Archive for September, 2008

Here’s my ballot for this week’s College Football BlogPoll which, as always, is hosted by MGOBlog.

Week 5

Through 28 September 2008

My, my, my… How things sure do change in only one short week.  After all the craziness of the past weekend in the world of college football, there are a lot of changes in my BlogPoll ballot for this week.  Most of these should be fairly obvious.  Either way, here’s my ballot.  Explanations after the jump…

My Ballot for the Week

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma	1
2	Alabama	7
3	LSU	1
4	Missouri	1
5	Penn State	3
6	Texas	4
7	Auburn	6
8	Southern Cal	7
9	Georgia	6
10	Texas Tech	1
11	Florida	5
12	Ohio State	2
13	South Florida	4
14	Utah	1
15	Brigham Young	1
16	Vanderbilt	3
17	Wisconsin	10
18	Oregon	2
19	Wake Forest	7
20	Kansas	1
21	Boise State	2
22	Fresno State	2
23	Oklahoma State	3
24	Connecticut	2
25	California	1

Dropped Out: Colorado (#18), Illinois (#22), Clemson (#25).

Oh boy, now don’t we have something to think about…

Read the rest of this entry »

Post-Auburn Thoughts: Coming Upon the Unknown

The view from Section 37, Row 62 of Jordan-Hare Stadium

I honestly think a blow out would have been a better way to lose.

Going into this game, I had very low expectations for the Vols. With all the negativity and Auburn coming off a home loss, I wasn’t liking to Vols’ chances Saturday afternoon. A number of really good friends of mine from high school go to Auburn, so I was more or less looking forward to that aspect of my trip down to The Plains, and not-so-much to the game. However…

To be blunt, this loss really really hurt(s).

More than UCLA. Probably even more than Florida to be honest. I can’t really explain why, either. A road win at a place like Auburn – no matter how ugly – could have potentially changed some things. And you can’t tell me Tennessee should NOT have won that game. Matter of fact, the Vols did everything BUT win the damn thing. Maybe that’s why.

A first down would have done it. Hell, eight yards on a couple drives would have gotten Tennessee into Daniel Lincoln’s range. Does Auburn’s defense deserve credit? Sure, but it’s no secret as to why Tennessee lost Saturday.

I’m not the type that likes to single out players, but you almost have to pin Saturday’s loss on Jonathan Crompton. A botched handoff (he’s GOT to put the ball in Arian Foster’s chest). Throws 15 yards out-of-bounds when he’s got time to find somebody open. Missed receivers (hello, Josh Briscoe in the corner of the end zone on the two-point conversion). High throws to guys that are open. Miscommunications with receivers. Utter incompetence.

The offensive struggles for Tennessee are no fault of the dangerous Jones

OK, I’ve criticized Crompton. Now for the only positive I can see that he brings – the guy can take a hit or twenty and he always pops right back up. That run on third-and-long on the TD drive comes to mind. He gets hit a lot, but the guy ain’t afraid of getting the crap knocked out of him. That doesn’t help your team win ballgames though, apparently.

Once again, the offense has enough talent to win games – especially one in which the defense and special teams played out of their minds (more on them coming). Dave Clawson isn’t an idiot. This loss? I’m putting it all on Crompton. I don’t dislike the guy as much as Ghost over at 3SIB, but it’s getting closer.

The “receivers aren’t getting separation” argument is garbage. We know Gerald Jones is a stud. You can’t tell me Lucas Taylor isn’t an SEC receiver. Josh Briscoe is a very good slot-type receiver.

The coaches said afterwards they discussed putting Nick Stephens in – THEY SHOULD HAVE. Average QB play wins that game Saturday – likely by a couple scores as well, to be honest. Stephens now gets his chance, and honestly Coach Fulmer would be continuing to dig his own grave if Crompton starts/gets many snaps Saturday night against Northern Illinois.

The only other offensive change that needs to be made for me? Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer need to get more touches. I like Arian Foster and he’s had a great career, but I don’t hold my breath that he’s going to break a long one. With #2 and #3, I do, simply because they have that ability. We know about Hardesty’s power, and we saw his speed on the sweep he scored on. Creer doesn’t fear hitting the hole. He don’t dance. On one play in the fourth quarter, he dragged four Auburn players about four yards. GET THESE GUYS THE BALL!

Give Hardesty and Creer more touches PLEASE

One word describes the defensive effort Saturday: swarming. Granted Auburn’s offense is terribly bad and obviously predictable, but the defense dominated. Dan Williams was huge. The young DEs Chris Walker and Ben Martin played very, very well. Ellix Wilson may be the most important player to this defense, including Eric Berry. Wilson’s injury status is still up-in-the-air as far as I know, but the play didn’t look so good on TV when I watched the game replay. We even adjusted to Kodi Burns when Auburn foolishly threw him out there (everyone and their mother knew he wasn’t throwing).

Gerald Williams finally saw the field and made his presence known. I know he had a personal foul penalty, but the guy needs to be out there. You can in no way blame the defense at all for Saturday’s loss. Much like ‘05, you give up 7 points, you should win that game. I know that one last stop on third down would have been ideal, but seriously, they did that all day and the offense blew it over and over again.

No, Adam Myers-White, there is nothing more you and the Tennessee defense could have done for a W...

Even our special teams won the day. Chad Cunningham must have been threatened with death at halftime, because he was ridiculously good in the second half, after a pitiful first half. As I’ve said before, Gerald Jones has big-play ability and almost took one back for six.

