Standing at 4-4 on the season, the Lane Kiffin Project has been somewhat successful.

The Volunteers have put two different teams on the field this year: one has been reminiscent of last season’s mediocre squad, with a sputtering offensive attack; the other has been a motivated SEC contender that can play with any team in the nation.

A week ago, the Vols had a chance to knock off one of the top teams in the country in Alabama. Tennessee dropped the game 12-10 after a last second blocked field goal by Alabama’s gargantuan defensive tackle Terrence Cody. Finishing games in the fourth quarter has been an Achilles heel for Kiffin’s squad.

This past Saturday, a different Vols team stepped onto the field in Knoxville. Tennessee played in black jerseys for the first time and manhandled South Carolina. From start to finish, Tennessee completely controlled the Gamecocks, beating them easily 30-13. Monte Kiffin’s defense left “head ball coach” Steve Spurrier shaking his head.

So far this season for the Volunteer offense, it has been a tale of two quarterbacks, yet both of them are Jonathan Crompton. The senior quarterback has been up and down all season and Tennessee’s record reflects that.

Crompton has performed extremely well in all four of UT’s victories because the majority of his throws came on rollout plays. When the Vols are able to move the pocket outside and cut the field in half for Crompton, he has been able to make better decisions. When Crompton has been forced to drop straight back and pass, he has had trouble being accurate.

With four games left in their season, the Vols look like they will return to a bowl game this year. Three of the last four games look to be sure wins for UT, playing against Memphis, Vanderbilt and away at Kentucky. The tough game will be in two weeks when the Volunteers play at Ole Miss. The Tennessee defense will have to apply pressure on Rebel quarterback Jevan Snead.

And as always, Crompton’s play will be the deciding factor for the Vols.

Prediction: Tennessee will face Memphis for UT’s homecoming game this weekend. The Vols take this one easy, 38-10

Sidenote: For those who are fans of Lane Kiffin’s wife Layla. Shirts were being sold on the UT campus with the words “Our coach’s wife is hotter than yours!” printed on the front, before the South Carolina game.

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* – Tennessee players photo credit: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober

]]> http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/tennessees-4-4-record-reflects-the-two-different-teams-kiffin-has-put-on-the-field-this-season/feed/ 0 http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/10/lane-kiffin-and-the-vols-head-into-a-bye-week-after-blowout-victory-over-georgia/ http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/10/lane-kiffin-and-the-vols-head-into-a-bye-week-after-blowout-victory-over-georgia/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:00:35 +0000 J-Dools http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=5621 Last week, Georgia was supposed to walk into Knoxville, smack Tennessee right in the mouth, and walk out with a victory.

Apparently Lane Kiffin and the Vols didn’t get the memo.

The game looked like it would be a close finish, when Georgia trailed by five in the third quarter. But 21 unanswered points later, the Vols were celebrating a 45-19 victory.

This matchup was a complete role reversal. Georgia was supposed to be a legitamite SEC power and Tennessee was supposed to be a rebuilding team.The Vols completely shut down Georgia’s offense and the Bulldogs defense made Jonathan Crompton look like Peyton Manning. The Eric Berry-led Tennessee defense held Georgia to zero offensive touchdowns and never let the Bulldogs reach the red-zone.

But was this blowout just a fluke? Simply put, no. As much as fans were ready to give up on the Vols, this team still has life. There is no doubt the Volunteers have a championship level defense and the best defensive player in the country. Many fans and experts say that Tennessee can’t win with Crompton at quarterback. (I have even said this.) Though Crompton is likely one of the worst quarterbacks in the conference, he showed against Georgia that he is capable of stepping up in a big game.

In Tennessee’s three losses they were beaten by a combined total of only 18. The Vols had a chance in each of those games and are only a few plays from having a winning record. This Tennessee squad still needs work before they will be a contender for an SEC title. But right now they are capable of being competitive with anyone in the SEC.

Many Vols fans were ready to give up on the team and their new coach. But the win against Georgia has revived the fans in Knoxville and taken some pressure off of Kiffin. And for at least one week, Jonathan Crompton won’t have to worry about death threats from his own fans.

Tennessee gets a bye this Saturday and the timing couldn’t be better. The Vols have an extra week to prepare for #2 Alabama. This will give Kiffin the time to develop a gameplan and to make sure his players are ready for this big away game.

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.

This Auburn team remains largely untested and hasn’t proven if they are for real yet. So far Auburn has only played one SEC opponent, when they blew out a mediocre Mississippi State team.

Auburn runs a spread offense that has racked up high yardage and a ridiculous amount of points so far. The advantage Tennessee has in this game comes from playing Florida already. Monte Kiffin’s defense held the Gators to 23 points and as far as spread offenses go, Florida’s is the best.

The Vols will have the toughest defense Auburn has faced yet and the numbers should reflect that.

The one offensive guarantee Tennessee has in this game will be their running attack. The Vols have been able to run the football effectively against everyone they have faced.

