ESPN is the one that looks bad. Before the first ball is ever kicked, they are picking a Heisman Winner and a National Champion. How many of these have they actually been correct on? Not too many. I was looking through Athlon's, Lindy's and Phil Steele(who by the way, I have regarded as the worst pre-season mag the past few years but have recently found him to be the most credible) Out of those three, Phil Steele is the only one who mentions Johnny Manziel. ESPN is a firetruckin' joke. They know it, we know it but for some reason, the big money doesn't have a clue. Let ESPN make the jokes, laugh at our expense and talk down to the fan base. Remember these times, and then, when Gameday comes around, put it on a poster and hold it up. There are ways to get back at these networks.
As Vols fans, the list of coaches you need to stay away from are Golden, Patterson, Briles (4 years ago you didn't have a clue who this cat was), Bob Stoops, and Charlie Strong. You can criticize all you want for this list but think about each and every name I just listed and give me 5 good reasons, without doing an internet search, as to why you would want any of them. Charlie Strong is a good coach at the level he is coaching at, but what makes you think he can replicate that in the SEC? Bob Stoops cannot win the big games any longer. He has target rich Texas, Oklahoma and the surrounding states and only recruits head cases at key positions. Art Briles...Not going into it. Patterson? He has a gimicky offense that may work for a minute in the SEC, but, it wouldn't last. Yes, he has won some big games, but when you play someone once in a bowl game and they don't expect your game plan, it will work. In the SEC, that will work week one, maybe week two, but week three, your a$$ is grass. The productivity will drop into the abyss and you will be calling for his head by week 7. This is the nature of the SEC. The running game is key, great defense is key and a balanced game plan is the key to winning. I know what has worked in the past with some teams, but when SEC teams figure out the unbalanced approach, teams adjust accordingly and win that battle.
The next question is: Who do you want? You want a coach that will be committed to the program for a number of years and a proven winner. What makes the Vols think they can't have anybody they want? If you want Gruden, then you will have Gruden. If you want a Brian Kelly, you will have a Brian Kelly (maybe not this year). If Hart is too stupid to set the standards high, you will always fall Dooley short. Don't go after a mid-major guy...this only worked out for Meyer and Kelly in recent years. Kevin Sumlin is having some short term success but as soon as the teams in the conference do their homework on Manziel, he will not be a factor. I saw someone mention Manny Diaz. This guy is off the charts but he has not had a good season with his defense this year. Is he an up and comer? Absolutely, but do you give him the keys to an elite program at this stage? Hell no. Kirby Smart? Yeah, on the surface, he appears to be a defensive mastermind, but none of us know how much control he has over the defense. We know that Saban is a control freak and with that said, he probably doesn't let these guys make serious calls on the field. His coordinators act as advisors, not coaches. Be careful what you wish for. You can look at a guy on paper and think he is the key to success, but in reality he is the main ingredient for failure.
