Thanks, Phil

It's after midnight and I'm sitting in front of this computer screen, full of turkey and trying to appreciate the moment.

I know what's coming. But now that it can be counted in hours and not days, it's catching up fast and I don't know how to handle it. It's approaching like Christmas, and likewise it too will be gone in a hurry. And I know that I want to say something and I wish I had more time to say it.

Because I also know that tomorrow afternoon our basketball team will play its first really big game of the season, and after today's win over Siena we're all looking forward to Georgetown even more. And then I know that Saturday will be Kentucky, and we'll watch and feel the emotions all day long.

It's Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day. But Saturday will turn into Sunday, where Fulmer will chime in one last time on his television show. And then Sunday will turn into Monday.

And Monday, odds seem favorable that we'll have a new head coach.

And Monday will be about the new guy, about his age and his father and how quickly we can all get a certain YouTube video up on our blogs if he brings one particular ex-Ole Miss coach with him. Monday will be December, and since we're not going bowling it'll turn full steam towards recruiting and basketball. December will lead to 2009, which promises the fresh start that we all want.

Which means that in less than 48 hours, Phillip Fulmer won't be our football coach anymore. And in less than 72 hours, we'll have to start talking about something - and someone - else.

Fulmer gets one day on Saturday, and then he's gone. And there won't be any time for fond remembrances or anything else special afterwards, we'll move on with the new guy the way that life and football do each off-season.

So as I sit here and try to figure out how to write about Fulmer for the last time as our head football coach, and as I continue to realize that next time I'll be writing about someone new and a new season with no time left to look back...there's so much to say and so little left to say it in.

I was 11 years old when Johnny Majors had heart surgery. Being from Knoxville the Vols were always my team and thus they always had my support. And when you're a kid, it's different.

I loved Coach Majors simply because he was our coach. When the Vols started 0-6 in 1988, which was really the first year I went to every single home game with my Dad, my grandparents mailed Johnny a card with some words of encouragement and some small bit about how much their grandson loved going to the games. Coach Majors wrote back with a personal note that said "Tell your grandson he's my kind of guy" and a t-shirt. We still have it somewhere.

Phillip Fulmer was just a couple years older than I am now when he started coaching at Tennessee. And it's been an interesting experience to think about someone in their early 30s as the new head coach at Tennessee - I trusted Johnny because I was a kid. I trusted Phil because he earned it. This new kid...

I remember the still-young Fulmer getting praise for calling a screen pass in the 4th quarter in South Bend in 1991. I remember Coach Majors going down and Fulmer's authentic smile on television when he was going to be the man to lead the Vols thru the T as the interim coach.

I remember two spectacularly surprising weekends in September that year, where the Vols first went to Athens and upset Georgia's best team of the 90s, then came home in the downpour and slaughtered Spurrier's Gators. We wouldn't enjoy that pleasure again for six years.

I remember as a child watching the whole Majors/Fulmer saga unfold, still feeling the heartbreak from the three straight losses to Arkansas, Alabama and South Carolina. I trusted Johnny Majors because he was our head coach. And when the mantle was passed to Fulmer, I trusted him for the same reasons.

I became a teenager, then a college student, and finally a man during Fulmer's tenure. As I got older, the blind faith in the head coach faded away (contrary to what you may still believe if you read here regularly). But it wasn't replaced with cynicism - it was replaced with an even deeper trust. Not just because he was our coach. But because he earned it.

Every Thanksgiving my family sits around the table and we go around and say what we're thankful for (except for tonight, because 2/5 of my family are too sick to be thankful right now...gotta love the stomach flu at Thanksgiving).

I remember September of '93, with Heath Shuler. I remember just totally destroying Georgia 38-6, and thinking for the very first time as someone barely old enough to understand, that Tennessee might have something special working. Thanks for that.

Thanks, Phil, for winning a living room in Louisiana later that year. For making the best of Jerry Colquitt's bad situation and turning it into four years of a guy who was so good, more than half of the people in Knoxville blindly followed him to his NFL team instead of staying true to the in-state one.

Thanks for giving John Chavis the job as defensive coordinator, even when he gave up 62 points in his first big game against Florida. Thanks for sticking with him for 13 years, no matter what others might say. The fact that The Chief will go off into some sunset almost totally uncelebrated is perhaps the greatest tragedy of this whole mess. And I'm fully prepared to defend that statement, so bring it on.

Thanks for setting us free from Alabama.

Thanks for October 1995 in Birmingham. Thanks for the next fall in Knoxville and letting all of us who didn't see it with our own eyes the year before enjoy one of the best nights in Neyland Stadium history when Jay Graham went racing down the sideline. Thanks for letting me walk down the concourse at Bryant-Denney Stadium in 1999 with all five fingers of my right hand held high. No matter how things have gone at the end, you leave Bama on the losing end of your reign, definitively.

Thanks for the way you handled yourself when we couldn't beat Florida. For every time you went to the podium and took the blame for a loss, from the Gators in the mid-90s to UCLA this year.

And thanks for finally beating Florida - because once was all it took.

Thanks for the way you recruited and coached up well enough to allow two untested sophomores to carry our offense to a National Championship in 1998, and two true freshmen and an LSU reject to carry us to Atlanta in 2004.

Thanks for keeping our program off probation during a span that many others can't say the same.

Thanks for Orlando in January '96. Tempe in January '99.

Thanks for beating Michigan senseless, because we all know you wanted to.

Thanks for sending Steve Spurrier out of Gainesville with a loss, even if he got to return the favor a little bit this year.

Thanks for that time on the Vol Walk in 1998, before the Florida game, when you walked past me and I said "Coach!", and you turned towards me, and the total seriousness in your eyes both scared the hell out of me, and let me believe that we might actually have a chance against these guys.

Thanks for letting John Ward go out on top.

Thanks for every Sunday morning you sat next to Ward and then Kesling when it was hard because we didn't play well. For every phone call you took on Vol Calls from people who wanted you fired, even when it was justified.

And thanks for last year, when you helped us appreciate each win a little more, and showed us some of that old backs-to-the-wall magic one more time. Thanks for letting me spend five December Saturdays in the Georgia Dome, and for letting me walk out with some new merchandise twice.

Thanks for 1998. For helping my senior year of high school be that much more special. For letting me and my Dad go to all the games together one more year before I went to college and his back betrayed him, and letting us see you come home a winner every single time. For that moment in Tempe when some guy I barely knew grabbed me and told me through tears that he'd been waiting his whole life for this, and that I was only 17 and I'd better appreciate it.

Thanks for making Tennessee good enough that I can lay here at 12:49 AM and write about them, and that enough people care enough about them to read it.

Thanks for giving your all for Tennessee today...even now, when we've decided that your all won't be enough anymore.

This is it.

Nobody loves writing about the last 20 years of Tennessee Football more than me. I incorporate modern era history into almost everything I write about the Vols. Because for me, after suffering through that first year as a kid at 5-6, Tennessee was great just about every single year afterwards. The Vols being great is just about all I know.

This year has been terrible. Next year, we'll wait and see what happens. Maybe it'll get worse, maybe it'll hover in mediocrity, or maybe the new guy will help turn it around.

But no matter what...for me that whole era is now over.

I can't go back and talk about how this reminds me of something from the 90s, or how a defense plays like a Chavis unit of old...not in the same way, not anymore. We're turning the page on Fulmer...but we're also turning the page in Vol history. We've celebrated ten years since our National Championship, and it's been great...but now there will be a disconnect between what happens next and what's come before. Because Phillip Fulmer's fingerprints won't be the dominant image on the next Vol teams.

It's exciting, turning the page. No one believes that what we've seen this season is acceptable, and we've made the change accordingly. And come Monday, we'll all be ready to talk about the new guy and where this thing could go. Hey, I'm ready for tipoff of the Georgetown game right now.

It's a forward moving business and a forward moving life. The now thing leads to the next thing. And we understand that.

And so right now, for one last time, we raise our best to Coach Fulmer. There'll be no more working like heck, no more hand clapping, no more grimacing. A new page is turned as the old chapter ends.

Many of us will be there Saturday. Some can't make it in town but will see him off from their couches. Others have chosen to stay away for their own reasons.

For me, I can't be anywhere else.

I'll be at the Vol Walk for the first time in years. I'll stay 'til the end regardless the score. I have to see him go - it's all I know to do.

And he'll go, and we'll go on. And in a few years, hopefully when things are going well, they can release a Best of Johnny Majors DVD, so they can then release a Best of Phillip Fulmer edition. And time heals.

I'm excited about the future. I'm still upset this season turned out as inexplicably bad as it did.