Even if Hardesty’s injury holds him back, freshmen backs Bryce Brown and David Oku should be able to pick up the slack. Tennessee should be able to rush for 150+ yards as a team.

The biggest question mark for the Vols in this game, as it is in every game, will be the play of Jonathon Crompton.

The Vols’ aerial attack has been up and down all season. If Crompton can manage the game and be accurate on important passing downs, Tennessee will be able to walk away with a win. But with the inconsistency Crompton has played with, it will be either hit or miss.

Just like any SEC matchup, this game could go either way. Auburn comes into this game undefeated but may be exposed as a pretender. The Vols gained some of their confidence back after keeping it close against Florida.

This game is a matchup between an over-achieving team and an under-achieving team. Whichever team plays to their full potential should come out on top.

My Tennessee-Auburn prediction: Tennessee – 27 | Auburn -21

Here are the particulars for tomorrow’s matchup:

Auburn Tigers (4-0) at Tennessee Volunteers (2-2)

• Auburn-Tennessee Kickoff Time: 7:45 PM ET
• Auburn-Tennessee TV: ESPN
• Auburn-Tennessee Location: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee
• Auburn-Tennessee Point Spread: Tennessee -1.5

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* – Jonathan Crompton photo credit: Rumors and Rants

Both Tennessee and Florida learned a lot about themselves after the 23-13 Florida victory last Saturday. The Gators might not be the untouchable #1 team they seemed to be, and the Vols still have some fight in them.

Tim Tebow and company were supposed to wipe the floor with Tennessee and were favored by 30 points. But when Eric Berry knocked Tebow flat on his back, the Vols made a statement that they weren’t going down easy.

This game was an all-out war between two SEC teams and rankings didn’t matter. If a few key plays had gone differently, this game could have gone either way. But in the end, Florida was the better team and came out on top.

Though Tennessee lost the game, they now have some of their swagger back that they had lost after the UCLA game. The Vols head back to Knoxville this Saturday to face the Ohio Bobcats.

Ohio should be an easy win for UT, but blowing the Bobcats out isn’t the focus of this game. It is critical that Jonathan Crompton plays well and gets a confidence boost. Tennessee needs Crompton to be ready to face upcoming SEC opponents Auburn and Georgia.

Crompton needs to work on getting into a rhythm on his throws and work on his accurarcy downfield. Against Florida, it seemed everytime Crompton threw a ball further than 15 yards it would be intercepted. This passing needs some serious work if the Vols expect to convert on long third downs.

The running back tandem of Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown has emerged as a legitimate 1-2 punch. Also with freshman David Oku showing some promise, this backfield could turn into a 3-headed monster. The running game is the strength of this Vols offense and these two backs should tear right through the Ohio defensive front.

The Florida game showed that the Vols have a championship level defense and arguably the best defensive player in the country in Eric Berry. If Lane Kiffin can get his offense back on track, this team could be near the top of the SEC East.

Saturday’s game versus Ohio will be a stepping stone for the Vols to get ready for SEC play.
My prediction: Tennessee- 35 Ohio- 7

Quote of the century- After the UT- Florida game. CBS sideline reporter: “Coach Kiffin, I guess you won’t be singing Rocky Top tonight like you planned, but what did you think of the game?” Lane Kiffin: “Pardon me? I can’t hear you. Rocky Top is playing right now.”

Kiffin especially likes to talk trash about Florida and their head coach. During the offseason, Kiffin’s comments about Urban Meyer and Florida included accusing Meyer of being a cheater in regards to recruiting.

Kiffin also got people riled up immediately after he signed with UT when he said he couldn’t wait to sing Rocky Top all night long after beating Florida.

Someone get Lane some more Hater-ade.

[Editor's note: I am making a quick addendum to J-Dools' fine work and embedding Rocky Top -- the greatest fight song in all of college sports -- here in this post because, unfortunately, I don't think the Vols will be hearing it much on Saturday; they certainly won't be singing it, and nor will anyone else, on Saturday night. But we can at least enjoy it right now]

As a Vols fan I love the trash talk; I think it’s great.

The problem is that the Vols are reeling after a dissapointing loss to UCLA and now have to face the Gators in The Swamp.

This Saturday, Kiffin likely will be forced to eat his own words.

Tennessee at #1 Florida Preview

• Tennessee-Florida Date: Saturday, September 19th
• Tennessee-Florida State Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• Tennessee-Florida TV Channel: CBS
• Tennessee-Florida Point Spread: Florida -29.5

It’s no secret how much Florida hates Tennessee and especially Kiffin. They have been throwing darts at his picture all summer. It wouldn’t surprise me if there is a bounty out on Kiffin in the city of Gainesville.

Setting the media circus aside, there is still a football game to be played. That part also doesn’t look too good for Kiffin.

Florida returned nearly all of their starters from last year’s national championship squad, most importantly quarterback Tim Tebow. (a.k.a God, Jesus, Chuck Norris, etc.)

