My Humble Opinions/Rants

[Reggie92White]

I have been watching Vol games since the 80's. There are many of you on here that are older than me and have a lot more memories of UT football. However, in a little over 20 years of being a fan this is looking like it may be the most disapointing or second most disapointing season I may have to witness.

Who is to blame? I believe some of the blame goes to having a new OC, a new offense and a first year starting QB. However, the majority of the blame does have to go to the coaching staff. The line-up starting on the field is not that different than last year. This year I don't have the feeling that this team can turn it around like that did after the first three games last year.

That being said, I think that it is time for a coaching change, but you won't see me chanting "Fire Phil" or anthying. I respect what the man has done here. He is a Vol for life and has given a huge portion of his life to UT. I like the fact that an alumn/former player is on the sidelines- you know where his loyalty is.

However, I believe that football is constantly changing and Phil has been slipping constanly the last several years. I hope that he does the right thing a resigns this year on his own- at least at the end of this year. To me that would be the classiest thing that could happen. I hate to have to fire him. He has apparently been successful enough in his career that we are lucky enough to be pissed off when the team is not up for SEC Championships or NC's- how many other teams go in each year with legitimate hopes of at least winning the m-f'ing SEC!!!!

Finally, I will be attending more games this year, but I will not boo. I have no doubt that the kids are out there working their butts off in practice every day and especially on game days. I respect them for choosing to come to the school I love. They are very talented- as talented as any team in the conference- and can't help what seems to be a poor job of coaching from the staff. I also cannot root against the team or say "I don't care if they win or lose" just because I want a coaching change. I bleed orange and want a W each time we step out on the field.

Go Vols!!!:clap::rock2:

 

[Grateful Vol]

Very good points. I totally agree. However, Phil is going to fight and claw to keep his job at least 3 more years so he can surpass Neyland for wins at UT and second to the Bear in SEC wins. And if this is 5 or 6 year season, that postpones these records even further. We would all love to see Phil hold these records but he's got to help himself before we can help him. Meaning, we aren't going to sit around and idle while he chases personal records.

I feel bad for him, the same people who praised him are the one's calling for his head. But thats just the way it is. We may go through 2,3, or 4 coaches before we find one as good or better than Coach Fulmer, but its something that we got to do. And likewise, when the new coaches time comes and his results are no longer sufficient, we will boo him too. Thats just how it is.

 

[Plano Vol]

I don't how much of it is new wrinkles and how much of it is basic blocking and tackling. After watching the Auburn-LSU game and seeing two well coached teams slug it out, I wonder why we

1) ...can't recruit enough excellent defensive linemen to be able to take over a game in the fourth quarter?

2) ...can't have the second string QB prepped and ready to step in and win the game when the starter gets cold cocked? (How many times has LSU won with the non-starting QB?)

3) ...can't coach our offense to play with a much higher level of precision?

 

[EconVol92]

I don’t think that anyone is booing because a game has been lost. The booing is because the product is defective and not working properly and there is no excuse for a breakdown of discipline or not being competitive with all of the money that has been put into the facilities and recruiting of these players for this program. There has been a severe lack of discipline within the UT Football program for over a decade now.

Fulmer is being paid all that money to stay at the top of the curve, not be left behind it by the other newer coaches in the SEC. We don’t want to get to be like Bama and only want family in as head coach. You see where that got them.

I really think that Fulmer is scared to get a truly talented coach as an offensive or defensive coordinator as he does not want to bring in his own replacement. Think about it, when was the last time you could honestly say that UT went in and made great adjustments at half time in a game. Our coaching staff has to lose the playing not to lose mentality that seems to have hung around year after year.

I still have hope for Crompton, as he still needs to get some game experience under his belt and learn a new system. I never understood why he didn’t get some playing time in games last year when the game was over one way or the other. There were several opportunities for him to get some mop up duty, but Ainge was left in the game. I never understood that and knew that they were going to have to pay for that in future. Just didn’t know that it would be a future of learning a new scheme at the same time.