Vols Have Nowhere To Go But Up

The University of Tennessee has a proud football tradition. All-Americans, national championships, hall of fame players and coaches, not to mention over 700 wins.  The Vols have been called Wide Receiver U and been referred to as a pipeline to the NFL.

Right now none of that really matters all that much to most Tennessee fans I talk to. What matters the most is now and how the coaching staff is going to turn things around.

Tennessee is headed to that dreadful place, the Swamp for a showdown with #1 Florida this Saturday and no one is giving the Vols a chance at victory. Newspapers all over the country are filled with articles on Lane Kiffin and how he has raised the ire of Florida coach Urban Meyer.

Some national pundits have actually written about their desire to see Meyer shut Kiffin up once and for all.  It’s no secret that Florida would like to do exactly that and it looks like that is what is going to happen.

Tennessee is a 28 point underdog Saturday, the largest point spread ever for a Tennessee football game with the odds makers giving the nod to the defending national champions from Gainesville.

The only time that I can recall that a Volunteer team was a 20 or more point underdog was in 2001, again it was the Gators who were favored. Funny thing happened though, the Vols ran all over the Gator defense in route to a 34-32 victory that put the Vols in the SEC championship game.

The difference between then and now, how about talent, depth, and competent players at key positions? While Casey Clausen will never be mentioned among the greats in Tennessee history, I’m sure that every Vol fan would gladly put him in the lineup this weekend against Florida.

Tennessee boasted players like John Henderson, Albert Haynesworth, Travis Stephens, Donte Stallworth and many more. That’s why the point spread that day was so surprising.

The only NFL prospect that I can see on this Vol squad is Eric Berry. Tennessee has some good football players, Nick Reveiz, Rico McCoy, Bryce Brown, Vladamir Richard and Chris Walker just to name a few, but no game changers.

There are no lightning fast receivers to stretch the defense, no defensive lineman that can dominate a game all by themselves, and no quarterback that can turn this train wreck around.

In my lifetime I believe this may be the darkest day I’ve seen on the hill. The late 70’s were difficult to endure but at least the Vols were competitive on most Saturday afternoons.

Possible candidates for worst teams in the last 39 years are:

1988: The Vols began the season 0-6 before Johnny Majors fired defensive coordinator Ken Donahue. Tennessee would go on to finish that season with a 5-6 record after beating 5 bad football teams to wrap up the year.

2005: The Vols were preseason #3 and looking to compete for the national championship. The quarterback controversy that year just made a bad season worse.

A great defense was negated by one of the worst offenses in the last 50 years on Rocky Top.

Eric Ainge experienced what is commonly known as a sophomore slump and Rick Clausen struggled to find consistency. Tennessee would finish the year 5-6 signaling the beginning of the end of the Phillip Fulmer era.

1980: Tennessee opened the 1980 season with two home games against two national powers. The Vols played extremely well but lost both games in the final minutes against eventual national champion Georgia and then to Southern Cal.

Tennessee never recovered from those two heart breakers and finished the year 5-6.

Along the way was a 27-0 drubbing at the hands of Alabama on national television in the rain. 

1977: Tennessee finished 4-7 in coach Johnny Majors first year at the helm of the Vols. Notable losses from that season include 24-8 (Georgia Tech), and 43-14 (Ole Miss).

2007: Probably the most disappointing season in my opinion in the last 25 years. Tennessee, fresh from their SEC title game appearance the previous year looked to be back on track. The problem was that the Vols didn’t know that they had no quarterback.

I don’t want to lay all the blame on Jonathan Crompton, because as a person I really like the guy. However, poor quarterback play from the start doomed the Vols season.

No Vol opponent had to fear the passing game all year and once the season started going downhill, the spirit of the players seemed to go right along with it.

The Wyoming game was the most un-inspired effort I’ve ever witnessed in Neyland Stadium.

Some may disagree especially Vol fans that have been alive a lot longer than me, but I say that this program is as low as it’s ever been.

The Vols are desperately in need of quality depth at the offensive line position, the quarterback position as well as along the defensive line. I cannot remember a time when the Vols were in such need of quality football players.

I know that things could be worse so I choose to be optimistic. The Volunteer program survived 1980, 1988 and 2005 and made their way back to national prominence. I think that this program is too deep in tradition to remain where they are for long.

Wish list:

1.    A quarterback that can see the field, make good decisions and hit open receivers.

2.    Offensive lineman that can dominate the line of scrimmage. We need a few more guys like Mike Stowell, Harry Galbreath, John Fisher, Cosey Coleman and Tom Myslinski.

3.    Wide receivers that can stretch the field, and make the tough catches over the middle. You know players like Larry Seivers, Tim McGee, Anthony Miller, Anthony Hancock, and Willie Gault.

I’m not asking for too much am I? I think that Tennessee will make it back to form in a couple of years, but for now we just have to admit the obvious. Tennessee isn’t that good but they will be. Besides, after 2 losing seasons in four years, the Vols have nowhere to go but up. 

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