After rough start, what should Tennessee expect in October? Not much
It’s hard to imagine things getting much better for Tennessee in October. In fact, things will likely get much, much worse.
The Vols are 1-3 overall and lost their lone SEC game to Florida last week. How do the Vols rebound? Is it even possible?
Well, fortunately for the Vols, UT’s schedule isn’t quite as difficult as 2018. The Vols played Auburn, hosted Alabama and played at South Carolina during October last season. At the time, UT surprised the Tigers. That turned out not to be much of an achievement as Auburn stumbled to a 8-5 season and was one of the most disappointing teams in the SEC. Still, considering where UT’s program was, that win should have been celebrated as it was at the time.
Finding an October win this season will be much more difficult.
The Vols play Georgia on Saturday. The Bulldogs are clearly a national championship contender. Then, UT will host Mississippi State. State has been erratic but is 3-2. Still, Mississippi State is beatable if the Vols can get their house in order. Ah, but can they?
As for playing at Alabama, even the most ardent UT fan can chalk that up to a 13th consecutive loss to Nick Saban. Then, the Vols host South Carolina. The Gamecocks had a nice bounce-back win over Kentucky, but they also lost to North Carolina and are guided by a true freshman at QB. If they Vols can win that home game, a 1-3 record this month should probably be celebrated.
Could the Vols do better than that?
Could they actually finish October with a 2-2 record? That depends more on UT than its opponents. It’s clear that there’s big time trouble with UT’s football program. Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt lost to Florida 34-3 in Week 4. Consider this: Former UT coach Derek Dooley’s worst margin of defeat to Florida was just 17 points. Pruitt’s predecessor, Butch Jones? His largest margin of defeat versus Florida was just 14 points. Add those numbers up and you get Pruitt’s margin of defeat against the Gators. That’s a bit eerie. And that’s after Pruitt lost last year’s game by 26.
Pruitt’s average margin of losing against Florida is 28.5 points. Dooley and Jones’ average margin of loss was 14 and -2 points, respectively. Sure, Florida is better than when Dooley played them. However, that’s a pretty stark difference.
Pruitt is also facing something that might be insurmountable this season. He has a real quarterback quandary on his hands. Despite all the talk that Jarrett Guarantano would improve with the return of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, Guarantano has actually regressed. After being replaced by Brian Maurer, his job could very well be on the line.
The Georgia game probably won’t tell us much about UT’s improvement — if there was any during the bye week. The average margin of defeat won’t likely be as bad as the Florida game because Georgia runs more of a ball-control offense. Instead of a high-flying blowout, Saturday’s game figures to be more of a bludgeoning. How will that affect UT’s already battered confidence? That could determine future outcomes in October.
The surrounding noise around Pruitt’s program might make it impossible for him to win in October. I mentioned the quarterback chatter. There’s also been a consistent exodus of transfers and talk that UT athletic director Phillip Fulmer could actually take over for the Vols — this season.
At some point, does Pruitt start to look over his shoulder and second guess himself with Fulmer waiting in the wings? At some point, does Pruitt start to think about where he can land if things don’t finish much, much better at UT? No, that’s not what sportsmanship and a team atmosphere are all about, but it’s also human nature.
All the turmoil is hard for any UT fan to stomach. The Vols were nearly bowl eligible last season. That was commendable considering it was Pruitt’s first season as a head coach. Last season would have been a resounding success with just 1 more win and beating Kentucky and Auburn, which were both ranked at the time. That wouldn’t be bad for any first-year coach. Now, Pruitt looks like it’s his first season as any sort of coach.
What happens if the Vols go 0-4 in October? That’s possible, too. How do they finish the season with any optimism against much better teams? They won’t.
Whatever leadership this team has has already been tested. If the Vols are 1-7 and already not bowl eligible in October, who steps up in November? Who starts thinking about the future? It would be hard to blame any player for doing so if the Vols can’t salvage something in October.
If Pruitt can salvage this season, it begins with October. He’s had a strong career as an assistant but nothing he’s done would compare to getting the Vols bowl eligible this season. This is the greatest challenge he has ever faced.