The ’09 Florida Gators look as good as ever, having not allowed a touchdown in either of their first two games. This team has the capability to run the table in the SEC and making it back to another national championship.

The ‘09 Vols looked a lot like the ‘08 version when they dropped a 19-15 decision to UCLA on Saturday. The offense was booed of the field and Jonathan Crompton would have been banished from Knoxville if the fans had the power. Things are definitely looking bad for Crompton when a fellow UT student invites me to a Facebook group titled “Jonathan Crompton Please Retire From Football.” (I joined the group.)

As much as I would love to see the Vols go into The Swamp and beat Tebow and the Gators, its just not going to happen. Florida is faster, stronger, and better than Tennessee. The Gators tore apart UT in the return game last season, and with a pair of track sprinters returning kicks it can happen again.

Urban Meyer wants nothing more than to run up the score on the Vols and to get back at Kiffin. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him going for two point conversions all game. Mr. Perfect (Tebow) and his offense will come out firing on Saturday.

But there is always a glimmer of hope. If Vols safety Eric Berry can have a big game and lead the defense, Tennessee could catch the Gators being overconfident. The best chance Tennessee has is to try to keep the score low.

I want to stress that I am a Volunteers fan, but I am also a realist. There is a reason Florida is favored by 30 points.

This rivalry game will be fun to watch because of the bad blood between the teams. In the end, I think Florida will punish Kiffin for being too much of a Gator Hater.

My prediction: Florida- 41 Tennessee-17 (It hurts me to say that)

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* – Lane Kiffin photo credit: USC photo via Majorly English

* – Tim Tebow photo credit: NFFootballReport

No, that wasn’t a typo.

Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton really threw 5 TD’s in a single game. (A short pause for you to google this if you still can’t believe it.)

Crompton and the Vols steamrolled right over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 63-7 on Saturday, racking up 657 yards of total offense. Crompton had a career day with 233 yards passing to go along with his 5 TD’s. He showed maturity and, unlike last season, appears comfortable in Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense.

However, the Volunteers’ running back corps refused to be shown up by their senior quarterback. As a team Tennessee rushed for 380 yards and 4 TD’s, averaging over 8 yards per carry. Senior running back Montario Hardesty had 160 yards on 18 carries, with a huge 43-yard TD run.

Tennessee’s offensive “Freshman Four” also played well, having a coming out party against Western Kentucky.

Running back Bryce Brown scored UT’s first TD of the season and finished with 104 yards on 11 carries. His fellow frosh back David Oku had 42 yards and 2 TD’s on 8 carries. Marsalis Teague was the leading receiver for the Vols. Teague caught 6 passes for 86 yards and a TD. Nu’Keese Richardson made an impact all around, catching passes, returning kicks, and even running the wildcat formation.

Lane Kiffin’s focus, however, is not on the blowout victory of last week.

The Vols are preparing for a rematch against UCLA after losing a heartbreaker in Pasadena last season. As a former USC coach, Kiffin is no stranger to the Bruins either. Thus, there are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s game in Knoxville.

Before we break down the matchup, here are the particulars:

UCLA Bruins at Tennessee Volunteers

• UCLA-Tennessee Date: Saturday, September 12th
• UCLA-Tennessee Location: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee
• UCLA-Tennessee Kickoff Time: 4:00 ET
• UCLA-Tennessee TV: ESPN
• UCLA-Tennessee Point Spread: Tennessee -7.5
• StubHub: Tennessee-UCLA tickets
• StubHub: Tennessee football tickets
• StubHub: UCLA football tickets
• StubHub: All college football tickets

The matchup between Tennessee and UCLA is completely different than last season. In ’08 the Vols were a team searching for an offensive identity and UCLA was lucky to scrape out a win.

This season the Vols appear rejuvenated on offense with their explosive young talent and offensive mastermind Lane Kiffin at the helm. And though the offense has improved vastly, the strength of this Vols team is still the defense, led by its all-world safety Eric Berry.

In Monte Kiffin’s first game as UT defensive coordinator, the Vols held Western Kentucky to 83 yards of total offense. The Hilltoppers only managed 34 yards rushing, averaging a laughable 1-yard per carry. The scary part of UT’s defensive performance is that Berry didn’t play all that well and the defense still held strong.

Berry and the Tennessee defense could have a field day against UCLA’s freshman quarterback Kevin Prince, who threw two picks against San Diego State in the Bruins opener. Prince doesn’t seem experienced enough to go up against a top-level SEC defense and will likely turn the ball over multiple times.

The Vols will have to be careful of their own turnovers however. Jonathan Crompton will have to keep an eye out for UCLA safety Rahim Moore, who had three interceptions last week against SDSU.

Lane Kiffin, though, appears to be more than capable of putting together an effective offensive game plan. And if Tennessee’s offense can produce even half as well as they did last week, the Neyland faithful should once again be singing Rocky Top at the top of their lungs.

And the Vols, coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in school history, should be 2-0.

My prediction for Saturday’s game: Tennessee- 31 UCLA- 17

——————–

As 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.

