Desperation disguised as hope...

#1
orange+white=heaven

orange+white=heaven

VN GURU
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#1
My thanks to the TFP's Mark Wiedmer for penning the line that best sums up a gray hair inducing season.

Mark was talking about Brad Cottam's moment in the sun yesterday...

Brad Cottam pulled his position coach aside a few minutes before the start of Tuesday's Outback Bowl against Wisconsin. He told Matt Luke that he was going to score a touchdown in his final college game.

There was little reason to believe this was anything more than desperation disguised as hope. Cottam hadn't caught a touchdown pass his entire Volunteers career, despite being fairly hard to miss at 6-foot-8 and 270 pounds.
Then again, hadn't this entire UT season been about desperation disguised as hope? The Vols stood 1-2 after three games. They were 4-3 after seven, the three losses coming by a combined 77 points.
As defensive coordinator John Chavis noted late Tuesday afternoon, "They had the tombstone. They had the grave dug. But we wouldn't fall in."
Click to expand...

I'll link the full piece HERE...

For all the highs though, I remain entrenched in one memory. 59-20. That is what I will remember.

But as they say, time waits for no one, so I leave the season passed in the past, and look forward.

There will be a lot of shiny new name plates on offensive coaching doors at the Tennessee athletics complex soon. I welcome the new orange blood, and pray they set about reinvigorating the thinking right away. Goodness knows the cupboard is fairly well stocked with talent and experience.

Further, the defense's necessary rush to youth will reap real benefits in the season to come. Chavis' New Year's resolution has got to be DL depth.
That aside, good things are coming.

Summation... I'm done with desperation and disguises. I'm full on into hope for the future of the University of Tennessee Volunteer football team.

Now let's go shoot some hoops.
 
#3
#3
That is a great line.

I am trying to be hopeful and positive for 2008.
 
#5
#5
I'm hopeful we get a crackerjack OC.....I wonder if anything will come of the the discussion with Loeffler? What's Michigan's OC doing after Carr?
 
#8
#8
why anyone would want to come play TE for Tennessee is beyond me.

buy maybe things will change if we get the right OC with enough freedom to do things.
 
#9
#9
tango said:
why anyone would want to come play TE for Tennessee is beyond me.

buy maybe things will change if we get the right OC with enough freedom to do things.
Click to expand...
Jason Witten might help you with figuring that out.
 
#10
#10
tango said:
why anyone would want to come play TE for Tennessee is beyond me.

buy maybe things will change if we get the right OC with enough freedom to do things.
Click to expand...

Hopefully, Brandon Warren will give future tight end recruits plenty of reason to consider UT.
 
#11
#11
from the article:

Someone asked Cutcliffe what most impressed him about his tight end's first collegiate touchdown in his final college game.

"I think that Brad kept himself alive on the play," the coach said. "He never gave up."
Click to expand...

... wonder if the thought, "maybe we should have used the TE more throughout his career," ever crossed his mind.

goodbye, cutcliffe.
 
#12
#12
tango said:
from the article:



... wonder if the thought, "maybe we should have used the TE more throughout his career," ever crossed his mind.

goodbye, cutcliffe.
Click to expand...

Ya know, Chris Brown had a good number of footballs thrown his way this year. It's not as if the tight end never had the ball thrown his way in Cut's offense.
 
#13
#13
Well written, as always, OWH. I am also looking forward to you sharing your thoughts on hoops this year. :thumbsup:
 
#14
#14
BigPapaVol said:
Jason Witten might help you with figuring that out.
Click to expand...

i knew somebody would bring him up... ok, I'll give you the guy who's really only remembered for one spectacular play in a bowl game his senior season.

and I'll acknowledge JayTrain's mention of Chris Brown.

I'm not knocking Witten... but c'mon... that's one guy.
Two, if you count Brown.

bottom line-- and everybody should know this -- you can count on 3 things...
death, taxes, and the fact that the TE at Tennessee (whoever it is) won't regularly be more than a run/pass blocker.
 
#15
#15
Honestly, as mad as I am about 59-20 with the way Tennessee finished the season and with a win over the Gators in '08 I will quickly forget the loss.
 
