KNOXVILLE — Butch Jones has turned to media scolding and the fourth edition of Checker Neyland to boost his team ahead of a showdown with No. 7 Georgia.

https://twitter.com/Vol_Football/status/912431361755107329

Jones vs. The Media might have been the tipping point for his Tennessee tenure. But which way will it turn?

The Vols’ fifth-year head coach thought it was necessary to pinpoint blame on the media, calling reporters “fake news” in his weekly Monday press conference kicking off Georgia week.

“What do we want out of our media?” Jones said, as part of a long rant.

He said he sees “drama” being created based on issues surrounding his team. When something goes wrong, it’s easy to deflect blame on others and that is what he manufactures by slogans.

Jones was referencing injured wide receiver Jauan Jennings not being on the sideline against UMass. Jones said “you guys look for everything” talking about the media saying that “you guys are running a reality-TV show that feeds off drama.”

The “drama” he envisions coming from the media alongside fans questioning why defensive tackle Shy Tuttle missed the UMass game with an “orbital injury” due to an altercation, yet Jones cited Tuttle was a victim of “falling on a helmet.”

Jones’ body language also told a story.

Jones stood at the podium and focused on positive developments, though they had nothing to do with stopping Georgia on Saturday. Make no mistake, he has done a lot of heavy lifting in getting Tennessee football back on stable grounds, but to deflect blame and question the media inquiring about ongoing issues inside the locker room points to a filibuster.

“Are we focused on Tennessee football from a recruiting standpoint, from all the positive things we’ve done, from all the positive things this football program brings to the community, this great fan base? Are we in the reality world of TV?” Jones asked.

He then told media members to “check themselves” if their reporting does not favor his views. Jones didn’t go all Mike Gundy, but he went to the familiar refrain of being a parent and challenged reporters to act responsibly when reporting about his extended family, i.e., his players.

More curveballs.

“I think all of us as humans have to self-check ourselves, and you may not like that answer, but I’m a father, I have three boys and I think we sometimes have to put ourselves in a role of a parent as well,” Jones said. “And I understand y’all have jobs to do. My expectations as the head football coach, I’m the caretaker of Tennessee football.”

The explanation seemed eerie similar to Hugh Freeze’s SEC Media Days speech wanting to display himself in good nature and deflect questions that seemed harmful to his program.

“I’m here to develop and grow the football program, recruit the best possible student-athletes to represent the University of Tennessee and win football games and graduate our players,” Jones said. “That’s my responsibility. I take that very seriously. But also, I love our kids and I’m going to protect our players and I”m going to protect our program.”

Jones said that “sometimes the negativity is overwhelming” surrounding his program, and he questioned the loyalty of the fanbase in regards to containing their judgment.

“If everyone is Vols fans, how do we let our opponents use this in the recruiting process with fake news?” Jones asked. “Sometimes, again, we have to check ourselves. What are we here for? What’s our values and principals that guide our life every single day?”

Jones did give a sincere gesture when concluding his press conference by saying that he “appreciates everyone in this room.”

“You guys have a job to do, and I’m respectful of that. I’m friends with a lot of you guys in the room and I appreciate it, but there comes a certain time where enough is enough. Thank you.”

Clearly the temperature is rising.

With questions surrounding how Jones has handled the quarterback situation and Tuttle’s injury, it is fair to ask if the pressure is overwhelming him and why he perceives the media as an adversary.

We will see if calling out the media and turning to Checker Neyland will help provide a sense of urgency against No. 7 Georgia.

Tennessee fans no doubt can agree with him on one thing: Enough is enough.