Honestly, I’m more optimistic now than I was this time last week, even after this hurtful loss. Tennessee could very, VERY easily be 3-1. For some reason, Nick Stephens gives me hope. I can’t explain why. Maybe it’s because there isn’t any with Jonathan Crompton running this offense. He may not even start, but the unknown he brings and the possibility he even might has me hopeful. Do I think Tennessee beats Georgia and/or Alabama? Not really, but that potential unknown with Stephens/no more Crompton makes me wonder. I don’t expect Stephens to be the next Peyton Manning or anything remotely close, but can anybody really be worse than what Tennessee has had now?

The past two Auburn games I’ve attended have been wins for the Warring TigerEagles (Tennessee in ‘03 and Florida in ‘06), so I’ve seen that campus after a W. No I didn’t go to Toomer’s Corner to see them roll a tree, but you would not have thought the Tigers had won Saturday. The mood was somber (I heard almost no “War Eagle!”s). Whether it was because they knew Tennessee should have won or that they have a plethora of issues themselves (or maybe they had just woken up from getting put to sleep…), I don’t know.

But walking around the campus after the game, I was proud to be a Vol fan Saturday night. Amidst all the negativity around Tennessee football, the players came out and played emotional, inspired football. They left it all out there. They played well enough to win – it just didn’t happen. As they headed to the tunnel to the locker room below me, I applauded them. Why? They deserved it. Hopefully they will be able to put it all together and win a big game or two and finish out the season respectfully. We all may want Coach Fulmer gone, but we certainly don’t want to see Tennessee lose.

Do I still think Tennessee needs a coaching change? Of course. But it wasn’t the coaching staff’s fault Saturday. I know you can say they should have benched Crompton, but honestly, you expect even him to be able to get you a first down when that’s about all you need to win the game. You could have put me at QB and even might have been to go through my progressions and make a throw on target to my receiver to get a first down

I say let the Nick Stephens era BEGIN!!

Images Courtesy of: Butch Dill / AP (Daylife)

Everyone across the Vol Nation has been griping, complaining, wringing their hands, and holding their head down this season due to Tennessee’s poor showing on the football field…

It’s hard to argue with their frustrations.

That said, the news coming out of Wall Street and Washington DC today, makes the Vols’ football woes seem a little bit more bearable.

As everyone media outlet in the world that covers the financial markets are reporting, thanks to 40% of the Democrats and over 66% of the Republicans in the House of Representatives voting down the Financial Bailout bill this morning, stock markets the world over are plummeting.  In fact, during the time it took me to write this 182-word story, the Dow Jones dropped an additional 172 points.

Heck, even Tennessee doesn’t go down that fast and that hard…

Anyway, this gloomy bit of news just goes to prove that watching the Tennessee Volunteers battle it out on the greensward of Shields Watkins Field—even when they are destined to lose, perhaps badly—isn’t really all that bad…

– Go Figure …

Stock Market Chart: CNBC.com

Check out the Full Poll Results at Garnet and Black Attack or SEC Power Poll.com

Week 5

All sorts of changes this week.  Here’s my ballot for this week in the SEC Power Poll, along with an feeble attempt at explaining why I’m such a moron..

It just ah-moooved me:

So there you have it. As always, feel free to let me know where I am wrong or right. Final ballots are due by Wednesday, so don’t take too long…

The Rest of the Power Poll

Now that you have wasted your time looking at my ballot, go check out what everybody else is saying over at Garnet and Black Attack or SEC Power Poll.com. I’ll post the final poll results once it is released later in the week.

– Go Figure …

Welcome This “New” Feature to Gate 21

After a few warmup weeks and people actually reading these weekend previews, we have souped it up a little bit, giving it a neat little banner (thanks again to Lawvol for the excellent work) and it’s own special title: “On Remote,” or what football you can look forward to this weekend.

Also, this post will normally be on Thursdays, like in the past. It’s just that lawvol’s Open Letter yesterday was such a great work that I felt it should stay up for a day. And that’s about the only difference you’re going to see in the post. We’re still focusing mainly on the SEC, and the couple big national games this weekend as well.

More big SEC games on this weekend, and hopefully they are as quality as the LSU-Auburn game was last weekend as opposed to what I witnessed in Neyland Stadium last Saturday afternoon.

Also, I’d like to offer a quick thanks to the Oregon State Beavers for beating “mighty” USC. All that talent, and they can’t go through the Pac-10 unbeaten. Seriously, to have the run of talent they’ve had, to have just one national title? Granted they’re still in it because it’s September, but last night didn’t help them in the eyes of us down here in God’s Country…

What’s on my remote this weekend? Well, last Saturday night there a double feature with the aforementioned “Tiger Bowl” and Georgia’s physical whipping of Arizona State (yes, we pulled out an extra TV in our apartment to watch the game. This weekend I’ll be in Auburn, so who knows how much other football I’ll be watching.

That doesn’t mean I can’t help you all out – here’s my attempt…

SEC Games

Ole Miss at Florida (11:30, RayCom): An intriguing matchup to start the day off in the SEC. The Rebels won their last visit to the Swamp, but Jevan Snead is no Eli Manning. It should be interesting to see how the Rebels respond after losing to Vanderbilt in a game they probably should have won (statistically they dominated minus the turnovers).

The Gators face Ole Miss and Arkansas before they host LSU in two weeks. I still think the Gators are the team to beat in the East, and while Auburn won in the Swamp this time last year, Ole Miss isn’t good enough to pull it out. They’ll stick around and put up a fight, but the Gators are the better team and at home.

Tennessee at Auburn (3:30, CBS): Amidst the sad state of the football program, the Vols – and myself in a couple hours – head down to Auburn to face a good team coming off a physically tough, late home loss to LSU. The Auburn defense showed again the ability to score, but LSU’s big offensive line and Charles Scott wore them down late, so there’s something to think about. Offensively, the Tigers showed signs of improvements from the Mississippi State debacle.

