Why not? It happens just about every year.

CW

What adjustments can Dooley make with this group of players? Seriously, we have a qb who is late on almost every throw, locks onto receivers and can't throw the ball 40 yards. He throws multiple interceptions per game and the defense has no time to catch a breather on the sidelines.

Our starters in the defensive secondary are slower than other team's fastest receivers. To compensate for that they drop back and give a cushion. Oooops, they just threw a slant because our dbs dropped back. Oh, they are in man to man again....and there goes Teague, running for his life to catchup. Where was the safety, you say? He was too busy making sure that no running back made it through that gaping hole that none of our linemen could plug and our linebackers are kinda slow and out of position a lot of time.

There is no doubt that Dooley and or Wilcox should do a better job but a couple of those plays that the Bama qb completed were perfect passes. There's no help for our offense with Simms in the game. Our defense is small, slow and lacking depth.


CW

Yes.

CW

I guess what gives me hope is that in the not so distant past Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Alabama were just as bad or worse than we are right now. Think back to the 90s and remember some of those Georgia teams. Hell, Bama was a joke for several years in a row. Auburn has had wide swings with their program since the late 80s. Also remember Oklahoma for a decade was a disgrace. There are so many others I could name.

It doesn't make it any easier for us right now but knowing that good and great programs have been in the tank for multiple seasons in a row lends a little perspective to our situation.

CW

I am saying it could have been worse than it was had Richt not called the dogs off, pun intended. That sort of thing can come back to haunt a coach from time to time.

CW

Seriously? In the second half is when UGA pulled away. It was 6-6 at halftime.

Georgia is a pretty good team but they are not great. I think what a lot of people are worried about is being soundly beaten by an average (by SEC standards) Georgia team in Neyland. In the second half, it looked like Richt took his foot off the gas a little. It could have been worse. We may have only lost by 8 but after the 3rd quarter there was no doubt who was gong to win. In fact, Richt, in typical Richt fashion, failed to put us away decisively and that is another reason why his job is in jeopardy.

CW

I think the odds are better for converting a 4th and 16  with 8 minutes on the clock and scoring, holding them and scoring again than punting, letting them run off 3-4 minutes, scoring, converting an onside kick and then scoring again.

Seriously, what's more likely, converting a 4th and 16 or converting an onside kick that is not a surprise?

If everything breaks our way in both scenarios, which it would have to to win in either case, you are looking at more time on the clock for a final go ahead drive under the going for it on 4th and 16 scenario than the other.

Like I said in another post, either scenario is crap and wishful thinking at best but going for it at that stage of the game gives you a better shot at winning if everything goes right. Everything would have to go right under the other as well.

The Florida game in 1999. Then the biggie came in 2001 vs. LSU. That is when the program started to slide. Both of those games should have been won by UT, especially the 2001 LSU game. Recruiting started to slide immediately after the 98 championship. It was a gradual slide at first and it turned into a freefall late in Fulmer's career.

CW

I understand that. It's just a bad, bad spot to be in for him. Recruit solid citizens and build depth and lose. It looks more and more like Dooley is the perfect hire for setting up our next coach to win. I am not against Dooley, I want him to make it but the deck is stacked against him.

IF, however, he is to win, he is going to have to take some chances. That's the way it is.

CW

Right now we can't afford any attrition, for probably for 1-2 more years, then he can start taking chances.  We just don't have any depth at the moment.

I think it is safe to say that we have been down since the mid 2000s. Do the math.

CW

The worst down period in modern times for Tennessee was 1958-1964. I hope Tennessee doesn't stay down that long!

Our coaches and recruiters have to be savvy enough to work in the gray areas. I like Dooley and hope that he understands that he can't be a Mr. Goodie Two Shoes for long. If he is going to compete, he's going to have to go Urban and talk out of both sides of his mouth. He's going to have to go Saban and bump the shat out of prospects. He's going to have to go Miles and turn a blind eye to some of the shenanigans of his players.

It's either do that or lose. That's the way it is in bigtime college athletics. It's sad but it's true. And by the way, when we were winning, that is exactly what Fulmer did.

CW

Conversion rates for onside kicks when the receiving team is not expecting it are much, much higher than the typical, end of game onside kicks when the receiving team is expecting it and have their good hands people up.

In other words, the onside kick we converted earlier in the year cannot be compared to an end of game scenario onside kick. The percentages fall way off. They are two completely different animals.

With the field position and the time remaining I think he should have gone for it. You disagree. No biggie. Under Dooley's way we lost. What I thought he should have done probably would have resulted in a loss as well. 

CW

Right on.

How many here think Spurrier would have punted, how about Urban? Hell I bet Saban goes for it.  When we punted we were conceding defeat.  We had almost no chance before the punt, we had zero chance afterward.

I don't disagree but what is more likely, converting on a 4th and 16 or an onside kick? I bet the percentages are higher with the 4th and 16. Anyway, water under the bridge.

CW

I like Dooley and think that he needs more time. But you are right, it appears that he has been outcoached several times, badly. He had better correct some of his own mistakes along with the running game or Barbara will be directing her comments towards us.

CW

That's right. If losing by a td was the goal, it was the right call.

CW

Why was it the right call?   We netted about 25 yards on the punt, which was predictable.  When we punted the ball we basically waved the white flag. The chances of converting the 4th down were remote, I will agree, but the chances of winning the game after we punted were miniscule.

Well, a lot of what he ran off wasn't very good in the first place so what's the point?

Fulmer and Kiffin screwed the program.

And now Dooley has to pay the price. But nights like tonight don't help his cause. The team was ill prepared for the game and the coaching tonight was not very good. The whole program is in a sorry state of affairs with plenty of blame to go around and yes, a little bit falls on Dooley's shoulders.

CW

Kiffin was in and out. It took a long time to destroy this program.

With that said, I agree, his one class was a joke.

CW

I would ask where the Jr class is

How dare you question the best coach in the country.

CW

There's nothing wrong with blaming Fulmer for a large part of the problem we are in. Afterall, he is responsible.

You're right, we don't have enough talent and it's going to take a couple of more years and that is assuming that Dooley will recruit well.

CW

We just don't have the players. Not only when it comes to depth, but with the first string. I don't want to start a Fulmer thread and please don't turn it into one, but our talent level is woefully deficient.

We have real problems no matter who starts. I don't know about the comparisons to Majors but I would agree that this was not the best called game. And Dooley punting with 8 something left was like throwing in the towel. That did remind me of Fulmer and I didn't care for it a bit.

Oh well.

CW

Yep, that rule is bullshat.

CW

No, but his behavior on the sidelines ain't making any friends for him.

CW

We give up too many big plays to be able to predict a game such as this. Their running back is a threat and they have that dude that was cleared from the Miami scandal. Both of those guys can change the game in a flash. Who knows what will happen? They could fall apart and we win by a couple of touchdowns or they might light us up.

 

Happy Birthday!

CW