Mirror Images

The orange-clad horde of Big Orange fans have had their hopes and dreams for a Southeastern Conference Championship, dashed annually for almost a decade. The mantle over the fireplace is bare and fans want something they can be proud of, to fill its barren span. Could this be the year that Vols coach, Phil Fulmer brings home some hardware to share with his admirers and critics?

Considering that the University of Tennessee Athletic Department and its puppet-masters are content with winning just enough games to keep the ovine-like fans from canceling their tickets and donations, the program - its goals, and the reality surrounding the program's direction, is truly an enigma.

How can UT fans solve this mystery of football faith? The puppet-masters have lowered their expectations of excellence. Like it or not, "Eight Is Enough" is now the company line. Coach "Phil "Tom Bradford" Fulmer will continue to carry out his patriarchal duties as he has been for the past few years. Fans once bragged about his "fishing prowess", are now scratching their heads and asking themselves if he is using the proper bait?

Consider that the Vol's football teams have enjoyed graduation rates of 58%, 49%, 38%, and 41% over the past four years. Is the "Big Fisherman" reeling in keepers? There is evidence that this trend is not going to change as the "Big Fisherman" has hooked several athletes who have struggled to graduate from high school and are not yet eligible to be admitted to the University of Tennessee. One of those athletes is reportedly submitting dual applications for admittance to UT for his third time and an assisted living nursing home at the same time. Does anyone think that these athletes have a desire to be student athletes and graduate with a meaningful degree much less get through two years of remedial classes in order to stay eligible until they are eligible for the NFL Draft?

Despite reeling in and landing great athletes at Tennessee over the past ten years, the "Big Fisherman" has not been successful in molding his annual string of talent into Southeastern Conference champions on the field or into graduates off of the field. Even Dick Van Patten in his role of "Tom Bradford" would have questioned the results of those fishing trips and their end results.

Maybe all of us have been looking at the "big picture" all wrong and from the wrong angle? Is our perspective of our favorite program upside down? After-all, we are only expected to win eight games a season, moral victories have become a norm for many fans, and Southeastern Conference championships are not expected. Heck, we haven't won one in almost ten years.

If you look into the mirror and turn it upside down, you would swear that the University of Tennessee football program was the Vanderbilt football program, except that Vanderbilt graduates a large majority of their players. It makes a Tennessee fan believe that Neyland Stadium is really McGuigan Field/Vanderbilt-East. You can almost hear Bobby Denton announce over the loud speaker, "Tennessee fans, show your orange!"

Now, we know what Charleton Heston's character in "Planet of the Apes" was thinking when he got a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. Its a mad upside down world!

Storm Clouds Over (Un)Happy Valley

Dark storm clouds are forming over Happy Valley.

ESPN's "Outside The Lines" recently aired their documentary of the once proud football program and the findings exposed Penn State as a renegade program on the loose.

Of course, Joe Paterno, his staff, and university officials were in classic denial over the findings. See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. The sainted JoePa has to be protected at all costs. After-all, he is bigger than the program itself.

Now, where have we heard this story before?

Fighting Irish Blues

Christopher Gabriel's Blog Harbor column, Notre Dame Football: When Losing Helps Everyone, was published and carried by the Chicago Sun-Times.

The young kids of today will know that Notre Dame is not a great football program anymore.

2008 Vols - Game by Game Predictions

Sept. 1st @ UCLA

Back about the first of the year, this was setting up to be a very good match-up on paper. The Vols had the new QB angle working, Trooper was looking around. Cutcliffe was entertaining the Duke offer. It looked like we might be getting an infusion of new blood into the coaching ranks. Ironically, all of that came to fruition. From a UCLA standpoint, Dorrell was fired. Neuheisel was hired. He picked up Norm Chow, who had been recently fired as Titans OC. Many Vol fans had visions of a Neuheisel/Chow-led offense dissecting a Chavis-defense rail-thin along the DL and not collectively very good in the front seven. But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum(s). UCLA players started dropping like flies. Injuries, suspensions, academics, transfers. The Bruins have had an offseason that they would just as soon forget. That’s not to say that Tennessee is unbeatable in this one. The Vols still have their fair share of questions to be answered. But barring a complete meltdown and UCLA playing way above their heads, the Vols should win this game.

Win (1-0)

Sept. 13^th UAB

UAB is picked to finish dead last in CUSA for 2008. Though there have been some pretty formidable UAB teams come to Knoxville and give the Vols more trouble than they wanted in year’s past – this is not going to be one of them.

