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Future in the balance
Posted Friday, January 4, 2008, at 10:50 AM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer wants to have his new offensive coordinator in place early next week.
There are some large shoes to fill after David Cutcliffe departed to be the head coach at Duke. Cutcliffe instilled a high level of accountability to go along with a much more detailed sense of fundamental base and practice habits since returning to Knoxville the last two seasons. His playcalling got away from the run game at times and not getting a pair of 6-foot-8 tight ends involved in short yardage situations always confused me, but you can't mistake the work he did with Erik Ainge, among others at quarterback. Fulmer's decision is a big one. The balance of power in the SEC is wavering with the influx of numerous outstanding coaches across the board. Bringing in an OC with some fresh ideas and an ability to recruit could go a long way in keeping UT in the hunt for SEC crowns. Look for the running backs, tight ends and wide receivers coaches to fall in shortly after the new OC is announced in light of the departure of Kurt Roper, Matt Luke and Trooper Taylor, respectively. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Danny Parker is sports editor of the Times-Gazette.
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So, what's the point?
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You are right on, Danny. This will be the most important hire Coach Fulmer has ever made. I hope that he realizes the importance of making the "right" decision here. I don't feel we lost a lot of Coaching ability when Taylor bolted, but we did lose a very valuable recruiter. This should be taken into consideration when evaluating the next OC. It would be helpful to have someone come in with an established recruiting base in talent rich states such as Texas, Florida, and California. I'm of the opinion that Peyton Manning will be running the UT Football program after the NFL, but the less the program is allowed to deteriate under Fulmer, the easy obstacle Peyton will have to bring us back to respectability on a National Level.
Tennessee has not lost respectability on a National Level. Fulmer has had only ONE losing season since 1992 (2005 5-6) If that is not respectability then I don't know what is. Tennessee fans should be so luck to have a coach like Fulmer for so many years. This is coming from a MTSU Fan!
Gone are the days when you could bank on Tennessee being a pre-season top ten. It was a given during the 90's that we would be in the top ten to start the season. That is respectability, my friend. It is a much tougher hill to climb to the top ten from a pre-season 23 rd or worse rating than it is from a top ten rating to start. Typically if you begin the season outside of the top ten, you stand little to no chance of getting in the championship game in the end. Ask Auburn. Granted, this season was an exception. Until Tennesse is mentioned in the same sentence with the Floridas, LSUs, Ohio States, and USCs of the country, I'll stick with my original post. Comparing Tennessee's National prominance to MTSU is bit of a stretch, don't ya think??
I never compared Tennessee's National prominance to MTSU.I merely stated that I was not a fan of Tennessee but a Fan of MTSU. And with me not being a Tennessee Fan and me being an outsider looking at the program I feel Tennessee has a lot of respectablity. Tennessee's #23 pre-season ranking was bosted by a bowl game lost to Penn State. This year Tennessee won their bowl game. And will more than likely have another strong class of freshman this year. I feel Tennessee still has the power to go into homes around the country and get the player's they want. To be mentioned in the same company of Ohio State would not be a good thing. They are the Buffalo Bills of College football.
{Yet with the Buffalo Bills comment i have to say this}Ohio State was preseason #11 in the A.P. and they still played for a National Championship. What a crazy season!
Quoted from a previous Dolittle post: "Typically if you begin the season outside of the top ten, you stand little to no chance of getting in the championship game in the end."
That does not mean every season. This was a strange season in that a two loss team was in the championship game.
You are right Dolittle,We need a playoff system bad.