Burt, you might be onto something here. Give each a quarter to move the ball and let's settle it.. I always thought Shrout has been a little short-changed in playtime. This Bama D can be passed upon. So I think let's get these guys to put the ball up and see who has the best reads, footwork, touch and confidence. Overall decision making.

CrankE Oh yes.

Also, i noticed none of the UK's coaches that weighed in on this issue for one second mentioned how un-ok it is for TN's D to come out in the second half an lay an egg against UK and for the second half of the UGA game. "His D played hard". You can run fast and miss tackles, arm tackle, fail to close holes and be horrendous and still play hard. What should be the 2nd or third best D in the SEC has yet to look it this season.

I'm not going to argue the defensive knowledge of a guy that is sorely missed at Bama, one of the elite teams in the nation. JP's knowledge D over Jimmy? Is that even a question?

Yep,and that is what we all been calling him. Guaranturnover because turnovers are guaranteed with this guy. Let say Bailey get in and good heavens he drives for a score, and what it drives and scores again. Can you imagine the confidence booster that would be for the rest of the season for him and this team?

Yep and my friend, make no mistake Lucy is a bald head coach.

ladonvol67 We've had multiple receivers open, in both games. UGA and UK,lets not forget that. UGA's D, i'll give you leeway. Many were almost always covered. But only a prolific passers are going to hit slants on the run consistently. No duel has done that at UT since Martin and those receivers were thrown open by Martin. Our dual whom can throw it a mile just pulled off the two worst performances in TN history since before our grandfathers were shaving. The best dual threat QB could have done nothing against UGA.That is the measuring stick. Forget UK. The game changed. Your not beating good and elite teams with a guy whom's only half a prolific passer at best. Bama's receivers are good, and well coached, TN's could be too and will develop more if they get the ball more. That means "prolific pocket passer". Bama's receivers are good because Bama has a prolific passer. His legs have almost nothing to do with how many points they put up. We have the plays for Holiday, sure but against a Clemson D or UGA D, he's a scrablin baby seal ripe to get beat up and possibly worse. Any QB we have can throw it 60 yards and some better, but when passing is your go to skill as a QB, you avoid turnovers. You read the field better than a dual ever will. LSU coached Burrow to be a prolific passer. He never came to LSU as one..

Also, there is no moral victory in a loss against Bama starting JG. But there is one even with a loss, if you start Bailey. That moral victory would be,"our coach's dumb love affair with JG is at an end and JP's mind can be changed". That in itself is a huge moral victory for fans and players.

So, TN's coaching has excelled except at QB? Did it look like that the QB position was the only position that fit that prior statement? No. If you start JG against Bama or the other two backups outside of Bailey, a loss is guaranteed and let's be honest, a loss is almost surely coming. If you start Bailey, you get three things. If things don't go well with Bailey, you at least won't have fans angry.Freshman mistakes along with some positives are going to happen. Fans know this. Secondly,if you know this QB, you know his abilities are beyond JG's and seeing someone who isn't the others is a positive. Lastly, the team appears to want a new possibility of success, even if unknown. Let's be real, they appear weary of playing behind JG, especially the D that's already seen one coach fired. With most unknowns the possibility of an upset is there with Bailey, though on par with any 20 year old's chances of dying of the rona. It's still a possibility. With JG,its non-existent. The way AR's D has been accelerating, is facing Bama's D that much of a drop off when you consider their play this season overall? I dare say TN's D could and did shut down UGA's offense for one half before they tired. Sustain drives with this line and Bailey and what if TN's D is fresh through more than 3 quarters? TN's run game is decent to good, the O'line talent is there. A spark from a talented young QB could move the ball long enough to give TN a snowballs chance. That's better than nothing.Bailey has had scrimmage against a TN D that is every bit as good as Bama's D. So its nonsensical not to at least play him against Bama.

Still can't get over that TN natty win huh? LOL

Absolutely. However, they keep thinking a dual threat is the answer to improve the run game. This is idiocy. Let's say it two years from now and Salter is our QB. Does anyone really believe he would have made a difference against UGA's D? Nope. You'll always be SEC#2 or 3 SEC east with a dual and a run game win or bust mentality. Whats beating good D's is prolific passing and the forcing of teams with elite D's desperate to throw in 4th string walk ons to try (SB4) with disastrous results.(UGA Bama game). TN tried in the second half to take a dual like JG and heave the ball up the last six quarters of football and the results have spoken.

rock, Kirby failed to develop Fromm from 17 onward. A slow regression for Fromm by an inability by the coaching staff to from a more dynamic passing scheme on offense. Where has been the desire for UGA (Kirby) to develop a more dynamic offense the last 3 years? Only when you flat out blasted by LSU did a lightbulb just come on???If so, that's trouble. Fromm is slinging it in practice in Buffalo better than he ever has. Can't forget about Eason and the wasted opportunity there either while he was at UGA.Even while Fields was a freshman, he wasn't given many chances at development because Fromm wasn't even as the starter.

