re: Will Tennessee ever be elite again?

Jones couldn't/wouldn't develop players. A lack of a S&C coach was a major issue there but overall those recruits were players everyone wanted. His latter classes were far more questionable and the rankings reflected that.

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Our 2015 and 2016 squads were both good enough to be playoff contenders. A good coach likely goes 11-1 both years with that group, especially in 2015 where we threw away a late lead at Tuscaloosa, as well as choking away two TD leads vs Florida and Oklahoma.

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Ding, ding, ding.

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Clemson’s entire history has been underachieving up Dabo. Alabama has always been an elite program, and yet VOLS had no issue being competitive. Georgia is 2-2 in their last 4 vs VOLS, and Kirby is nowhere close to the coach Dabo or Saban are .

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Bama had down years in the 90’s. They don’t now. Clemson and uga were underachievers in the 90’s. Now each are top 5 programs. In the 90’s, it was just a top 5 Florida. 3 is much harder to deal with than just 1. You are choosing to downplay this reality.

Up 17-3 in the 4th quarter vs Oklahoma and lost.

Up 27-13 with 7:00 left at Florida, and lost.

Up 13-0 vs Arkansas, lost.

Up 19-14 with 5:00 to go in Tuscaloosa, and lost.


The single dumbest coach in conference history was able to get VOLS in that position, but there’s no way VOLS can ever be good again because of Kirby Smart

The 90s aren’t the only decade that VOLS have been successful in slow boy DJ.

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A serviceable coach walks in to the CFP with our 2015 squad. The 2016 squad was solid as well but was decimated by injury and the young, highly ranked players not developing at all which led to a lot of issues within the team.

I don’t think any other Tennessee team since 2004 has been talented enough to really be a factor but that 2015 team was absolutely good enough with competent coaching.

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Jones couldn't win with our program's 2nd best QB all-time, an RB who would've owned the all-time rushing record had he played a few more downs, Alvin Kamara, and a DE who broke Reggie White's sack record.

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Vols were elite in the 90’s. What other decades?

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It doesn't matter you'll just find another reason.

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Our 2015 and 2016 squads were both good enough to be playoff contenders.

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Sure, but the two best recruiting classes were 2014 and 2015. Those players were likely not the main contributors as freshmen and sophomores. So why did Butch take 14th, 19th, 25th, and 7th ranked classes and have his best success before faltering with the 7th, 4th, and 14th classes? Yes, I used the 2014 class, ranked 7th, to overlap.

Obviously, player development is obviously a big part of the answer. What about coaching staff differences? Or, as I suggested, was it about getting players that did not fit together quite as well, even if they were being highly recruited by everyone else? The sheer numbers also did a lot to help the class ranking.

It might be hard to believe, but I'm actually not trying to say Tennessee has a route forward to success. I just think there are good reasons not to point at Butch's two best classes as proof of anything when there are serious questions about the actual quality of those classes. Instead, point at the #12 class that Pruitt brought in last year that was a more normal size of 22 players. A class like that while having a bad season should be proof that a little success could lead to even more success.

Here's some more jewels from that hack writer

1. Willie Taggart, USF: For some reason, four SEC schools bypassed a young, dynamic winner in their own backyard. It will cost them twice as much the next time around to get this Jim Harbaugh clone.
2. Gary Andersen, Wisconsin: As long as King Barry keeps the meathooks off, Andersen will thrive in Madtown.
3. Bret Bielema, Arkansas: Built his reputation on exactly what Hogs want/need to compete in SEC West Division: run the ball, play physical.
4. Butch Jones, Tennessee: Attention Vols fans: you’re trading two guys with career losing records before they stepped on campus (Kiffin, Dooley), for a guy who has won everywhere he has coached. Stop whining/pining for Gruden.
5. Sonny Dykes, California: Will fit in perfectly in Berkeley; his funky, pass-happy offense causing headaches all over the defensively-challenged Pac-12.”

Tennessee is gonna be fine. Just look at their roster, they are a really young team.

Let Pruitt build that roster and let him grow as a head coach. They have a top shelf staff and if they keep recruiting like they did for their first class, they will be fine. I do think he is the right coach for them.

I personally hope Tennessee, Nebraska, Miami, Michigan, USC all come back and compete on a national level. Kind of gets stale when all it's been is Alabama, OSU, Clemson and Oklahoma.