But right now, I'm thankful for our head coach. Phillip Fulmer deserves our thanks.

For all the wins. For all the players. For all the memories.

And for doing it the right way. Fulmer himself would probably tell you he has a greater desire to be remembered as a man than as a football coach. Phillip Fulmer the coach and Phillip Fulmer the man did it right at the University of Tennessee. When the Alabama fans say otherwise...it's because they're Alabama fans.

Fulmer took us to the promised land and brought home the prize as his greatest on-field accomplishment. There are more great wins and great memories for the Vols under Fulmer's tenure than most programs see in a lifetime. The 50 Best Vol Games feature we did here in 2006 and update annually bears witness to that. Fulmer was a winner, and we loved every single one of them.

But most importantly, both on and off the field, Phillip Fulmer was someone for this university, its fans, and the people of Tennessee to be proud of.

And he still is. And he always will be.

Thanks, Phil...for making it great to be a Tennessee Vol.

Mike Hamilton: "We have not offered the job to anybody."

And round and round we go.

John Pennington: Lane Kiffin offered the job

MrSEC.com, reported by John Pennington, is saying this afternoon that ex-Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin has been offered the job. This certainly goes along with all the chatter I've heard just about everywhere for the last 72 hours, and if true, is a hire that will bring with it questions and names like Ed Orgeron and Monte Kiffin, Lane's father who's currently at Tampa Bay.

Most believe the validity of this report, but I'm sure Tennessee has been/is working very hard to make the rest of this week about Phillip Fulmer, and deservedly so, while also having someone in place bright and early Monday morning to get this recruiting class back under control, and to move the program forward as soon as possible. So you still may not hear anything official until Monday, and I hope nothing takes away from Fulmer on Saturday. But right now, this appears to be the direction we're moving in at Tennessee.

Pearl to the Wizards? Not Buying It.

Speaking of UT Basketball, check out this little nugget from the Charlotte Observer today:

I heard an interesting name Monday as a potential candidate for the Wizards job down the road: Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. Grunfeld is a Tennessee alumnus and was also around Pearl when he coached Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Grunfeld was running the Milwaukee Bucks.

Come on. The Wizards? This reads like pseudo-journalism; my suspicion is that the author thought "Hey, the Wiz have a front office guy with ties to UT!" and made a story out of it. I just don't see the hardest working coach in NCAA basketball enjoying a hook up with today's pro athlete.

Anyway, false alarm. No go back to reading Will's preview of the Old Spice Classic.

Old Spice Classic Preview

Thursday, Friday and Sunday from Orlando, eight teams will compete in one of the better early season tournaments college basketball has to offer this year, including four ranked teams and plenty of big name talent.

Here's a look at the teams and Thursday's opening round matchups (all first round games on ESPN2):

#12 Tennessee vs. Siena - 12:00 PM
The Vols are off to a 3-0 start with impressive wins over in-state foes who are all picked to contend for their conference championships. Even without Chris Lofton and several other contributors from last season's SEC Championship team, Tennessee has looked good by mixing their returning experience with new blood.

The Vols are getting what they needed and then some from returning big men Tyler Smith (averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game) and Wayne Chism (averaging nearly a double-double with 11 points and almost 10 boards per game). The new faces have worked well at both ends of the floor in Bruce Pearl's controlled chaos system, led by juco transfer Bobby Maze at the point (9 points, 7 assists per game) and freshman Scotty Hopson (11 points per game). JP Prince continues to shine as the Vols' sixth man, and several other young faces have made key contributions. Sophomore center Brian Williams had 21 points and 12 rebounds against Tennessee-Martin.

Siena is best known around SEC country for dismantling a good Vanderbilt team in the opening round of last year's NCAA Tournament as a 13 seed. The Saints (as in Bernard) return all five starters from that team and are again favored to win the MAAC. They're 2-0 and receiving votes in the AP Poll after soundly beating Boise State and Cornell.

The Saints may not appear to have the size to challenge Chism and Tyler Smith, but they more than make up for it with experience and scoring: Kenny Hasbrouck, Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin are scoring 49.2 points per game between them from the guard/wing positions. Aside from the obvious experience questions in this matchup, a big question will be tempo: the Vols love to run and are built to do so, but Siena can also score in bunches that way. Teams that have tried to run with Bruce Pearl's Vols over the last three years have usually paid for it - if Siena can disrupt the pace just enough while still finding quality scoring opportunities for themselves, the Saints can easily make it two straight over ranked SEC foes. The tournament will be a great experience for the young Vols, but you have to hope that experience comes with some wins this weekend along the way too. A great opening round game.

#21 Georgetown vs. Wichita State - 2:00 PM
The Hoyas lost Roy Hibbert but replaced him with 6'11" freshman Greg Monroe, who put up 20 points and 8 rebounds in a big win over Drexel. Georgetown also won a closer-than-expected game against Jacksonville 71-62. Sophomores Chris Wright and Austin Freeman at guard also pace Georgetown's scoring, and they've been playing the same stingy defense they're known for so far this season.

Wichita State is 2-1 with wins over Florida A&M and Centenary around a three point loss to Missouri-Kansas City. The Shockers were a sub-.500 team last year that lost a lot of close games, and the opening round date with the Hoyas will be a big test.

#5 Michigan State vs. Maryland - 7:00 PM
They're largely untested, having faced Idaho and IUPU-Ft. Wayne, but the Spartans are the favorites in the Big Ten. This is an experienced team led by junior forward Raymar Morgan at 6'8", and the one-two punch at guard of Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen.

Maryland is 3-0 and has really drilled Bucknell, Youngstown State and Vermont by a combined 68 points. Junior guard Greivis Vasquez paces Maryland, currently averaging 22 points and almost 8 rebounds per game. The Spartans may be the highest ranked team in the field, but they may also face the stiffest opening test.

#9 Gonzaga vs. Oklahoma State - 9:00 PM
The Zags are here to stay, no doubt, and you know these names: Jeremy Pargo, Steven Gray, Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt have led the way early for the Bulldogs in a 2-0 start. Even without a singular superstar or a true post player, this might be the best Gonzaga team we've ever seen. The versatility of Heytvelt and Daye combined with the overall experience and the savvy play of Pargo at the point (avering 9 assists thru two games) makes Gonzaga a Cinderella no more, but a team to be feared and respected regardless of the competition.

The competition in this case is Oklahoma State, 4-0 with wins over Texas-San Antonio, North Texas, Tulsa and Grambling State. The Cowboys have scored 90+ in their last three games and have five players averaging double figures, with three players (James Anderson, Terrel Harris and Byron Eaton) scoring more than 17 per game. The opponents will get much more challenging for the Cowboys this weekend, but they've shown the horsepower to keep up on the stat sheet.


Each team is guaranteed three games in four days, playing Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The loser's bracket games Friday and Sunday will be shown on ESPNU; the semifinals on Friday will be on ESPN, with the third place game and the championship back on ESPN2 Sunday night.

Who's gonna win? ESPN would love the chalk, I'm sure, with the bigtime semifinal matchups between Tennessee/Georgetown and Michigan State/Gonzaga. Wichita State seems the most overmatched in the opening round, and Siena is clearly the most dangerous darkhorse, but Oklahoma State and Maryland won't be gimmies either.

If Tennessee survives against Siena, they'll face an entirely different sort of challenge in dealing with Georgetown's pace and size with Monroe. This would be a great learning experience for the young Vols, win or lose. Gonzaga comes to Knoxville in January so I'd love to avoid them in Orlando this week, but even though Michigan State is ranked higher I'm not sure you don't consider the Zags the favorites in that half of the bracket to make the finals.

For all of these teams, who operate on the outside of that super-elite group in college basketball right now (which is really North Carolina, then UConn and Louisville, then everybody else), these games will provide experience and a bump in the RPI when spring rolls around. Any of the four ranked teams, plus Siena if they get hot, are good enough to win it.

For the Vols, beating Siena would make the weekend a win to me. It's good experience even if they go 0-3, though let's hope that's not the case. If you get to the semifinals, you'll face probably a good Georgetown team, and then even if you lose there you'll face another good team in the third place game - this young team needs to work through its growing pains here, much the way they did against Butler and North Carolina two years ago, and again versus Texas last season in November tournaments.

The Vols haven't won a tournament of any kind since the 2000 Rainbow Classic, so it would be something new if they did, aside from the huge accomplishment of beating good teams along the way. We've believed thus far that this is a team that's got to come together and grow, and they'll be battle-tested and ready by March. If that's true, they may take some lumps this weekend, but it's for the greater good. Focus on beating Siena, and then we'll go from there. No matter the outcome, we'll learn a lot more about this basketball team in the next few days.

