WWSC: Lane Kiffin – All Hat, No Cattle

January 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[Editor's Note: What follows is the second in a new series of regular posts that you will start to see here on MSF called Wendell Willkie's Spam Cleansing (WWSC for short).

Throughout the day I participate in email conversations with friends about hot sports topics. One of my friends in particular is very active in these conversations. This is that friend.]

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Lane Kiffin… all hat, no cattle as my texas brethren would say.

How does Lane Kiffin score one of the premiere jobs in college football presenting a resume with more emptiness than wins?

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Filed Under: CBB, Wendell Willkie's Spam Cleansing Tagged With: Al Davis, CFB, Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, Pete Carroll, tennessee football, usc football

Lane Kiffin Fiasco a Symbol of All That’s Wrong With College Football

January 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

We always knew that it would complicate things, change them, make them feel dirty, but now money is taking over the game that Americans really hold dear to their heart: college football.

When I watched that terrible excuse for a coach, Lane Kiffin, stand in an untucked white polo in front of the press in Knoxville last night and say “There wasn’t one day that I didn’t work my hardest for this program,” I wondered, “How?”

How could that be true?

If it was true then you would be too damn proud of your blood, sweat and tears to walk away. These young men’s lives would mean too much for you to walk away like that.

You would be able to see their mothers and fathers faces in June lit with pride, whose hands you shook when they invited you into their home and then dropped their sons off for camp after high school graduation. You’d hear the small talk you made with their little brothers about being a Volunteer one day in your office.

You know that’s a lie, now, right?

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: boston college football, CFB, Jeff Jadgosinski, Lane Kiffin, Money, Monte Kiffin

Tennessee v Auburn: Underachievers and Overachievers

October 2, 2009 By 2 Comments
jonathan-crompton

The Tennessee Volunteers come into their match-up against Auburn a little battered and bruised. The Vols will have to step up and play through the pain to shut down an undefeated Auburn team.

UT Running back Montario Hardesty suffered a knee injury last week against Ohio. Hardesty has been limited in practice but expects to play Saturday. This season has been a coming-out party for Hardesty and the Vols will need him to carry the football.

Nearly the entire Tennessee defense is dealing with minor injuries. Monte Kiffin will have to prepare this unit to face a high-octane Tigers offense. Auburn has scored over 35 points in each of their games so far.

However, everything isn’t as doom and gloom as it sounds for Tennessee.

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: Auburn, bryce brown, CFB, David Oku, Eric Berry, Jonathon Crompton, Lane Kiffin, Montario Hardesty, Monte Kiffin, SEC, SEC East, tennessee football, tennessee-auburn

Lane Kiffin Hoping to Put “Rocky Top” Back on Top Sooner Rather Than Later

September 4, 2009 By 1 Comment

[Editor's Note: This is the first article from new MSF writer Mike Dooley (aka J-Dools), a student at the University of Tennessee, originally from Dearborn, MI, who will be covering the Vols and the Detroit Tigers. We're happy to have Mike aboard and hope you enjoy his first effort below, a preview and prediction for Lane Kiffin's first season at Tennessee.]

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Tennessee Volunteers 2009 season preview, outlook, prediction, tickets, logoAs college football begins once again, fans can rejoice that ESPN will have more to cover than the Little League World Series. My apologies to Chula Vista, California.

For students at the University of Tennessee, such as myself, the start of the season means gratuitous amounts of orange and a sharp increase in whiskey sales.

Putting the Lane Kiffin offseason media circus behind us, it is now time to start playing football, and probably the start of the in-season Lane Kiffin media circus. The Vols kick off the season against Western Kentucky this Saturday and barring a repeat of last year’s debacle against Wyoming, UT will start off the season with a “W”.

[Editor's Note: Follow these links to StubHub for great deals on Tennessee football tickets, and all NCAA college football tickets. Plus, get ready for Saturday with the Week 1 college football TV schedule from MSF.]

