Just hear me out on Pruitt.....

[TNHopeful505]

Look if we go out and beat #6 Florida and then # 5 Texas A&M, and beat another Bowl Game opponent, because of Bailey.

Then

1) Why didn't he start by Arkansas game?

2) You have to be optimistic about the potential moving forward.

3) He wins those 2 games, then Pruitt absolutely deserves another season. No question...

What I honestly think? I don't think Pruitt ever wanted to play Bailey this year. I really think he wanted to protect him and give him time and space to grow without having to jump in as a true freshman. Pruitt knew that the odds of a true freshman succeeding in the SEC were slim to none.

It helped that Bailey was an EE. But then, there was no Spring practice. And no summer conditioning.
And then in fall camp, maybe he could catch up, except for he was out for 99% of it.

So, I think once that happened, and he saw that he would eventually have Maurer back, and Shrout (who some were saying was the most improved, and so on), that he really was intent on not playing Bailey, because in theory, one of the quarterbacks should have played well enough to win us games.

So, I think after Georgia, when they had that scrimmage, he started putting Bailey to work more frequently, and has just let him have little by little more. Was it the right approach? Who knows? You could argue either way, I guess. But it's what has happened. Should he have started/played more? Maybe. There's no guarantee he won't come in and look like a total freshman. There's no guarantee that he won't come out and be a stud.

But it's Pruitt's responsibility to make sure that Harrison is ready. And maybe at this point, Pruitt's thinking is looking towards the future. We can't win the East. We may not even make a bowl. Just develop Bailey, hope he shows some talent, bring in Salter, bring in Ty Simpson/Sam Horn, and just keep trying to get a quarterback who can turn his brain on when the lights come on.

I don't know. None of us can explain it. But it is what it is. I really hope that Bailey can come out and sling it, and look more like Casey Clausen than Nathan Peterman against Florida.

 

[Orange931]

I really think the problem is Guarantano, and please understand how much I hate to say that. I wanted that kid to succeed so badly. I remember the day that he released his commitment video and where I was when I saw it. I remember being excited that another highly ranked dual threat was going to follow up Dobbs and (hopefully) continue good things.

I remember when he was caught pouting on camera his first season, and then how he really rebounded and showed resilience during the last of the Butch years when he was getting absolutely destroyed by defenses because of a crap offensive line. I gained respect for the way he took hits and just kept coming back. I respect how he played through a broken hand, because it's what we needed him to do.

I like the kid. I really wanted him to be successful and have a great UT career. And he has been a great ambassador for the school. But he has gotten more opportunities to prove himself than he ever would have gotten at any other school. And there have been times where he has looked incredible. I remember feeling so happy for him after the Auburn win in Pruitt's first season, and thinking "Okay, maybe this kid and Pruitt are going to turn it around."

But he just hasn't proven himself as a reliable, consistent quarterback at the SEC level. And ultimately, that fact just is what it is. It's not that he is a bad kid, it's quite the opposite. He is a great kid. But that alone does not an SEC quarterback make.

I am sure that for whatever reason, it has been extremely difficult on Pruitt to pull the plug on Jarrett's career at Tennessee and most likely any pro aspirations he may have had. However, his failure to do so, I fear has caused a lot of heartache, and is likely why we are in this 2-5 hole we are in. I believe that Jeremy loves and cares for his players, and desires to reward those who do well in practice, and who work hard and study film, which, by all indications, Jarrett excels at. But, the results have not shown on the field. And I'm sure for someone like Pruitt who has been around nothing but State Championship teams like Hoover High School, and then National Championship/high level teams like Alabama, Florida State, and Georgia, that doesn't compute. I'm sure he scratches his head wondering how in the world JG can do so well at practice, know the game plan and playbook so well Sunday through Friday, and then turn around and be so singlehandedly destructive on gameday. I imagine it is similar to helping your child study for a test, quizzing him daily, and the night before the test, and even the morning of the test, he knows all of the answers, and is ready, and yet, still bombs it. It just doesn't make sense to anyone.

