Could Pruitt survive a 0-12 season?

[JMSqb11]

Pruitt, a known commodity as a recruiter, had playing time to sell. That is why recruiting did not take a hit from a bad year. I guarantee CJP think 5-7 is a bad year. He had a good effort recruiting in spite of a bad year. That’s a testament to him.

The problem is not the 1st bad year...it’s the cumulative effect of a second bad year when you combine the two, should that end up being the case. And yes, it will be viewed as 2 bad years, and not 1 with a throw away year.

Yeah I’m sure early playing time is the only reason these recruits committed to Pruitt.

And once again, Pruitt’s first year was not a bad year considering the circumstances.

Recruits committing said otherwise and so did top level coaches by signing here. But I guess it was solely about playing time and money right?

 

['Boro-vol]

Yeah I’m sure early playing time is the only reason these recruits committed to Pruitt.

And once again, Pruitt’s first year was not a bad year considering the circumstances.

Recruits committing said otherwise and so did top level coaches by signing here. But I guess it was solely about playing time and money right?

Are you willfully obtuse? I gave Pruitt all the credit for the class. He had a story to tell, and playing time to offer. None of that changes 5-7 into a successful campaign. And it will be viewed even more critically if combined with a poor sophomore campaign.

All I asked for was proof of your assertion that “recruits committing said otherwise”.

Of course players and coaches jumping on board at a historic, well-funded, SEC power was about playing time and money. Especially in the first season of an unproven first time head coach.

 

[Wylo]

God forbid we do lose to Chattanooga this weekend then we are def looking at the first winless season in UT football history. Do y’all think Pruitt could survive that? I personally don’t think he can survive a 1-11 season

If he survives a 3-9 season, I would hope that many people would stop supporting a University that thinks that's okay.

 

[The Original Fade]

God forbid we do lose to Chattanooga this weekend then we are def looking at the first winless season in UT football history. Do y’all think Pruitt could survive that? I personally don’t think he can survive a 1-11 season

He would survive

 

[JMSqb11]

Are you willfully obtuse? I gave Pruitt all the credit for the class. He had a story to tell, and playing time to offer. None of that changes 5-7 into a successful campaign. And it will be viewed even more critically if combined with a poor sophomore campaign.

All I asked for was proof of your assertion that “recruits committing said otherwise”.

Of course players and coaches jumping on board at a historic, well-funded, SEC power was about playing time and money. Especially in the first season of an unproven first time head coach.

I never once said it was a successful campaign. I simply said it’s not a season you could lump together with a 3-9/4-8/5-7 2019 record as “two consecutive bad years”....

I mean I guess you can but recruits obviously won’t feel that way. Only way that would show they did is if the class falls apart. And thru an 0-2 start to 2019, there’s no significant signs that is the case.

And the recruits that are freshmen this year say otherwise, hence their commitments. Smh

 

[SobeVol]

lol a 3 star ranked in the 700’s flipped to Louisville. Louisville, not UF or Bama or Clemson or OU. Big whoop.

If it’s no “big whoop” then why did we take him.

 

[flatiron]

Cool...it’s good to know the guy with all the “truth”.

I say again....the “year zero” schtick played out with Butch Jones.

I thought it was Dooley who actually tried to sell folks on his first year being “year zero”

Dooley says this really 'year one'

 

['Boro-vol]

I never once said it was a successful campaign. I simply said it’s not a season you could lump together with a 3-9/4-8/5-7 2019 record as “two consecutive bad years”....

I mean I guess you can but recruits obviously won’t feel that way. Only way that would show they did is if the class falls apart. And thru an 0-2 start to 2019, there’s no significant signs that is the case.

And the recruits that are freshmen this year say otherwise, hence their commitments. Smh

You said 5-7 was not a bad season. 2018 and 2019 are consecutive years whether you agree or not.

When referring to recruits you keep using phrases like “obviously feel this way” without any examples or proof....which is what started this. I get that this is how you “feel” but nothing but how you feel backs it up.

Sorry, bud....this is pointless. If he has a bad year this year it will have the cumulative effect of having two bad seasons in a row. It will start to have an adverse effect on recruiting at some point, because the story and the playing time start to dry up. And no amount of anecdotal observations to the contrary will change it.