And you thought the Florida defense was really good...

Honestly, I have no idea how Tennessee is going to score on Auburn. And don’t think for a moment that Auburn will come out flat, as they are occasionally prone to do at home to inferior teams (see Mississippi State last year and Georgia 2006) – Tennessee’s not very good, but we’re still Tennessee. I’ll be there cheering on my Vols during these dark days, but let me be honest: I’m not expecting a win. Who knows, maybe Phil and the boys pull something out of their you-know-whats and Tennessee beats Auburn.

Arkansas at Texas (3:30, ABC): After getting steamrolled by Alabama, Arkansas travels to Texas. Not good news, and the Hogs are probably going to get pounded. I don’t think many would argue against saying Arkansas might be the worst team in the SEC this year (some Tennessee fans might say otherwise…). Arkansas is going to become a player under Bobby Petrino – just not this year.

Western Kentucky at Kentucky (7:00): We all know what happened the last time UK hosted a Sun Belt team – they won by a yard – literally. While MTSU is probably better than the Toppers, I just don’t see UK having the offense to blow people out. After Saturday night, both Kentucky and Vanderbilt are going to be 4-0…what?!?

UAB at South Carolina (7:00): Another tuneup for the Gamecocks, who struggled against Wofford last weekend. The Chickens go to Ole Miss and Kentucky the next two weeks. Does Carolina score more on UAB’s horrid defense than Tennessee?

Mississippi State at LSU (7:30, ESPN2): See, I told you people LSU was the West’s best team. That talent is sick, and once Jarrett Lee calmed down, looked pretty good. Like I said, simply adequate QB play and watch out for these Tigers. That’s what happens when you have the best offensive and defensive lines in the SEC. I have pledged never to call Les Miles “dumb” or “stupid” ever again after the guts he showed last week. LSU wins by a bunch – maybe a shutout?

Alabama at Georgia (7:45, ESPN): This is the Daddy of Saturday’s games. I’ve accepted the fact that Alabama is really good this year, and Georgia looked really good at Arizona State last week. What have I noticed with these two teams? They are both really physical football teams. Physical football teams playing each other = quality game for football fans (see LSU-Auburn).

Alabama can win this game, but they’re really gonna have to play well. UGA decided they weren’t going to need the blackout antics to beat Tennessee, so they decided on using their little ploy this week. J.P. Wilson will have to play a very good game to beat UGA. I think Georgia is better in the passing game and just slightly better on defense and they’re at home, I think they get the win.

OTHERS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON:

Virginia at Duke (12:00, ESPNU): I miss the discipline of David Cutcliffe’s offense. This is one of Duke’s very winnable games, as UVA lost their starting QB. Potentially after Saturday: Duke 3-1, Tennessee 1-3…

Duke could be 3-1 with a win at home over Virginia Saturday

Fresno State at UCLA (3:30, ABC): This is going to once again show us how inexcusably bad that loss to UCLA was when Fresno pounds the Bruins – Arizona Arizona ARIZONA beat UCLA by 3 TDs last week…

Colorado vs. Florida State in Jacksonville (3:30, ABC): I said Lawvol was foolish for ranking the Buffaloes in his Top 25. Guess I was wrong. I know it was just a JV League team in WVU the Buffs beat, but this should tell us more about Colorado – and the depth of the Big 12. FSU had 4 more turnovers than points – at home – against Wake Forest last week.

TCU at Oklahoma (7:00, FSN?): Remember, TCU beat OU in Norman in 2005, and the Frogs are pretty good this year. The top of the MWC – BYU, Utah, and TCU – is very, very strong. TCU played Texas hard for three quarters last year, but they’re better this year, and they can give the Sooners a test. But at home, and the mere fact it’s in the regular season and not a BCS Bowl has me liking OU’s chances…

Virginia Tech at Nebraska (8:00, ABC): Another chance for a big non-conference win for the Big 12. For the Huskers, it’s a two-week stretch of home games against VT and next week Mighty Mizzou (my second favorite team…) comes visiting. Personally, I think Nebraska pounds VT, who just hasn’t been very good offensively this year, even with the redshirt coming off Tyrod Taylor. They scored 24 points on Furman for goodness sakes.

The first big games of the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska are Saturday against Virginia Tech and next week against Missouri - both in Lincoln

Northern Games: Only if you’re into that sort of thing. A couple of Big Ten showdowns – Wisconsin at Michigan (3:30, ABC) and Illinois at Penn State (8:00, ABC) – and “mighty” Notre Dame hosts Pur-don’t (win big games…EVER). Don’t sleep on 4-0 Minnesota beating the struggling Buckeyes either…

Enjoy it while you can, because it’s flying by!

Images Courtesy of: xx • xx • xx

[Note:  This post is exceptionally long—even for me—and I apologize for this.  I simply felt that a lot of these things needed saying, and I really haven't heard them elsewhere.  Thus, if you'll forgive my long-windedness,  I promise there is a point to this.  I just felt this that this isn't a simple issue, and thus I needed to explain.  -Lawvol]

Of all the posts I have ever written as a blogger, all the comments I have ever posted on message boards and other blogs, all the public professions I have ever made regarding the Tennessee Volunteers, this one is by far the most difficult one for me.  I’d really rather not be in the position of feeling it necessary to write this.  To fail to address the issue, however, would be to ignore the giant looming cloud over the heads of all of the Vol-faithful, regardless of their thoughts or position.

Obviously, I am talking about the “situation” with the Tennessee Football coaching staff.

