Where does the rest of the SEC view us in the pecking order?

#51
#51
Small non conference teams are contacting the AD for a game and that’s not for the million $ pay day it’s to get a W. The million dollars is just a bonus!
 
#53
#53
I certainly don't see Tennessee at the bottom of any SEC list. The program has accomplished too much to disrespect it with that ranking. Right now I see the program as middle-tier, destined to change and move up with the right hire. But that hire won't happen anytime soon. Covid has changed college football for at least a couple of years. Auburn is stuck with Malzahn and yall are stuck with Pruitt, at least for two more seasons.

I thought the Pruitt hire was another mistake for the program and compare UT with UGA in the 80's. We started out with a bad hire in Goff and it had a ripple effect. UT should have never hired Dooley and has spiraled since. It's not something that can be fixed overnight or even three seasons without a Saban-type guy, and there just aren't many of those. Pruitt is a very good defensive coordinator when given the right players and has the right leadership. I don't think many would have ever heard his name if he hadn't coached under Saban. He just doesn't have the IQ or the charisma to be a CEO.

UGA was weak in the 80's and programs like UT, UF, AU, etc. were able to plunder the state for some of our best players. With Smart doing the recruiting job that he's doing, many of the best players are staying home and UGA is also attracting other players nationally, like UT was doing in the 80's. This pattern waxes and wanes among programs, but the cycle is often decades rather than seasons.

I see Pruitt being at UT through the '21 season for sure then, depending on results and Covid, maybe being replaced if another hot shot coach is available. That's the way it went down with Richt. He might still be at UGA if it weren't for Kirby's being interested in the job.

If I were buying futures, I'd rank the programs thusly:

Alabama/Georgia (Saban can't coach forever)
Texas A&M (Sooner or later all of that money will pay off)
LSU/Florida/Auburn (Recents hungry to return to greatness)
South Carolina/Tennessee/Kentucky (Not there yet)
Missouri/Arkansas (Good fan bases, just can't get the players)
Mississippi State/Mississippi (Mississippi)
Vanderbilt (When's baseball coming back?)
 
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#55
#55
I certainly don't see Tennessee at the bottom of any SEC list. The program has accomplished too much to disrespect it with that ranking. Right now I see the program as middle-tier, destined to change and move up with the right hire. But that hire won't happen anytime soon. Covid has changed college football for at least a couple of years. Auburn is stuck with Malzahn and yall are stuck with Pruitt, at least for two more seasons.

I thought the Pruitt hire was another mistake for the program and compare UT with UGA in the 80's. We started out with a bad hire in Goff and it had a ripple effect. UT should have never hired Dooley and has spiraled since. It's not something that can be fixed overnight or even three seasons without a Saban-type guy, and there just aren't many of those. Pruitt is a very good defensive coordinator when given the right players and has the right leadership. I don't think many would have ever heard his name if he hadn't coached under Saban. He just doesn't have the IQ or the charisma to be a CEO.

UGA was weak in the 80's and programs like UT, UF, AU, etc. were able to plunder the state for some of our best players. With Smart doing the recruiting job that he's doing, many of the best players are staying home and UGA is also attracting other players nationally, like UT was doing in the 80's. This pattern waxes and wanes among programs, but the cycle is often decades rather than seasons.

I see Pruitt being at UT through the '21 season for sure then, depending on results and Covid, maybe being replaced if another hot shot coach is available. That's the way it went down with Richt. He might still be at UGA if it weren't for Kirby's being interested in the job.

If I were buying futures, I'd rank the programs thusly:

Alabama/Georgia (Saban can't coach forever)
Texas A&M (Sooner or later all of that money will pay off)
LSU/Florida/Auburn (Recents hungry to return to greatness)
South Carolina/Tennessee/Kentucky (Not there yet)
Missouri/Arkansas (Good fan bases, just can't get the players)
Mississippi State/Mississippi (Mississippi)
Vanderbilt (When's baseball coming back?)

I would probably move A&M down two levels and Kentucky and South Carolina down one but the rest looks pretty solid. Maybe even move the Mississippi schools up one, there are a lot of schools that are similar in the middle to mid-lower part of the conference that depending on the coach can be interchangeable.
 
#56
#56
I consider UT to be 2nd tier behind Bama, UGA, and LSU. UT has more potential than some of the teams with better records the past 10 years.
 
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#60
#60
We are cellar dwellers. Have been pretty much since 2008. We keep hoping it will change but never does. Maybe next year is our year.
 
#62
#62
Who TF cares?

Get out there and make some bacon while the sun shines.

Focus on Reveille after that.

If you don't care that is fine. Just don't post a response. The original OP is just asking a question. If you dont like it move on.
 
#66
#66
Alabama
Florida - Georgia
Texas AM
LSU
Auburn
South Carolina
Arkansas
Missouri
Mississippi
Kentucky
Arkansas
Tennessee
Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
 
#68
#68
I assume that this question was meant in terms of the overall program.

I've said before and I'll say it again, that there are 7 programs in this league that the right coach can go win a championship at.

Alabama
Auburn
Georgia
LSU
Texas A&M
Florida
Tennessee

Part of me wonders if South Carolina also belongs in that group.

For everyone else in the league, there is a ceiling that does not include championships. I do not think you can win championships at Missouri, Kentucky, Vandy, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mississippi State and again, South Carolina is on the fence. I acknowledge that South Carolina has obviously never done it.

Now having said all that, if the 7 programs I mentioned had a job opening and I had my choice of which job to take.....Tennessee would be picked after all the others.

JMO
 
#69
#69
There are some stats that if I threw them out there, it’s not pretty.

its been 20 years since Tennessee has been in a major bowl. 30 years since its last Sugar Bowl.
Why don’t you just hand us a straight razor and a bottle of pills while you’re at it?
 
#70
#70
ID love if they did an anonymous player interview and asked about other teams. We’d get much better answers than the coaching one.
 
#72
#72
and again, South Carolina is on the fence. I acknowledge that South Carolina has obviously never done it.

Well neither has A&M really. Unless you count their title in 1939 which is older than many other SEC teams' championships.

They've got a great shot at going 9-1 this year though I'll give them that.
 
#75
#75
The rest of the SEC see us as an easy win on their schedule.
 
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