 

['Boro-vol]

I thought it was Dooley who actually tried to sell folks on his first year being “year zero”

Dooley says this really 'year one'

Oops...seems you’re right. It’s hard to delineate the stupid when talking about those two.

 

[BreatheUT]

I’d be shocked if they lost to UTC, even more than Ga State. I think UT wins in a blowout.

Not a knock on the kid but just my thoughts....I'm not sure our starting QB can help UT blow out anybody unless you are talking putting up 28-35 and holding UTC to a goose egg which I don't think will happen.

The passing offensive is not explosive enough and EVERYBODY knows this. So tell me how this helps the running game or keeps teams from all put blitzes any time they want to.

 

[DCRockyTop]

You said 5-7 was not a bad season. 2018 and 2019 are consecutive years whether you agree or not.

When referring to recruits you keep using phrases like “obviously feel this way” without any examples or proof....which is what started this. I get that this is how you “feel” but nothing but how you feel backs it up.

Sorry, bud....this is pointless. If he has a bad year this year it will have the cumulative effect of having two bad seasons in a row. It will start to have an adverse effect on recruiting at some point, because the story and the playing time start to dry up. And no amount of anecdotal observations to the contrary will change it.

You can't drag him for making assumptions that it won't affect recruiting while making an assumption yourself the other way without proof of your own. You are both idiots.

 

['Boro-vol]

You can't say he is making assumptions that it won't affect recruiting while making an assumption yourself the other way without proof of your own. You are both idiots.

.

 

[Bob Neyland]

Every coaching change is a reset. Just reset the clock every time.

Most HOF coaches wouldn’t survive because of the win now mentality.

The first priority is to simply get stable. Five or six wins. Folks thinking we would go 8-4 or 9-3 are delusional.

 

[BreatheUT]

You do realize CBJ only had 6 losses on his record that ladt season? Many on here were so fearful he would get two wins against Mizoo and Vandy and a possible bowl win and keep his job. They seem aroused everytime they get to say a CBJ coached team lost 8 games and are still happy those last two were losses.

While i think Pruiit was a mistake and cannot understand why anyone thinks he is doing even a mediocre job, i would much prefer to be wrong about him and the Vols start winning again.

But thats just me. Saying i told you so quit being important to me somewhere around the 4th grade.

Have you been smoking something? Butch Jones wasn't beating Vandy or Missouri. Those are his losses and he quit on his team thinking they wouldn't follow him while he tried to save face. Waving the white flag doesn't make them go away it was in his last season.

 

[JMSqb11]

You said 5-7 was not a bad season. 2018 and 2019 are consecutive years whether you agree or not.

When referring to recruits you keep using phrases like “obviously feel this way” without any examples or proof....which is what started this. I get that this is how you “feel” but nothing but how you feel backs it up.

Sorry, bud....this is pointless. If he has a bad year this year it will have the cumulative effect of having two bad seasons in a row. It will start to have an adverse effect on recruiting at some point, because the story and the playing time start to dry up. And no amount of anecdotal observations to the contrary will change it.

So now after all your grandstanding, you’re dealing in guarantees?!?! Shocking!

 

['Boro-vol]

So now after all your grandstanding, you’re dealing in guarantees?!?! Shocking!

What guarantees? That 2018 and 2019 are indeed consecutive years? That 5-7 is not a good season by any measure? Or is the the assertion that bad seasons at some point (my exact words) will have an adverse effect on recruiting?

This started with you asking for proof of something you asserted, and refusing to give none yourself...and I’m grandstanding.

 

[VolsRule]

UT should be able to win at least 2-3 games

 

[wmcovol]

Why do people do this? How do they live life like this?

 

[volfannbama]

Every coaching change is a reset. Just reset the clock every time.

Most HOF coaches wouldn’t survive because of the win now mentality.

The first priority is to simply get stable. Five or six wins. Folks thinking we would go 8-4 or 9-3 are delusional.

Stable doesnt include a lose to Georgia St.

 

[Bob Neyland]

Stable doesnt include a lose to Georgia St.