Win (2-0)

Sept. 20^th Florida

Florida is actually off the week leading up to this game and many feel that is a decided advantage for the Gators. Truth be told, the Vols will likely use a large portion of their prep work leading up to the UAB game on the Gators. So the off week is a moot point from a strategy standpoint. The harsh reality is that Florida is superior to the Vols and should win this game with ease. Florida gets to warm up two weeks earlier by hosting Miami. They will have seen a whole greater collection of athletes outside of their practice field than the Vols will have seen by the time the Gators come calling. This will be Dave Clawson’s baptism into big-time college football and with more play makers on Florida’s offense this year than last – Chavis and his rag-tag defensive unit will have no answers. Florida. As big as they want to win.

Loss (2-1)

Sept. 27^th @ Auburn

Unfortunately for the Vols, life doesn’t get much easier. The Vols have to travel to Auburn after getting their hats handed to them on national TV a week earlier and attempt to avoid the same. This one is a little harder to figure. Auburn has more talent than the Vols do. The Vols will be smartin’ from their Florida loss. But it would appear that the Tigers will likely be smartin’ from their loss to LSU as well. And if they aren’t, for my money, the Tigers will enter this game undefeated and ranked in the Top 10 easily. The Tigers have a new offense themselves. And I can assure you they will be salty on defense because of Tuberville and the fact that they hired Paul Rhoads in the offseason from Pitt. All things considered, I have to go with Auburn in this one by at least a TD.

Loss (2-2)

October 4^th Northern Illinois

This will be a big coming out win for the Vols. Northern Illinois may be one of the current worst teams in the country. Many reserves will play and many of our fans will feel that the ship has been righted and that we are on our way! Vols win. Big.

Win (3-2)

October 11th @ Georgia

Many people are again making a bigger deal than it really is of Georgia having a week off prior to this one. See UAB above. Except NIU couldn’t beat UAB’s JV squad. The Vols will have an “off week” for this one as well. Many people (mostly orange-clad glasses wearing Vol fans) are predicting a Georgia implosion and that they are vastly overrated. Please don’t count me as one of them. Nevermind that the Vols have won two in a row vs. the Dawgs. While impressive, that was prior to the Dawgs transformation as a team capable of playing as their talent level indicates they should be playing. The 2007 Dawgs went 11-2 in a “rebuilding year.” The Bulldogs return 15 starters from last year and their schedule (though difficult as a whole) sets up nicely for them to enter this contest 5-0 and ranked in the Top 3 in America. Don’t be surprised if they break out the black jersies and their dance moves for this one as well. I think the Vols will make a valiant effort, but come up short at 0:00.

Loss (3-3)

October 18th Mississippi State

Somebody call Mike Hamilton and remind him to not let whoever made this schedule out do it anymore. The Dawgs (Mississippi State – no relation) will stand on the opposing sideline once again this week. The 6^th week in a row that the Vols have played. This is a VERY SCARY game for the Vols. Barring injury at this juncture in the season, MSU returns 8 starters on a defense that was pretty good in ’07. Wesley Carroll played admirable in 2007 after being forced into a difficult situation. But I am not sure if they have grown enough play makers in the offseason on offense to pull a major upset in Neyland Stadium. I will say this much though. They are a grind it out team that will lull you to sleep. And they don’t beat themselves either. If they can get into the 4^th quarter, they will pound a defense into oblivion with their big, strong RB’s. They have the discipline and mettle to close the deal if given the opportunity. I’m not ready to predict the upset here, but won’t be at all shocked if it were to happen. Sly Croom probably gets as much out of what he has to work with as any coach in this league. And there is a good chance that they come to Knoxville 4-2 on the year and believing they are about as good at that point as the 3-3 Vols.

Win (4-3)

October 25^th Alabama

I’ll be danged if we aren’t playing again this week. Mike? Alabama will have tangled with Ole Miss the prior week and their schedule sets up nicely for them to enter the 3^rd…..er…..4^th Saturday In October at 5-2 on the year and ranked. And I wouldn’t say it is out of the question for them to beat Clemson (in a game that I am really looking forward to as a college football fan) to open the year, pushing them to 6 wins. The Crimson Tide returns 17 starters from a 2007 team that finished 7-6 during Nick Saban’s inaugural campaign in T-Town. But hidden somewhere deep within those 6 losses was something that as a predictor of sports involving 18-22 year old kids you have to consider – all 6 were by 7 pts. or less. Folks, that means they were playing pretty competitive football with a roster not nearly as good as the upper tier of the SEC. Now, I’d tell you that they should have been 3-3 in those games given the opponent and using hindsight. Alabama has recruited very well, but using the crystal ball I am not sure at this juncture how many of those young men will be making a significant contribution. I so want to pick the Vols in this one. But much like 1995 in Birmingham, AL, (and in the other direction) I see this game as a symbol of two teams passing as ships in the night and going in opposite directions. I am going with the Tide in a nailbiter.