Holy crap, we're linked at ESPN.com

Says the amateur blogger who can't act like he's been there before because he hasn't.

ESPN The Magazine online has a story today on Donovan McNabb, discussing the potential end of an era in Philadelphia after he was benched on Sunday against the Ravens. In their story, they list McNabb's all-time greatest performances and mention the 1998 game between the Vols and Syracuse, and then link to my feature here at SESB as an "excellent recap" of that game, from the ten year anniversary piece we did earlier this year on the 98 Vols.

Cheers, all.

The Final Week of Fulmer

Even if they looked horrid on offense (again) in doing it, Tennessee proved that even at their worst, they can still beat Vanderbilt at will.

Saturday's game showed you a lot of things, including:

We'd all better hope that Tajh Boyd can come in here and play next season. It was no surprise that the Vols' quarterback situation didn't get any better Saturday against an above average Vanderbilt defense. But consider this: Tennessee's two most productive games of the year from an offensive standpoint are against UCLA (366 yards in spite of Crompton's 19 of 42) and UAB (548 yards). How in the world are your two most productive days offensively the first two games of the season?

It's not the competition - the Vols have played equally poor teams since (Wyoming, anyone?). This team has simply regressed, at both the quarterback position and in the overall offensive outlook. And this level of regression is unacceptable - and yeah, Fulmer's gone - but if the head coach had been more secure coming into this season perhaps, Dave Clawson would/should be the least liked man in Knoxville. The Clawfense will come to a merciful end on Saturday, and it has been an epic failure.

The only thing surprising about Jonathan Crompton throwing an interception on the second play of the game is that he didn't find a way to screw it up on the first one. That's harsher than what I'd usually say, but Crompton is and has been so much worse than what I'm used to dealing with. This kid cannot get it done at this university. End of story. I don't care who the new head coach is, if #8 is included in the quarterback competition or whatever we're going to have in the spring/fall, there's nothing about it that'll make me feel good.

BJ Coleman just isn't ready. He was third string for a reason and you saw it Saturday - whether it's the speed or the inexperience or both, this kid is not ready. Maybe by next season he could be more ready, and it's not really his fault that he's not right now. But he's not ready.

Nick Stephens, who I thought played the best for us all season, especially at Georgia, sees no snaps. He suffered a great play by a Wyoming defender and did make an inexplicably bad throw on the second INT in that game - but at this point, who hasn't? I'm not sure that Stephens can be a regular SEC game winner (unless Mike Leach was running the offense, more on that in a minute), but if we're talking about trying to beat Kentucky, I'm the most comfortable/least uncomfortable with Stephens. Gerald Jones and Eric Berry are nice, but if they don't throw it's not at all challenging to stop.

In a backwards sort of way, it's nice to have a game this week I care about winning one more time this year. I know we can't go to a bowl game and all that, but this is Fulmer's last game and we've got 23 years on Kentucky, the longest active streak in the nation. I want to win this one more than any we've seen this year since Alabama.

It's Senior Day as well, and it's interesting to point out that while we're potentially in the worst four year stretch of Tennessee Football in recent memory, when you watch these kids run through the T for the last time Saturday night, you may get a good idea why.

The list of contributing seniors on this Tennessee team includes Arian Foster, who needs 174 yards that he won't get to pass Travis Henry to become the Vols' all-time leading rusher. Here's an honest question that needs to be asked: is it wrong to hope he doesn't get the record?

The list also includes WRs Lucas Taylor and Josh Briscoe, the former who benefited heavily from Erik Ainge and David Cutcliffe and the latter who I still remember most for fumbling against Georgia when he was a freshman.

Anthony Parker will be missed on the line, as well as Ramon Foster, who rebounded well from a tough freshman year to become a solid contributor for us. The most damaging losses will come on defense, no surprise: Robert Ayers has played well and hard all season and really dating back to the Arkansas game last year, when he recorded three TFLs on Pig Sooie's vaunted rushing attack. Demonte Bolden is a solid tackle.

Ellix Wilson didn't get many opportunities to play until this year, but he's been very good at MLB. And the rotation of Adam Myers-White and Nevin McKenzie never really got worked out, but both will be missed, especially next year. DeAngelo Willingham got overshadowed some this year because of the talent in the secondary around him. And then there's Britton Colquitt, who's seen better years but still served his family name well when he was on the field.

There are some solid contributions in that group, but on the whole? There's not a single name in this group that you'll be talking about in four more years. I wish them all the best, and I'm sure the NFL will come calling for a couple of them...but when we talk about a decline in talent, this senior class has been an example of that. And when paired with a no-win quarterback situation and the Clawfense, it spelled disaster for us in 2008.

Still...I need this team to win on Saturday.

The defense will still be good enough to do it. The Chavis haters should again take a heavy dose of fact - through eleven games with an offense that's done nothing but put them in bad situations, here are the national rankings on the 2008 Vol D:

Total Yards: 6th
Points Allowed: 16th
Pass Defense: 8th
Rush Defense: 12th
Interceptions: 10th
Pick Sixes: 2nd

This is why the Texas Tech-Oklahoma game was a sobering reminder that the only way you want Mike Leach is if John Chavis comes with him. Because we shouldn't have to sacrifice championship caliber defense for a gimmick offense that's still never won a championship of any kind and now won't again this year.

The Vols might lose Dan Williams to an early NFL departure, but the good news is that Eric Berry isn't allowed to turn pro yet. Berry set the SEC single-season INT return yardage record with another spectacular play against the Commodores (and you have to love the interview-speak too: "I guess he thought he was going to be open."). EB needs around 40 yards of INT returns to set the single-season NCAA record. Which is just another day for a 2009 Heisman Trophy candidate. Seriously, he's so much better than Charles Woodson it's painful to even make the comparison. He probably won't win any awards this year, even though he's the best defensive back in the nation, because he plays on a seven-loss team. And I understand that. But next year, hopefully we can rectify that situation.

So a team with a great defense, a suicidal passing game and maybe...maybe enough horsepower to run to victory will face 6-5 Kentucky on Saturday night. They'll have to field questions all week about Randall Cobb - and I love the kid, he's from my alma mater and won us three state championships in three years as the starter at Alcoa - but the Vols didn't recruit him because Cutcliffe had his eyes on bigger prizes like Terrelle Pryor, and by the time Cutcliffe turned his eyes to Duke we had no shot at rekindling the flames with Cobb. He's up there throwing to another Alcoa product in Kyrus Lanxter, and I wish them both the best every week except this one. Vol fans who get overly critical for Tennessee not recruiting Cobb simply aren't appreciating the facts.

This is a Kentucky team that's become accustomed to success and winning, and aside from getting trounced by the Gators like everyone has, they've lost to Alabama by three, a touchdown to South Carolina, Georgia by four, and a touchdown to Vanderbilt. So when Vegas has the Vols -4.5 (???), don't believe it.

We need to win. But either way, you should come out and support Phillip.

It's funny, I'm conscious of the way I've been calling him by his first name in the last three weeks, which is something I never used to do. He was always "Fulmer". But no matter how wrong things have gone this year and how bad they've looked most of the time along the way, watching that press conference and watching him wear orange and know that soon you won't see him in those colors anymore...it's still very emotional.

I know it's going to be cold on Saturday night. I know we can't go to a bowl game. I know many of you stopped caring about this team and this season long before you even should have by the visions of Alabama fans in places they should never, ever have been at Neyland Stadium a month ago.

And if you're coming to boo Fulmer, sell your tickets because you've already sold your soul.

I shouldn't even have to type this, and my voice reaches merely hundreds on this blog and not the thousands who will show up in the grand scheme of things. But don't prove the Alabama fans right, who've been saying that Vol faithful will laugh and boo Fulmer off the field in his final game. Even if Kentucky beats us by a ton and we look and play terrible.

Phillip Fulmer has given us his life. We can give him Saturday.

Come to the Vol Walk. Stay for the whole game no matter what the scoreboard says. I hope to God we win and I'm excited about getting emotionally invested in a team that's hurt me plenty this year, but I just keep coming back one more time.

But win or lose, Saturday is bigger than that. Saturday is unique.

You give your all for Tennessee this week. Because that's what Fulmer's always given us.

SESB on Gridiron Breakdown This Week

I'll be joining the boys live at Gridiron Breakdown once again this Saturday, probably sometime around 11:20 AM EST. You can check out their full radio show live from 10:30-Noon at the above link, where you can also find the archived versions.