Lane’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

Today’s lesson: if you play football for Alabama and hit a girl, her father will take your side. Roll Tide!

The story involves reserve LB Courtney Upshaw and his girlfriend Kendall Grzyb. Details below, with plenty more over at Deadspin, in today’s Link of the Day

Campus cops apparently witnessed some sort of scuffle between Upshaw and Kendall Grzyb, a 19-year-old U of A student, so they hauled the two lovebirds in for a night in jail. But Father of the Year Dave Grzyb is operating under the assumption that his own child is the one who should be blamed.

….

Now maybe if this had happened in March, he could have let it slide, but Papa Grzyb doesn’t need this kind of distraction during two-a-days.

And now some more tasty treats from around the web:

• Pitin and Calipari: Rats of a Feather — (Josh Q. Public)
• Was Jared Allen Jay Glazer’s source? Looks like it — (Sports by Brooks)
• Visiting Tim Tebow’s locker is like visiting The Vatican — (Busted Coverage)
• Cubs season no surprise to this guy — (i94sports)
• Fantasy Football Pre-Draft Roundup — (Sharapova’s Thigh)
• MJ’s Still Got It — (Docksquad Sports)
• Be aware Kentucky: You’re next — (Sparty & Friends)
• Shaq being sued over new show — (MoonDog)
• Interview with Michelle Beadle of Sports Nation — (Real Clear Sports)
• So what exactly are we supposed to expect from the 2009-10 Bulls? — (Not Qualified to Comment)
• Splain It! Life Choices — (Straight Pinkie)
• Could Atlanta be a sleeper team down the stretch? — (I94 Sports)

A few years ago, Kiffin was named as the youngest head coach in NFL history by the Oakland Raiders. It is a role he is used to, as this season he will be the youngest active head coach in Division 1-A.

He takes over for Phil Fulmer at Tennessee, a man who was a bit of a legend for winning the 1998 national title, but had allowed the program to sink pretty low by the end of his career. After getting a taste of success with that national title, Tennessee is not a team that is ready to fall back into the pack. This is especially true in the very tough SEC East, where Georgia and Florida annually battle for supremacy. 

It will take some time, but Kiffin has brought a new attitude to Rocky Top.

He has already angered Florida head coach Urban Meyer by accusing him of cheating. That drama has been played out on college football message boards and such around the country. He has also made insulting remarks about other teams within the Southeastern Conference.

Still, Kiffin knows how to recruit. He has already upgraded the talent level in Knoxville, especially with the signing of Bryce Brown. Brown was long thought to be the best high school player in the country for this incoming recruiting class. He had committed to Miami long ago, but Kiffin swooped in and stole him from the Hurricanes. This is an especially daring move in that Bryce’s brother, Arthur, is a linebacker at the U. 

Tennessee was an uncharacteristic 5-7 last year and did not go to a bowl game. They also very nearly lost at home to Northern Illinois, a team that was barely above .500 in the Mid-American Conference. SEC teams obviously very rarely lose non-conference games at home, especially against teams from the MAC.

Tennessee’s biggest liability heading into 2009 is at the quarterback position. The Volunteers were so desperate for quarterback help that they tried to raid Miami once again. When Miami starter Robert Marve decided to transfer, Tennessee tried very hard to bring him to campus. Even though he would not have been able to play in 2009 because of NCAA rules, it still would have been a nice addition to the program. Marve chose Purdue instead, leaving Tennessee to debate its quarterback situation both now and in the future. 

Saying the quarterbacks were awful is like saying the Tennessee orange uniforms are a bit loud and that Peyton Manning was an alright player when he was in Knoxville.  Three quarterbacks combined to complete fewer than half of their passes for 1,750 yards and eight touchdowns with nine interceptions. Those are the kinds of numbers that won’t have fans taking a sharpie to their media guides in order to write out Manning’s name. Indeed, those are the types of numbers Manning used to put up in about four games.

Simply put, Tennessee has to get better play from the quarterback position if it is going to improve this year.

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Brandon Chandler is a sports writer for www.sportsfantreasures.com. He would like to invite you to check out their Tennessee Volunteers Store and Tennessee Volunteers Apparel online today!

It’s nothing personal against the Wildcats really, it just comes with the territory of growing up in Bloomington as an Indiana fan. When you grow up cheering for the Cream & Crimson you are indoctrinated early into hating Purdue and Kentucky in pretty much equal amounts.

So I guess when you look at it that way, it is personal against the Wildcats. Oh well.

Luckily, what appeared to be a Kentucky resurgence earlier this year has been derailed, as the Wildcats have lost in three in a row as of this post. They currently sit in a tie for 3rd in the SEC East division with Florida at 8-7. Something tells me that Kentucky will make it to the NCAA Tournament, barring a complete collapse over their final few games, but a run in the SEC Tournament next week certainly would not hurt.