Loss (4-4)

November 1^st @ South Carolina

You gotta be kidding me! Eight is Enough will take on another symbolic meeting as the Vols travel to Columbia, SC, to take on The Ol’ Ball Coach and the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks fell apart down the stretch in 2007. And the snowball really picked up momentum in Knoxville following the Vols dramatic overtime win on a Daniel Lincoln field goal. The Gamecocks should enter Williams-Brice Stadium sporting a 6-2 record (at best) or 5-3 (at worst). I don’t see them getting by Georgia or LSU and feel that Ole Miss could pull an upset out of the hat. This should be the best OL that Spurrier has fielded in Columbia, an area that has been his Achilles’s heel since assuming the coaching duties at the flagship school in The Palmetto State. Kenny McKinley is explosive at WR, but they have little playing experience beyond that. Mike Davis takes over as a starter for Cory Boyd. Tommy Beecher is the leading candidate to start out the year at QB. Defensively, Ellis Johnson, after his SEC West pinball tour – finally landed in Columbia just in time for the 2008 season. And he’s a nice get for a unit that was decimated by injuries a year ago. Overall the gamecocks return 18 starters and 10 on defense. Spurrier is much maligned by opposing fans and his recent coaching exploits are often unfairly held to the modern day SEC standard established at Florida. But this should be the best team he has fielded at South Carolina from top to bottom. All they are really lacking at this point is adequate QB play. Did I mention that the Gamecocks also get the token week off prior to this game? I believe that the Vols will be too beat up at this point in the year, both physically and mentally, to pull this one out. South Carolina unseats the Vols from 3^rd place in the SEC East and sends a shot across the bow for the future of this series becoming more of a rivalry.

Loss (4-5)

November 8 Wyoming

9 in a row. And I am not talking about wins here. The Vols get a much needed “break” vs. the Cowboys from Wyoming. Vols will win and many will make the participation sheet. And we finally get an Off Weak vs. Bye.

Win (5-5)

November 22^nd @ Vanderbilt

By this point in the season, Vandy’s schedule lends itself to them entering this game at 1-6 (at best) in the SEC. But I am not sold on them winning an SEC game this year. The Commodores have many holes to fill and although I think Bobby Johnson is a good coach and is doing about as much on West End as anyone else could, this is going to be a long year for the Commode Oars. Barring Oral Roberts making a guest appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention @ Memorial Gym and laying hands on the VU football players, the Vols will coast in this one. And the fanbase will suddenly believe that the corner has been turned.

Win (6-5)

November 29^th Kentucky

The 2007 UT @ Kentucky game was one for the ages and provided heart doctors in Tennessee with many new patients and lots of repeat business. Kentucky was a pleasant surprise in 2007. But they’ll limp into this one in classic Cat fashion with 7-8 losses and thankful that Midnight Madness has kicked off basketball season. Vols will big on Senior Day in Knoxville and momentum builds with the fanbase that we are starting to get things on the right path.

Win (7-5)

This will prove to be a difficult year for The Big Orange. I hope my predictions are incorrect. But I don’t see any more than a 1 game swing (i.e. 8-4) barring some catastrophic situations that our opponents have to deal with. We have new starters in key roles, new coaches in key roles, depleted talent, and a lack of depth. But more importantly, I believe that this is the year that we really begin to see the gap between our program and some of the other heralded SEC programs. But the greatest difference of all is that we are now not much better than some of the other mid-tier SEC programs. For the record, here are my W/L predictions for the SEC and order of finish:

East

Florida 12-0 (8-0)

Georgia 11-1 (7-1)

South Carolina 9-3 (5-3)

Tennessee 7-5 (3-5)

Kentucky 4-8 (1-7)

Vandy 3-9 (0-8)

West

Auburn 10-2 (6-2)

Alabama 8-4 (5-3)

LSU 8-4 (4-4)

Mississippi State 8-4 (4-4)

Ole Miss 7-5 (3-5)

Arkansas 6-6 (3-5)

Sheep Dog is a freelance writer for the Vol Blog. He lives in Western Vermont with his wife, children, and their two sheep dogs. He holds a PhD. in clinical psychology from the University of Tennessee and is a proud supporter of the VASF.

Paranoia Strikes Deep

The freshman will be reporting shortly and before you know it, the opening kickoff will signal the onset of the college football season. With that, we will witness the commencement of paranoia from fans around the country.

Christopher Gabriel knocks around topic in his look at fan paranoia, ESPN: They Hate Us!

Does anyone want to guess how long will it take for the paranoid segment of the UT fans to utter, "ESPN hates us" this season?

Chris Gabriel Goes "City Lights" On Us

Vol Blog's Chris Gabriel has gone "big time" on Vol fans! The Chicago Sun-Times picked his blog entry from his http://blogharbor.wordpress.com/.

Read his blog entry, http:www.post-trib.com/sports/blogentries/index.html?bbPost

Not On Your Mom's Brand New White Living Room Carpet!!!

"Subpoena-Gate" is much-ado about nothing. Lets step back and look at this silly situation.

