Volosaurus rex
Doctorate in Volology
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- Dec 2, 2009
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The decidedly sour tone of forum threads this week is entirely understandable in the aftermath of our monumental loss to Oregon. However, there are times when it truly is impossible to see the forest for the trees. The following perspective was offered by Canard, an Oregon fan, in comparing the Dooley-coached team which he witnessed three years ago and the Tennessee team which took the field last week (post 18 of http://www.volnation.com/forum/tennessee-vols-football/202564-how-long-2.html#post9174901):
"Looking at your Scout current verbal commits, there's a lot to like about the number of HS and JC four stars lined up to help out, though the list lacks O linemen. UT shares something with Oregon, a shallow in state talent pool. This means you need tireless recruiting efforts. If CBJ is that guy, you'll be a force soon.
As a CFB junkie, I watched the cut ups here of your offense and defense these past weeks. They were somewhat funny because you could readily see how Oregon would destroy UT in all three phases. Make Worley beat you and make the D overcommit to the perimeter run.
But something else is on that tape too. CBJ is installing a system this year, results be damned. Rather than play to the strengths of a team he didn't build, he's making them play his chosen systems. That's not about this year or next, it's about re-establishing a culture of winning. It's about getting these players to be the mentors of classes yet to come. It's about playing whistle to whistle even in the face of long odds.
We faced Dooley in his first year. I saw a team that had no identity, one that the week following had LSU on death's door and let them escape via disorganization. Sloppy.
CBJ's squad was powerfully overmatched, but what I saw was organization and discipline remaining solid. The UT team didn't quit. Didn't get chippy, and fought to the end. There's a lot to build on in that."
As you are undoubtedly aware, several of the bolded statements are almost verbatim citations of Butch's oratorical principles as they apply to coaching, all of which can be succinctly tied together by his slogan, "Brick by brick." 'tis nice to see that an Oregon fan can see the physical manifestation of those foundational principles three games into Butch Jones' first season, even if many Tennessee fans focus only on the short-term deficiencies represented on the scoreboard. Herbstreit said much the same on the ESPN GameDay show: "Tennessee's coming. Their great times are ahead of them with Butch Jones."
"Looking at your Scout current verbal commits, there's a lot to like about the number of HS and JC four stars lined up to help out, though the list lacks O linemen. UT shares something with Oregon, a shallow in state talent pool. This means you need tireless recruiting efforts. If CBJ is that guy, you'll be a force soon.
As a CFB junkie, I watched the cut ups here of your offense and defense these past weeks. They were somewhat funny because you could readily see how Oregon would destroy UT in all three phases. Make Worley beat you and make the D overcommit to the perimeter run.
But something else is on that tape too. CBJ is installing a system this year, results be damned. Rather than play to the strengths of a team he didn't build, he's making them play his chosen systems. That's not about this year or next, it's about re-establishing a culture of winning. It's about getting these players to be the mentors of classes yet to come. It's about playing whistle to whistle even in the face of long odds.
We faced Dooley in his first year. I saw a team that had no identity, one that the week following had LSU on death's door and let them escape via disorganization. Sloppy.
CBJ's squad was powerfully overmatched, but what I saw was organization and discipline remaining solid. The UT team didn't quit. Didn't get chippy, and fought to the end. There's a lot to build on in that."
As you are undoubtedly aware, several of the bolded statements are almost verbatim citations of Butch's oratorical principles as they apply to coaching, all of which can be succinctly tied together by his slogan, "Brick by brick." 'tis nice to see that an Oregon fan can see the physical manifestation of those foundational principles three games into Butch Jones' first season, even if many Tennessee fans focus only on the short-term deficiencies represented on the scoreboard. Herbstreit said much the same on the ESPN GameDay show: "Tennessee's coming. Their great times are ahead of them with Butch Jones."
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