Here is a quick preview of the 2009 SEC Mens Basketball Tournament:

• What: 50th SEC Mens Basketball Tournament
• Dates: March 12- March 15
• Location: St. Pete Times Forum – Tampa, Florida
• Official Website: 2009 SEC Mens Basketball Tournament
• Printable Bracket: 2009 SEC Tournament
• StubHub Tickets: 2009 SEC Basketball Tournament Tickets
• StubHub Tickets: 2009 NCAA Tournament Tickets

And, as is our custom here at MSF with these conference tournament previews, here is a breakdown of the daily schedule and TV listings:

Last season showed us how much the seeds mean in the SEC Tournament. Georgia was 4-12 in the regular season, tied for the worst record in the SEC; they went on to win the SEC Tournament and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Who could be this year’s Georgia? Well, how about Georgia?

They are 3-12 this season, which actually is not the worst record in the SEC. Arkansas currrently sits with a putrid 2-13 record in the conference play. Wow, what a terrible record. I don’t even know their fans can still root for them! (Irony alert: Remember, I’m and IU fan. Yes, I remember that we’ve only won 1 game in conference play this year. Maybe we can pull a Georgia and become the most unlikely NCAA Tournament participant ever!)

Anyway, that’s enough rambling from me. You’re here for specific information, and if you didn’t get it from the schedule above, here is a breakdown of the SEC Mens Basketball Tournament history, with past champions and MVP winners:

As you can see, and no doubt expected, Kentucky has been pretty successful over the years in the SEC Tournament. Can they do it again this year? It might take more superhuman efforts from Jodie Meeks, but if Georgia could win it last year then anything is possble come SEC Tournament time.

And if you want information about the other conference tournaments (minus the PAC 10 because, well, I just haven’t gotten around to them yet), here you go:

• Big Ten Tournament Preview
• ACC Tournament Preview
• Big East Tournament Preview

Last week I wondered aloud whether Lane Kiffin, while obviously in possession of a very attractive wife, is completely without a clue. Since taking over as Tennessee’s coach, he has famously accused Urban Meyer of recruiting violations that were not actually recruiting violations, and he has also disparaged his current crop of incoming recruits by saying, “Understand this class is far below the standards we have here and what will be here in the future.”

Yes, he actually said that. I’m sure the 2009 recruits and their families were just thrilled to hear it.

Now though, Kiffin’s idiocy is just becoming laughable.

You might think I was making this up, were it not for the link I will provide, because it almost seems too perfectly ironic to be true. But it is true. Yesterday, as first reported by the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the University of Tennessee self-reported two recruiting violations involving head cheat coach Lane Kiffin and director of ethics recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron. One of the violations involved a mock press conference set up for recruits during campus visits, the other involved the use of a fog machine when recruits walked into Neyland Stadium. Both of these are offenses because the simulate a game experience for recruits during an official visit.

Here is the best excerpt from the SI story, explaining Tennessee’s poor reasoning for following through with these pretty clearly illegal recruiting acts:

Tennessee’s coaching staff believed the mock press conference was allowed because it was not done in public. They thought the use of the fog machine was allowed after seeing it used at other universities.

So Lane, if all of the other coaches in college football jumped off a bridge, would — never mind.

Honestly, there really are not any punch lines or clever statements that do this justice. The facts themselves are the punchline. A week after calling out two-time national champion Urban Meyer for recruiting violations that weren’t recruiting violations, Lane Kiffin and the highest paid group of assistant coaches in college football history were found to have committed actual recruiting violations.

I’m speechless

I laughed when I first heard that Kiffin called out Meyer, but I also assumed that if Kiffin would say it publicly that there must have actually been a violation. The worst thing I’ve ever heard anyone say about Urban Meyer is that he is a bit of an egomaniac. At this point, that might be the best thing you could say about Lane Kiffin.

I do not consider myself a die-hard Tennessee football fan, but I do follow them more than any other college football team. Right now, the football situation at Tennessee is a complete mockery. I absolutely do consider myself a die-hard IU basketball fan, and after going through the last year and a half with the jackass-who-shall-not-be-named, I have a quick word of advice to Tennessee: fire Lane Kiffin right now.

I realize this has no chance of happening and is not feasible. But given truth serum, is there any doubt that Tennessee officials and boosters would like to have a mulligan on the Kiffin hire? Maybe he will eventually grow into the job, but he is in way over his head right now, and it becomes more obvious with each passing day.

Discretion, especially with respect to public speaking, can be hard to learn if you do not already have it (just ask Joe Biden…or better yet, ask President Obama). Lane Kiffin obviously has none, as he has consistently put his foot in his mouth during his short tenure.

And you most certainly cannot teach ethics and integrity. Look no further than IU basketball. They hired a cheater and he cheated again, despite promises that he would change. Yeah right. I don’t want to get into casting specific aspersions onto USC (Kiffin’s former employer, where he was known as a great recruiter) when no one has solid proof that they have committed recruiting violations and they have faced no recruiting penalties. But any college football fan with half a clue knows there are plenty of whispers about recruiting impropriety at USC.