The Alabama football program is a known cheater/outlaw program. They got caught red-handed. The program insiders have been seeking ways to get revenge on Phil Fulmer for sometime. They use one of their supporters to file a wrongful lawsuit and make Phil Fulmer squirm by forcing him under oath to detail all of the particulars on his part in the NCAA investigation. Classless and typical of someone who wants to point the finger and scream "victim!"

What made matters worse was Phil Fulmer misleading everyone in regards to being served the subpoena and bullying reporters into not asking about the subpoena. That is akin to Fulmer stepping into a pile of doggie doo-doo, lying when asked if he did step into the pile of doggie doo-doo, and then tracking it on your mother's brand new white living room carpet.

Geoff Calkins from the Memphis Commercial Appeal wrote a column that best describes the embarrassing scenario that Phil Fulmer has created for himself and is forcing the fans that support the UT football program, to endure.

Fulmer's Folly

Disrespect: Serving Up a Season Phil's Way

When I played basketball, I had two very distinct types of coaches: There was the one who wanted us practicing, talking and playing like a team expecting to win. And the other type, well, he believed in respecting our opponents so much it ended up working against us.

That dichotomy is on full display in the Southeastern Conference.

Phillip Fulmer has always seemed to enjoy being disrespected. Some would argue he thrives on it. Those who buy into that will also insist the coaches and players happily follow along. From the dots I've been able to connect over the past nine seasons, the whole notion has merit.

Generally speaking, there is no mistaking an interview with a player from Florida and a player from Tennessee. One is confident bordering on arrogant, the other is cautiously hopeful. Vols fans seem to be split on which way is preferable.

Coaches like Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, Steve Spurrier and Bob Stoops, and certainly there's more, want players talking about their teams - their programs - as though football begins and ends with them. They want their players to take the fight to you, humiliate you early and often, and be the last team standing when the pretenders have gone home.

Meanwhile, Fulmer appears to lead with the notion that being the underdog, having their backs to the wall, being disrespected...is good. He's the anti-Spurrier/Meyer, if you will.

Interestingly enough, there are still Vols fans who insist they'd never have wanted Spurrier to coach in Knoxville. There are scores of Vols fans, now, who will bend your ear saying "no way I'd ever want Meyer on UT's sideline." Right.

Right now and for the foreseeable future, the SEC is about LSU. It's about Florida. It's about Georgia. It's about Alabama. It's about Auburn. But it is not about Tennessee. There are a myriad of reasons for this, though many Vols fans refuse to admit anything has changed since 1998.

As one media member put it at SEC Media Days, UT has essentially been in the shadows. But this is good, right? No respect, no vibe being thrown around on the Vols and that all should make for a national championship run...shouldn't it?

I don't think anyone honestly believes UT has much shot at anything relevent this season, but that's when Fulmer is most dangerous, isn't it?

When does the University of Tennessee get back to entering seasons with the college football nation looking at them with a certain level of awe and fear? When does Tennessee once again become the talk of late July and the month of August? When does Tennessee reclaim the swagger and confidence that has players and coaches feeling insulted if they aren't thought of as an SEC favorite and national championship contender?

Fulmer needs to be at his coaching best this fall because though you've not heard it mentioned, I believe this is a "hot seat" year for him. And if it's not an outright hot seat he's on, at the very least it's a lukewarm heating bag.

Sure, I know, he's had raises and contract extensions that have often defied logic. Last year, an appearance in the SEC championship game and nearly pulling off the win over LSU, followed by a bowl win over Wisconsin was viewed by some as one of the great coaching jobs of all time.

Not everyone sees it that way.

I look at Tennessee football and I see a program that has been underachieving on most every count since the 1998 championship season. I would argue the 2001 collapse against LSU in the SEC championship game negating a likely trip to the Rose Bowl for the BCS championship game has had the program in a tailspin they've still not recovered from.

The gap between the Florida's, LSU's and Georgia's is getting wider. And it's getting wider not only in talent and expectations, but in how the respective programs are viewed.

Fulmer routinely states he's not much interested in what anybody else thinks; that only the players and coaches in the room with him have the opinions that matter. That's all fine, except when the creme of recruits keep viewing Knoxville as a pass-through on the way to Gainesville, Baton Rouge or Athens.

If UT is willing to spend about $200 million renovating, updating and beautifying Neyland Stadium, perhaps the university decision-makers and check-signers can spend a few bucks on coffee and doughnuts for a meeting that takes a look beyond records and bowl games.

What they'll see is a program that has been going backwards with its eyes closed, waving to other SEC pals as they speed by them.

CGabriel is a radio talk show host, freelance writer and voiceover artist. A native of Chicago, he makes his home in Minneapolis with the three loves of his life: His beautiful wife and two daughters.

Handicapping the 2008 Vol Defense.......

