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The Long Slide - Tennessee Volunteers Football
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:36 pm
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:36 pm
It's amazing how far down they slid.
I did not realize that Tennessee hasn't had a 9-win regular season since Phil Fulmer's 2007 SEC East Championship season.
That was 13 seasons ago.
In the combined seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2019, Clemson had as many SEC wins as Tennessee did. (7)
Lane Kiffen
Derek Dooley
Butch Jones
Jeremy Pruitt
As much grief as Butch gets for his tenure there, he had a better record than all of the above.
Now Josh Heupel? Will he rescue this program? Can he rescue this program? Can the program be rescued? The East is certainly down right now, but Tennessee is a big part of the overall slide of the division. USC, Mizzou, Vandy, and Kentucky fully intend to keep kicking Tennessee while it's down; and Saban, Kirby, nor Mullen have any intention of lifting their boots off Tennessee's head.
Many people say it starts with recruiting, but in the new era of transfers and NIL's taking roster management back to Bear Bryant days, it's more difficult than ever for a bottom feeder to climb its way back to the top.
Is this the new normal for Tennessee football? A look at their history says yes; in fact it seems to have been the new normal for several years now, and we've finally got the benefit of hindsight to see it.
Edit- This publication is in no way related to Tucker Carlson's new book.
I did not realize that Tennessee hasn't had a 9-win regular season since Phil Fulmer's 2007 SEC East Championship season.
That was 13 seasons ago.
In the combined seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2019, Clemson had as many SEC wins as Tennessee did. (7)
Lane Kiffen
Derek Dooley
Butch Jones
Jeremy Pruitt
As much grief as Butch gets for his tenure there, he had a better record than all of the above.
Now Josh Heupel? Will he rescue this program? Can he rescue this program? Can the program be rescued? The East is certainly down right now, but Tennessee is a big part of the overall slide of the division. USC, Mizzou, Vandy, and Kentucky fully intend to keep kicking Tennessee while it's down; and Saban, Kirby, nor Mullen have any intention of lifting their boots off Tennessee's head.
Many people say it starts with recruiting, but in the new era of transfers and NIL's taking roster management back to Bear Bryant days, it's more difficult than ever for a bottom feeder to climb its way back to the top.
Is this the new normal for Tennessee football? A look at their history says yes; in fact it seems to have been the new normal for several years now, and we've finally got the benefit of hindsight to see it.
Edit- This publication is in no way related to Tucker Carlson's new book.
This post was edited on 8/16/21 at 1:57 pm
32
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:36 pm to deeprig9
1980
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:40 pm to deeprig9
If we hire the right guy and the admin doesn’t shite all over itself, we are fine. If Butch freaking Jones pulled in a top 5 class, anyone can. Just need that talent developed by someone with more than half a brain cell.
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:46 pm to deeprig9
That coaching search a few years ago was comedy gold. 
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:48 pm to deeprig9
It is like the "Curse of the Bambino"
You get rid of the fat guy and misery follows.
Same thing happened with Kansas football
You get rid of the fat guy and misery follows.
Same thing happened with Kansas football
Posted on 8/16/21 at 1:54 pm to deeprig9
Unless you’re in your 40s and posting on tRant (which would be hella sad).....what’s it like to have never witnessed your team win a National Championship?
Posted on 8/16/21 at 2:03 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Now Josh Heupel? Will he rescue this program?
I like Josh Heupel as a coach. Only problem with him is that his defenses at UCF got progressively worse, and completely dropped off a cliff last season. In ppg allowed, his teams ranked...
36th in 2018
42nd in 2019
123rd in 2020
As my dear Rebels have shown in previous years, you don't win big games in the SEC without some semblance of a defense. Tennessee ranked 70th in ppg allowed this past season, so Heupel can't let it go much farther down if he wants to win big games.
Posted on 8/16/21 at 2:25 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Lane Kiffen
If Kiffin stays, I dont think they would be where they are today. he had them on an upward trajectory IMO
Posted on 8/16/21 at 2:40 pm to deeprig9
quote:Any program can fall, any program can be rescued.
Can the program be rescued
Posted on 8/16/21 at 4:47 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Is this the new normal for Tennessee football? A look at their history says yes; in fact it seems to have been the new normal for several years now, and we've finally got the benefit of hindsight to see it.
Tennessee doesn't have a hard climb back into relevancy, largely because they are in the SECE.
Of the 6 competing programs in the East, only two are outperforming their historical norms, Georgia and Kentucky. So it doesn't take a miracle to return to 9-3. If they could sustain that for 3 out of 4 years, then they are viable at playing for a division championship by upsetting Georgia or Florida.
But the there are two things that bash this narrative against the rocks:
1) Alabama and Auburn coming East and destroying any chance at UT ever winning the East ever again.
2) Vowel fans fancy themselves as a national power and believe they should be playing for Nattys. Thus, they would run off anyone that has a modicum of success followed by any setback. Unless they swallow their pride and accept that they are basically performing at Kentuckyish levels in football and that this is the state of their program, then they will not have the patience to ever rebuild.
This post was edited on 8/16/21 at 4:53 pm
Posted on 8/16/21 at 5:01 pm to deeprig9
Which 3 teams do you believe beat UGA this year? Clemson is a given but what other 2?
Posted on 8/16/21 at 5:06 pm to deeprig9
Think UT has hired its worst coach yet....
Posted on 8/16/21 at 5:12 pm to deeprig9
I miss Dooly's puke orange pants
Posted on 8/16/21 at 5:44 pm to deeprig9
Their athletic department being bankrupt hasn't helped their situation for the last while.
Fulmer was basically begging season ticket holders not ask for a refund last year even though they couldn't go to the game.
Fulmer was basically begging season ticket holders not ask for a refund last year even though they couldn't go to the game.
Posted on 8/16/21 at 6:58 pm to deeprig9
Posted on 8/16/21 at 7:02 pm to deeprig9
quote:
In the combined seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2019, Clemson had as many SEC wins as Tennessee did. (7)
This is incredible and sad all at once.
Or just incredibly sad. Either one
Posted on 8/17/21 at 8:21 am to deeprig9
Don't worry tho. In the lowest of Tennessee lows, MSU will still find a way to lose to them in football.
Posted on 8/17/21 at 12:43 pm to deeprig9
Tsunami U.
It will remain this way for a very long time. As in geologic time.
It will remain this way for a very long time. As in geologic time.
Posted on 8/17/21 at 12:48 pm to deeprig9
Theyve still done more as a program than uga has, and have won a natty 20 years more recently too. I dont get uga talking shite like theyre a program thats actually accomplished something.
Posted on 8/17/21 at 2:32 pm to deeprig9
UGA Fan; Didn't Read.
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