Guess what Tennessee? You made a little deal with the devil in your haste to boot Phil Fulmer out of town as quickly as possible and bring in the best recruiters you could find, and know the University is getting what it deserves. When you value recruiting “ability” over experience and integrity, that’s what happens. Seriously — in the big, dirty business of college football does anyone think that part of recruiting “ability” includes one’s willingness and success at bending/breaking the rules? Just saying.

If Lane Kiffin allowed recruiting violations to occur in his first year on the job, he is either a completely clueless moron who did not respect college football and the University of Tennessee enough to know the rules; or, more likely, he is an inexperienced coach feeling the pressure of a big contract at an SEC school who does have the integrity to keep himself from breaking the rules in an effort to win.

Either way, he’s proven enough in a short time to tell me that he was the wrong hire. And I was openly trying to give him a chance.

If Tennessee has any integrity and foresight they will take the short-term hit and fire Lane Kiffin right now. Of course, they are a major college football school, so you can throw integrity out the window. Soon enough though, they’ll fire Lane Kiffin. And then we’ll all be able to look back at his first few months on the job and remember that it was only a matter of time.

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Sam Bradford has thrown for 4468 yards and 48 touchdowns in an extremely tough Big 12 conference. In the last 5 games, Oklahoma has hung at least 60 points on their opponent. These opponents include the second ranked Texas Tech and the twelfth ranked Oklahoma State. This impressive season could mean that Sam Bradford will be the Heisman Trophy winner.

Colt McCoy has also put his name in the hat for the Heisman Trophy this season, throwing for 3445 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 10 more on his own. He has truly been the MVP for the Longhorns, who were kept out of the National Championship game by the flawed BCS, but that’s another story.

Other candidates include Florida’s Tim Tebow, Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell, and Iowa’s Shonn Greene.

Last years Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, has also had a great season with 25 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns to boot. This is more impressive considering the utter class that is the SEC, however his 2515 passing yards combined with his TD rate simply cannot compare to either Sam Bradford or McCoy.

Graham Harrell, who leads the always impressive Texas Tech offense, is a candidate who also had a good year. With 4747 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes, Harrell is no slouch, but his team’s crushing loss to Oklahoma definitely hurt his chances for the Heisman Trophy.

Finally the NCAA’s leading rusher for the season, Shonn Greene definitely deserves to be considered a candidate. Greene rushed for at least 100 yards every game this season. With 1729 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, Greene is certainly no slouch, but 2008 was the year of the quarterback, and Greene does not have a chance at this year’s Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman Trophy winner will be announced on December 15, 2008 in New York.

The insider trading charges stem from Mark Cuban’s investment in Mamma.com, and it is alleged that Cuban sold off his entire 6% stake in the company after receiving inside information that the company would be announcing it would raise money through a private offering, known as a PIPE transaction.

A few details regarding the charges, per the WSJ:

The SEC alleges in a civil action that Mr. Cuban sold his entire 6% ownership stake on June 28, 2004, after learning that Mamma.com was raising money through a private investment in a public entity, or PIPE. The next day, on June 29, the company announced the PIPE financing and shares of the company dropped by more than 10%. By selling his stake, the SEC alleges, Mr. Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses.

Obviously, these are only charges and Mark Cuban has not convicted of anything yet. However, this certainly does not look good. According to the Huffington Post, when Mark Cuban initially sold his shares it made news. Apparently he claimed at the time that he did not agree with PIPE transaction because it would dilute his funds. This is not an uncommon reaction by major shareholders upon the announcement of PIPE transactions, but the key to this story, as with any insider trading story, will be the prosecutors’ ability to establish a timeline.

If Cuban did, in fact, know about the proposed PIPE transaction before it was announced publicly, he could very well be up shit’s creek without a paddle as they say. Is it possible that rumors of this insider trading announcement are part of the reason why word leaked last week that Major League Baseball owners would, under no circumstances, allow Mark Cuban to buy the Chicago Cubs?

Wow.

If this turns out to be true, all I can say is that this was ridiculously dumb and short-sighted on the part of Mark Cuban. The guy is worth billions upon billions of dollars. I don’t want to be flippant by saying, “What’s $750,000 to a multi-billionaire?” but…”What’s $750,000 to a multi-billionaire!!!??”

I have always liked Mark Cuban, and I got to meet him when I was at Indiana. I like him as an owner, and though he rubs some people the wrong way, I think his passion and openness are good for sports.

If the insider trading accusations prove to be true, I don’t think Mark Cuban will be involved in sports too much longer. Of course, Martha Stewart seems to be rebounding nicely from her own insider trading scandal; but she’s the devil. Mark Cuban may not have such powers.

Anyway, hopefully it’s not true, but the evidence certainly appears to be pretty damning. I know this, I will definitely be following the case and hoping that Mark is exonerated. He’s great for sports, he’s been a great supporter of Indiana as an alum, and I wish him the best in fighting the charges if he was erroneously charged.