Defensive Line - Robert Ayers, Wes Brown, Demonte Bolden, Dan Williams
Preseason Grade - C-

I admit that I teetered on giving this unit a D. And when you factor in the lack of proven depth and the lack of quality depth, I am not sure that they don't deserve it. This is the worst starting group in Knoxville since the early 1990's. And they are only worse than last year because Ayers and Brown were not good enough in 2007 to unseat Antonio Reynolds and Xavier Mitchell, who until this year were the worst DE's we've had starting since the early 1990's. Our pressure on the opposing QB last year when rushing four was non-existent, save a good game vs. Kentucky. Robert Ayers is a 5th year senior and another in a long line of Vol practice field legends. Some fans get excited because he led the team in "big plays." Too bad that won't mean anything this year and won't get him into the NFL. Brown is a little undersized, but I like his effort. Bolden cannot play consistent even though he has all the tools to be the next Henderson or Haynesworth. He has one more chance to prove himself. But the knock on him to date is that he isn't tough enough. Dan Williams over-achieved in 2007 and Vol fans are hoping that he can do the same in 2008. The DT depth is largely young and unproven. 5* JUCO signee Walter Fisher has been somewhat of a disappointment, but he's still first off the bench. DE depth shows some promise with Chris Walker and Ben Martin. Both are way undersized at this point in their careers though and SEC OT's are not statues like they used to be. They'll need more than speed around the end technique if they are to make an impact.

LB - Rico McCoy, Ellix Wilson, Nevin McKenzie
Preseason Grade - C

Rico McCoy will get all the press clippings here. Gone, is savior, Jerod Mayo, from 2007. Mayo clocked over 140 tackles at MLB last year and he will be sorely missed. McCoy is proven and is one of the top backers in the league. Wilson has some big shoes to fill, stepping in for Mayo. Wilson is a little slower and if he goes to an NFL combine, he'll measure out at about 5'9 1/2. In other words, 2008 is the end of the line for him as far as playing football goes. Perhaps he will go out with a bang. McKenzie is a converted SS that is still getting his feet wet at the OLB position. He has speed, but still has a tendency to not be in the right place at the right time. And this is where Ryan Karl will be missed. What Karl lacked in ability, he more than made up for with smarts. He also set the defensive alignments and made sure his peers were positioned correctly, pre-snap.

DB - Brent Vinson, DeAngelo Willingham, Dee Morley, and Eric Berry
Preseason Grade - B+

This group had better live up to all the hype that they have been getting all offseason. It starts and ends with Eric Berry. He's clearly the best football player on either side of the ball for the Vols. He'll likely play this year and next and (barring injury) will turn pro a year early. Vinson and Willingham are pretty good CBs on the outside. Look for Dennis Rogan to be the Nickel back. There is some concern over Dee Morley's playing status for the fall at this point. I don't know who to believe anymore. But as of this writing, I fully expect him to be on the field at UCLA on Labor Day. The knock on Morley though is that he is a risk-taker and gets caught out of position on occasion. If he doesn't reign that in, opposing OC's will catch onto this habit and exploit him. Also, Tennessee's defensive backs have a history of regressing from Year 1 to Year 2 under John Chavis and Larry Slade. I can't answer as to why that is. But it is a trend that we've seen time and again. That factor and Morley's gambling are the two things keeping this unit from getting an 'A.'

Overall Preseason Grade - C

The front seven is pretty bad, folks. And I am not buying into all the offseason hype about motivation from the press and the negativity. We've heard that garbage year after year and it never comes to pass. Plus, all of that rah-rah is out the window a few snaps into a game anyway. I assure you that every team in the SEC is working as hard or harder than we are. Moot point. Given the state of the front seven, I expect that our back four will suffer as a result. Our lack of recruiting in 2006 is starting to show its ugly face a little this year. We have some serviceable depth in spots on defense. But there are no superstars waiting in the wings that I see at this point. Lack of depth on defense (and offense) will hamper us this year. Especially against the better teams in the league.

Sheep Dog is a freelance writer for the Vol Blog. He lives in Western Vermont with his wife, children, and their two sheep dogs. He holds a PhD. in clinical psychology from the University of Tennessee and is a proud supporter of the VASF.

Handicapping the 2008 Volunteer Offense

With the kickoff of the 2008 college football season just over a month away, this is the time of year where fans are boasting with pride about their team and talking smack to their rivals. Everyone is undefeated. Everyone is good. Optimism reigns supreme. Many games for 2008 have already been won or lost, as they have been played out countless times during the offseason on fansite message boards across the nation. Reality though, is that everyone can't be undefeated. Everyone can't be good. And some are sure to be disappointed as they look back and try to piece together what went wrong along the way.

