re: Is it reasonable to expect Tennessee football to turn around?

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The Vols will remain competitive for the above reasons. They have all of the "infrastructure" of an elite program in place and really haven't ever lost it. What they lack is coaching. They need to get an SEC man back in to head that program, imo. Butch isn't the guy. As long as the Vols recruit well as they have been, they'll be in the upper tier in this conference but I don't see them winning the SEC until they get a real SEC coach.

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I don't think anyone would disagree that elite programs need great coaches. The problem is there just aren't that many talented coaches right now that are actually able to live up to that and the ones with any sense will go somewhere outside the SEC and take an easy path to the CFP. Look around the league right now and tell me if you can spot a clear no. 2 now that Miles is gone. The coaching situation is awful and only Alabama has a good coach - Mullen is arguable but only because we all wonder how much being at State has effected him as a coach (is he held back because it's difficult to breakthrough at State or could he step into a Big 6 school and take them to 10+ wins every year?).

As for coaches outside the conference, a lot of hot names get mentioned as being better but I'm not certain they are since a lot of their success is happening in conferences where they only play two decent opponents a year. I think there are a lot fewer talented coaches available than many want to believe and that's one of the reasons why you rarely see programs outside the usual suspects compete for anything and why it's so incredibly rare for anyone new to the ranks of elite programs to break in and actually win anything. College football isn't in a golden era when it comes to coaching talent.

You have serious issues old man.

No

Resources and support are more of the determining factor along side a competent AD. Tennessee has the first two, but has been worlds away from even a decent AD for decades.
Getting the right coach also plays a huge role, now more so than ever.

I am in the wait and see position with Currie, but it is very discouraging that we passed on a homerun in our backyard because he wasn't some yes man little bitch.

This is what we've been missing on the Gamecock board.

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Not sure. We've always been better than Georgia though.

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Exibit A

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It is reasonable to expect them to turn it around, because in a sense they already have.

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So finishing #22 in the AP for two years in a row means Tennessee football is back? Maybe its out of the gutter, but its nowhere close to where the program was from the 1930s through about 2004.

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I say this with no malice, but I think they have peaked under Jones.

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Ok. So if Jones is not able to get Tennessee back to being a Top 20 team, and he's already peaked, then its reasonable to to assume Tennessee is just not a Top 20 type program anymore, let alone a Top 10 program like they used to be.

This is my entire point.

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site?

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winspedia

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Since 1992 (expansion) (start of modern era of SEC Football)

- Tennessee leads series 14-11
- Tennessee leads in National Titles 1-0
- Tied in SEC Championships 2-2
- Tied in SEC Championship Game Appearances 5-5
- Tied in Top 5 finishes 3-3
- Georgia leads in Top 10 finishes 7-6
- Georgia leads in Top 25 finishes 16-15
- Georgia leads in major (Alliance/BCS) bowl appearances 3-2
- Georgia leads in bowl appearances 22-20
- Both teams had down years (UGA the 90s, UT the 2000s) and a stable period (Richt and Fulmer) and both are now trying to navigate their ways back


So, basically, the two programs are relatively even since 1992 (25 years), with Tennessee holding the head to head and national title trump card.

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Now do the last 10 years. The mid 90s and early 2000 period just happened to be UT's best since the 1940s or 50s, back before the SEC integrated. As previously noted by the South Carolina fan, Fulmer's unprecedented "secret ncaa witness" to bring down his hated rival at UA, all while cheating his arse off, was instrumental in his short lived success. Do UT since 1970, which is when all SEC teams were integrated. Also as previously noted, you will find that UT is 5th in winning pct and 6th in number of SEC titles.