Where to go with Brock Lesnar

If you follow mixed martial arts to any degree at all you are aware that last weekend the elder statesman of MMA was hit by a truck named Brock Lesnar. We fans anticipated a classic match up of an intellectual veteran with a raw but physically dominant naïf. What we got was the UFC equivalent of Waterloo. It is cliché but accurate to say Lesnar was too big, too strong, and too quick for the badly undersized Couture to handle. Giving up 60 pounds and several inches was more than Randy’s skill and experience could compensate for. Couture’s background is in wrestling; when you as a wrestler can’t get your opponent off his feet (as we saw Couture try and fail multiple times against Lesnar) what is left is pure pugilism and, while Randy might be more skilled in that particular area, on their feet Lesnar’s sheer power was simply overwhelming.

After Lesnar/Couture we’ve got to start considering that perhaps sheer physical ability is superior to skill, at least in the current UFC Heavyweight division. What I’m not saying is that Lesnar isn’t skilled. I don’t know if I’ve seen a fighter improve more from fight to fight than Lesnar has from Lesnar/Mir to Lesnar/Gonzaga to Lesnar/Couture. What I am saying is that if you cut Lesnar’s game into “skill” and “physical ability” it is currently his physical ability that is winning fights for him.

Where I’m going with all this is a question. If we concede –as I believe to be true - that Lesnar is not just the most physically gifted combatant in the UFC Heavyweight division but one of the most gifted fighters in the world then what fight do we most want to see him involved in? We know what his next fight is going to be: the winner of Mir/Minotauro. I’ll just be honest: I don’t want to see a fight between Lesnar and whoever comes out of Mir/Minotauro. Now, I have to concede that Mir/Minotauro vs. Lesnar is the fight he should have to fight next. In fact, I would argue that both Mir (who obviously beat Lesnar) and Minotauro (holder of the interim title) should have both gotten a crack at Randy before Lesnar. However, that isn’t what happened. Dana (I doubt [insert UFC match maker] was behind the Lesnar/Couture match) hit fast forward on Lesnar’s career and in hindsight who can blame him? However, both Mir and Minotauro present another match up of skill verses Lesnar’s physicality. We’ve seen Lesnar/Mir already. Lesnar beat on Mir the whole time until Mir, being a smarter fighter, caught Lesnar trying to step across him and locked in a submission hold. Minotauro is, like Mir, a great fighter but replicates a lot of what Randy and Mir bring to the table. Yes, Minotauro has deep Jiu-Jitsu mojo and I know there is a difference between wrestling and JJ. What I’m saying is regardless of whether it is wrestling or JJ you are still looking at someone hoping that the thing they do best, their most developed skill, will be better than Lesnar’s Juggernaut impression. I’ve seen that theme explored twice (the Mir and Couture fights) and I’m ready for something new.

The best analogy I can think of is automotive. Let’s say you come out of your house and some generous benefactor has left you one of the new supercharged Corvettes that make eleventy million horsepower at the rear wheels in your driveway. You could take it over to a road course and run it against a bunch of souped up Civics and Skylines. You might even win on sheer horsepower. Or, on the other hand, you could take your new Vette to a high-speed banked oval and just let that monster run. I’m in the camp that heads for the oval. A Vette like that is built to run wide open, not be slammed into turns and switchbacks. You get my drift (pun not intended)?

I want to see the monster named Lesnar fighting another monster. Bring on Godzilla, bring on Jason Vorhees. Let’s see what happens when you put someone in front of him he can’t just overpower. And who is the one Heavyweight in the world which could possibly match him in the physically-gifted department? You probably saw this coming. None other than Fedor Emelianenko. The height and weight difference is reduced to the point of irrelevancy in a matchup between Emelianenko and Lesnar. You think Fedor will have the problem Couture did getting Lesnar off his feet? Not a chance. Lesnar is amazingly quick for his size but Fedor appears to be even quicker. Fedor’s physical ability should draw out the best in Brock as, for the first time, he faces an opponent able to meet him face-to-face physically. Of course Fedor is a skilled fighter too and his combination of physicality and skill might be too much for Lesnar. But wouldn’t it be fun to find out?

Maybe in the long run it is best for Lesnar to have the Mir/Minataro fight ahead of him. Maybe matching up with those guys will force him to continue his rocket-like trajectory or improvement from fight to fight. Possibly they can give the young fella some learnin’. If so it might mitigate the advantage Fedor’s skill set provides over Lesnar’s and make a possible match up between Brock and Fedor that much more entertaining. Really though, until the UFC gets Fedor in front of their fighters their entire Heavyweight division is de-legitimized by his absence and the resulting abundance of “what if” questions. I think Fedor/Couture was an incredibly compelling reason to get Emelianenko in the UFC. I think the potential for pure MMA joy offered by a Lesnar/Fedor fight is even more so. Make it happen Dana, make it happen. We want to see your new ride turn a few laps running wide open.

Mike Griffith: Cincinnati's Brian Kelly the Leading Candidate to Replace Fulmer

Check it out today from his Ask Griff feature at govols.com, which is full of additional nuggets of information about the coaching search and is a great read in general.

Will Muschamp named successor to Mack Brown, will stay at Texas

It seems we'll never know now about what would've been the biggest risk/reward candidate in the Vols' coaching search - the AP is reporting that Muschamp has been named the ever-popular coach-in-waiting at Texas, taking him off the list of candidates at both Tennessee and Clemson.

Muschamp, the Longhorns' defensive coordinator with previous DC stints at LSU and the Dolphins under Nick Saban followed by two years at Auburn, will see his salary more than double to $900,000 under this new deal. Mack Brown is 57 years old, and with the Longhorns currently ranked fourth and still very much in the National Championship chase, and just three years removed from their '05 title, it's safe to say right now that Brown has as many years left in front of him as he wants.

Texas joins Kentucky and Florida State as major conference programs who've gone down this road in naming a successor with the current coach still employed. This does help eliminate any distractions down in Austin, and should narrow the focus of the Vols' coaching search.

It was risk/reward, like I said, so we'll never know and thus it's hard to be really upset about this, though I know several of us around the community were on board in going in Muschamp's direction at one point or another. Muschamp and Butch Davis were at the top of my personal list when all this started, and so now as the fantasy Mike Leach/John Chavis combo moves atop it, I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before that one's shot down too...

Whomever we get, let's hope we all get behind them.

Go Vols

Random Thoughts - Tuesday November 18

With morning temps here in Ceres in the single digits as the snow continues to fall...

#13 Tennessee vs. UT-Martin Preview
Head on over to The BruceBall Blog for tonight's game preview (7:00 PM - SportSouth). The Vols will head to the mid-state area this weekend, with Bruce and the boys in Murfresboro Friday night to take on MTSU, while Fulmer and the Vols are in Nashville Saturday at 12:30 to take on the bowl-eligible Vanderbilt Commodores. This sports weekend may not do it for you, but next week - with the Vols in Orlando for the Old Spice Classic, the Titans on Thanksgiving Day at Detroit, and Fulmer's last game in Knoxville, good things are on the way.

Also tonight, you can check out Kentucky's 0-2 start when they take on #1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. 9:00 PM, ESPN.

Barack Obama vs. BCS
Looks like the almighty dollar is going to demand that the president-elect win a second term before he'll get a chance to take down college football's bowl system in favor of a playoff. Obama said both before the election on ESPN, and in his first interview after winning on 60 Minutes, that he was in favor of an eight-team college football playoff, and that he might throw his weight around on the issue.

Well, here's some weight for you: ESPN and the BCS are close to inking a deal for the worldwide leader to televise the next rotation of BCS games, from 2011-2014. Fox has the package until 2010, but apparently chose not to match ESPN's offer this time around, which is certainly in the hundreds of millions.

If this deal is passed, don't look for anything concrete on a potential playoff until 2014, like it or not.

This, of course, gives me another reason to link back to this post from late November 2006: The Idiot's Guide to a College Football Playoff. Aside from being proved wrong about a two-loss team winning the National Championship under the current format, I still think everything else about this piece really holds up well, and is still the very best and most logical I can do on how college football should take care of this problem.

Meanwhile in the real world, if Oklahoma beats Texas Tech on Saturday night, you've already got something relatively unfair going on in the Big 12 South in a three-way tie. And what if a good Missouri team happens to upset the South winner in the Big 12 Championship? Could we see an instant turnaround SEC Championship Game rematch if the Gators beat Alabama in Atlanta? Will one of the Big 12 South teams that was left out now slide in? Or will Alabama and Texas Tech win out to keep everyone sane?

Do you think if Obama runs in 2012 on a platform of "I guarantee you a college football playoff", he's guaranteed re-election?

The Most Constructive Waste of Time on the Internet
If you're not familiar with sporcle.com, you should be - this website updates every day with multiple quizzes, ranging from "name all the US Presidents in 10 minutes" to "name all the Dungeons & Dragons classes in 7 minutes", which was featured today and I'm proud to say I scored a zero on. Because Final Fantasy is way more cool.