In a season gone off the rails, things could get much worse. The Vols could soon be begging for Halloween to mercifully arrive. Then, the Vols could at least disguise themselves as a good football team.
Ouch. At least they snatched Jim Chaney away from Georgia.
LOL
Yeah because all of this is Chaney’s fault.
I don’t know who keeps letting this clown write under the guise of being a UT beat writer. He only slanders the university with his opinionated “facts”. I haven’t seen another writer on this site write for “their” team with the same sarcasm and negativity as he does. I don’t know what his personal vendetta is against the university but my gosh write an article without your DA opinions mixed in and leave the 7th grade journalism at home.
Hooker has a history with UT. His credentials were taken away back in 2006. So needless to say he has a vendetta against UT now. Everyone here (locally in Knoxville) that knows him can’t stand him. So just take his articles for what there worth. NOTHING! It would be like reading an article Butch Jones wrote about UT.
I stopped reading the articles today but will continue to complain about this jacka$$. In glad to at least know there is a personal reason for his constant attacks on UT. Afraid I may have to leave SDS at some point. Doesn’t say much for SDS to allow this type of attack. We get enough from trolls like ugarmy and now espn.
Agreed! This is getting out of hand. I just hope one day we can throw it back in there face. For the kids sake as well. I know they working to improve.
Just because he does not blow orange smoke up your ass does not mean that he is a clown. Hooker has good insight and sense of humor. He is from Powell. The guy is making a living, so keep it civil!
Being from Powell doesn’t give this moron a free pass to write garbage about “his” school week after week. He deserves the flak he’s getting for producing this slop.
Sorry but I disagree. I have read many *MANY* articles over the years from all kinds of different sports reporters from different outlets. He cannot hide his animosity and is most certainly incapable of covering UT objectively. I suppose SDS wants someone with an axe to grind to ceaselessly annoy us.
Pretty sure this writer is garbage, but I would like to point out that I fully believe Tennessee’s blue tick hound is an egg-sucker. That’s the only huntin’-dog related insult I can think of that doesn’t involve trashing his tracking skills.
At least he has some skills. What skills does that lard-a$$ nut-lickin bulldog have.
Can you lick your nuts?
Reminds me of an old joke with the punchline “Because he can”
Well he’s a heckuva lot more amicable than you are.
Lol! He def likes to lick the nut$.
He can sit on a bag of ice all day. That aint easy
Good article Dave. Keep up the good work. Seems that Vol fans with room temperature IQ’s have issues with reality. Do not let it slow you down. Go Panthers.
How is this good work? The same depressing tone from him everytime. Same remarks. How does this help anything? If he really cared about UT football he works get off the “kick UT while they are down” bandwagon.
Room temperature IQ people love Dave and his articles about nothing. Its the people with any sense that wish for more.
This guy is brutal. If only TN could fire sports writers like they do coaches.
Keep beating them down. No mercy should be shown to their arrogance. To hell with Vols.
To hell with you too, Jarhead.
Daves problem is that his articles are all babbling banal nonsense and stupid rhetorical questions. Why doesnt he ever give insight on practices, or speculate on strategy or write anything that shows one ounce of technical football knowledge? IDK.Maybe one day
Agreed – he has nothing of any real value to post, so he just gathers all kinds of crap together and hits post.
I have to be with the Vol fans here. First simple math is tough for a lot of football writers. If everyone had the same all-time great coach, they would still get beat every other Saturday and luck would sometimes get them beat by several scores. Coming from any other attitude exposes someone’s total lack of reasoning power. Pruitt brings exactly the right patient attitude needed to get Tennessee through the mess made by the Tennessee hiring/firing squads + the media nasty club + the unrealistic fanclub. Neither Kiffin, Dooley, or Jones, had to stay there forever but that was a revolving door and the squeaky sounds that came out of there for the brief time they spun around in it are not what recruits and assistant coaching staffs want to sign up to hear.
So Maurer is the QB now? Thought Pruitt was keeping it a ‘secret’.
Y’all have 7 QB’s on the roster; surely you can find someone to run Chaney’s offense.
And your snarkyness makes watching UGA flop each year trying to get to National Title game so much more fun.