(Update: On Mark Cuban’s blog, Blog Maverick, he has officially denied the charges. He states, “I am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case based upon its Enforcement staff’s win-at-any-cost ambitions. The staff’s process was result-oriented, facts be damned. The government’s claims are false and they will be proven to be so.” I hope he’s right.)

What do you think?

(Editor’s note: Mark Cuban’s fellow contestant on Dancing With the Stars is also in hot water. Helio Castroneves had his motion to delay his trial denied and will stand trial for tax evasion beginning on March 2, 2009.)

[tags]mark cuban, insider trading, sec[/tags]

(Damnit, if I don’t stop laughing I won’t be able to type this.)

So I was doing my daily perusal of Deadspin.com this morning, and came across the video that is embedded below. The video is about 4 and a half minutes of proud rambling from an Alabama fan in the wake of their 29-9 victory over Tennessee last weekend. My favorite part in the whole thing starts at the 2:47 mark and ends with the glorious line, “But ya’all got ya’all’s ass handed to ye.”

I’m not even really sure what to else to say about this video, except…enjoy:

(FYI…if you’re at work or get offended by profanity, there are a few expletives in the video.  It’s not egregious, but now you’ve been warned.)

A couple more quick hit reactions to this video:

–(Update: According to our first comment the Alabama fan in the above video will be interviewed on the radio later today. Someone please go to the link in the first comment, listen, and post a report. If ye have time, that is.)

–Here is the transcript of my favorite section of this video, which obviously features that best and brightest that the Alabama fan base has to offer. I tried to transcribe in the full spirit of the local patois. (And Mr. Alabama fan, if you read this, “patois” is not something you toast and eat for breakfast on your way to the mill.)

Nick Saban, by God, I don’t know if he, he prolly never watch this but I’m gonna drink this ‘un for you. I love it how ‘ol Tennessee’s uh fans wanna get rid uh Phil Fulmer, though they crying, hell let’s get rid of Phil. Let’s get rid of Phil. Oh, that’s all, that’s all I hear. It ‘aint Phil you gotta worry about, it’s ya damn players ya gotta worry about. Now Phil’s just, just part of the equation – he’s part of the pie.

F*ck it, get rid of Phil. Hell, boycott his ass or something, all I can tell ye.

But, you know I done all this bragging but I will give ya’all credit Tennessee. Ya’all had a hell of a defense. Ya’all wouldn’t lettin’ Alabama run ye over. I give you that, I will. I’m a, I’m a, I’m a damn gentleman. But ya’all got ya’all’s ass handed to ye.

–What does it say for Phil Fulmer’s future as the Tennessee head coach that the strongest and most vociferous support he is getting is from a drunk Alabama fan who looks like he can’t decided whether he is going as Rollie Fingers or Tom Selleck for Halloween?

–You know, I really shouldn’t be so hard on the Alabama fan. He is, after all, “a gentleman.”

Anyway, please feel free to watch the video in amazement as many times as you like. Then leave comments. I say we start a contest to come up with the best name for the Alabama fan. My vote is for Earl Lee Stanton. What’s yours?

[tags]alabama fan, youtube, sec[/tags]

Volunteer fans, take a moment to catch your breath and step back from the ledge. Look on the bright side:

(…looking for the bright side…)

(…still looking for bright side…)

(…desperately trying to find anything that even closely resembles a bright side…)

Umm…we have Eric Berry?

The play of Tennessee’s sophomore defensive back Eric Berry has been about the only bright side thus far in a 2008 season of horrors for the Tennessee Volunteers and the Rocky Top faithful. In fact, the defense has played relatively well this season, somewhat keeping the Volunteers within shouting distance of some pretty stiff competition (Florida, Auburn, Georgia) that they have encountered thus far in the season. However, with the complete ineptitude of Tennessee’s offense, a 7-point deficit feels like a 28-point gap.

This is quite possibly the lowest point I have experienced since signing up to be a Tennessee fan when I fell in love with the play of a young Peyton Manning back in 1995. Overall, the last 13 years have been pretty solid. The Vols won a national title in 1998, they have won a few SEC titles, won the SEC East five times, and always provided fans with hope at the beginning of the year that they could compete for the SEC crown, and usually carried that hope through at least late November.

Not this year. Currently sitting square in the cellar of the SEC East, below even Kentucky, the Volunteers have officially hit rock bottom. And it begs the question: is it time for head coach Philip Fulmer to go?

I have always been a supporter of Philip Fulmer, even during some of the Vols’ struggles over the past few years. At the end of the day, the man has led Tennessee to a national title, has won Coach of the Year, has won better than 75% of his games (coming into this season…not sure if that’s still true), and he has been loyal to Rocky Top his entire life, both playing and coaching for the Volunteers. It would certainly be strange to see someone else strolling the sidelines at Neyland Stadium, and unfortunate considering the lifetime commitment that Philip Fulmer has given to the University of Tennessee.

But for the good of the program I have finally flipped my opinion: it is time for Philip Fulmer to go.