Anyway, they've got a plethora of sports-related quizzes on there, among many others to stimulate the mind and, more than anything else, brutally humble you. Today's update included 84 Athlete Nicknames in 8 minutes, where they give you the nickname and you name the athlete in seven combined sports. I got 71/84, including an almost perfect run thru baseball and basketball (cannot believe I missed The Dunking Dutchman). Play and enjoy, and remember - just because you don't know how to spell their last name doesn't give you an excuse to google it. No cheating.

Tennessee Football Decision '08: Know the Candidates

The whole staff over at Third Saturday in Blogtober have been working hard over the last month putting together a detailed individual breakdown of each candidate or psuedo-candidate to replace Phillip Fulmer as the head coach at Tennessee. Basically, everything you'd ever want to know about these guys is here, written from a Tennessee perspective. This is great stuff - take a look and enjoy:

Will Muschamp - Defensive Coorindator, Texas
Butch Davis - Head Coach, North Carolina
Brian Kelly - Head Coach, Cincinnati
Jon Gruden - Head Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trooper Taylor - Assistant Coach, Oklahoma State
Mike Leach - Head Coach, Texas Tech
Gary Patterson - Head Coach, TCU
Lane Kiffin - former Head Coach, Oakland Raiders
Doug Marrone - Offensive Coordinator, New Orleans Saints
Mark Dantonio - Head Coach, Michigan State
Chris Petersen - Head Coach, Boise State
Troy Calhoun - Head Coach, Air Force

Wait 'til basketball season.

Oops. Again.

Kentucky was supposed to be prepping for Tuesday night's showdown at #1 North Carolina. Instead, the boys in blue lost their home opener in embarrassing fashion...for the second year in a row.

While Gardner-Webb may have put a bigger beating on the Cats in last year's 84-68 stunner in Rupp, tonight VMI - picked to finish seventh in the Big South - put not only a W on the board, but a take-notice one as well: they scored 111 points. At Rupp Arena.

The 111-103 win saw the Cats try and come back from a 23 point first half hole, and credit Jodie Meeks for dropping 39 points. But Kentucky shot 54% from the field...and lost. They outrebounded the Keydets by 21...and lost. They had their fancy new uniforms and Patrick Patterson's fro...and lost.

For Billy Gillespie, here's what's troubling: 3 of 16 from behind the new arc, only 67% from the free throw line in a game that VMI put away late at the stripe, a staggering 25 turnovers, and only 8 points from the aforementioned Patterson.

Even if UK had won by 50 tonight, we'd all expect them to get trounced Tuesday night against the unquestioned best team in America. But now, could it be another long winter for UK? And can they really expect a quick SEC turnaround to save their season again? Is there a coach in the SEC who's more immediately on the hot seat than Gillespie?

Basketball season is here, and it's already in trouble in Lexington.

And it's nice to watch somebody else struggle in unfathomable ways.

The Vols get Chattanooga at 7:00 PM.

Random Thoughts - Friday November 14

The shaken, not stirred edition...

Tennessee Football: Decision '08
This season has been a weekly, and now a daily practice in madness. There's a 99% chance that the Vols aren't going to hire anybody until the calendar hits December and all the active coaches finish their current regular seasons...but that's not stopping me nor anyone else from checking half a dozen websites first thing in the morning just to make sure no midnight deals were done, and then combing the message boards - something I absolutely hate doing - for any piece of information. So while I continue to dive deeper into the heart of insanity, here's today's mindless coaching search update:

- John Adams wants to lead you down the road to irrationality the quickest, by comparing anyone - in this case Cincinnati's Brian Kelly - to Bruce Pearl.

- From earlier this week...two of the most insightful Tennessee Football minds on the web both are in the post-development stages of a man-crush on Mike Leach: Joel at Rocky Top Talk gives a thorough breakdown, as always, of why Leach would be good here. And he links to Clay Travis, Vol fan and author of Dixieland Delight, who also supports Leach. Both reads are worthy of your time. And allow me to contribute to the madness: I'd be happy to fall in love with Mike Leach and buy a pirate hat...if he retains John Chavis as defensive coordinator. Crazy? Well, what's not these days?

- Speaking of decisions and madness, Jim Bob Cooter's Fightin' JVs took it to (previously undefeated) Hargrave last night, 37-21. Under center for the attack was BJ Coleman, who went 22 of 31 for 325 yards and 2 TDs. You can read the News-Sentinel's account here, or check out Oskie at Third Saturday for a better breakdown of the current quarterback situation.

As always...more to follow.


Tennessee Basketball: 08-09 Tip-Off
With an off week tomorrow on the gridiron, Bruce Pearl is here to save the day. The Vols begin Year Four of the Pearl Administration tomorrow night at Thompson-Boling, against Chattanooga. And allow us to take this time to wholeheartedly endorse The BruceBall Blog, the very best site devoted purely to Tennessee Basketball. Check out their preview of tomorrow's game, then head over for the real kicker: The Top 25 Moments of the Bruce Pearl Era, which is an exceptional piece of work.


Does the nation really believe in the 9-0 Titans?
I'm happy to be insulated here in southwest Virginia, spending more time with Mike Keith than CBS, and just living in the moment. In a true story that gets funnier every week, in the lobby of our fantasy football draft back in August, I said I thought the Vols would go 12-0 and the Titans would go 4-12. At that point, we were in love with the idea of the Clawfense, and the Vince Young-led first team offense in Nashville had scored zero touchdowns in their preseason games. Sorry Clawfense: it wasn't you, it was the thought of you.

So now the Titans are 9-0 and at Jacksonville this week. The AFC South is almost assuredly theirs, and when their schedule breaks easier after the next two weeks (at Jacksonville Sunday, the Jets in Nashville next week...then followed by at Detroit on Thanksgiving, Cleveland in Nashville, and at Houston before finishing with Pittsburgh and Indy)...they should be able to at least secure a first round bye, if not home field advantage.

But it's exactly this kind of looking ahead that I've/we've avoided thus far, and should continue to do so. If someone starts asking if the Titans can go 16-0, you punch them in the face, because they're probably a Colts fan. The question is not 16-0. The question for the nation at large, and maybe for the Titans people as well, is still just how good this team is exactly. You've seen them win a multitude of ways, including last week when the Bears refused to let them run...and they won anyway. You've seen them do it all with Kerry Collins, who's now getting into some MVP conversations (again, don't listen). This team has proven that they can win and do so against some of the NFL's best. Now, is this a team that can sustain this success and keep finding ways to win in January?

The questions go to Jacksonville this week...and let's keep trying to stay in the present, and the rest of those answers will come.


The Celtics and Lakers are partying like it's 1987
The full-strength and my-are-they-deep Lakers are 7-0, the NBA's last remaining unbeaten, with four of their wins coming by more than 15 points. They've embarassed Houston and beat the Hornets, and with the Spurs struggling they're done everything to clearly establish themselves as the West's best team right now.

Meanwhile, Boston is 8-1 (with an inexplicable loss at Indiana), but they've been carving teams up in a different, more emotionally painful way. They beat LeBron on opening night. They also won at Houston, and this week have beaten the AI-enhanced Pistons, came back from the dead to stun Toronto...and just when previously-undefeated Atlanta was getting chippy, The Truth came out to drain a fallaway with 0.5 on the clock for the 103-102 win. On PTI yesterday they debated whether or not Paul Pierce was the most clutch player in the NBA right now...I'll let you figure that one out, but nonetheless Boston is beating everyone in their path even with the bullseye on their back.

The Lakers and Celtics are clearly the two best teams in the NBA. Again. We'll just spend the next six months waiting for it to be official. But in a world where the Vols are 3-7 and Kerry Collins and Kurt Warner might be your two leading MVP candidates, it's nice that some things still work exactly the way they're supposed to.


And finally...
He's not for everybody, but he is for me. Ladies and gentlemen, Kenny Mayne (with an assist from Scott Van Pelt):

Chris Low: Lane Kiffin Interviews at Clemson

Something new every day...check out Low's story here at ESPN.com.

Kiffin joins Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who have apparently both interviewed with the Tigers, with Will Muschamp and Bobby Johnson also being thrown around in the conversation. Low continues to report that the Vols have been in contact with Kiffin's people.

Stay tuned...

ESPN.com: Butch Davis has "absolutely no interest" in Tennessee

The same way Chris Low continually updates his SEC blog at the worldwide leader, Heather Dinich covers the ACC. She reports that Butch Davis, during the weekly ACC teleconference today, said the following:

"I have absolutely no interest whatsover in the University of Tennessee job. It's a great job, but I have no interest in it. Like I've said for the last couple of weeks, I love being here, my family loves being at Carolina, we're building it with the administration."