#16
#16
tango said:
from the article:



... wonder if the thought, "maybe we should have used the TE more throughout his career," ever crossed his mind.

goodbye, cutcliffe.
Click to expand...

You do realize Brad Cottom was supposed to be an integral part of the offense up until he broke his wrist, right?
 
#17
#17
I'll have hope until National Signing day, then my hopes will be dashed as we dont finish in the top ten and every one of our rivals does.
 
#18
#18
tango said:
i knew somebody would bring him up... ok, I'll give you the guy who's really only remembered for one spectacular play in a bowl game his senior season.
Click to expand...

or remembered because he was the top TE in the SEC that year
 
#19
#19
orange+white=heaven said:
My thanks to the TFP's Mark Wiedmer for penning the line that best sums up a gray hair inducing season.

Mark was talking about Brad Cottam's moment in the sun yesterday...



I'll link the full piece HERE...

For all the highs though, I remain entrenched in one memory. 59-20. That is what I will remember.

But as they say, time waits for no one, so I leave the season passed in the past, and look forward.

There will be a lot of shiny new name plates on offensive coaching doors at the Tennessee athletics complex soon. I welcome the new orange blood, and pray they set about reinvigorating the thinking right away. Goodness knows the cupboard is fairly well stocked with talent and experience.

Further, the defense's necessary rush to youth will reap real benefits in the season to come. Chavis' New Year's resolution has got to be DL depth.
That aside, good things are coming.

Summation... I'm done with desperation and disguises. I'm full on into hope for the future of the University of Tennessee Volunteer football team.

Now let's go shoot some hoops.
Click to expand...

Whuuutttt...?
 
#20
#20
It's bad to lose a game 59-20, but it's far worse to beat an arch-rival and then basically mail in the rest of the season, like Florida and Alabama both did.

You can lose a game by 39 points, but it doesn't count anymore than losing by one. It's sickening for a while and then you learn from it and go on if you're a winner. This team lost by 39 and ended the regular season a few plays away from winning the SEC.

This wasn't a great season by the standards that UT football should have, but it's not one to be ashamed of, either. I'm not so sure I could say that for Alabama or for Florida.
 
#21
#21
orange+white=heaven said:
My thanks to the TFP's Mark Wiedmer for penning the line that best sums up a gray hair inducing season.

Mark was talking about Brad Cottam's moment in the sun yesterday...



I'll link the full piece HERE...

For all the highs though, I remain entrenched in one memory. 59-20. That is what I will remember.

But as they say, time waits for no one, so I leave the season passed in the past, and look forward.

There will be a lot of shiny new name plates on offensive coaching doors at the Tennessee athletics complex soon. I welcome the new orange blood, and pray they set about reinvigorating the thinking right away. Goodness knows the cupboard is fairly well stocked with talent and experience.

Further, the defense's necessary rush to youth will reap real benefits in the season to come. Chavis' New Year's resolution has got to be DL depth.
That aside, good things are coming.

Summation... I'm done with desperation and disguises. I'm full on into hope for the future of the University of Tennessee Volunteer football team.

Now let's go shoot some hoops.
Click to expand...

I just hope your right about it being new...

If he puts Adkins in that position I think I will throw up...

Fulmer has a chance to disprove the theory that he won't change his ways or look to evolve with the game...

If he stays in house with this hire I will seriously get sick to my stomach
 
#22
#22
tango said:
i knew somebody would bring him up... ok, I'll give you the guy who's really only remembered for one spectacular play in a bowl game his senior season.

and I'll acknowledge JayTrain's mention of Chris Brown.

I'm not knocking Witten... but c'mon... that's one guy.
Two, if you count Brown.

bottom line-- and everybody should know this -- you can count on 3 things...
death, taxes, and the fact that the TE at Tennessee (whoever it is) won't regularly be more than a run/pass blocker.
Click to expand...

Dude.. Witten was our only receiving threat in 2002..

And...BTW...he never played his senior season...he left early
 
#24
#24
I'm trying to be hopeful about next season, but with I find it difficult to do with Fulmer staying. I eagerly anticipated this season, then 45-31 happened; then 59-20 happened; then 41-17 happened. I don't think we can expect much better next season. 9-4-ish is my predicition for next season.
 
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