For the record, I am a Phillip Fulmer fan.  I believe that he has done more for the Tennessee program than anyone else over the last fifteen years.  I credit him with taking Tennessee from the mish-mash of the middle tier of college football and propelling the Vols to the very pinnacle of success.  I credit him with bringing the program into the modern era.  I credit him with making many of the things to which we as Tennessee fans have become accustomed possible.  I like Coach Fulmer, or the “Great Punkin” as I routinely refer to him (with no slight or insult intended).

I guess that makes me a homer…

To the best of my recollection, the only time I have ever openly criticized the Tennessee coaching staff was during the past off-season when off-field incidents involving Vol footballers were escalating alarmingly, by my mind calling into question the integrity of the program and the University of Tennessee itself.  Aside from that, I have always refrained from going after the coaches like so many seem to want to do.  I wrote a little about this after the UCLA game, stating:

… I would say that I am more appropriately a Homer for all coaches across the landscape of college football who are constantly questioned, rebuked, and derided by tens of thousands of come-lately armchair geniuses.

It is a peculiar characteristic of so many fans that they believe that simply being a follower of a team for a given length of time makes them an expert on how things should be done.  Make no mistake, as a sports blogger, I am as guilty of this offense as anyone—at least to some extent.  There are things that anyone with a brain can assess and analyze based purely upon common sense, life experience, and the fluff that resides between our ears.

* * * * *

These sorts of basic truths are fairly and frankly within the grasp of us all, and thus the rightful ability to comment on such profundities resides with each and every person who follows college football.  In much the same vein, I think it is reasonable for many (note, I did not say “all”) long-term fans of the sport to comment on what a given team does, or in most cases, did.

Beyond that, however, it seems to me that trying to profess what the best way to coach a football team—a team to which most have no access except through their televisions—is an endeavor which necessarily makes the speaker feel smart and important, while simultaneously making them look foolish and arrogant.

I have absolutely no idea about what it takes to coach a major college football team.  I’m completely clueless.  Furthermore, I have no idea what it is like to play on such a team.  Again, clueless.  I am also willing to bet that most who are attacking Phil Fulmer and the Tennessee coaching staff at present share my level of experience and insight.  So, at a minimum, I guess I am among equally-ignorant equals when it comes to assessing the coaches.

Unlike many others, however, I am not going to attack the Great Punkin, Dave Clawson, John Chavis, or any of the other coaches.  I am simply going to speak about what I do know and speak from the heart:

Though I first watched Tennessee under Coach Majors, most of my life as a Tennessee fan, student, and alum has been during the tenure of Coach Fulmer.  I think he is a man of integrity, a man of honor, a skilled and adept football coach, and a great leader and teacher for the young men he coaches.  I have such deep respect for what he has done.  In his 17-year career as Tennessee’s head coach, Fulmer is 148-47-1 (.759), he has won 10 or more games in a season nine times, he has won or tied for the SEC East title seven times, he has won 2 SEC Championships, and the 1998 National Championship.  I remember all of these “good old days” like they were yesterday.

Coach Fulmer has done a lot, a whole lot…

By the same token, things simply have not been good for the Vols for some time now.  Here are a few statistics:

Last SEC Championship: 1998 (No Coach in UT history had a longer drought and retained their job)

Last BCS Game Appearance: 1999

Only one Top-10 finish this decade (2001)

Last 50 Games 32-18 (.648) [Johnny Majors was 39-9-2 (.780 wins only / .820 wins & ties) over his final 50 games]

Failed to finish in the Top-25 twice this decade in any poll and finished 25th in the AP in 2000 (unranked in Coaches Poll)

Signed a recruiting class outside the Top-20 in two of the past three seasons

5-12 versus Florida all-time

14-13 in the last 27 SEC Games

28-27 (.509) versus Current SEC Coaches

• 0-4 versus Urban Meyer (Florida)
• 1-2 versus Les Miles (LSU)
• 3-4 versus Mark Richt (Georgia)
• 1-3 versus Nick Saban (LSU & Alabama)
• 5-8 versus Steve Spurrier (Florida & South Carolina)
• 3-3 versus Tommy Tuberville (Ole Miss & Auburn)

Coach Fulmer has a winning record of 15-3 against Rich Brooks (Kentucky), Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State), Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt), and Houston Nutt (Arkansas only)

Over the last decade (since 1998) the Tennessee Volunteers under Fulmer are:

1-8 (.111) at home versus Top-10 Teams

17-23 (.425) versus ranked teams

13-21 (.382) versus Florida, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, and Alabama

Statistical Analysis Courtesy of: Tony Basilio.com

These numbers speak volumes…

Of course, I am enough of a realist to understand that no team—whether Tennessee, Southern Cal, or the Green Bay Packers—can have a championship year every year.  Every great team has bad years.  It just seems that it has been a long time since Tennessee has had a truly good year.  I freely acknowledge that in 2007 Tennessee had what, on paper, looks like a good year.  In 2007, the Vols went 10-4 and won the SEC East.  That said, even the most stalwart Vol fan would have to admit that Tennessee won the SEC East in a highly unorthodox manner.  Tennessee was beaten in the 2007 season opener versus California 45-31.  Two weeks later the Vols were annihilated by the Florida Gators 59-20 and were subsequently thumped by the Alabama Crimson Tide 41-17.  The only reason that the Vols made the trip to the  SEC Championship Game was that—under league rules—the tie went to Tennessee since the Vols defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in head-to-head competition.  In other words, the Orange and White backed into the Eastern Division title.

