Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

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#213,752
#213,752
Kingston Vol said:
I remember having a discussion with you about Pruitt - I think it was in the middle of the season last year, maybe during the win streak.

We kinda went back and forth on whether or not you or I would bet that Pruitt ever wins the SEC here. You seemed confident that he would luck into one, even if it came as a down year for Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

I was less optimistic - and not necessarily because I thought Pruitt couldn't do it. But because I know how tough it is to win this division and this conference at Tennessee.

We're a historical brand - that's for sure. But in the last 40 years, we've only won the conference 5 times. We've won the division 6 times in 28 years.

So while you say you are SURE Hugh Freeze would get us to that level, I would push back and say there are very few coaches in the country that would be a sure bet given the fact that Florida and Georgia have clear and overwhelming advantages over us as a program, and we have to play Alabama every year.

So, you say you're willing to risk it all (in regards to either NCAA violations or the embarrassment a guy like Hugh Freeze could bring) on a sure thing, however, I am arguing, with historical precedent on my side, that Freeze is not a sure thing. And we don't get back to a position of relevance with a quick fix, dirty recruiting, thumbing our nose at the SEC hire.
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It may be semantics but there’s not a 100% sure fire guarantee that anyone would get us to 10+ wins quick, fast and a hurry. Not even Freeze as much as I want him. BUT in my opinion in terms of the the names mentioned and the closest ones to as much of a sure thing as is possible...

1. Urban (unrealistic pipe dream)
2. Freeze
10. Everyone else
 
#213,754
#213,754
HoleInTheRoof said:
😂 at the people who can look at our linebackers and our zero pass rush and our trash except for the one unknown at QB and declare we have the talent to “play with anyone.”

You all are blinded by your hatred of Pruitt.
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I've said, and will continue to say, we have the talent to be 5-2.
 
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#213,755
#213,755
What does UT have to lose with Hugh Freeze? We’re already at rock bottom. At least we tried even if it goes down in flames. He’s the most accomplished and surest thing out of anybody we could hire. He’s going to be back in the league at some point and will kick our butts somewhere else if we don’t hire him.

Hiring guys that we hope work out should be over. He’s worth the risk and it’s time to make it happen.
 
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#213,756
#213,756
GoBigOrange86 said:
Some folks think Tennessee fans are demanding the world, but I just don't see it. I see folks like Bass. Just get us COMPETITIVE to have a SHOT in maybe a special year. Kingston points out we've won 5 titles in 40 years. Honestly, that isn't awful to me. We should be averaging an SEC title a decade or thereabouts. We aren't going to BE Bama and most fans don't feel the need to be. But we can be a respectable program year in and year out, a tough out that no one looks forward to playing, a Music City/Gator Bowl team at worst who in a special year gets up to competing for the East and maybe winning the conference. We don't have to be the absolute joke we have been.
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Our program should win ~8-10 games and/or be ranked in the top 25 every year. I think we should at LEAST be the east version of Auburn the last decade. Where we are now is really disappointing.
 
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#213,757
#213,757
volfaninpa said:
Would he be Pete Carroll, Herm Edwards, or Bill Callahan for UT?

I'd take the first 2 if that's what he could get UT to.
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Marrone had 2 8-5 seasons at Syracuse during the 1st part of this decade so he's proven he can win in a tough environment. Would probably be able to hire a great coaching staff. Recruiting would be a question mark but with UT's $ and resources I'm sure that wouldn't be much of a problem.
 
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#213,758
#213,758
ricepatty said:
Our program should win ~8-10 games and/or be ranked in the top 25 every year. I think we should at LEAST be the east version of Auburn the last decade. Where we are now is really disappointing.
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Auburn is a good comparison to where we COULD be. And you, me, and everyone else knows Auburn wouldn't even think twice about hiring Hugh Freeze and that they would pay absolutely no penalty for doing so.
 
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#213,759
#213,759
Bassmaster_Vol said:
It is true that I had high hopes for Jeremy Pruitt. He clearly was not ready to be a head coach. How do you know that Freeze would do anything that other teams aren't doing? I'm sure he would be more concerned this time than he was the last. And by the way, the NCAA has no teeth. Again, will wade is coaching at LSU.

If you have paid attention to anything anyone is saying, all we're hoping for is relevance. Give us 9-11 games a year, with 8 being the floor in an awful year, with a chance to win it all. That is not only possible at TN, it should be the expectation. Bama isn't going to be bama forever. Anyone who thinks that is the case has recency bias and hasn't paid attention to history. GA also seems to be on a down trend at the moment. College football is fluid. Look at Texas, USC, Florida State etc. Things ebb and flow.

Hugh Freeze would get us to that level that I'm describing. We aren't going to be embarrassed every year, we aren't going to be hoping for bowl games. He is a coach that our rivals would lose sleep over. They would have to plan and prepare. They don't want us hiring Hugh Freeze. They would laugh at us if we hired Tee. Freeze gets us to a respectable level, we would not have 15 year losing streaks to our rivals under Freeze, and if he got the right QB, we'd have the chance to win it all. That's all anyone wants.
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I agree with you that all I think we're aiming for is relevance at this point. Win 8-9 a year, occasionally sprinkle in 10-11 win year. We aren't demanding national titles.

