Saving Butch Jones

First, yes he can still be saved. In fact, assuming that Tennessee neither want to pay to buy him / his staff out, nor will want to fork out the kind of money that this next coach will likely cost - I'd say that he's still reasonably safe, as there are still many in positions of authority and/or great influence who at least remain willing to let the season play out, specifically in the hope that he turns 2017 around.

So, how to save himself?

1. A win over Bama will just about do it, alone. Unlikely, sure. But no more unlikely than Jones' Tennessee team taking the lead with 2 minutes to play a few years ago, and in Tuscaloosa no less.

2. He could still lose to UGA, Bama and possibly even LSU - beating USC, Vandy, Mizzou, and UK (and team's with such a wide disparity in overall talent, as these four have to TN, do not routinely beat teams of superior talent - no matter how inept the coaching) and keep his job. Admittedly, if he loses to UGA at home, and especially if it's via a lopsided score, it might get squirrelly....but he's unlikely to be fired even after a UGA loss, barring even a final spread of 50+ points and clear and convincing evidence that he's irrevocably lost the team and/or the fans (ie players start to quit, attendance falls to 70k, etc.).

3. If he beats UGA at home, the Florida game will be forgotten (just as it was 2 years ago), and he'll be back on even ground, for the rest of the season. He would then easily survive losing to BOTH Bama and LSU, and only losing to one of the other four (UK, Vandy, USC, Mizzou) would put him in any danger.

4. Keep up the best recruiting class in the SEC, and work to keep the current players on the roster (ie Guarabtano, Byrd, etc.).

5. Avoid any off-the-field silliness and AA trouble.

This UGA game is HUGE - as I think it's his make or break game. Win it, and the flooding will stop. Lose it, and he'll take another sizable hit amidship - but he can still survive it, by praying for and hitting a miracle in Tuscaloosa, or by slowly feasting on the lesser 4.

He may ultimately be gone....but I don't think it's at all for certain, in fact quite the contrary, and that he's STILL more likely to be back in 2018, than not.

 

I can barely believe we live in a world where his future hinges on his performance against a barely over .500 2nd year (not at UGA, but ever) head coach, but you're right.

 

He's done, barring a miraculous turn around that ends in an SEC championship. He's lost the fanbase and the only cure for that is a lot of wins. The man can't get his shit together when the division is on the line, much less his job.

Empty seats speak and there's going to be a whole lot of them going forward.

 

I don't want to be right. But this is basically how it played out two years ago.

 

He's what, 2-5 in his last 7 sec games?

There are scenarios that keep him here, but he'll need to beat some good teams. I'd not bet on him.

 

I commented to Basilio via twitter yesterday about my fear of him going 9-3 some how and us never getting him out of here. He blasted me the rest of the show. Perhaps rightfully so.

And then he says Jones will never win an SEC championship here.

The duality this guy causes in people is staggering, and the fear of change is palpable. And because of this, he definitely CAN save his job here, and we will never be rid of him. Ever, because 8-4 is good enough.

 

He also beat South Carolina and took Alabama into the 4th quarter two years ago.

Since then, he's lost to Alabama 49-10, fumbled away a chance against TAMU, lost to Muschamp at South Carolina and lost to Vandy. He's lost any good will he had from ending the 2015 season on a win streak.

 

Dooley ruined us. Dooley this, Dooley that. If we fire him, look what will happen. We'll Dooley ourselves into another Dooleying Dooley. It's like no one can see that there have been so many major college football hires and virtually none of them turn out that bad. Dooley is Dooley because he's so damn unique. He's the Dooley of sucking. Dooley. We aren't getting Dooley again. Dooley never Dooleys the same spot twice.

 

I don't think people ever really realized how overrated that TAMU team was and that a close loss to them wasn't anything special. People were over the moon after that game. Gah.

 

This. Didn't we have 5-6 turnovers that day?

 

7

 

Pretty much will need to beat Georiga and/or Bama and not screw up any losses.

 

6 with a *

The no-call targeting on Berry on KO return was crap.

 

The only way Butch is saved is if the players pull a UGA 2015 where they say "screw the coaching" and they go out and call their own shots.

Not sure Dormady has the experience to be as successful as Dobbs was doing it in 15. The read no option would certainly have to go out the window.

 

He doesn't have the legs of Dobbs to play that kind of backyard football, either.

 

I think a blowout loss to GA at home would be the nail in the coffin. I think he's already lost the team. He can't develop talent. The ones with talent are either out of position(Tyler Byrd anyone) or behind players that are too freaking slow. He keeps trying to put squares into round holes. Dormady in this offense is Justin Worley 2.0.

In year 5, the offense has not changed at all really, except for there being fewer jet sweeps. There is no excuse for execution failures in this case.

The defense has been NCAA all-time bad.

We are 0-8 against the SEC West currently under Butch.

While talent is better than when he arrived, he peaked last year. Failure to remove this year leads us back down toward the Dooley cellar.

 

Here is what some folks fail to understand....beat Vandy and Sackerlina in 16, and there is absolutely no legitimacy to hot seat talk. The worm turned with those losses.
1. The media exposed Butch
2. Butch made personnel changes but his operations remained the exact same...including public relations.

 

He will be here next year

 

Yep.

 

Yup.