Prior to that, really since the 2001 season, the Vols have underperformed versus SEC and national rivals, and have—at best—been a mediocre team from a statistical perspective.  During that time, I cannot recount the number of times that the Vols have barely beaten teams that were wholly inferior in terms of talent.  What’s more, the Volunteers have regularly failed to meet the expectations of fans and analysts when considered against teams with similar recruiting classes and resources.  Then of course there was the 2005 season, or—as Joel at RTT describes it—“The Season of Which We do not Speak” in which Tennessee recorded a 5-6 record.

It seems that Tennessee has struggled at every turn since winning the 1998 Championship…

Jump forward to this year and the UCLA game, in which Tennessee loses to a UCLA team which the Vols were projected to beat handily.  As I and others have said, there is absolutely no reason that the Vols should have lost that game.  To make bad matters worse, since defeating the Vols, the Bruins have gone on to lose two more games in which they failed to score a single touchdown for the first time in 44 years. (HT Get the Picture)  Tennessee then managed a lackluster win over a clearly out-matched UAB team before playing the Florida Gators.  As I said in my “Marching Orders” piece earlier this week, that game was one of the poorest displays I’ve ever seen from a Vols squad.

Although I cannot really recall when it all started, the Tennessee fanbase began growing restless as early as 2002.  Even then, there was a small but vocal minority of fans that felt it was time for Fulmer to go.  Those voices of criticism were largely ignored by the masses until now.  After the Florida defeat, those voices have swelled to the point that they can no longer be ignored.  Just looking at the Vol-blogosphere, there are fewer and fewer that support Fulmer and even more voices criticizing than ever before—including 3SIB’s Ghost of Neyland, SouthEastern Sports Blog, YMSWWC, Curveballs for Jesus, Basilio,  MoonDog, the absurd Coacho Ocho, and Gate 21’s own HSH.

So here I am…

Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks Phil, But…

Saturday afternoon was it for me. I have avoided jumping over to the side of the fence that wants a change in the head coaching position at Tennessee for quite awhile now, but Saturday’s performance pushed me over said fence full-bore.

The bottom line is that Tennessee is going to be a middle-of-the-pack SEC program until a change at the head coaching position is made.

I flirted with jumping on the “Fire Fulmer” wagon after the 59-20 loss to Florida last year, but still didn’t. That day, the reason was the fact that our team quit and attitude reflects leadership. I even managed to avoid it after the horrible trip to Alabama when the entire staff forgot how to do their jobs. I dismissed UCLA as a fluke.

But Saturday’s performance was just an awful display of football in every phase of this great game. Tennessee may not have the talent of the 90s (as Ghost of Neyland over at 3SIB points out here) and Florida may be loaded, but the fact of the matter is that Tennessee is too talented a team to get blown out at home and play as poorly as they did.

My most adamant complaint is kicking to Brandon James – twice. He beat us – both times. What does it take? Essentially three (in the sense one was called back) times we have let him beat us. Three. I threatened all week that if we kicked to him and he returned it, I would leave Neyland Stadium. I about did.

Obviously we should have punted it to Section P, but apparently everybody BUT our coach (or our punter) already new that...

Offensively, the execution is pitiful. Most of that I think is because Jonathan Crompton is, for lack of a better word, incompetent. Is he progressing? Slightly, but he is so mistake-prone that it’s to a point where Dave Clawson is now limited as to what he can do. I’m still giving Clawson the benefit of the doubt, but Crompton just doesn’t have it between the ears. I miss Erik Ainge…

Arian Foster, our supposed senior leader on offense, gets a stupid personal foul penalty making a third-and-short into a third-and-long, yet he misses no time. Foster disappeared in a big game yet again, yet still is the starter and Tennessee’s primary ball carrier when BOTH Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer have shown more explosiveness. I have liked Arian, but I have been told that he isn’t the leader many of us expected he would be.

Defensively, I don’t know what to say. Yes, we held the powerfully explosive Gators to 200-something yards, but I credit that more to the fact Florida basically ran draw and read plays the entire second half up 27-0. You would have a tough time telling me that if that game was being played in Gainesville Saturday, that Florida doesn’t get 50.

That said, the defensive effort is certainly there. They showed some backbone and never stopped fighting, but what’s the point? What more can Eric Berry do? When is his play going to infect everyone else? We still can’t stop anybody on third downs…

Don’t even get me started on special teams. Lawvol went through that extensively in the new “Marching Orders from the General” feature (we have yet another one on tap for tomorrow as well). Maybe it’s just Chad Cunningham…

Defenses we still play: Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and yes, even Kentucky...UH OH

Florida made it look real, real easy Saturday. They didn’t even really have to try much and just let Tennessee make mistakes. Yes the Gators made plays when they had to, but they made that win look terrifyingly easy. They got in, got out, and on their way to their tougher games against LSU and Georgia.

Point is that this is just not a good football team from the coaching on down. And it’s a shame, too. There’s a pretty good level of talent on this team and it’s being wasted. The players work too hard for this. Offensively this is mostly due to the poor QB play. Overall, defense included, this team just lacks aggressiveness.

I watch LSU pull out a gutsy win at Auburn Saturday night, and they run an onside kick and their defense (Auburn’s, Georgia’s, Florida’s, Alabama’s this season as well) is just flying around making plays. In scoring position with a chance at a game-winning FG, does Les Miles run it up the middle? No, he takes his freshman QB and throws a tough throw/route for the winning TD. Nick Saban is playing freshmen everywhere.

We are too tentative, too conservative, too afraid of making a mistake, and they are inevitable. And they happen. We can’t get a freaking handoff. My friends and I could execute a handoff. We have no swagger that I see from these other teams. There’s no question about the effort – which could be some reason for hope, maybe – but that’s about it.

That pretty much sums up this past Saturday...