The season will really start for UT in week two versus UCLA. The down-to-the-wire loss to the Bruins in Pasedena last year still lingers in the minds of the Vols. This year the Bruins travel to Knoxville and Kiffin will be under extreme pressure to win the rematch.

But will Kiffin be able to quickly turn this program around? That is the question everyone is asking about the Vols’ young new head coach.

Coming into this season Tennessee is unranked for the first time in 19 years. However, Kiffin seems poised to revive this program. Kiffin has brought in an elite coaching staff with NFL credentials and outstanding recruiting skills.

tennessee Volunteers 2009 season preview, outlook, prediction, tickets, logoLane’s father, Monte Kiffin, left the NFL and followed his son to Tennessee as the defensive coordinator. Coming to UT, Monte was effectively handed a top level defense and was told “Here you go, have fun.” Monte will help bring out the full potential of 3 time All-American safety Eric Berry. (A scary thought for all opponents.)

The offense is completely revamped with Kiffin’s pro style playbook and zone blocking system. This is a much needed change after the abysmal offensive performance last season. The Vols have the electric Gerald Jones returning at receiver, who will be a year older and should be a major offensive weapon. Jones is currently injured, but should be able to return in time for the rematch against UCLA.

The added youth to this team will have an immediate impact as Kiffin assembled a great recruiting class. Top-ranked running back Bryce Brown will play a major role in the offense, likely splitting carries with senior Montario Hardesty. His fellow freshman back David Oku will also see time, likely as a third down back.

Speedy freshman receivers Nu’Keese Richardson and Marsalis Teague will provide big play potential to the passing game. Also, freshman cornerback Janzen Jackson may battle his way into a starting role on the defense.

The most important factor in the ’09 Volunteers season, of course, will likely be the play of senior quarterback Jonathon Crompton. Last year Crompton threw for a meager 889 yards, with only five touchdowns and four interceptions. The Vols need Crompton to emerge as a solid starter in Kiffin’s offensive system.

My prediction for the 2009 Tennessee Volunteers season: 8-4 (4-4)

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* – Eric Berry photo credit: TNJN/Hall, Adrian via Tennessee Journalist

Filed Under: CFB, Featured Column, SEC Football Tagged With: bryce brown, CFB, David Oku, Eric Berry, Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, ncaa, Nu'Keese Richardson, SEC, tennessee volunteers, Tennessee Volunteers Football

Tennessee to hire Lane Kiffin on Monday | Fulmer Appreciation Day Tomorrow

November 28, 2008 By 1 Comment
lane-kiffin

Sitting here in snowy Northern Michigan I am watching the Backyard Brawl (Pitt-WVU) and have just found out Tennessee is to hire Lane Kiffin after this final weekend of regular season ball.

This agreement should come from the University just a couple days after Tennessee’s last game and their Phillip Fulmer appreciation day, Saturday versus Kentucky. I can only assume appreciation day means Coach Fulmer will be receiving a lifetime supply of Krispy Kreme’s from Peyton Manning before the game. In which I can only assume again that Peyton will get the endorsement for Krispy Kreme commercials after the game.

Tennessee to Hire Lane Kiffin on MondayLane Kiffin’s baffling head coaching career is a 5-15 record with the Raiders, after being hired at age 32. Before that Lane was recruiting coordinator and co-offensive coordinator with USC and obviously got early NFL recognition with his dad being Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Tennessee fans should be excited about that last fact because Monte (considered a defensive guru) could end up being apart of the Tennessee program as early as next year. With many people (including those who fired Fulmer) having the opinion that Tennessee has talent but they are underachieving, a Lane and Monte Kiffin combination could produce results early on.

Phillip Fulmer had 35 great years with Tennessee as a player, assistant and head coach but have no fears Volunteers. You may not have to endure a rediculous transition period like a Michigan, Arkansas, or Texas A&M has.

Of course those are programs who had a winning record in their predecessor’s last season.

Filed Under: CFB, Featured Column, SEC Football Tagged With: Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, phil fulmer, tennessee volunteers