But I really do think that once we do move on from Jarrett, be it by Pruitt's choice (which would be the right decision) or COVID keeping him for participating (not ideal or desired), or by him just moving on, we can at least start to see where we are moving forward as a program. And when you're 2-5, likely to be 3-7 (or God forbid, 2-8), with a coach who is almost certainly going to be retained, the only thing you CAN do at this point is give your fans (and recruits who are committed and watching) reason to believe that you haven't thrown the towel in, and that there is still something to believe in.

I HOPE that we will see some of that on Saturday if it is true that Bailey is starting/playing the whole game.

I like the kid as well and I think everyone does, but everyone is just tired when it comes to football. He’s given his all and I’ll never hate on him for that, I think it’s more about the coaches not preparing someone else. He’s a great kid, he just doesn’t have it on the football field as far as this university is concerned. I don’t hate him by any means.

 

[GVol1966]

Pruitt deserves one more year this season should’ve been a mulligan for all coaches.

Nope! The Good ones continue to do solid coaching, the bad ones continue sub par coaching.
It’s not always the record that determines good or bad coaching, this year is a prime example. Sometimes you have to forget about wins and losses and focus on the other indicators, and if you do that with Pruitts team it doesn’t look well.

 

[VolForLife83]

We should’ve had Shrout and Maurer better prepared too. Im sorry, but in the Mizzou game and Kentucky games we should’ve had HB in there a lot sooner. also Pruitt practically said he threw and kept Bailey on scout team until Kentucky game, which should not have happened. I hope Pruitt proves us all wrong and is able to turn it around, but its looking very unlikely

To be fair. JT and Maurer are what they are. They have never really shown to be more than 2nd-3rd stringers. We all know Bailey has the tools, he just needs to adjust to the game speed and learn the playbook. After watching him against Auburn, I think he's just about ready and will get better with more in game experience. I agree, he should have came in against Ky and never came out. But I think he will really change everyone's outlook on this staff and team.

 

[sjt18]

I’m not taking sides with anybody on the issue, but the fact is the RESULTS are not looking good. Let’s say Pruitts hands were tied with JG and Bailey comes out breathing new life into the program. I know everyone else has dealt with Covid as well, but Bailey missed a lot of coaching and reps because of this crappy pandemic. I may be digging too deep but I honestly think when Pruitt kept saying “JG gives us the best chance to win”, I think he was saying that because Bailey hasn’t had the reps. I also agree that Bailey should’ve gotten more reps earlier, that’s the one part that upsets me the most. I want the results (wins) just as much as anybody and I’m mad as hell about how this program has seemed to go backwards after a somewhat positive year last year, but what will everyone’s reactions be if Bailey comes out on fire?

You are making too many assumptions that don't particularly line up well with what seems apparent. Pruitt had the option of playing for the future with Maurer and/or Bailey. Both guys have talent and need development. Instead he invested the reps and scheme in JG.

One of the overlooked things is that you design your playbook around your current QB. You can't make things he cannot do part of your gameplans... so you can't afford to spend a lot of time practicing those things just for the sake of a back up. Those things could very well emphasize what a back up does well. So even when you see one of the others play... they're tasked with executing a gameplan and scheme designed around JG's abilities or lack thereof. For instance, if you see timing off on RPO's, slants, timing routes, or other plays that require quick reactions or anticipation... don't condemn the new QB. JG doesn't do those things well so they haven't been a focus of practice for anyone. That's one of the biggest problems with Pruitt's decision to stay with JG... his limitations have become limiting factors in the development of the other 3.

 

[DonDiego]

Look if we go out and beat #6 Florida and then # 5 Texas A&M, and beat another Bowl Game opponent, because of Bailey.

Then

1) Why didn't he start by Arkansas game?

2) You have to be optimistic about the potential moving forward.