That’s coaching, people. And for Tennessee to return to the level of being able to compete legitimately in today’s SEC, there’s going to have to be a change. Coach Fulmer has done more for this University than just about anybody else and deserves that credit. But it’s time for him to step down. I just hope when it does happen, that it goes without too much drama and the nonsense that’s happened at other schools (Rich Rodriguez comes to mind).

Unlike the ever-optimistic Lawvol, I have bailed on this season. I know I did foolishly last year, but I see no reason for a turnaround. None. At. All. Will I stop watching games? No, I’ll be at Auburn Saturday and in Neyland for Northern Illinois next weekend. I’m still a fan, but there’s something not right about not even overly caring that we got beat 30-6 on our own field a few hours after watching it happen.

It’s a sad, sad time for the Tennessee football program…

But let’s all remember to stick with the team through all this. It’s time like these that make the better days so much sweeter.

GO VOLS!!

Images Courtesy of: Doug Finger / Gainesville Sun • Streeter Lecka / Getty Images (Orlando Sentinel Picture #18)

Obviously, I am a fan of the Tennessee Volunteers.  First and foremost, however, I am a lover of all of the great and grand traditions of college football, of the sport that creates such passion, and of the magical memories it makes for so many regardless of the colors they may wear.

It is for that reason that today is a sad day.  Last night legendary (and there is no word that fits other than “legendary”) college football radio announcer Larry Munson announced his retirement effective immediately.  Munson, who will celebrate his 86th birthday on Sunday, has served as the radio voice of the Georgia Bulldogs for 43 wonderful years.

Due to failing health, Munson began only announcing Georgia home games in 2007.  Then in April of this year Munson was diagnosed with blood clots in his brain and underwent brain surgery.  Some wondered if he would return for football season this fall.  Undeterred, Munson announced Georgia’s the home opener versus Georgia Southern.  Last night, however, Munson decided that it was time.

Larry Munson: Voice of the Dawgs for 43 years

As I wrote in February, I remember all too well, what it felt like to hear John Ward announce his final game as the Voice of the Vols.  I was heartbroken to know that his voice would no longer announce “It’s Football Time in Tennessee!”  I still miss hearing him broadcast the fortunes of the Vols across the radio.  With no disrespect to Bob Kesling and Tim Priest—who do a fine job—it simply is not the same without Ward behind the microphone.  Still, at least the Vol-faithful had a year to honor Ward and color-man Bill Anderson, and one last chance to enjoy their wonderful brand of football announcing.  For the Georgia fans, it is already over.

I sincerely want to send out my personal best wishes to Larry Munson as he enters retirement.  Still, it simply won’t be the same.  There are so few of the grand college announcers  such as Ward and Munson left, and soon they will all fade from the airwaves and into memory.

Good luck, and Godspeed, Larry Munson!  You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten…

• To hear some of Munson’s great (and they are great) calls, visit: Larry Munson.com
• My tribute to the great radio voices of College Football:  The Voice of College Sports…
• Tom Mattingly’s wonderful look back at Tennessee Football on the Radio: For 60 Years, “This is the Vol Network”

– Go Figure …

Image Courtesy of: AJC.com / Curtis Compton

General Robert R. Neyland is perhaps the single most important person in the evolution of Tennessee Football.  His legacy is forever intertwined with the university, the teams, and the fans.  In recognition of his immeasurable contribution, I am pleased to introduce a new feature here at the Gate, “Marching Orders From the General.”  Without further adieu, here is the first installment:

Okay, I have had my day to be negative—to brood and stew over the Tennessee Volunteers‘ loss to the Florida Gators.

It’s now time to be constructive, to analyze, and to look ahead. I know that a lot of the members of the Orange Nation are ready to write this season off.  I am not.  Be that as it may, I cannot ignore what  I witnessed at Neyland Stadium this past weekend.  I have a feeling that, as MoonDog noted, General Neyland would have been sick to his stomach over the Vols performance.

The General, however, was accustomed to adversity, and understood that sometimes you have to modify your plan to make sure that you attain your goal.  Complaining accomplishes nothing—the only thing that matters is what you do going forward.

One of the grand traditions of the Tennessee football program is the constant re-commitment of the team to General Neyland’s 7 Game Maxims. These are the foundation upon which the entire ethos of the program are based. Using these fundamental concepts as a lens, let’s look at how the Vols did this weekend, and what they need to do going forward to achieve the level of excellence that the General called for both on the playing field and the battlefield.

Maxim 1: “The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.”

The inability of the Vols to honor this truth is ultimately what led to their defeat…

Ball Protection

Tennessee’s three turnovers—two of which came inside the 3-yard line—absolutely killed the Vols on offense.  One of these came in the form of an interception, the other two in the form of fumbles.

The first fumble (1st Quarter 8:55, on the Tennessee 23), this was credited as a fumble by Montario Hardesty, which is accurate.  Hardesty should have been able to hold onto the 4-yard pass from Crompton, and picked up a gain.  The fact remains, however, that Hardesty was in double-coverage with a safety collapsing quickly.  The pass—which came on 3rd and 15 and would have done little to move the ball toward the 1st Down—was floated to a clearly off-balance Hardesty and effectively left him strung-out.  This pass invited a fumble-jarring hit, which it received.  While I am not exonerating Hardesty, Crompton should have simply thrown the ball away.

The second fumble (3rd Quarter 13:00, on the Florida 2) was simply a bad exchange, but not in the traditional sense.  This was not the tailback failing to get a handle on the ball when receiving the handoff.  This was the ball hitting the fullback in the hip as the quarterback rolled to his right—in other words, the quarterback didn’t have a handle on the ball after the snap, and thus had the ball in an unprotected position, resulting in a fumble.  Those things happen from time to time, but you cannot let them happen at critical turning-point moments in the game.  It is a question of focus, and you must be focused when you are trying to push in a score.