With all of that in mind, let's jump in and take a look at the 2008 Volunteer Offense:

QB - Jonathan Crompton
Pre-season grade - C+

Physically, Crompton appears capable of leading the offense. But we have seen very little of this redshirt junior in live game action. Crompton, as you may recall, was thrust into action in 2006 when starter Erik Ainge was injured against LSU. Crompton did come in an throw for 2 TDs, but struggled (11-24) to establish any semblance of consistency. In fairness, that was a very good LSU defense. But Crompton is sure to see great defenses almost every week in the SEC. Somewhat concerning, is that Crompton saw very limited action in 2007. And this with Erik Ainge nursing a broken pinky on his throwing hand for the entire season. Some have speculated that former UT Offensive Coordinator, David Cutcliffe (now the Head Coach at Duke University), lacked confidence in Crompton's decision-making abilities. Word coming out of Knoxville was that Crompton struggled somewhat during Spring practice to gain a complete grasp of the terminology and thought processes that new Offensive Coordinator, Dave Clawson, was teaching. But Crompton rebounded and looked good in the Spring game, albeit these type games are generally nothing more than an organized display of offense. Very vanilla defensive alignments with zero or limited blitzing. One thing is for sure - Crompton won't have much time to settle in and learn on the fly. The UCLA defense is both talented and speedy. Crompton's ability will be challenged from the opening snap of 2008

RB - Arian Foster, Montario Hardesty, Lennon Creer
Preseason Grade - B

Barring injury, Foster is certain to leave Tennessee as the leading rusher in the history of the program. And that is somewhat baffling, considering that he has only turned in a 100+ yard rushing performance vs. a Top 20 opponent one time during his career (#8 Notre Dame - 2005 - we lost). Foster has 10 100 yard games on his resume. None came against teams named Georgia, Florida, LSU, or Alabama. Still, Foster has been a steady commodity during his time on The Hill. The California native had a breakout season in 2007, rushing for over 1100 yards and 12 TDs. Foster is also a dependable receiver out of the backfield, with over 500 career receiving yards during his first three years. He's easily the best offensive weapon that new OC, Dave Clawson, has in his arsenal. Montario Hardesty has shown flashes during the few times we have seen him healthy for a stretch. Lennon Creer may be the most explosive of the bunch. Collectively, this is a good stable of SEC caliber backs.

WR - Lucas Taylor, Josh Briscoe, Austin Rogers, Gerald Jones, others.
Preseason Grade - C

Gerald Jones is clearly our biggest threat as a gamebreaker among this group. But assuming that Fulmer stays true to his roots, Jones will not start for the Vols. Lucas Taylor had a good years in 2007, catching 73 balls and netting 1000 yards on the nose. But his lack of TD's (5) for a #1 WR is a concern for an offense that needs big plays in order to help out its defense as much as possible. Briscoe and Rogers, while productive, are more possession-type receivers as well. Other than Jones, I don't see a big play threat on the sidelines. Ainge was able to spread the ball around a lot last year because he was experienced enough to find his 2nd and 3rd options when necessary. For the 2008 Vols to be deemed a successful offense, it is critical that more dynamic WR's emerge. And from a roster standpoint - I don't see a lot of options. We are far removed from being known as Wide Receiver U.

OL - Ramon Foster, Anthony Parker, John McNeil, Jacques McClendon, and Chris Scott. R - Vlad Richard and others
Preseason Grade - B

This is likely the best offensive line the Vols have trotted out since 2004. But I am not as sold on them as some people are. They were a good pass blocking unit under David Cutcliffe. But some of that can be attributed to 3 step drops and timing routes. In other words, we were getting rid of the ball quickly on purpose. That may be due to the fact that Erik Ainge did not like to be hit. It may be that our offensive line struggled to pass block for much longer. Or it may have been a combination of both. Tennessee ranked #9 in the SEC last year in rushing offense. And that was with a 4-year starting senior QB who DC's around the league had to gameplan to stop from a passing standpoint. What happens in 2008 when you have a new starting QB that the same DC's will gameplan to MAKE beat them by stacking the line in order to stop the run? The biggest question mark concerning this offensive line is - Can they block effectively in the running game? If they can't, then it is going to be rocky start to 2008 and an even longer season.

TE - Jeff Cottam and Luke Stocker
Preseason Grade - C+

Gone is Chris Brown (undrafted) with 41 receptions and 6 TD's. For those counting at home, our leading WR had 6 TD's as well. Cottam and Stocker have combined to catch 8 passes for 30 yards and 2 TD's. Not a bad catch/TD ratio. On one hand, we could say we expect these two to be additional offensive linemen. But on the other hand, we don't know how much of a safety valve the TE slot will be for new QB J. Crompton or how Dave Clawson will employ the use of the TE in the Vol sets.