Check out Dinich's full post here.

I'll say this - it hasn't been fun to be a Tennessee fan over the last few months, but it has definitely been interesting. This coaching search changes every day, and if Butch Davis was the Vols' first choice as reported earlier this week by Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tennessee now finds itself back at the drawing board.

The names you hear most frequently - Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, and Will Muschamp - are still out there. Kiffin is currently unemployed and if the Vols wanted to move in that direction, they could at any time. Leach and Muschamp are currently in the midst of a National Championship chase with their respective teams, so unless it's Kiffin (and I'd hope Hamilton would at least interview some of these other guys even if it does ultimately end up being him), don't expect a decision or an announcement until December. That would also hold true for the slew of mid-major names you hear - Brian Kelly, Tim Brewster (yes, I realize Minnesota isn't technically a mid-major), and Troy Calhoun. So even with the Vols off this week, there will be plenty of interesting television for those who wish to follow the fates of the potential future head coach.

I'll keep posting the official-sounding updates as they come in, as long as it takes...and even if it's not Butch Davis, may the best man win.

2008-09 Tennessee Basketball Preview

In the early months of 2006, somewhere along the initial joy ride that Bruce Pearl took the Vols on, he made the comment on one of his postgame shows that "this basketball team carried us through the winter."

And he was right. A fanbase starved for success after the 5-6 debacle of the 2005 football season turned mere curiosity towards the basketball team and their new coach. Expectations were low, Pearl was an unknown quantity, and a team that underachieved with Buzz Peterson lost its two best players in Scooter McFadgon and Brandon Crump. The Vols weren't expected to do anything, and so that winter was especially depressing with no bowl game, a bleak outlook in football and a fanbase who needed a reason to care about basketball.

We were bought into the multi-year rebuilding process. But instead, Bruce Pearl gave us the world overnight.

Pearl changed everything. He woke a sleeping giant fanbase at a university that was excelling at every other sport they played. He took average players and made them key contributors like Dane Bradshaw, and made good players NBA ready: CJ Watson currently averages 7 points and 24 minutes a night out in Golden State.

Pearl changed the perception and the reality the way Kevin Garnett did in Boston. And he shot down the idea of a multi-year rebuilding project, something that may not pay dividends for our next football coach...especially after the '06 football Vols responded to Pearl's hope by blasting Cal right out of the gate. He's created a landscape and a culture of instant success.

Because that first team got us through the winter.

And now, in his fourth season, we need him to get us through again.

The football team is inexplicably even worse than it was back then. And make no mistake that the two are connected on major college campuses; in Gainesville, Columbus, Austin and many other places, there's always a connection, even if it's small.

And so a starved fanbase in Knoxville turns once more to Pearl to save us.

Only this time, we're not expecting a multi-year rebuilding project.

This time, the Vols are ranked #13 in the preseason poll. This time, the Vols are the defending SEC Champions. This time, we're coming off back-to-back appearances in the Sweet 16. And this time, there's a clearly established culture of winning, and one that's ready to take the next step in basketball.

And keep in mind that all of this has been done and created, all these expectations in place for 2009, all without the services of Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith, Jordan Howell, Ramar Smith, and Duke Crews.

Tennessee graduated one of the very best to ever put on a jersey in Knoxville, his partner in crime, 95% of the point guard minutes between Howell's graduation and Ramar's dismissal, and a firecracker in Duke Crews. That's all kinds of multi-year production that just left the still-growing program.

Most would catch their breath and rebuild. The Vols? Preseason #13 and SEC favorites.

Because of Pearl.

Because Pearl brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Because Pearl convinced Tyler Smith to stay in school one more year. Because Bruce Pearl has changed everything. Everything.

And now, with a new cast of characters in a more experienced SEC that the Vols are still expected to win...now we'll see just how far this change can take us.

Because we need it to make it through the winter one more time.

Point Guard
Well...there are more encouraging places to start.

Bobby Maze steps in from the unknown in an attempt to provide both spark and stability to a position that really hurt the Vols last season. Ramar Smith's lack of productivity and Jordan Howell's ice cold shooting touch gave way to JP Prince earning some minutes there, but none of it worked the way the Vols needed it to in March. The news today that Daniel West is academically ineligible puts a dent in expectations and even more weight on Maze's shoulders, because he is now the only "pure" point guard on this roster.

Two years ago, Maze overcame a broken foot to average 5.6 points per game for Oklahoma. Landing at Hutchinson Community College last season, Maze was a first-team junior college All-American with 20.7 points and 6.8 assists per game. There will be some growing pains here and we won't know fully what we've got in Maze until SEC play gets underway. But the Vols need him to be good. Prince should continue to provide the backup minutes now that West is out, with Josh Tabb another possibility.

Shooting Guard
Without Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith bombing threes, it's going to feel different.

But thanks to the gem of the recruiting class, 6'7" Scotty Hopson, that might be good different.

Hopson - ranked as the 5th overall player in the 2008 class nationally - can shoot the three, but will give a whole new dimension to the Vols offense from the wing. The Hopkinsville, KY native looks to follow in Lofton's footsteps in more ways than one, while establishing his own legacy in Knoxville. The fact that Hopson finished third in the McDonald's All-America dunk contest should give you an idea that we're dealing with a different animal here.

Hopson is still a freshman, so we'll try and keep expectations hovering below the stratosphere. There is experience at the position: defensive specialist Josh Tabb returns, though as stated he'll see some point guard minutes potentially. And then there's Cameron Tatum, back from a redshirt season but ready to contribute. The Vols need Tabb and Tatum to display some stroke from behind the arc to compliment Hopson here.

Small Forward
At the most versatile position we start with JP Prince, who might be the Vols' most versatile player. On a more crowded team last season as the new guy, Prince showed flahses of brilliance - carrying the Vols to a win at Xavier with 23 points, and coming up huge in the showdown game at Memphis with 13 points and 8 rebounds. His productivity will again be hampered by injury and playing out of position with his PG minutes, but he's clearly a factor no matter where he plays. When Prince moves to point guard, it opens up an opportunity for freshman Renaldo Woolridge, a California grab who was a Top 50 recruit, another young face the Vols need to contribute right away.

Power Forward
Tyler Smith proved he was the real deal last year, both in terms of versaltility, dependability, and the ability to hit the big shot and make the big play. In what's widely believed to be his last season in Knoxville, the junior picked up not only first team preseason All-SEC honors, but received some votes for preseason All-America. With Lofton gone, Smith becomes the Vols' definitive go-to player, and outside of the three ball jacking with many of the shooters gone, his numbers should go higher this season. Tyler Smith has a chance to really shine on this team.

Speaking of versatility, Ryan Childress doesn't get enough credit for his, having shown both a three ball stroke and more toughness than expected at both ends. He'll be fighting for minutes with newcomer Emmanuel Negedu, a Top 40 recruit who fell into the Vols' lap late in the process.

Center
With Ramar Smith and Duke Crews gone, Wayne Chism becomes the face of Pearl's first recruiting class, now in his third season. More of the offense should be run through the post this year, so there's pressure on Chism to step up and play to his full potential night in and night out. When he's doing so, he's one of the best big men in the SEC, and the Vols need that on a regular basis. We'll see if he's still jacking threes this season.

While freshman Philip Jurick progresses, the Vols will continue to turn to Brian Williams for minutes, who was impressive in spurts and usually very productive last season. The media guide puts BWill down at a svelt 267 lbs...might need to be seen to be believed, but he's a force either way.

The Schedule
Bruce Pearl does a better job of scheduling than just about anyone I've seen - the early "cupcakes" are always with in-state teams, which I like, and the Vols rarely play an out of state mid-major that isn't a favorite in their own conference. The tuneups this year start Saturday against UT-Chattanooga, followed by UT-Martin before giving the Murfresboro crowd something to cheer about in a trip to MTSU.

Then the Vols head to Orlando for the Old Spice Classic on the last weekend of the month, where they'll open with Siena (last seen destroying Vanderbilt in the opening round of the dance). The field includes Michigan State, Maryland, Georgetown and Gonzaga, who will also show up at Thompson-Boling Arena in January.

The big non-conference games are everywhere. There's the SEC/Big East Challenge in Nashville against Marquette. There are road trips to Temple and then to Kansas to play the defending champs on January 3. That begins the most loaded men's basketball month I can ever remember, which will go like this: at Kansas, vs Gonzaga, at Georgia in the SEC opener, vs Kentucky in the ill-scheduled SEC home opener, vs South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs Memphis, vs LSU, vs Florida. Five of the first seven SEC games will be played at TBA.