3) He wins those 2 games, then Pruitt absolutely deserves another season. No question...

LOL..If that happens, plus beats Vandy, he'll get, what'ch you call, one of them laureate thangs on his head and a parade.

 

[tnmarktx]

Pruitt is done. I hope everybody got that, I want to pound the rock ******** out of their system. It's time to bring in a modern spread system that can run and pass. More importantly score some points. Fire everyone, hire a good AD, and let them hire a quality football coach.

 

[VolArmy74]

Pruitt had 0 intention of playing Bailey this year. He has stated as much. He said he was only prepping two QBs this fall, JG and Shrout, because there was no point in giving reps to quarterbacks he had no plans on playing this year.

That said, it doesn't take that long to have a quarterback ready to play. Mike Leach put a freshman in a few weeks ago vs Alabama. Since then he's thrown the ball 165 times in a row with 0 interceptions. His three starts have been vs Vandy, at Georgia and at Ole Miss. He's thrown for 1002 yards, is completing 75 percent of his passes and he has 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as a starter in those three games. He was 86-113 for 776 yards with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions vs Georgia and Ole Miss the last two weeks alone.

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

I'll just say this. I'm super unhappy about the way that everything has turned out this year. BUT, if Pruitt's handling of Bailey to this point has been so that he would be truly ready, and he now has the reps and preparation to do well, and he comes out and does well against our last 1-3 opponents (depending on what games actually get played), and then he goes on to have a solid career here, then, okay.

At this point, no griping or complaining about Pruitt will change the fact that we are 2-5 right now. However, if he can figure out a way to stop the bleeding by providing a glimmer of hope, then alright. Bailey and Gray can be that glimmer of hope. I really think Bailey, Gray, Hyatt and Wideman are the future of the offense.

I don't believe or expect that we will beat Florida. We have not proven ourselves to be successful against the pass, which is Florida's strength. However, I do believe that we can have a solid, BALANCED offensive performance with Bailey at QB. And if that happens, I'll be excited for the future, and I'll still maintain hope that maybe Pruitt will get it done next year.

I'm sorry, but I am not one who perpetually promotes another coaching search. I think Pruitt and Co. are facing serious adversity and for a young head coach, I'm sure that this season has been more difficult than normal. I want to believe that given a competent quarterback that we can absolutely be the team that we all thought we would be.

Again, my name is TN Hopeful for a reason. I hate that we are 2-5. But I would much rather see Pruitt succeed than to blow it all up and drag our school through the mud again. I believe very strongly that he will get another year here, and I believe he should. I don't believe that one year of underperforming should get you canned, especially when Spring Practice is taken from you, summer conditioning is taken from you, and a lot of your squad is missing due to strict contact tracing in your state. I know every school had to deal with these things, I know. But I do believe that it puts an asterisk on a team who otherwise, had an 8 game win streak until Georgia this year.

Honestly, I am fully expecting to lose A&M and Florida. However, IF we can come out and put some solid drives together, making some splash plays and IF Bailey shows potential that can be built on, then I'm going to be super happy and excited for next year, when HOPEFULLY things are a little more back to normal.

well said.

 

[LargeOrange1]

Beldar proves the "Peter Principle" is correct. He has risen to his level of incompetence.

 

[Undercs]

Pruitt had 0 intention of playing Bailey this year. He has stated as much. He said he was only prepping two QBs this fall, JG and Shrout, because there was no point in giving reps to quarterbacks he had no plans on playing this year.

That said, it doesn't take that long to have a quarterback ready to play. Mike Leach put a freshman in a few weeks ago vs Alabama. Since then he's thrown the ball 165 times in a row with 0 interceptions. His three starts have been vs Vandy, at Georgia and at Ole Miss. He's thrown for 1002 yards, is completing 75 percent of his passes and he has 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as a starter in those three games. He was 86-113 for 776 yards with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions vs Georgia and Ole Miss the last two weeks alone.