I don’t even think this is necessarily a negative reflection on Fulmer. I just think that with the way college football and all big-time sports are these days, coaches only have a certain amount of shelf life at one university or organization. Coaches can fall into ruts, they fail to adjust, they get too comfortable. On the same token, fans get overzealous in their expectations and become frustratingly impatient. I believe that all of these symptoms plague the Tennessee Volunteer football program right now, and that both Philip Fulmer and Tennessee could benefit from an unfortunate but necessary parting of the ways.

The current state of Tennessee football reminds me of Ohio State in the 1990s under John Cooper. Always solid, usually competitive in its conference, and for the most part pretty talented. John Cooper even had his signature moment winning the Rose Bowl with Joe Germaine at QB (how ’bout a guy from Scottsdale, Arizona!) and was typically just good enough not to get fired. Once Ohio State did pull the plug, and hired a then-unknown Division 1-AA coach named Jim Tressel, they immediately became an almost annual National Title contender. Will the Volunteers encounter same good fortune if they go in a different direction? No, not necessarily; but it is hard to dispute that a new direction is not imperative at this point. There really are not any signs to point to that things will turn around any time soon.

Tennessee needs fresh blood. They need a young, excited (and exciting) coach to blaze a new recruiting trail and improve the diminishing talent level that defines the Tennessee roster. Remember 1998? Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Donte Stallworth, Peerless Price, Marcus Nash, Albert Haynesworth, John Henderson, Leonard Little, Al Wilson, Deon Grant…I mean, the talent was unbelievable. And the year before, Peyton Manning was the QB! In hindsight, it’s almost inconceivable that Tennessee didn’t win back-to-back titles, and that they had to be the darlings of fortune just to stay undefeated in 1998 (Clint Stoerner’s fumble anyone?).

The talent level has dropped off significantly over the past few years, while occurrences of players getting into trouble has increased. This lack of discipline off the field has also seeped into the on-field play, as Tennessee consistently commits untimely and just plain dumb penalties. I realize that recruiting is an inexact science, but program discipline is not. Tennessee is not a disciplined a program, and they have not been a talented one in many years; and with respect to talent, it’s all relative. If Tennessee were in the Big Ten, they might have played in a few championship games since 1998 and won more conference titles.

But Tennessee plays in the SEC and has fallen significantly behind the curve. It used to be that only Steve Spurrier could be considered a better coach than Philip Fulmer in America’s best conference. Now, all of the following can lay claim to superseding Phil Fulmer on the list of the SEC’s best coaches: Nick Saban, Les Miles, Urban Ego-maniac-crybaby Meyer (left), Mark Richt, and Fulmer’s old nemesis Steve Spurrier. Heck, Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson, Tommy Tuberville, and Houston Nutt have all had more success recently. And though Arkansas is struggling this year, their snake-in-the-grass-liar-ass-clown coach Bobby Petrino succeeded at Louisville and probably will win at Arkansas before screwing Hog nation over at some point.

There are plenty of young, up-and-coming coaches who would probably jump at the chance to coach for a school with the potential for success and fan base that Tennessee enjoys. And there are plenty of solid programs who would probably jump at the chance to have a coach like Philip Fulmer and offer him a chance at redemption. I realize Philip Fulmer has been an SEC guy his entire life, but he seems to coach more like a Big Ten guy to me. Perhaps a team in the ACC or Big East would want a very competent and accomplished coach like Phil Fulmer. I don’t see why not. Philip Fulmer is a very good coach, but he has allowed the Tennessee program to grow stale.

In the SEC, there is not time and not patience for periods of stale years. Alabama went through it, but then sold their soul to bring in that devil of a college coaching genius Nick Saban. A year and a half later, Alabama is the #1 team in the country. Sure, they had to sell their soul; but winning in the SEC requires it. Sadly, that’s why you have to consider Arkansas a threat in the coming years.

Getting rid of a good man and a good coach like Philip Fulmer could very reasonably be considered removing the man who has been heart and soul of a very solid era of Tennessee football for more than two decades. Sadly, the next two decades could be decidedly more mediocre, and Philip Fulmer’s life unquestionably less pleasant, if a change is not made.

I grew up in a college football coaching family. My dad was both an assistant and a coordinator in the Big Ten, so I appreciate the pressure, the ups and downs, and the sometimes frustrating reality of your success or failure being dependent on the whims of college kids. (I was also recently a college kid myself, so I certainly understand how mentally and emotionally inconsistent people of that age can be.) I think that part of my unyielding support for Phil Fulmer has been partly based on being predisposed to always support coaches, having grown up in that environment.

Coach Fulmer, you’ve been a great asset to the University of Tennessee coach Fulmer, and it really is not fair that fans and the media focus only on the immediate results and not on your lifetime of service to Tennessee. It’s not fair, it’s just the reality of life as a head coach in the SEC. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that for your own sake, and for the sake of the Volunteer football program, the time is nigh for a new leader on Rocky Top.

[tags]college football, tennessee volunteers, rocky top, philip fulmer, Southeastern Conference[/tags]