By the way, thank you guys at Rocky Top for the great commentaries, based on sound analysis and picking a part the details. You led me to believe in the last week after Auburn that this would happen based on your analysis of the steady, improving evolution of the offense.

Two things I did not see in all the articles written in the glow of victory. GA is not as bad right now as claimed. And Coach Lane Kiffin believing in himself, the system he has installed, and his players, in light of all the criticism since the UCLA game.

First, GA might be on a decline, but they almost beat an LSU team that kept it close against FLA last night. They also beat a hell of a good SC team (who will wear on Alabama before we play the tide). If not for a bad call, GA would have beat LSU, and came in to Neyland still ranked with a 4-1 record). So we did better than everyone expected except for you guys at Rocky Top and of course, Coach Kiffin and his staff.

Second, the biggest thing that came out of the GA game was that Coach Lane Kiffin showed a lot of strength of character.  Strength of character is the seeking of, no the love of, responsibility and making decisions in the face of adversity, be it peers, fans and subordinates (players). Everyone was calling for Nick Stephens to replace Jonathan Crompton (even I was humming along), but the Coach knew he had to give his quarterback time. Crompton has the talent and smarts. He just had to have time (along with the receivers and offensive line) to pick up his pro style system (as you guys at Rocky Top have pointed out too often, four systems in five years?).  People were also calling for a "no huddle-two minute offense", but Coach Kiffin calmly told us why it may not work, and that he was not going to deviate from the system he has installed.  A system that given time and more talent will work as well as it did at USC.

I did laugh at some of the negative comments against Coach Kiffin after Auburn, but these are the same fools that probably made death threats against Crompton while they lay on their couches and eat Cheetoes and drink Pabst Blue Ribbon while wearing orange jump suits.

I have maintained faith in Coach Kiffin and his staff on the long term, but it was nice to confirm the character of the Coach with Crompton’s, most everyone's performance yesterday.

Also, the defense is the "unwritten story line". They were kept off the field while seeing their turnovers transformed into points. They got more motivated as the game went on.

Bye week could not have come at a better time. Coach Kiffin and his staff are fixing/improving the team, and special teams may not be fixed by Alabama (I know seven points were also off a reflected throw), but we can be assured that our team will go in with a good plan, confident and special teams will not be as costly.

Go VOLs and beat Bama.

Looking forward to a tight game and possible upset of Alabama.

Don Vandergriff

www.donvandergriff.com

Since Coach Lane Kiffen has been selected to lead by Vols, all you hear, or mostly from ESPN, Chris Low among other noted sports gurus is how he and others among his staff have losing records. "He has yet to coach a game in the SEC, and has been doing a lot of talking."

Well, why am I confident that the VOLs will surprise everyone with a 9-3 or even a 10-2 record this season. History is my basis for this feeling, not only football history either but military history. I will use military history as my anology.

Most Vols know of Civil War general Robert E. Lee and his successes as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia June 1862 until the end of the war (even in defeat, Lee held his head high in April 1865).

But did you know that there was great doubt among the rank and file, and many in the Confederate government when Lee was appointed to lead the Army of Northern Virginia? Why?

Prior to this time, despite all the hype Lee had received before and at the start of the war for being a "five star player," he had failed to live up to that. But in that 14 months prior to that in the role of commander of the Atlantic Coast and as military advisor to Jefferson Davis, Lee had made many errors but learned a lot.  He had orchestrated and failed while leading a campaign in late 1861 to take what is now north eastern W. Virginia. As soon as he took over the Army of Northern Virginia, he ordered them to entrench or fortify everywhere, thus the nick name "spades" or "granny" Lee from Soldiers who did not take positively to such labor.  But this action would allowed Lee to orchestrate and mass his forces while using a few to hold a lot of ground opposite a stronger enemy.  After June 1862, Lee went on to become one of the storied generals in our history.

We also know the story of U.S. Grant prior to his victory of taking Fort Donelson Tennessee in February 1862. He was considered a dunkered, a loser, he was a clerk in his father's leather tanning business in Cairo ILL in April 1861, when he decided to ask for his commission back.  Even after his capture of Fort Donelson TN in February of 1862, the only victory for the North to the point, his superior General Henry Halleck tried to arrest him because he thought he was drunk on duty.  But he failed to convict him. Grant offered to resign after the battle of Shiloh in April 1862 because Halleck made him worthless second of command of all armies (no job or like vice president). But his friend William T Sherman talkedhim out of it because he had potential. The rest is history.

We also hear and know of General George S. Patton, and his victories in World War II. But in 1938, Patton was considered to old and wash out, too radical; and he had actually looked at places for him and his wife to retire, before the emergency of World War II sought his talents. His articles in military journals  were considered extreme, but they proved him right when the time came for the test of World War II.

We can refer to football as well. What was Pete Carroll's (mentor to a coach now we know well) record prior to taking over at USC? I heard Pete Carroll speak, and I met him to talk on two occasions in the three days I was at the same conference, no arrogance, and great leader. WOW. And by the way, he spoke highly of not only our new head coach, but of his assistants.

To really determine what a coach is worth, look at what the Army calls "command evironment" he sets. Kiffin, said no to senority (by the way prior to World War II, this is the antiquated system the U.S. Army used, and by the way in 1941, George C. Marshall had to relieve 500 colonels and generals who were senior but no talent), but yes to the best player plays. Look at what it has done in spring and fall camps.

No off-field incidents since he took over. That speaks for itself. What kind of "command climate"?

How many quite because they could not compete? That is another aspect.

Kiffen showed up at classes to make sure players went to class. WOW, what a concept, "scholar-athlete!"  Oh, by the way, highest GPA since how many years?

Good leaders surround themselves with good people. WOW! Kiffin put his money in his staff of not only great coaches, but good recruiters.

Good leaders are not threatened by their subordinates. WOW, how many times has Kiffin credited others, be it coaches and players? A lot.

I believe, that Coach Kiffin learned how to set the environment under Pete Carroll, as well as coach from Pete and his Father, but learned how to run a program under the dismal environment at Oakland (when an organization goes after someone long after they leave as Oakland has, that tells its own story, about the losing organization).

When I saw the starting roster, WOW, I am confident.

Another, and late item. Everyone says we are getting no respect from many prominent venues because they don't like the VOLS. Well THAT IS GOOD!  I know Coach Kiffen and his coaches are playing that up. I think the VOLS have enough talent to compete, even with Florida, if coached right. And we have great coaches that are hungry. And all the non-respect is playing into their hands.

I predict a 9-3, but not impossible 10-3 on a running, play action offensive with a supper torn over porn defensive, and a coach who plays to win, not lose. By the way, the loses will be close.

Don

www.donvandergriff.com

vandergriffdonald@usa.net

Hopper,

I keep hearing the demise of the program because of recruiting? But, haven't we over the last several years, except for one (cannot remember) ranked in the top ten recruiting classes?

I ask because as we have discussed, I focus on the intangibles of why the team might be having trouble, but when combined with your statistical ability, it comes up with close answers.

I think that our recruiting has been as good as any top tier team. My theory on why we are having troubles is that Fulmer and staff are not adapting a system to the type of talent they have, and instead keep forcing the talent they have into an out of date system (read your comment on how GA defense knew where we were running too). I know what Dave Clawson system was when he arrived, but still hearing a lot of rumors of Fulmer overriding decisions (and by what I see during games, it appears so).

I bet if you did a statistical comparision with our recruiting classes in the last few years, then we would find recruiting is not the issue, it is how we use the talent we have.  I would also go further and theorize that as a result, the players are not playing to their full potential in a system they do not believe or feel comfortable in.

Don V