The schedule calms down a bit in February in terms of opponent quality, but a four-of-five road swing in late February/early March that includes trips to Lexington and Gainesville should make up for that. The Vols close the regular season on March 8 at home against Alabama, before heading to Tampa for the SEC Tournament.

And in case you're curious, the Final Four is in Detroit.

Final Thoughts
Chemistry is always a concern in college basketball, especially when you're shuffling out five key contributors from last season, replacing them with four freshmen and a juco expected to see minutes, and fitting those guys in with a solid group of returning players, including several potential all-conference stars. Rotations will be key, and the point guard issue must be resolved early lest it come back to bite the Vols in March again.

These things take time.

While the youth is growing, this team may take some bumps early. Tennessee hasn't won a tournament of any kind since Jerry Green was here, and there's plenty of talent in Orlando that will look to prevent that again this year. The Vols are guaranteed three games either way, but it would be great to just start with a win against Siena. Kansas and Memphis may be down but Gonzaga is up and Marquette is very good. I will say that Pearl has lost only one non-conference game he shouldn't have lost in three years, against Wichita State in the '06 NCAA second round.

Tennessee is picked to again be the best team in the SEC. Florida is the most likely challenger with plenty of options led by Nick Calathes. Kentucky has talent in Patrick Patterson but also must replace key losses, as does Vanderbilt with AJ Ogilvy but no Shan Foster. And the SEC West should continue to be an exercise in the dartboard, but Alabama and LSU are both receiving votes in preseason Top 25s. The conference will have its surprises and disappointments...but right now the Vols are the favorites, and as defending champs they've earned that right. Now they have to carry it forward.

It's hard to say how far this team should go because you just haven't seen the youth and the chemistry. We trust Pearl to take care of the latter, but you'll need to see them against the SEC and the big non-conference players before we know anything with greater certainty. The Sweet 16 still exists as the ceiling for this program; the Vols have never been to the Elite 8. As we celebrate 100 Years of Tennessee Basketball, Pearl will continue to try and write new traditions. In today's college basketball world it's hard to think to the future because so many players leave school early, and the Vols will probably see their share of that in the spring. But right now, Pearl has assembled a mix of talent and youth that, over the course of this season, could gel into something very dangerous by the time March rolls around, and are already in the conversation ranked 13th in the preseason. The journey is the fun part.

Above all else, we believe in Pearl. In three seasons he's done what no one, probably not even Bruce himself, thought he could do. The Vols have won the SEC East twice and are now the defending SEC Champions. They've cracked the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament two years in a row. They've recruited McDonald's All-Americans, put a player in the NBA and probably another in the rafters someday. They've developed talent to the point that the preseason All-SEC Player of the Year resides in Knoxville. And the Vols are the favorites in the conference itself. Again.

From no expectations to here, and what a ride...now, can the Vols take the next step?

All our hopes and all our rewards of the last three years have been wonderful. Tennessee Basketball has come to a new place. And now, with faces young and old, we turn to Pearl again to carry us forward, over the course of this season, to that next step. To take us from this place, through growth and teamwork, to the next step on this journey. Through the winter. Because he's already given us something to believe in. And beyond the winter, to March, where a team's ultimate success is determined.

Bruce Pearl has taken us this far and delivered the goods in greater quantity and quality than we ever thought possible in only three seasons. Our hope springs eternal, from the deathbed of a football season gone so wrong, to Pearl and the basketball Vols once more. And this time, there's a little more proof in our pudding.

Yes we can.

News-Sentinel: Butch Davis is Vols' first choice to replace Fulmer

Check out the story from Dave Hooker here.

Davis certainly has the best collegiate pedigree out of all the choices and names we've heard in the last week, and I'd be for it. I'm still not entirely certain he's going to want to leave Chapel Hill for many of the same reasons David Cutcliffe won't leave Durham: at UNC, you can be a hero with 9-3 at a university that's always competed on an elite national level at every other sport they play, making you the face of their football program. It's what Bruce Pearl has done with Tennessee Basketball. In Knoxville, 9-3 - in spite of what we've seen this season - means grumbling.

While we're watching Texas Tech play whichever team has the ball last wins, maybe we should pull for this outcome. Davis walked into a difficult situation at a proud program at Miami, and turned the whole thing around. He even put the Browns in the playoffs once before things went sour there. No doubt Butch can get the job done. But we won't know if he will or not until he accepts it.

See, you're thinking about something besides Wyoming already. Just wait til we start talking about basketball.

Rock Bottom

Wyoming 13 - Tennessee 7

A couple of questions:

- Is this the worst loss in the history of the University of Tennessee?

- The 2008 team has now tied Johnny Majors' initial squad for most losses in one year, with two games still to play where the Vols will almost certainly be underdogs. I'll save one sliver of hope that the troops might rally against Kentucky for Fulmer's finale, but what do they have to play for in two weeks at Vanderbilt if they didn't play for anything today? And if this does become the worst team in the history of the program, isn't it pathetic that we'll have to tag that with Fulmer for the rest of his life? "Forced to resign after leading the Vols to the worst season in the history of the program." If he took us to the mountaintop, don't we also have to say that he left us in the valley?

- Is there a single soul who regrets the move now?

- On the bright side, isn't it impossible for whoever comes in here next now to not have a season that's considered an improvement in 2009? If we'd won out and won our bowl game for the coach that these players said they cared so much about, there would be some positive momentum to live up to for the new guy. Now, anything resembling an offense and anything more than 0-12 would be something to improve upon. So you can be sad that 6-6 in 2009 would be favorable...or you can try and hope this makes everything easier in general for the next head coach.

"Rock bottom is a college education." - Danny DeVito, Death to Smoochy

Let's hope so.

From the 110th Row at Lane Stadium...

My friend Kory and I both moved from Knoxville to Virginia in the last few years - he lives outside Charlottesville, and I'm outside Blacksburg. So every now and then during Tennessee off weeks or Thursday night games, we'll check out the in-state talent. Last night, Virginia Tech continued their usual Thursday night dominance in a 23-13 win over Maryland, highlighted by the breakout performance of redshirt freshman RB Darren Evans: 32 carries, 253 yards and a touchdown. When you're Virginia Tech and you're playing without the injured Tyrod Taylor, and you can get by with a 14 of 20 clean performance from Sean Glennon, combined with the usual ferocious defense (Maryland -12 rushing yards)...you're in good shape.

As Tennessee fans, it felt nice to go to a college football game at a place where they love the sport and have plenty of their own traditions and such...and not get angry. Watching a team with a tailback who falls forward, a quarterback who (at least on this night) is efficient, a relentless defense that tackles really well (which we also have this year)...and to sit in a stadium where the fans are still involved even though the rebuilding Hokies have lost thrice, to know that the game mattered and to sense the excitement...I miss this. And I hope it gets back to Knoxville real soon.

I'll say again that Virginia Tech does an excellent job with what they have. Although there's just another level of noise that Lane Stadium never gets to simply due to body count, the atmosphere is still hostile (especially by ACC standards) and the crowd and students are very much into the game. We were on the 110th row...and stood up most of the game. And we loved it. Hopefully their win last night pushes them further away from potential Music City Bowl opponent territory, and I can continue to keep my job as a Tennessee pastor with a Hokie congregation.

College football can still be fun.

The Four Horsemen of Forced Resignation

As we wander into uncharted territory at Tennessee, history as always provides lessons and examples on how to replace a legendary head coach who's been at the same traditional football school for more than a decade with great success in the past. Whoever Mike Hamilton tabs as the next head coach in Knoxville faces a tall order and a unique situation. Here are four examples of how similar moves have played out for other schools:

THE TOTAL DISASTER - SYRACUSE

The Old Coach: Paul Pasqualoni
Career Tenure: 1991-2004
Record at Syracuse: 107-59-1 (.644)
Accomplishments: Only one losing season, 4 Big East titles, 6-3 in bowls

Why he's no longer the coach
Donovan McNabb went to the Eagles. Really, the program's decline can be traced from the 1998 season where they won the Big East. After that, the 'Cuse went 7-5, 6-5, 9-3, 4-8, 6-6, 6-6.

The New Coach: Greg Robinson
Previous Position: Defensive Coordinator, Texas
Record at Syracuse: 9-34 (2005-present)

What happened
In Robinson's first season, Syracuse went 1-10. The program still hasn't recovered, their offense has been consistently unwatchable in Robinson's tenure, and a school that sent Qadry Ismail, Marvin Harrison, Olindo Mare, Donovan McNabb, Keith Bulluck, Dwight Freeney, and David Tyree to the NFL under Pasqualoni has become devoid of talent and energy.