If Nix and Guarantano are still starting for their teams when Auburn and TN play, get ready to see an all time record game for number of scores the D's will make. Record game for pick sixes. A game in which the D's will outscore each offense and it won't be close. NFL D scouts of every kind and others from other leagues will be at this game. It will be billed as the greatest D back game in the history of college football.

stuhart its good but far from elite. Elite is we can stand toe to toe with Bama.. UGA thought theirs might be elite.. Nope! This loss was on us, taking away nothing from you guys. I even think you might beat UGA if you can get some passing going..

Honestly, there is no excuse for the D line and the holes. The D line certainly has not had the problems the O'line has had or the QB. But when you see a lower level guy on the D side get fired which isn't really UT's biggest issue, you know than that Pruitt is only getting started on the firing. It's almost as if someone installed coaches to keep this team from winning.smh.

DieselNova. No, starting one against UGA's D would be. Alabama has a very average D or slightly above. They aren't much better than UK's.. Sorry, just facts. The message you send is lack of faith so much in coaching we can't coach our 5 star O'line enough for him to complete a pass??? That sir is dumb. You have nothing to lose starting him against Bama's D. You have everything as far as confidence to lose, starting him against AR's D. If i'm him, i lose nothing by trying against Bama. Rotate him in at Bama at the very least.

I agree. For this age group, they have a better chance of dying while texting and driving than rona. Also few have been hospitalized for covid19 currently. And no one in this age group has died from it, according to the latest stats on rona on the college campuses. Sweden never had lockdowns.. Faired better than us.

Two things in this article. To not start Bailey against Bama would be the same as the UT coaches saying "yes Bama, we believe we are too inept to coach an all 5 star O'line enough to protect Bailey long enough to complete a pass". Newsflash, Bama's D is average at this point. What message would not starting him send to ..well..him. If he can put together some drives, this will boost his confidence and skill to face lesser foe. If you can't move the ball against Bama, it's understandable, if you start and can't do it against AR's D, that's a bit more demoralizing. Lastly. UGA in the playoffs after getting destroyed by the first good team they faced this season.. Ummm why again would we put them in the playoffs at this point? This is not the fourth best team in the nation at this point.

In a word for this article. Dumb. For one, this is not a top notch Alabama D of olden days. This is one where an Ole Miss QB with an average line hung 48 on Bama. UGA's offense, is not good, and a 4th stringer managed to survive the game and apart from the turnovers and batted balls, didn't have a bad game. SB is 5'11,Bailey is 6'5. Batted balls and vision won't be a problem. This article is outdated by about 3 years.. Some success against a good team for a young QB builds more than anything Bama's D can do to TN offense. Also, Bailey just saw a D, grant it for one play, that can play up the level of Bama's D if not better in places.. Playing this game would be a level up win or lose for the fan base. Seeing young talent come in and perform is a much more deserving aspect for UT fans than watching JG get us destroyed again.

"how they came up short in this game". LOL. No, they flat out got a beat down. TN vs UGA game was at least only a on score game starting the 4th. This was never that close. Yes, somehow the headlines were "UGA blows out TN, blah blah blah". These fans have a point. Who put UGA in this point with QB Keebler? Kirby Smart. Where was his desire for prolific passing development the last 4 years?

Justice cow bells ringing..lol

Yeah right they were PETA because don't you know they butcher meat at SEC games on the field.. lol

Security 1 SJW's 0. Like anyone could even read their signs.

waycross Excellent point. UGA's D has to be the bulldog to beat these remaining teams. Not sure how easy thats going to be.

Your insane..lol BYU looked more impressive offensively and i don't thing BYU deserves a playoff shot if they go undefeated.

Not sure UGA will beat UF and a couple of others if SB is your QB. Trask is on par with Mac Jones..NO D in college football is keeping up with the newer system of pass heavy offenses that rack up the points. You gotta out gun UF or or or get to trask.. If UGA can get to trask they can win but UF ain't Auburn..

Yep, all that is true MattyJ. Exactly what happened to TN in the UGA TN game.. If your QB turns is over 4 times, your not beating Vandy. Doesn't matter who you are.

Yes, UGA will take another beating. Not one point in the second half.. If you played Clemson last night, it would have been far worse..

At this point, whats the harm in giving Beck some time.. or some other newbies? The Auburn UGA game seems to have been fools gold and after how TN's QB played against UK, that seems fools gold too.

Corch, we Vawls haven't even begun to start on you..lol. Your living in an illusion. UGA played the exact same game against Bama, than TN did UGA. Good first half, than everything crumbled due to your QB. Your worse than you were last year.. and oh Bama's D is trash? LOL. Enjoy the losses to come.. SC will beat you again, UF and most likely someone else. If not, enjoy another beating from Bama.. Garbage D tonight, not elite against the pass, or the run tonight.. So hows it feel to be called garbage because one QB caused all that? LOL