I'm fairly unchanged at all in where I stand about the program. I'm not angry with yesterday's results, nor am I overly thrilled. It's a solid, but not great class. There were some good gets, but there were some guys this program needed to get that they didn't. However, in the end, in the 3 recruiting classes Dooley was coach for (let's not really argue who and what about 2010, ok), there have been enough gets to where we are at least at the minimum threshold for competitiveness in the SEC. All in all, recruiting wise, while we can't be overly giddy about what Dooley has brought in, we can't be angry either. I joke about it, but he has "stabilized" the roster talent wise. We at least have a fighting chance in 11 of 12 games next year (Bama notwithstanding). That does not mean I am any less concerned about this coaching staff. Quite frankly, we have a head coach that has had a losing record 4 of his 5 years as a head coach, has enough of a track record in Knoxville to make me highly skeptical that he's not our version of Mike Shula, and a staff that doesn't exactly get my blood pumping and make me want to book tickets to Atlanta for the first weekend in December. I get what they have been playing with and that this team hasn't caught a single on-the-field break in the Dooley era, but if you look at an honest assessment of the overall body of work, there is reason to be skeptical about the staff as a whole. At the end of the day, there are 11 winnable games next year. There isn't a team on the schedule other than Bama that we do not have a chance against. If Dooley and this staff are worth anything at all, they win 9 games. To change my overall opinion on him for the long term, he probably needs to break into the double-digit win column. That means he's beaten a couple of teams that had equal or more on field talent. That would be a positive.
He needs 10 wins imo. South Carolina and Florida are down. Georgia seems to fail when they have expectations to live up to (they are a talented team). Bama is Bama but they'll be replacing a ton. Dooley has built the offense and defense to his liking. He needs a few marquee wins now.
Pretty much agree, Card. Georgia should be a lot better than us, but they tend to struggle with expectations. South Carolina has been in the top ten of a few super-early 2012 rankings I've seen, but they're not going to out-talent us. They're just not. So 11 winnable games, and we need at least 9 to reverse negative momentum, possibly 10 to get real positive momentum. I don't have a ton of faith in the coaching staff, but if they're going to do it, they'll do it now.
Derek's not going to survive if 9wins is the threshold. We have a good team. Nothing more than that. Still, there is constantly this in the back of my mind.... 'what if he wins?'...
The two games against UGA have been two of his worst coaching efforts, in my opinion. I see no way they don't thrash us in 2012.
My overall feeling is that we'll know whether or not we'll have a coaching search next year before the calendar hits October 1. 5-0 or 4-1 and we may be on to something. 3-2 or worse, and well, I'll be putting up my post of 5 coaches we should go after.
Agreed. At the end of the day, we need improvement for Dave to keep Dooley around. While I am sure there are fans out there CardVol with higher expectations (not that they are unrealistic), I think an 8 win season is significant enough improvement to keep his job, sadly.
I don't think it just about seeing "improvement" anymore. 7 wins is an improvement, and also disappointment with the roster we will field. Coupled with the schedule and strength of the east its just not acceptable. This team should win 9 games, Im not sure they will, but they should.
I disagree with you on 8 wins. If in fact you are correct and 8 wins keeps him his job: (a) Dave Hart, imho, just made a very very poor decision; (a1) the worst-case scenario for the long-term viability of the program just unfolded; (a2) the fanbase receives the loud and clear message that mediocrity is okay ("we here at Tennessee are not trying to bang the prom queen. No no...we're settling for the awkward girl in the band"); (a2.1) upon receiving this message, some in the fanbase will begin to forget that Tennessee used to frequently take the prom queen behind the bleachers and fill her up with the bareback D. (a2.2) upon receiving this message, others in the fanbase will simply stop following or supporting the program. And that's when the whores come in.
He gets fired unless he wins 9 games and doesn't suffer a setback to a piece of shit team. Less than that and he is told to gtfo.
If the JUCO d line guys pan out, we'll be a good football team for the next two years. If not, we'll throw a bunch and never control the ball, so we can watch the d get murdered in every second half we play for two more years.