What now
You could make a case that Syracuse is the worst football program in the BCS conferences. There are parallels - they play in an area devoid of recruiting talent that necessitates doing a good job on that front. They're a university with a fanbase that is rabid about basketball. Robinson will exit after this season, making the job open again...but for this once proud elite Big East school, their opening will find itself among the least desirable in the nation. Syracuse is a frightening picture of how bad things can get.

Last elite season: Never
Last very good season: 1998


THE FALSE START - MICHIGAN

The Old Coach: Lloyd Carr
Career Tenure: 1995-2007
Record at Michigan: 122-40 (.753)
Accomplishments: 1997 National Championship, 5 Big Ten titles

Why he's no longer the coach
Appalachian State. What the Mountaineers started Oregon finished, as the massive weight of expectation Carr built at Michigan between the 97 championship and the 06 almost all crumbled down in two weeks last September. Michigan also lost four straight bowl games before the decision was made, and is currently four in the hole to Ohio State, meaning the Wolverines lost four straight games between Ohio State, USC, AppState and Oregon that erased all the good vibes from the great 2006 start.

The New Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Previous Position: Head Coach, West Virginia
Record at Michigan: 2-7 (2008)

What happened
RichRod had to deal with a massive exodus of talent from the Chad Henne/Mike Hart/Mario Manningham Michigan offenses of the last few years, and it hasn't gone well. The opening loss to Utah set the tone, and Michigan really should be 1-8 without a comeback win over Wisconsin.

What now
It's still too early to call on RichRod at Michigan, and I'm sure he'll get the standard three years that everyone at big schools gets before they're fired if it's not working. And he needs time with his system and his players. But what's reality is Michigan fans who complained about the declining state of the program under Carr have now had to deal with a 2-7 season in the immediate aftermath.

Last elite season: 2006
Last very good season: none since


THE SAME PROBLEM - TEXAS A&M

The Old Coach: RC Slocum
Career Tenure: 1989-2002
Record at Texas A&M: 123-47-2 (.723)
Accomplishments: 3 SWC Championships, 1 Big 12 Championship, 3 Top 10 finishes

Why he's no longer the coach
The new millennium. The Aggies haven't finished in the Top 25 since 1999, and fell off more each season following. Their bowl destinations went Sugar-Alamo-Independence-Galleryfurniture.com-none from 1998-2002, and the 6-6 finish in '02 sealed Slocum's fate.

The New Coach: Dennis Franchione
Previous Position: Head Coach, Alabama
Record at Texas A&M: 32-28 (2003-2007)

What happened
Farmer Fran was touted as the savior of the A&M program after taking a probation Alabama team to a 10-3 mark in 2002. A bumpy road awaited right away with a 4-8 opening campaign. The Aggies responded the next season with a 7-4 mark, but were thrashed by the Vols 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl. Expectations were still high in 2005 with a preseason ranking, but the Aggies finished 5-6. Fran looked to save his job with a 9-4 campaign in 2006, but last year it was back to 7-5. Texas A&M went 19-21 in Big 12 games under Fran, never finished ranked in the Top 25, went 0-3 in bowls and 4-14 against rivals Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech.

What now
A&M is currently coached by Mike Sherman and is 4-5 in 2008. But the Aggies spent four years and lots of money on Franchione for essentially the same mediocrity that cost Slocum his job. The program hasn't regressed, but it hasn't gone anywhere either.

Last elite season: 1993
Last very good season: 1998


THE UPGRADE - OHIO STATE

The Old Coach: John Cooper
Career Tenure: 1988-2000
Record at Ohio State: 111-43-4 (.720)
Accomplishments: shared 3 Big Ten titles (none outright), 5 straight January 1 bowls (94-98)

Why he's no longer the coach
Michigan. Going 2-10-1 against the program's biggest rival puts the writing on the wall. Even more damaging were the seasons where the Buckeyes ran roughshod over the rest of their schedule, only to trip at the finish line against the Wolverines. Three times in four years between 93-96, the Buckeyes went into the Michigan game with National Championship expectations, only to choke them away. The Buckeyes were 6-6 in 1999, and when they followed up with an 8-4 mark and an Outback Bowl loss to South Carolina, Cooper's days were over.

The New Coach: Jim Tressel
Previous Position: Head Coach, Youngstown State
Record at Ohio State: 80-18 (2001-present)

What happened
The Buckeyes made a risky hire in Tressel, who made noise immediately by more or less promising a win over Michigan in his first season. Despite an average 7-5 campaign on the whole, he fulfilled his promise. The very next year, Ohio State won the National Championship. Since then, Ohio State has played in four additional BCS bowls, two of them the BCS National Championship games in the last two seasons, which they lost. He's won the Big Ten four times in seven years, and the Buckeyes have finished in the Top 5 five times.

What now
Though they won't play for the title this year, Ohio State will still secure an at-large BCS selection if they win out. The Buckeyes are one of the two or three best football programs in America, and have continued to produce the talent that was there all along under Cooper, only with more success and a complete reversal of the Michigan rivalry. Tressel took Ohio State to the promised land and has kept them in reach of it ever since.

Last elite season: 2007
Last very good season: 2008 (so far)


A couple things we can point out for Tennessee:

- Fulmer is leaving for a program's decline and a refusal to settle for mediocrity. It's important to note that the new head coach struggled in his first season at all four of these schools. In fact, no one has come into an elite BCS program from the outside and had championship success in their first year. Those are the facts.

- The Vols haven't had an elite season since 2001, and haven't had a very good one since 2004. Last year was good, but the losses to Florida and Alabama also helped get Fulmer gone. It's a disturbing trend that the last three times Tennessee has gone to the SEC Championship Game, we've lost, then won our bowl game, then took high expectations and turned them into 8-5, 5-6, and 3-6.

- Fulmer's situation is also different than Ohio State's - Cooper never got Ohio State over the hump. Fulmer is Lloyd Carr. If our next head coach starts 2-7, how will we react?

- Nonetheless, if RichRod is a portrait of a need for patience and Robinson is a glimpse of how bad things can become...and if there are lots of guys who can simply duplicate four loss seasons over the next three years...Tressel's hire does offer hope. The talent returning and incoming to Knoxville next year helps foster it. We can hire the right guy and go forward. But we all need to understand that there are ZERO guarantees with this process.

We're blowing in the wind now boys. Only the hire and then time will tell if we're blown away, will duck our heads and hold our ground...or if this program can push forward and return to the Promised Land.

You won't find this again

Say what we will about the need for a change, the program's decline, and the unacceptable performance of the football team and specifically the offense in 2008.

But whoever comes in here next won't give as much as Phillip Fulmer gave us.

You saw it in the press conference and we knew it was there, you'd just never seen it this clearly.

Phillip Fulmer loves Tennessee in a personal way that you will not find with the next man who comes in here.

Doug Matthews was on SportsTalk earlier today, and made this point: Nick Saban is a fantastic coach, but he's not personally invested in the University of Alabama the way that Phillip Fulmer was and is invested in the University of Tennessee. Not even close.

Urban Meyer's not. Neither is Les Miles or Mark Richt.

And the next man who comes in here won't be either.

Meyer and Miles have won National Championships. And we absolutely hope whoever comes in here next will do the same.

But what we gave away today we won't find again.

And I hope and pray that Phillip Fulmer finds a meaningful place in the University of Tennessee family, right now. It's always eluded Johnny Majors, who also needs to be a part of what we do in Knoxville. Fulmer's a young man in an old man's game, who clearly has a desire to keep winning. But the thought of this university being without the man who cares more about it than any other individual makes this a very sad day.

Let's be clear too: there's one of two ways this ends.

Things can always get worse. If the Vols lose any of the next three games, it'll be another watershed loss. Either Fulmer loses his first home game against a non-BCS opponent, or loses to Vanderbilt in Nashville for the first time, or loses to Kentucky for the first time period. Any of them mean there's no bowl game, and say what you will about not caring about the Music City Bowl, but December is awfully lonely when there's not another game to play. And you don't think this team needs the practice?

This offense is so bad that it's not going to magically turn around by rallying around Coach Fulmer. But the Vols, even as bad as they've been, are capable of winning each of the next three games. And that's how it needs to go.

Losing to either Wyoming or Vandy would taint the Phillip Fulmer Day against Kentucky, and losing there would be worse. These games still matter. This team needs to send Fulmer out the right way.

And I wish Fulmer personally nothing but the best, because that's exactly what he gave us.

And I hope that he continues, now and as long as he's working, to be a part of the University of Tennessee.