Latest Marvin West column

[DaddyChad]

It really is a good/important sentence. Are titles necessary in the eyes of the leadership on the Hill? Currie might be the only one who cares.

To the administration I would say they're happy with the revenue flowing in regardless of results. We've been through one of the worst decades in program history and Butch has got us back to decent at least. We went from financial turmoil under Hamilton to one of the three most profitable programs in the nation with Hart/Butch at the helm. Decent might be good enough for the people in charge at UT especially until Saban retires.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

He still had a good deal of the USC shine on him and many thought his failure in Oakland was mainly due to the combination of a meddlesome owner and just not being ready at 31 years to be an NFL HC just yet. Hard to get the respect of a team when many of the players are your age or older.

Fair enough. I do recall that he interviewed with Clemson as well. He was definitely a third tier type candidate to a lot of people.

 

[UT-Rex]

That's a great little article there, Mr. West ! Objective with a splash of opinions shared by many. Keep up the good work. "West Words" -- I like that.

Go Vols. Go Butch and Staff.

 

[ru4real-really?]

I had to go back and read it again. Maybe I too can be accused of being senile because I find no fault in anything that he wrote.

I might add that I go back a long time with Marvin West. He wrote about our football team when I was in high school before the season every year. That was over fifty years ago.

Those of you with sharper minds, please point out his errors for those of us who don't get it!

 

[LA Vol]

So you don't think they were riled up during those years that Tennessee ended up 2nd or lower to Florida or Georgia? Or when Tennessee lost to Memphis? Seriously?

Sure. Choking away winnable games riles most fanbases... and coaches who make it a habit eventually rile enough people to get fired. UT's fanbase has been divided before... and is divided now. This season may or may not bridge the gap. Everybody has their own opinion about what it will take to do that-- including Marvin West.

 

[gunner]

If 8-4 defines success for you, you're rooting for the wrong program.

8-4 isn't a successful coach imho, but I was simply referring to Butch's previous stops where he had won conference titles. Winning a conference title defines a successful coach imho.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Butch has been successful because he has brought us to the point where we now are competing for the east title. If you're up there you gotta shot. Been a while since we can say that. Now if butch doesn't take the next step, we bring in a coach who Currie believes will take it.

So Butch is better than Dooley? Wow. Great.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

So Butch is better than Dooley? Wow. Great.

That's not what he said, BOT. He didn't even mention Dooley. You're tilting at windmills, rather than responding to what he did say. Which, btw, did include that we need to take the next step.

 

[sjt18]

To them nothing absolutely nothing can be positive about Tennessee football. They want to say they are telling it like it is - but ignore the positive. I guess because saying anything positive about the team would appear to be supportive of the current coaching staff.

So telling the truth is wrong because it might call into question a questionable HC?

Is Tennessee football where most would like it to be? NO. Is it as bad as these "so called reporters" in Knoxville make it out to be? NO. Is there hope in the future? YES.

It isn't just Knoxville. There are national reporters and oddsmakers wondering if UK will pass UT this year. Whether you agree or not... is it even remotely acceptable that this should even be a topic for debate?

Someone needs to be keeping a list and when Tennessee is at the top identify these bandwagon "folks" for what they really are.

:lolabove: "Bandwagon fans" who've been with the Vols for decades, through thick and thin,... who just find things like the losses to Vandy and USCe unacceptable?

Folks need to either rally and get behind this Tennessee football team or start wearing their true colors which isn't orange. This team hasn't even taken the field yet and folks are already calling them failures.

Firmly behind the UT Vols. But I don't think that means giving blind faith to a coach who hasn't come close to earning it. Do you?

 

[tm3]

Style and grammar can be nit picked, and motivation can be questioned, but the summation point is this:

After a week of adjustments, the Vols were worse. Vanderbilt scored 45, most for the Commodores against an SEC opponent in 46 years.

With 8 of 11 UT defensive starters playing, and the Sugar Bowl on the line.

 

[OrangeSquid]

Truth is this fan base has always been divided and always complains. Some want what their brother Alabama has and always complains. They are only satisfied in the years Tennessee wins the SEC. All other years = fire the coach.

Who claims Bama as a brother? :whistling:

 

[MWAVolfan]

"The positivity of the fan base is what wins football games. When things look dire, just smile and pretend like everything is OK". I believe that's one of Neyland's lesser known maxims.

 

[JPL]

Style and grammar can be nit picked, and motivation can be questioned, but the summation point is this:

After a week of adjustments, the Vols were worse. Vanderbilt scored 45, most for the Commodores against an SEC opponent in 46 years.

With 8 of 11 UT defensive starters playing, and the Sugar Bowl on the line.

The Vanderbilt game with the Sugar Bowl on the line was a definite low point last year, at least for me. Took awhile to digest.

From Marvin's article: "On his scorecard are more upset losses than upset wins." This has to change this year for Butch and TN in my opinion. For me, upset wins this year would be a win over FL, GA, BAMA, LSU and not have any upset losses.

Win the ones you're suppose to, win the close ones with just one close loss, earn 2 upset wins (from the four above) and you have a very good season. 9 Regular season wins before the bowl game.

If they can accomplish that then very good chance TN wins the East.

GO VOLS!!!

 

[MWAVolfan]

The Vanderbilt game with the Sugar Bowl on the line was a definite low point last year, at least for me. Took awhile to digest.

From Marvin's article: "On his scorecard are more upset losses than upset wins." This has to change this year for Butch and TN in my opinion. For me, upset wins this year would be a win over FL, GA, BAMA, LSU and not have any upset losses.

