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Big Orange Roundtable - Vol(ume) 6
By MoonDog | August 11, 2008
It’s good to be great and powerful.
This week, I, The Great & Powerful MoonDog, teacher of things, will guide the souls of the Big Orange nation down the path of righteousness, where victories are plentiful, especially over the vile creatures from Gainesville and Tuscaloosa.
Each week one of the sites within the most dominant team-affiliated sports blogs hosts what has become the authority of all roundtables around the globe.
This week we’ll delve into some subjects that are thought-provoking, provocative and mildly erotic. In short, we’re going to discuss the mighty Tennessee Volunteers football program.
At the end of this post I’ll have links to the other participating sites as they answer this week’s questions. Please check back over the next few days and visit each blog where, more than likely, they’ll have done a better job answering the questions than I did.
Later this week I’ll post the Big Orange Roundup, a compilation of the best answers from the participating sites.
For now, put your jock strap on (if you need to wear one, ladies, I wouldn’t recommend it) and get yourself in a football frame of mind. Not just any football either. Big Orange football - what else is there?
Here we go.
1. Let’s assume the worst for a moment and say the Vols finish the season 6-6. Does Fulmer survive? If not, whom do you believe would be the best person to fill the head coaching vacancy? Even if you believe Fulmer survives, feel free to offer your thoughts on the Vols next coach.
Not that contract extensions necessarily mean anything, but the fact Fulmer signed an extension recently suggests he is going to remain the coach for at least the next few years, regardless if he has a bad season in 2008 or not.
But just for kicks, let’s suppose for a moment that Fulmer got the axe and the Vols were seeking a new head coach. I admit it would be a bit of a stretch, but I honestly believe Bob Stoops would be a great fit. I know - his Sooner teams have been a flop recently in bowl games. But let’s not forget he has turned the Oklahoma program around and he’s won a national title (2000).
Moreover, Stoops has gotten the Sooners to BCS bowl games with regularity, something Fulmer hasn’t done in the recent past. Stoops, as you all know, was the defensive coordinator at Florida when Steve Spurrier was the head coach. Stoops has experience coaching in the SEC, he’s an excellent recruiter and most importantly, he’s a winner.
He’s won 97 games and five Big 12 championships since taking over the Sooners in 1999. His current salary is $3.45 million and with a reasonable increase, I’d be willing to bet he would at least give the Vols coaching vacancy a lot of thought.
Some other candidates I’d like to see being mentioned as possible replacements would be Jim Leavitt, current head coach at South Florida and Will Muschamp, defensive coordinator at Texas.
2. With the off-field troubles many college football programs have encountered over the past five years, including Tennessee, what actions would you take to prevent players from getting into undesirable situations?
Just as you teach Xs and Os, you have teach players about personal responsibility and accountability. Earlier this year when punter Britton Colquitt got into trouble as a result of his drinking problem, Fulmer had the players sign a “contract” stipulating harsh reprisals against anyone getting into trouble.
On the surface that sounds a little corny and I know our resident attorneys may consider the contract not worth the paper it’s written on, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fulmer hasn’t exactly been a disciplinarian and he’s meted out punishment disproportionately. That has to stop.
Obviously, you can’t follow 100 young men around all the time and invariably, problems are going to arise. But in an effort to hold players accountable, I would implement a written stipulation within the scholarship papers that clearly sets forth guidelines with respect to expected behavior.
If a player has an off-the-field incident and it’s a first offense, suspend him indefinitely. If the player commits a second offense, dismiss him from the team. By setting the standards high and the consequences of misbehavior harsh, players will begin to take personal responsibility for their actions and misconduct would occur less frequently.
3. The Vols have rolled through UCLA, UAB, Florida, Auburn, Northern Illinois and Georgia. We’re No. 3 in the polls and up next is Alabama. With 3:16 left in the 4th quarter the Vols are down 20-17 and it’s 4th and one from the Bama 29-yard line. Do you kick the field goal or go for it?
Decisions, decisions. Hmmm…what to do? In baseball, the “book” says go for the tie on the road and the win at home. Of course, we have to give thought to the weather conditions. Is it windy? If so, is it a cross-wind, is the wind at our back or is the wind blowing in toward the kicker? If it’s raining, that’s another huge consideration. A botched snap or a slip as the kicker plants his foot could easily result in a miss.
Daniel Lincoln, the Vols placekicker, hasn’t been a model of consistency. Considering we’re looking at a 47-yard field goal, Lincoln’s percentages suggests it might not be the best move to make.