The interception (2nd Quarter 00:02, on the Florida 2) in the endzone  immediately before halftime was simply a bad throw into coverage, there really isn’t anything else to be said.  Jonathan Crompton’s willingness to heave the ball into 2 or 3-man press coverage has become as worrying as it has routine.  Jonathan Compton must start making better decisions, and start looking to other receivers, tuck and run, or throw the ball away.  Crompton cannot continue to to simply throw the ball into the crowd and hope that the receiver makes a play.  I will be the first to admit that there are times when this sort of approach can work—as it did for Crompton versus LSU in 2006, or as it did for Tee Martin versus pretty much anyone when Peerless Price was the receiver—but those are the exception, not the rule.  Crompton must begin to look for other outlets and if none exists, throw the ball away.

Crompton's ill-fated pass into the endzone as seen from Sec. Y7

That said, Tennessee should have scored on one of the preceding three plays (all of which occurred inside the Florida 5-yard line), which would have prevented the pass ever being thrown.

Clock Management

Tennessee’s final three offensive plays of the first half were one of the worst examples of clock management that Tennessee has shown in a very long time.  With 1:13 to go in the half, Tennessee had the ball on the Florida 5-yard line—it was Tennessee’s chance to potentially get itself back in the ballgame.  At that point, the score was 20-0.  20-7 would have given the Vols a chance to enter the locker room with momentum and a chance to comeback in the second half.  What ensued was a play calling disaster. With 30 seconds remaining in the half, Tennessee had the ball on the 2-yard line, and still had one timeout.  Rather than immediately stop the clock, however, the Vols let 14 seconds tick off of the clock before signaling the timeout.  I was sitting approximately 50 feet from this display in Section Y7.  With 29 ticks remaining, I clearly saw Crompton make a time out signal toward the referee, but the referee was screened and could not see Crompton.  No whistle blew, and the clock continued to run.  For the next 14 seconds neither Crompton, one of his teammates, nor the coaching staff called a timeout.  In then end the Vols finally stopped the clock with 16 seconds remaining.  This is unbelievable.

The old adage is that “you play until the whistle is blown.”  That is just as true in timeout-calling as it is in downfield blocking.  Someone, whether player or coach, should have had their wits about them enough to reach out grab the ref and make the timeout signal.  No one did.  With those seconds gone, Tennessee had almost no time left with which to try and punch the ball into the endzone.  When they did get it in the endzone, it was an interception.

With that interception, the game was over…

The mental game is just as important as the physical side of the game.   Tennessee simply did not have their heads in the game on offense.

Maxim 2: “Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way—SCORE.”

Well, to a large degree, there were few breaks to be had in the game.  The bulk of those breaks came in the form of Florida capitalizing on Tennessee’s errors.  That said, there were several times when key players made big plays which—for the briefest of moments—gave the Orange and White a chance to gain the upper hand.  One good example was Dennis Rogan’s 43 yard runback on the opening kickoff of the second half.  Another was the first quarter defensive stop on the Tennessee 22-yard line which led to a Florida field goal, but prevented a touchdown.  These two breaks—along with numerous other small swings in the game–led to nothing for the Vols.

Though the opportunities were real, the Vols simply never took advantage of them…

Maxim 3: “If at first the game—or the breaks—go against you, don’t let up… put on more steam.”

When it comes to effort, there are actually a few bright spots…

Rico McCoy and Eric Berry both gave a supreme effort.  There is nothing more that this tandem could have done to try and push the Vols to victory.  Even late in the fourth quarter, they were both running at full speed and giving 100% effort on every single play.  I never once saw them let up or slow down.  They had a combined 18 tackles (including a sack for Berry).  In all honesty, I’d have to say that the defensive unit as a whole left everything on the field.  After stumbling on the opening drive by Florida, and allowing a touchdown, I felt that the defense came to play.  They were hardly perfect—especially when it came to penalties—but they tried their hardest and game their all for Tennessee.  There was no quit in this unit.

The offense, while not as marked as the defense, also gave great effort.  In particular, Jonathan Crompton exhibited more drive and grit than I have seen from him this year.  He refused to give up, despite all of the miscues, bobbles, and mistakes.  This was best exemplified by Crompton’s unwillingness to slide late in the game when fronted by a Florida defender.  Rather than make the safe play, Crompton lowered his head and ran straight at him.  It was probably not the smartest decision on his part, given the fact he was completely flat-backed, but his heart was obviously still in it.

The coaching staff obviously wanted this game—for reasons which I will go into in greater detail in a follow-up post to this one.  Their effort during the game was admirable.  I saw more fire on the sidelines from the coaches than I have seen in years past.  That said, coaching is one area where your best effort can sometimes be demonstrated by not needing to be animated or excited.

The fans are also a part of this analysis.  I will give the fans a split-analysis in this area.  At the start of the game, regardless of what they may have thought the likely outcome of the game might be, the fans were ready to go.  When the “T” opened and the players came out on the field it was white-noise and hysteria.  That held true throughout the first quarter.  After Tennessee’s repeated self-destruction on offense, however, the fans went cold; many went home.  I am not going to criticize the fans for their decisions in this regard, though I want to on some level.  I travel a long way to the games, and it costs a great deal of money to do so.  I stayed until the last second and watched the Vols play to the end.  Does that make me a better fan?  Probably not.  Does it give me the right to criticize those who left early?  Probably so.  As a personal matter, I strongly believe that if you don’t have the guts and composure to stay to the end and take the cheers of your opponent, then you don’t have the right to bask in the glory when your team wins.  The fact of the matter is, however, I understand their frustrations.