I don't see beating FL, or LSU as upsets. I certainly don't see GA as an upset.

There is only one game on the schedule that you can argue is a game we shouldn't win. I'm not saying that I expect UT will beat UF, GA or LSU. But I do believe they SHOULD beat them.

 

[sjt18]

From Marvin's article: "On his scorecard are more upset losses than upset wins." This has to change this year for Butch and TN in my opinion. For me, upset wins this year would be a win over FL, GA, BAMA, LSU and not have any upset losses.

Win the ones you're suppose to, win the close ones with just one close loss, earn 2 upset wins (from the four above) and you have a very good season. 9 Regular season wins before the bowl game.

If they can accomplish that then very good chance TN wins the East.

GO VOLS!!!

Agree with your basic argument but why do you think a win over UF should be considered an upset this fall? Maybe even a win over UGA at home?

All three teams have roster questions that are answered by "potentially good players".

 

[sjt18]

Truth is this fan base has always been divided. Some want what their brother Alabama has and always complains. They are only satisfied in the years Tennessee wins the SEC. All other years = fire the coach.

The truth is... that's not even close to being true.

 

[butchna]

Why? What has happened at UT this century that tells you winning championships is important? Just look on this board, many claim Butch is successful because he's better than Dooley.

We hope with Currie coming in the culture will change, but that remains to be seen.

"Many" see signs of optimism from the improvement in coaches...including Butch. Doesn't make them lesser fans than you OR affect this "culture" you revere like a Hindu elephant. Who's "we" btw? Some select posters that are setting themselves aside for higher standard pillow fights?

 

[butchna]

The truth is... that's not even close to being true.

Your opinion. Just because you insist everything is TRUTH, doesn't make it so.

 

[sjt18]

Some facts -

- It took Phil Fulmer 5 years to win the east; actually 5.5 if you give him the half year he coached.

It took him 1 year to win 10 games and go 7-1 in the SEC... or zero if you don't count the half year.

Standing in his way was Florida at the peak of their history coached by one of the best CFB has ever known.

No one in the East compares to Spurrier or his teams in the 90's.

I agree that Tennessee is long over due for a title. It has been 19 years spanning 4 coaches Fulmer, Kiffin, Dooley and Jones - but history says 5 to 6 years for a coach at Tennessee to get a team to that level.

No. It really doesn't. You have to make an apples to apples comparison. You didn't. UT had the East for the taking the last two years and Jones couldn't find a way to get it done.

 

[butchna]

Agree with your basic argument but why do you think a win over UF should be considered an upset this fall? Maybe even a win over UGA at home?

All three teams have roster questions that are answered by "potentially good players".

Hedging your bets in case they mess up and win? Can't have that make one of your pontificating posts look foolish...like the 2013 SC win. :wink2:

 

[jakez4ut]

I don't see beating FL, or LSU as upsets. I certainly don't see GA as an upset.

There is only one game on the schedule that you can argue is a game we shouldn't win. I'm not saying that I expect UT will beat UF, GA or LSU. But I do believe they SHOULD beat them.

Agree with your basic argument but why do you think a win over UF should be considered an upset this fall? Maybe even a win over UGA at home?

All three teams have roster questions that are answered by "potentially good players".

while i agree that i don't think we're to the point we were several years back where beating teams like that would be like a David/Goliath type match up...

this year, it will be conventional wisdom to believe both GA and FL SHOULD win their games against us given all the changes we've made among the coaching ranks, and breaking in a new qb, rb, de's etc....

we all still have questions, agreed, and the playing field is probably as even as it's been (not sure if that's good or bad given the state of the east the past few years) in quite some time. but many will believe, right or wrong, that we just have more ?'s than the other two.

so when it comes time for folks to to pick winners in those games, i'm willing to bet a majority will pick the opposition, than us. making it an "upset". would people be shocked if we won? probably not. i still think most are lukewarm on the East as a whole.

hell, most of us, self included, have us losing to at least one of them. very few of us expect us to beat both. and if we do, i would say "good job....now don't screw it up again".:thumbsup:

 

[JPL]

I don't see beating FL, or LSU as upsets. I certainly don't see GA as an upset.

There is only one game on the schedule that you can argue is a game we shouldn't win. I'm not saying that I expect UT will beat UF, GA or LSU. But I do believe they SHOULD beat them.

The recent Vegas line only has TN favored in 1 of the 4 and that is against GA by just one point at home & GA will be starting an experienced QB with proven RBs. TNs defense will have to step up BIG to win that game. GA will be eager after losing the way they did last year.

Ref:
https://allfortennessee.com/2017/06/23/tennessee-football-new-vegas-line-rivals/

 

[jakez4ut]

The recent Vegas line only has TN favored in 1 of the 4 and that is against GA by just one point at home & GA will be starting an experienced QB with proven RBs. TNs defense will have to step up BIG to win that game. GA will be eager after losing the way they did last year.

Ref:
https://allfortennessee.com/2017/06/23/tennessee-football-new-vegas-line-rivals/

June betting lines really don't matter. just trying to get easy money one way or the other so when the line changes in the fall, it'll get close to even money, and vegas wins.

that's all.

 

[BeecherVol]

Someone needs to be keeping a list and when Tennessee is at the top identify these bandwagon "folks" for what they really are.
.

Im pretty sure you re late with that idea.

 

[BeecherVol]

Sure. Choking away winnable games riles most fanbases... and coaches who make it a habit eventually rile enough people to get fired. UT's fanbase has been divided before... and is divided now. This season may or may not bridge the gap. Everybody has their own opinion about what it will take to do that-- including Marvin West.

Exactly.