Coaching - Dave Clawson
Preseason Grade - C

Dave Clawson makes his first appearance in Division I college football in 2008 as the offensive coordinator of the Vols. Not only has Clawson not ever coached in D1 as a coordinator. He's never coached in D1 as an assistant of any kind either. His entire playing (defensive back) and coaching career to date has been in lower tier Ivy League and DII football. Having said that, I really like Dave Clawson and I think he's well-spoken and a great ambassador for UT Football based on all I have seen to date. But........The SEC East is NO PLACE for learning on the job. Just ask Randy Sanders, who had at least played in the SEC and been an assistant coach for several years. Clawson is going to see more speed on defense than he's ever seen in his career when the Vols trek to the Rose Bowl to take on UCLA. And then he's going to see warp speed on defense when the Vols face off against the Florida Gators a few weeks later. There is going to be a learning curve in 2008 for Mr. Clawson. Not to mention that this is still Phillip Fulmer's team and Phillip Fulmer's offense. For those expecting Clawson to roll out some grandiose form of offense never before seen in the league, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble. But it won't happen. Instead, look for the Vols to play "Tennessee Football" and try to keep our inept defense off the field and speed up the games. Minimize mistakes, don't take risks, and protect the football.

Overall - C+

Too many questions to be answered. How will Crompton fare? How can Clawson adjust? Who are the playmakers on the edge? What about depth? The schedule, though not as difficult in some regards, does us no favors in a year with so many variables that need to be defined. Looking down our roster, it is clear that our talent on offense is not what it has been in year's past. The lack of gamebreakers, lack of depth, and unknown commodities in Clawson and Crompton may prove to be too much to overcome for the Vols in 2008.

One thing is for sure though - the season cannot get here soon enough.


Sheep Dog is a freelance writer for the Vol Blog. He lives in Western Vermont with his wife, children, and their two sheep dogs. He holds a PhD. in clinical psychology from the University of Tennessee and is a proud supporter of the VASF.

Is Neyland Stadium Still a College Football Hot Spot?

Over the years I've had the great privilege of attending college football games in more than 60 Division 1 stadiums. Wait -- is it still called Division 1? Isn't it now something like College Bowl Subdivision Elite Conferences That Think A Playoff Is Insane? I'm close, right? Where was I...

From Husky Stadium in Seattle to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, I've watched games in driving rain showers, snowstorms and sweltering humidity. I've seen tortillas tossed on the field, cups of human excrement hurled at fans (you can't make that up) and USC's regal mascot Traveler slip and fall on the Coliseum track.

And so many great finishes. 1982, Penn State beating Nebraska 27-24 on a Todd Blackledge TD in Beaver Stadium with four seconds left to play. 1978, USC defeating Joe Montana in his final regular season game with Notre Dame in the Coliseum 27-25 on a field goal with two seconds remaining. And Tennessee beating Florida 20-17 in overtime at Neyland Stadium in 1998 when the Gators FG try to tie sailed wide left.

It's the latter that stands out for me when the subject is great environments in college football.

There was a time when Neyland Stadium was on the short list of feared road spots for visiting teams. It use to be the media and fans spoke about three places that stood out among all the rest: LSU's Death Valley, Clemson's Death Valley and the Madhouse on the River, Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

Somewhere on the way to buying a new decibel meter, Neyland dropped off the radar. And the blame, if you want to call it that, can be shared by one man and one group: The Coach and The Fans.

Don't get me wrong, Neyland is still a marvelous place to watch a college football game. For my money, there is no better stop on the college football landscape. The game day environment is second to none. Notre Dame Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Ohio Stadium...you name it, I've been to all the big boys. Each is wonderful in its own way but the overall experience is no match for Neyland. And yet...

Unless the Vols opponent is Florida or Alabama, sitting in Neyland now gives you a virtual experience of being in Dodger Stadium. Ok, that might be excessive; Dodger Stadium crowds are still your leader in the clubhouse for quiet and respectful.

Still, the vast majority of fans in Neyland are sitting down, complaining when others stand up in front of them and for the most part are there to have a relaxing Autumn afternoon or evening. This place use to be a madhouse. Now, it's downright maddening how the atmosphere has changed so much.

When you look at the way Neyland is laid out (it goes straight up from the field) along with its mammoth capacity, no other college football crowd should be able to touch the Vols for a significant home field advantage. Now, rarely do you hear anyone speak about Tennessee fans in the same breath with Arkansas fans, much less Florida or LSU.

And then there's The Coach.

When Steve Spurrier arrived at Florida, he practically challenged Gators fans to turn Ben Hill Griffin Stadium upside down with noise. Actually, that's not quite true. He DID challenge their fan base to out-yell any other. To this day, crowds in the Swamp are unmatched for deafening noise. They are also a very close second to matching Philadelphia Eagles fans as the nastiest in the western hemisphere. If you've been to an Eagles game, you know that's saying something.

Phillip Fulmer could go a long way toward changing the entire face of crowd involvement and noise in Neyland by doing one, simple thing: Speaking up. Over the years the best he's offered is asking Vols fans to show up and give their support to the orange and white. Say what? That's simply not enough.

