. That's the kind of garbage that's far too prevalent around here, people letting emotion (and bovine excrement) rule what they say. Think about things for 30 seconds before you type them. And as for me being a pansy: drink bleach and have sex with a woodchipper.

5: "Answer Me this would you as a high school player rather have Mahoney or Pittman ? It's stupid hires like this that keep setting Tennessee back! Line of scrimmage wins in the SEC!"

How the hell would I know?? I've never met either of them, I don't pay a hell of a lot of attention to footwork and technique of the OL, and I'd be willing to bet that you don't/haven't either. Truthfully, if I was a beast OL in HS (and if I didn't bleed Orange), I'd CERTAINLY want to talk to Wisconsin's or Nebraska's OL coach. They always have a good OL, and I'd be also be willing to bet that there's a few more Nebraska/Wisconsin O-linemen in the NFL that what you'd think. However, you know it's stupid, so I guess Mahoney should be fired right now, huh??
 
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All I know is...

I am flat out ticked that Ole freaking Miss and Vandy....VANDY...are out recruiting us. I live in Bizzaaro World.
I hope this is a one year anomaly or we land a few on signing day that at least get us in the 20's. We could seriously be staring at complete irrrelevance for the foreseeable future.

We are only out recruiting Mizzou (barely), Arky and Kentucky.
Next year I would not be surprised is KY fared better that we do. The bleeding continues...
 
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