If, as the scoreboard says, "This is Tennessee Football," then the empty seats in the stands speak of serious problems.

On a more basic level, however, as both HSH and I have said in the last few days, if you are going to boo your own players, then just stay home.  The players on the team do not need your validation to prove that they work hard and make sacrifices to be the best that they can be.  They also don’t need your booing when they fall short of the goal they strive for.  Booing the coaching staff, or the decision to punt rather than go for it on fourth down is one thing, booing the players is another.  I understand your frustrations, but just like the team on the field, if you cannot retain your composure and lose with some integrity and class then do not come to the game.  If you cannot act like a good sport, then there is no place for you in the stadium—no matter what team you follow.  Period.

If you booed the team this past weekend, you should be ashamed of yourself…

Maxim 4: “Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead, and our ball game.”

Well, in this regard the Vols were decent, not outstanding, but decent.  The offensive live really never created much in terms of a push off the line for the running backs, and the penalties for false starts and holding were particularly costly.  Still, the line did a pretty good job of protecting Crompton.  The same would be true for the kick protection.  They were average, but if the teams gels and makes the scores, then it is probably enough to win.

As for protecting the ball game, well there really is not much that can be said there…

Maxim 5: “Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue, and gang tackle… for this is the WINNING EDGE.”

As I said above under the Third Maxim, I was happy with the defense.  Could they have done some things better?  Absolutely.  Is there room to improve?  You better believe it.

Did the defense do enough to win?  You’re damn right they did, just as they did versus UCLA.

Until the offense finds itself, I am not going to be overly critical of a defense that has fought as hard as any I’ve seen in a while.

Maxim 6: “Press the kicking game.  Here is where the breaks are made.”

Once again, the General’s insight is telling.  Florida’s Brandon James returned the opening kickoff 52 yards.  Last year he ran a kick back for a touchdown only to have it negated by a penalty.  Ignoring this experience, and James’ ability to be a gamebreaker, the Vols kick it back to him on the very next series setting up a 78 yard run back for a touchdown.  You don’t have to be a genius to realize that you can kick it away from him, as Florida did by kicking it to Brandon Warren in the third quarter.

Still, the kick coverage team showed a lack of cohesiveness in over-pursuing, blocking one another, and failing to contain the run backs.

While Dennis Rogan did his best to make things happen on Tennessee’s kick returns, costly penalties killed the momentum he earned with his speed and field awareness.

Maxim 7: “Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.”

As I said under the Third Maxim, both the offense and the defense did everything they could in terms of effort.  The fact of the matter was, however, there was never any real “fight” put to Florida.  In the end, the Vols put on one of the worst displays I have seen in Neyland Stadium in a very long time.  I would put this game in the same class as the 1996 loss to Memphis at the Liberty Bowl and the 1994 loss to the Gators in Knoxville.  The difference is that in 1994, the Vols had a true-freshman quarterback who never expected to be playing that early in the season, whie the ‘94 Gators were absolute terrors.  In 1996, the Vols simply had a bad game versus a motivated opponent—though inexcusable–that team was otherwise solid across the board.

This game was one the Vols were “supposed” to lose.  It was not one where they were supposed to get blown-out.  I realize that there is a new quarterback calling the signals this year, but he is a fourth-year junior who had considerable experience in 2006.  This is not an inexperienced team which lacks a fundamental understanding of what it is supposed to do in game situations.

I will be going into some other thoughts on this game and the big picture for Tennessee in the next day or so, but until then, I will sum up my thoughts with this:

There was no commander to be found on the field this weekend, and the troops had no leader…

My, how we could have used a little help from the General.

– Go Figure …

Images by: lawvol

Here’s my ballot for this week’s College Football BlogPoll which, as always, is hosted by MGOBlog.

Week 4

I know, I know, I’m a moron…

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Southern Cal	–
2	Oklahoma	–
3	Georgia	–
4	LSU	–
5	Missouri	–
6	Florida	–
7	Wisconsin	–
8	Penn State	1
9	Alabama	1
10	Texas	1
11	Texas Tech	1
12	Wake Forest	3
13	Auburn	5
14	Ohio State	–
15	Utah	1
16	Brigham Young	2
17	South Florida	–
18	Colorado	2
19	Vanderbilt	6
20	Oregon	7
21	Kansas	–
22	Illinois	–
23	Boise State	3
24	Fresno State	2
25	Clemson	1

Dropped Out: East Carolina (#19), Florida State (#23), Arizona State (#24).

Comments,  Explanations, and Excuses

Most of this week is self-explanatory, but here are a few of the high-points of the weeks changes:

Colorado (18):

I am glad to see that the Colorado Buffaloes stood up for me and my persistent belief that they are a quality football team by beating the amazingly over-rated West Virginia Mountaineers.  See, I get one right every now and then…

Ohio State (14):

I know that the Buckeyes won, but it was anything but pretty versus Troy.  I realize that the Bucks were feeling cold and flat after the loss to Southern Cal, but they have to pick it up a bit.  If they don’t get it going quickly, they will have several losses in the Big Ten this season.  On the bright side, at least they aren’t playing like Tennessee.

The Rest of the BlogPoll

Having taken the time to consider my feeble attempt at ranking the powers in college football, feel free to try and convince me that I am wrong — which is part of the way the BlogPoll is supposed to work.  I promise that I will consider all comments.

As for the rest of the BlogPoll, well, you can check out how other bloggers voted, how your team fared across the blogosphere, and view the weekly results each Wednesday over at MGOBlog.

– Go Figure …