He needs to look no further than down the hall at a fellow named Bruce Pearl to understand the impact one man - one coach - can have on an entire fan base. One trip into Thompson-Boling Arena, and he's made more than a few, to see what one man - one coach - can do to energize and electrify an arena. Sure, it's the players creating the magic. But the players are a direct reflection of the man at the top.

If Fulmer came out in an interview or in one of his patented emails to the Vols faithful and took a page out of Spurrier's book, perish the thought, by challenging Vols fans to bring back the old, Neyland might once again be a feared road spot in college football.

A stadium's crowd won't win a game for the home team. But can they add an intangible that might tip the scales in a crucial situation? Can they make it brutally difficult for the opponent the moment they step onto the field in warm-ups? Can they let everyone in attendance know there is something different about playing in Neyland Stadium?

The answer to all is an emphatic "Yes."

CGabriel is a radio talk show host, freelance writer and voiceover artist. A native of Chicago, he makes his home in Minneapolis with the three loves of his life: His beautiful wife and two daughters.

Ten Wins Are Not Equal

Winning ten games in a season used carry some significance. Teams used to play a ten game regular season and if they we fortunate, they played in a bowl game. That meant that your team played a total of eleven games and won all but one game and sported a .910 winning percentage. In most cases, it meant that your team won its conference championship.

As the years rolled on, an extra game was added to the schedule and most teams played an eleven game regular season. If they were successful, they went to a bowl game and played a total of twelve games. Winning ten games in a twelve game season brought your winning percentage down to a .840 winning percentage.

Most teams today are now playing a 12 game regular season schedule. Many conferences have a conference championship game and then follow that up with a bowl game. Winning ten games in a thirteen or fourteen game season does not carry the significance that it once did. In today's thirteen-fourteen game seasons, winning ten games means that you also lost three or even four games-something that many fans do not like to or will not discuss. A team that wins ten games in today's 13 game season carries .770 winning percentage and a team that wins ten games in a fourteen game season drops down to a .720 winning percentage. Thats a drop of 21 percentage points in the win column if you go back and compare a season of ten wins from the 1960's and 1970's versus a ten-win season in todays college football.

Not all ten win seasons carry the same importance nor do they bring cause to celebrate equally. Ten wins today do not carry the weight of ten wins from the past. 

Lowered Standards

The Vols Athletic Director, Mike Hamilton gave Phillip Fulmer a raise and an automatic extension if the Vols only win 8 games. Thats right, Phillip Fulmer could lose 4-5 games a season and still get an extension of his $3 million per annum salary. 

Tennessee football fans are not reaching for the stars. They are settling for much less than they have to. So much for searching for excellence. The standards have been lowered.

The Crest of Silly Season

Its the height of "Silly Season" in collegiate football. Fans with nothing better to do, are filling cyber-space with braggadocio based on nothing but wishful thinking.

Our very own University of Tennessee fans may be some of the biggest chest thumpers to be found anywhere on the internet. Perusing various UT message boards, I found a multitude of posts predicting that the Vols will win the the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. In those same posts, there was rarely ever any mention of the Vols winning the SEC Championship. Why are UT fans so enamored with only winning the SEC Eastern Division title? Why have they given up on winning the SEC Championship?

Many fans are picking the Vols to defeat Florida, Georgia, and Alabama this upcoming season. What makes Tennessee fans believe that the Vols have what it takes to beat this trio of teams? The Gators will bring a much younger, faster, and experienced team than the Vols will field. This Gator squad, is nearly the same Urban Meyer-coached team that destroyed the Phillip Fulmer-led Vols by 39 points, in what may be the most embarrassing defeat ever inflicted on the Vols by a rival team.

One can understand why the Vols fanatics believe that Tennessee can handle Georgia. The Vols trashed the Pups easily the past two times that the teams squared off. However, it is difficult to swallow the propaganda dished out by Tennessee fans that the Vols will easily handle Alabama. Tennessee went into Tuscaloosa last season with a much more seasoned and talented squad than Alabama, only to get a waxing from the Tide that made Johnson & Johnson proud. This time around, Nick Saban has brought in some of the most talented players in the land to augment a slew of returning starters from last years Tide team.

In a couple of weeks, the freshmen will report, followed by the upperclassmen. Fans will eat up and swallow every practice report and rumor that is reported like a pack of hungry wolves. Its still  "Silly Season" and count me as one fan who can't wait to get beyond the inane banter of it. Then we will go to "Rabid Season"

The VOL BLOG Is Back

The VOL BLOG is returning to action. Look for some informative features, as we move from the silly season towards and into football season. 

This is the time of the year that all University of Tennessee football fans have dreams of championship football swimming in our heads. The VOL BLOG's job is to call'em as we see them.

Feel free to add your feedback and your ideas that you would like to see the VOL BLOG cover.