On the other hand, we have to consider the consequences of failing to make it on 4th down. If we get stopped short, we’re probably going to lose the game. However, if we make the 1st down that gives the Vols plenty of time left on the clock, allowing us to drive closer for a shorter field goal attempt or ultimately getting the ball in the endzone.
The suspense is killing me.
I’m going for it!! Look, we’re playing at home, we’re No. 3 in the polls and a victory means we’re still in the hunt for a national championship. Therein lies the difference between teams that win championships and those that don’t.
If you can’t make one yard and ultimately drive the ball into the endzone, you don’t deserve to be champions. I’ve got a QB that is 6-4 and weighs 225 pounds. I have a veteran offensive line. I’m calling a QB sneak and I’m telling Crompton if he doesn’t make it, don’t bother walking back to our sideline. Just head to the locker room, remove your uniform because you don’t deserve to wear the Tennessee orange anymore, and never come back.
We’ll get the one yard and win the game.
4. What impact, if any, do you believe Stan Drayton will have as the Vols prepare to play Florida?
It’s always good to have a coach on your staff that recently served on a rivals staff, and in this case that’s exactly what Stan Drayton did when he coached the running backs at the University of Florida from 2005 until last season.
While the Gators will tweak their offense to offset what Drayton learned during his tenure, his input on tendencies and how best to attack the Gators will be of real value. He probably isn’t going to be able to isolate a particular play on a certain down and distance, but he can offer thoughts as to what the Gators have done in similar situations.
Again, the Gators are going to revise their game plan knowing Drayton is feeding his new team information. But he’ll be able to recognize little things during film study that the Vols coaches may not see. Does the right guard lower his left shoulder a little on a running play? Does the tight end split out a few more inches on a passing play?
Film study is a huge component in game day preparation and I’d be willing to bet Drayton will be working overtime the week leading up to the Florida game.
5. We’ve discussed the Vols offense and defense, but what about special teams? Give us your thoughts on Tennessee’s kicking game and special teams in general.
Not many mention the importance of special teams, but General Neyland recognized decades ago that the kicking game is just as important as the offense and defense. With the suspension of Britton Colquitt for the first five games of the season, the punting duties will probably be the responsibility of Chad Cunningham.
Cunningham punted three times last season for a 40.7 yard average, with all three punts being fair caught and one pinning the opposition inside the 20 yard line. By all accounts, his leg is strong and even though he’s had limited opportunities, I’m confident Cunningham will do a solid job in Colquitt’s absence.
We all know Daniel Lincoln has a good leg, but he’s been terribly inconsistent. His 2007 numbers bear that out, going 21-for-29 on field goals and 52-for-53 on PATs.
Going 7-for-12 from 40 yards and further is respectable, the problem I see are the misses from the makeable distances. He has a strong enough leg to make kicks from 48 yards and in, but he’ll have to improve his short range kicks to give the Vols those much needed points, especially in close games.
Colquitt’s absence will mean Lincoln will have to kick off this season. Lincoln has never been able to consistently kick the ball into the endzone for a touchback. I don’t care what anyone tells you, the best friend of a kick off coverage team is a kicker who can force touchbacks. Forcing the opponent to drive at least 80 yards to get in the endzone is a huge mental boost for your defense.
Unless Cunningham can kick off and get the ball deep, look for the Vols to work overtime in kick off coverage.
Let’s not forget the long snapper and the holder. Last season Morgan Cox served as the long snapper and he’s in line to hold that position once again this season. Bram Cannon was the holder last season and he returns again this year. Snapping the ball and placing it for the kicker are almost afterthoughts by most fans but without those two players doing their jobs well, the kicking game doesn’t happen.
I have to admit I’m a little concerned about our special teams. Last season’s performance was less than stellar and the Vols will have to show marked improvement in 2008.
Check out the answers from the other participating Volunteer blogs.
The Power T
Your Mother Slept with Wilt Chamberlain
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Tags: Southeastern Conference, MoonDog Sports, NCAA Football, Alabama, Sooners, Volunteers, Special Teams, Chad Cunningham, NCAA, Vols, Tennessee Vols Football, phil fulmer, blogs, MoonDog, jonathan crompton, college football, Oklahoma, Big Orange Roundtable, SEC, Florida
Topics: NCAA Football, Southeastern Conference, Tennessee Vols Football |
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August 11th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
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August 12th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
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August 13th, 2008 at 7:11 am
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August 14th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
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