CA_Vol
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Year three is essentially a standard for coaches to prove they have a program headed in the right direction. I think any fair assessment indicates Jones has drastically improved the talent level and excitement of the program. However, the results just haven't shown up, yet.
Most sane pre-season predictions had this team at 8-4 or 9-3, while being competitive with every team on the schedule. There is still a potential to be 8-4, if, and it's a big if, this staff figures out what they are going to be as an offense.
They have no offensive identity whatsoever. They preach tempo, but aren't playing with tempo. We have three 5 star WR's, yet don't even try to get them the ball. We have a struggling OL, yet rarely put Dobbs in roll outs to gain a few more seconds. The passing game has taken significant steps backwards with a literal genius Junior QB, an OL that has another year of development, and talented WRs all over the place. If they don't figure this out, this will be a loooooong and frustrating season.
But putting all that aside, i think most fans can deal with losing a close game to a pretty good OU team, even after losing a 17-0 lead late in the game. Most fans watched Saturday in utter disbelief as another lead disappeared, mainly due to astonishingly poor coaching decisions. Players have to make plays, but coaches call the plays and prep the players. They also are responsible for managing chaotic last minute drives trying to win the game. Our staff failed on both accounts. It's one thing to lose close games; its entirely different to continually make bizarre choices and not take responsibility for those choices. If you don't see the problem, how can you possibly fix it?
Whether it was the timeouts on 4th down, not going for 2 when an extra point means nothing, to only getting 4 plays off with 2 timeouts and 1:30 left in the game, this staff has to seriously re-examine their decision making process. The only way to do that is accept there is a problem, and Butch just doesn't seem to acknowledge or accept that a problem exists.
Now back to year 3. I will ask a simple question: Where is the player development at this point? Is the OL dramatically improved? Are the WR's better? We have a walk-on MLB when we knew AJ would graduate. A head case PK. DB's that get caught way out of position on a 4th & 14 that leads to a game changing TD. And a QB with 3 years in the program that either can't make accurate down field throws (although he did so with some success last year) or a staff that thinks the forward pass should be limited to bubble screens and intentional grounding on simple screen plays.
The staff has to do better and can do better, but first they have to admit they just aren't getting it done. To hear Butch say he thought they did an excellent job managing the final drive literally almost made me throw up in my mouth. Even if he thought that, you cannot be so tone deaf as to say it out loud.
They can turn things around, but it is past time to prove we are heading in the right direction. It is time to start winning meaningful games. This will require an offensive identity and a coaching staff that uses fewer charts and more common sense. I hope they do.
Go Vols...
Most sane pre-season predictions had this team at 8-4 or 9-3, while being competitive with every team on the schedule. There is still a potential to be 8-4, if, and it's a big if, this staff figures out what they are going to be as an offense.
They have no offensive identity whatsoever. They preach tempo, but aren't playing with tempo. We have three 5 star WR's, yet don't even try to get them the ball. We have a struggling OL, yet rarely put Dobbs in roll outs to gain a few more seconds. The passing game has taken significant steps backwards with a literal genius Junior QB, an OL that has another year of development, and talented WRs all over the place. If they don't figure this out, this will be a loooooong and frustrating season.
But putting all that aside, i think most fans can deal with losing a close game to a pretty good OU team, even after losing a 17-0 lead late in the game. Most fans watched Saturday in utter disbelief as another lead disappeared, mainly due to astonishingly poor coaching decisions. Players have to make plays, but coaches call the plays and prep the players. They also are responsible for managing chaotic last minute drives trying to win the game. Our staff failed on both accounts. It's one thing to lose close games; its entirely different to continually make bizarre choices and not take responsibility for those choices. If you don't see the problem, how can you possibly fix it?
Whether it was the timeouts on 4th down, not going for 2 when an extra point means nothing, to only getting 4 plays off with 2 timeouts and 1:30 left in the game, this staff has to seriously re-examine their decision making process. The only way to do that is accept there is a problem, and Butch just doesn't seem to acknowledge or accept that a problem exists.
Now back to year 3. I will ask a simple question: Where is the player development at this point? Is the OL dramatically improved? Are the WR's better? We have a walk-on MLB when we knew AJ would graduate. A head case PK. DB's that get caught way out of position on a 4th & 14 that leads to a game changing TD. And a QB with 3 years in the program that either can't make accurate down field throws (although he did so with some success last year) or a staff that thinks the forward pass should be limited to bubble screens and intentional grounding on simple screen plays.
The staff has to do better and can do better, but first they have to admit they just aren't getting it done. To hear Butch say he thought they did an excellent job managing the final drive literally almost made me throw up in my mouth. Even if he thought that, you cannot be so tone deaf as to say it out loud.
They can turn things around, but it is past time to prove we are heading in the right direction. It is time to start winning meaningful games. This will require an offensive identity and a coaching staff that uses fewer charts and more common sense. I hope they do.
Go Vols...