I just disagree with you that the floor with Freeze is no lower than 8 wins. Purely as a football coach? That's probably true.

But there's more to a winning program than what happens on the field each Saturday, and that is where I believe he is not ready to handle a program of this size and provide the stability it needs.

Like I said, if we hire him, I bet we'd have a 9-10 win season within three years. I have no doubt about that, really. But I also think to that he'd have to pull his old tricks he used at Ole Miss - and by Year 5 we'd have to fire him and we'd be under sanctions looking for a new head coach, begging anyone worth a damn to pull us out of the gutter.

If you guaranteed me an SEC title, I think I'd sign up for the inevitable fall from grace. But with Saban, Smart and Mullen in the conference, Freeze is not capable of getting everything right and winning at that level.
 
#213,763
#213,763
GoBigOrange86 said:
Some folks think Tennessee fans are demanding the world, but I just don't see it. I see folks like Bass. Just get us COMPETITIVE to have a SHOT in maybe a special year. Kingston points out we've won 5 titles in 40 years. Honestly, that isn't awful to me. We should be averaging an SEC title a decade or thereabouts. We aren't going to BE Bama and most fans don't feel the need to be. But we can be a respectable program year in and year out, a tough out that no one looks forward to playing, a Music City/Gator Bowl team at worst who in a special year gets up to competing for the East and maybe winning the conference. We don't have to be the absolute joke we have been.
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Exactly. and what Saban has done at bama has never happened before and will likely never happen again. No one expects that nor should they. I expect to be what we were under Fulmer. Competitive every year with a chance to win it all.
 
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#213,765
#213,765
HoleInTheRoof said:
😂 at the people who can look at our linebackers and our zero pass rush and our trash except for the one unknown at QB and declare we have the talent to “play with anyone.”

You all are blinded by your hatred of Pruitt.
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Who said we have the talent to play with anyone? I haven't seen that at all.
 
#213,767
#213,767
Kingston Vol said:
I agree with you that all I think we're aiming for is relevance at this point. Win 8-9 a year, occasionally sprinkle in 10-11 win year. We aren't demanding national titles.

I just disagree with you that the floor with Freeze is no lower than 8 wins. Purely as a football coach? That's probably true.

But there's more to a winning program than what happens on the field each Saturday, and that is where I believe he is not ready to handle a program of this size and provide the stability it needs.

Like I said, if we hire him, I bet we'd have a 9-10 win season within three years. I have no doubt about that, really. But I also think to that he'd have to pull his old tricks he used at Ole Miss - and by Year 5 we'd have to fire him and we'd be under sanctions looking for a new head coach, begging anyone worth a damn to pull us out of the gutter.

If you guaranteed me an SEC title, I think I'd sign up for the inevitable fall from grace. But with Saban, Smart and Mullen in the conference, Freeze is not capable of getting everything right and winning at that level.
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You're assuming, you do not know. GA and AU cheat more than anyone and yet nothing is happening to them. You don't know that Freeze would bring sanctions.
 
#213,768
#213,768
MrVolton said:
Since everyone is willing to give Freeze a second chance...
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Sark I have mixed feelings on. I like the thought of the next HC being someone with really good offensive experience. But he didn't do anything special in his brief tenure at USC and was known as 7-win Sark at UW, which got to be pretty good under Petersen (who is probably a generational coach, to be fair). I don't know. It's a roll of the dice, but so many things are.
 
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#213,769
#213,769
HoleInTheRoof said:
😂 at the people who can look at our linebackers and our zero pass rush and our trash except for the one unknown at QB and declare we have the talent to “play with anyone.”

You all are blinded by your hatred of Pruitt.
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Well, in year three, Pruitt should have been expected to sign some pass rushers and linebackers. We've got To'o To'o and two runningbacks in the middle and nothing on the defensive ends.
 
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#213,770
#213,770
GoBigOrange86 said:
Auburn is a good comparison to where we COULD be. And you, me, and everyone else knows Auburn wouldn't even think twice about hiring Hugh Freeze and that they would pay absolutely no penalty for doing so.
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The thing with Auburn is that I think they are overachieving as a program. Not the flagship university in state, plays in the west, and okay recruiting grounds . It reminds me of less successful Clemson but both programs will do anything to win. We need to put the same investment
 
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#213,771
#213,771
Bassmaster_Vol said:
You're assuming, you do not know. GA and AU cheat more than anyone and yet nothing is happening to them. You don't know that Freeze would bring sanctions.
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Hell, everyone cheats. The point is there's a line that the NCAA and SEC will accept, and Freeze has proven himself to be unwilling to put a governor on it.
 
#213,774
#213,774
Kingston Vol said:
Hell, everyone cheats. The point is there's a line that the NCAA and SEC will accept, and Freeze has proven himself to be unwilling to put a governor on it.
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That was years ago. There's no reason to just assume he'd jump right back in. I'd say the guy learned his lesson and would be careful. And if not, then it is what it is. But he's earned another opportunity.
 
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#213,775
#213,775
Smyrna ATL Vol said:
Freeze gets us to 8-9 wins consistently. That is what’s we should be striving for right now. And then every few years have a chance at a big run.
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No guarantees, though I will agree that he is way more likely to do it than anyone else we have had since Fulmer. Still, I don't think he's a slam dunk.
 
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