All in losing efforts.

 

[onevol74]

If our only problem was offense I would agree. But our defense and ST are just as bad.

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

Here we go. Let’s place these unreal high expectations on Bailey then as a fan base, get mad at him when he makes a few mistakes on Saturday and jump on the FAHR BAILEY train he’s trash. Sounds good

 

[hog88]

Bailey could play like Superman and it’s not going to make much of any difference tomorrow. Pruitt is 2-5 with 5 straight blowout losses, that should never be acceptable at UT.

 

[DaddyChad]

Pruitt deserves one more year this season should’ve been a mulligan for all coaches.

Pruitt deserves a pink slip.

 

[DaddyChad]

Bailey could play like Superman and it’s not going to make much of any difference tomorrow. Pruitt is 2-5 with 5 straight blowout losses, that should never be acceptable at UT.

Yep. I don’t care if Bailey is better than Manning at this point. Pruitt has proven that he isn’t a head coach at this level. There is literally nothing that he has done that proves otherwise.

 

[American_PitVol]

Bailey to Hyatt and Wideman catching the long ball is going to be fun to watch...

 

[tastycar]

Pruitt deserves one more year this season should’ve been a mulligan for all coaches.

If it should have been a mulligan for them, why not for all of us? We should all be able to get a do-over. However, this is the real world and that's not how it works

 

[jeff1vol]

I’m not taking sides with anybody on the issue, but the fact is the RESULTS are not looking good. Let’s say Pruitts hands were tied with JG and Bailey comes out breathing new life into the program. I know everyone else has dealt with Covid as well, but Bailey missed a lot of coaching and reps because of this crappy pandemic. I may be digging too deep but I honestly think when Pruitt kept saying “JG gives us the best chance to win”, I think he was saying that because Bailey hasn’t had the reps. I also agree that Bailey should’ve gotten more reps earlier, that’s the one part that upsets me the most. I want the results (wins) just as much as anybody and I’m mad as hell about how this program has seemed to go backwards after a somewhat positive year last year, but what will everyone’s reactions be if Bailey comes out on fire?

Your statement would hold more water if the rest of the team didn't suck too. It's NOT just the QB. Our defense is average AT BEST. No pass rush. Can't stop the run. And cannot cover backs and TE's worth a ****. IMO, our underachievement on defense is the biggest indictment of Pruitt. Defense was supposed to be his thing. Well... that side of the ball stinks too.

 

[LargeOrange1]

Pruitt deserves a pink slip.

Hopefully Phil-o-Potamus doesn't give him a raise and extension if we hold FL under 50 points tomorrow

 

[SmokeyDog1973]

The harsh reality is Pruitt will probaly be here thru the 2022 season I remember Phil talking a couple of years ago about this being a 5 or 6 year rebuild and Pruitt is his boy he will give him as long as he needs. Bottom line is we gotta get rid of Phil.

 

[SmokeyDog1973]

Give Pruitt next season and that’s it if he don’t won’t win 8 or 9 games next season then fire him.

 

[igotworms]

Here we go. Let’s place these unreal high expectations on Bailey then as a fan base, get mad at him when he makes a few mistakes on Saturday and jump on the FAHR BAILEY train he’s trash. Sounds good

Here we go
Let's blame fans and feelmsypior in supporting a s**t product so we can claim "true fan" status.
Anyone who points out Pruitt is a loser is "nega" right?

 

[BeardedVol]

If it should have been a mulligan for them, why not for all of us? We should all be able to get a do-over. However, this is the real world and that's not how it works

A 2020 mulligan year would have been, not showing improvement over 2019, not the level of regression that we've seen over the last 7 games.

 

[tastycar]

A 2020 mulligan year would have been, not showing improvement over 2019, not the level of regression that we've seen over the last 7 games.

Excellent point! But give him time to prove his worth, they say about Dooley. Oh wait, I mean Jones. Oh wait, I mean...