Like any traditional college football power coming off a 5-7 season, Tennessee and coach Butch Jones are under pressure to improve and get back to a high level of success. Unlike most other major programs, though, much of the pressure – and the obstacles to a return to success – are coming from within the athletic department and school, rather than from fans or media. Tennessee Volunteer football has executed a very successful public relations campaign since the hiring of Butch Jones a year and a half ago and the fan base is certainly excited about the upcoming campaign. The media has generally praised Jones and his coaching staff and the work they have done with the Vols football program. But anything short of a bowl invitation this year and the hype and buzz will start to turn into heat and pressure. And make no mistake, college football is a viciously competitive environment and Tennessee has some significant hurdles to overcome to play in late December.
The single biggest obstacle to success is the schedule. In addition to playing a regular SEC East schedule, Tennessee’s yearly SEC rivalry game is Alabama, the most successful team of the past five years and showing no signs of slowing down. If Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Missouri aren’t tough enough, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are coming off eight and nine win seasons respectively and two bowl wins. Oh, and for out-of-conference, Tennessee hosts Utah State in week one (9-5, Poinsettia Bowl winners in 2013) and travels to Oklahoma in the third week of the season. Last season’s trip to Eugene to play Oregon in the same week did not go well for Tennessee, so that matchup will be an early litmus test for Jones’ second squad. For Jones to get the Volunteers into a bowl game, he will need at least two upsets and they must take care of business with Utah State and Kentucky. Tennessee’s continued insistence to schedule multiple Top 25 caliber opponents in their out-of-conference slate is admirable, but not healthy for a program trying to get back into a bowl. Scheduling Oklahoma or Utah State is fine, but putting them both on the schedule doesn’t make sense unless you’re trying to get into the new playoff system. Tennessee is clearly not at that level at this point. The Utah State game is an especially dangerous game. Losing in week one to a Mountain West team – no matter how good they are – could set an ominous tone for the remainder of a demanding season and stop any momentum of a seemingly successful off-season. Tennessee can only blame itself if that happens.
A second obstacle, not as visible but just as dangerous as the schedule, is Tennessee’s financial difficulties. The 2012 season saw Tennessee run an athletic deficit, almost deplete its on-hand cash reserves, and still maintaining $200 million in debt for construction (Sports Business Daily Article and ESPN article). While not debilitating, the flagship athletic program must turn things around soon or the program will not have the financial wherewithal to keep up in the recruiting race with the rest of the SEC. Cuts to travel, facilities or student-athlete amenities could impact the program for an extended time. Tennessee absolutely cannot allow that to happen if it hopes to get back to contending for national titles. Additionally, fiscal mismanagement will prompt unwanted attention on the athletic program, something that no major college program needs in this turbulent time for college athletics. Construction debt is not uncommon amongst major programs, but much of the financial strain is the multiple paychecks the program is still paying past coaches in football, basketball, and baseball. The turbulence over the past few years gives A.D. Dave Hart and Butch Jones a little more rope, but a bowl bid this season is a must to keep positive momentum going. Again, Tennessee only has itself to blame for this obstacle.
On top of this, Tennessee will field a team that has no returning offensive or defensive linemen. The SEC is traditionally a conference won and lost at the line of scrimmage. With less than three weeks before the first game, Tennessee still hasn’t decided on a starting quarterback with a three-man competition between Justin Worley, Nathan Peterman and Josh Dobbs. Stability at the quarterback position would go a long way in stabilizing a youthful offense. All three are taking first-team snaps which means that the eventual starter is only getting one-third of the time he needs with such a young team. The youth of this team enables the hope that accompanies the beginning of any new season. Tennessee fans follow the constant stream of team news and positive prognosis from the program’s multiple media outlets and have bought into the hype.
All is not lost on Rocky Top, though. Tennessee had an impressive win against South Carolina last year, lost a heartbreaker to Georgia in overtime, and was an overturned ball-spot call away from winning the Vandy game and going to a bowl. Injuries and youthful inexperience allowed Florida to escape in a year that they were down and out. Another strong recruiting year and more talent will make the team more competitive on the field. If Jones can get the offensive and defensive lines good enough, soon enough, and can get some stability and quality play from the quarterback position, Tennessee has a legitimate chance at a bowl invitation and six or seven wins. A bowl invitation, four extra weeks of practice, and a happy fan base will go a long way to getting Tennessee back to where it wants to be. To do this, Tennessee has to translate the youth, hype, and excitement into wins on the field. In the nation’s toughest conference, that’s easier said than done. If they can overcome their obstacles this year, Tennessee will be thinking about competing for an SEC East championship next year. If not, they better start retooling their PR campaign.
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