Derek Dooley's fate at Tennessee may already be sealed. The Mississippi State contest was supposed to be Dooley's attempt to finally right the ship against a Top 25 program and SEC opponent.
Tennessee lost 41-31 to Mississippi State.
Dooley must now pull out an upset victory against Alabama or South Carolina to get some type of momentum built in his direction. Otherwise, the discussion of Tennessee's next head coach will only increase.
Bruce Feldman of CBSSports.com mentioned an interesting potential candidate for the possible opening on Rocky Top. West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen may be interested in Tennessee.
"The Vols situation, though, will tempt a lot of people," Feldman wrote. "Compared to WVU, Tennessee would offer a significant upgrade in facilities. Also, it'd likely improve Holgorsen's chances of landing elite defensive talent."
The luster on Holgorsen's well oiled offensive juggernaut was dinged slightly after West Virginia's hiccup against Texas Tech. But Holgorsen certainly has the ability to put a team on the field that entices many of the nation's elite programs. And they'll likely be calling about the coach sooner or later.