Yes, it does. Progress is not linear. Should we have won? Yes. But then again, probably should have lost to Auburn.

 

[volfannbama]

Yes, it does. Progress is not linear. Should we have won? Yes. But then again, probably should have lost to Auburn.

Nope

 

[photovol]

How much more weight will Pruitt gain before he's run out of Knoxville, will he make it to Chaney size, Odds?

 

[1974Vol]

I’d be shocked if they lost to UTC, even more than Ga State. I think UT wins in a blowout.

You have to show up to beat anyone. We have the talent to win by 4 TD's or more, but it requires focus and consistent effort to win football games. We don't know what's going on in the locker room but I'm afraid this will be a closer game than any of us fans want to see. I don't think we lose Saturday but a game that's still a contest in the 4th Qtr is a real possibility. And going forward we will have to get much better to even be in another game. We could see the younger players gel as a team late in the season and get a win or 2 that we don't see now but 3-9 actually looks good from where we sit right now.

 

[MAUSERWERKE]

So let's say we go 1-11 this year. What exactly would constitute him keeping his job the following season? 6-6? 7-5? 8-4? If he didn't go at least 9-3 in his third year, he'd have to be fired. He can't afford to go 1-11 or 3-9. Cause then what would the excuse be the following year if we suck again? Oh we have a true freshman starting at QB.

He wins less than 5, Fulmer is going to have to take a long hard look into whether or not he should keep Pruitt around.

While I am certainly not privvy to Fulmer's thinking, I doubt seriously he lays down markers for what has to happen in the W-L column in future seasons on whether to keep or fire a coach. To use your example, let's say the team does go 6-6 in year 3, but say several of those wins are against SEC teams or otherwise ranked teams? And in each game, the team plays with competence and fight. Let's say all the losses are narrow. I would guess that under those circumstances, Fulmer would elect to keep and/or extend Pruitt. Now, if the team goes out in 2020 and barely beats some FCS and Sunbelt teams (I know, I know) but gets blown out in most of its SEC games, and/or if the team looks as lost and incompetent as it looked against GA State, and Mizzou and Vandy last year, then yes, Fulmer would have some decisions to make. But, it's not just wins and losses that the AD has to evaluate. TN plays in the toughest conference in football. Its out of conference schedule is frequently brutal as well. The program has a ways to go to even be middle of the pack in the SEC. And IMHO it is likely going to have to go through a few years of "middle of the pack" before it is going to become a championship contender. I think too many of our fans think that if we can just hire the right coach, we are suddenly going to be a consistent 8 win team. We may, and we should get to that level, but it I am skeptical it will happen in a season or two. Every head coaching change is disruptive and sets the program back in multiple ways. Not to say that such changes aren't sometimes necessary, after you have given the incumbent coach a fair shot at showing what he can do. And as I have posted elsewhere, why would you ever fire a coach until you have what you believe to be a better coach identified and waiting in the wings?

 

[DC Vol]

Considering the closing this staff made in recruiting, the impact of last year's 5-7 season didn't make negative impacts.

Even more so you look at guys like Gray and Henry T's comments this week about the current staff.

Once again, I am saying the first year for Pruitt wasn't going to have a big negative impact on recruiting. It didn't and it won't.

And people who aren't glued to the program like the fans aren't going to cherry pick two games to end the season from a coach's first year.

It is not rocket science.

I think if Tennessee gets it turned around and finishes like so:

UTC - Win
@Florida - Close loss, competitive game
UGA - Close early but talent in depth shows late. 21 point loss
Miss State - Close loss, won in final plays
@bama - Blowout loss
USCe - Close loss, team reeling from Bama
UAB - Win
@kentucky - Close win
@Mizzou - Close loss
Vandy - Blowout win

That leaves us at 4-8 but finishing much stronger than we did last year. Would have been 6-6 without the early season stumble and 6-6 is what most rational fans thought would be a sure sign of improvement with a bowl game possibility for 7-6.

I think with that layout, it's entirely doable for a decent staff. Honestly, a great staff would probably net wins against either USC or Mizzou, but a great staff would not have been dominated by Ga State.