From the
Upper Deck
The Time Is Now For Vols
By Jim Steele
steele@mckenziebanner.com |
| |
|
 |
With Tennessee's return to the pre-season practice
field, many are curious about the Vols' fortunes this
year.In case you missed it (and you were one of the lucky
ones if you did), Tennessee finished with a Fulmer-worst
8-5 mark and out of the Top 25 for the first time since
1988. The Vols had a suspect running game, absent
blocking and no deep threat whatsoever on offense. Oddly
enough, the defense wasn't so bad, despite injuries and
lack of depth. Tennessee's offense dug so many deep
holes and it just isn't in the Vol legacy book that
defense carries the team.
But let's take a quick look around the SEC. You'll find
a lot of question marks. You'll find a lot of puzzled
looks. You'll find that the SEC West, for a change, is
better than the SEC East.
Yes, even with Alabama on probation.
Maybe I've been out in the sun too long. Perhaps someone
loaded my iced tea (the drink, not the rap
artist/actor). But I think Tennessee could be poised for
an unexpectedly good season.
Funny how, in an atmosphere where expectations are so
high, high expectations could be surprising.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We hear Phillip Fulmer's tripe about
how they prepare for a national title every year, but
looking back before '98 and then review what has
happened since then, one could surmise that the Vols
were more serendipitous than good when they defeated
Florida State for the national crown.
In 2003, you won't find Martha Stewart in Gainesville,
because Florida's stock has plummeted. The Gators are
without a proven starting quarterback, they have a
potential cancer in the mix for that position and much
of their line is gone as is all of their defense.
Georgia has a great quarterback in David Greene, an
All-SEC pick last year, but also has a suspect line and
no running attack.
South Carolina can't beat Tennessee. Nor can it beat
Georgia and Florida. Kentucky is missing too many pieces
and has a new coach. Five wins will be a monumental feat
for Vanderbilt this year.
As for the SEC West, everyone says Auburn is the beast.
LSU is looking up at the Tigers, as are Ole Miss and
Arkansas. Mississippi State is rebuilding for the second
straight year, having cleaned house of its assistant
coaches last year and Alabama is on its third coach in
two years.
Tennessee looked good in the O/W game, but the rules are
abridged and the contact isn't as significant. Clausen
is healthy; the Vols have weeded out the bad attitudes
and agendas; Mark Jones will finally get a look at
wideout and is the deep threat the Vols so badly covet.
The Vol line should be solid with JUNIOR captain Michael
Munoz, center Scott Wells and crew leading the way.
Depth and health will be a factor on defense, but
Constantin Ritzmann is back, as is Kevin Burnett.
Tennessee's road is a killer. Florida, Auburn, Alabama
and Miami are listed at the Vols' travel agency. Fulmer
says that the tough road swing isn't as formidable as
one might think.
"We did pretty well in 2001," Fulmer says. True enough.
The Vols beat a weakened Notre Dame team, beat Alabama
under a new coach and topped Florida after an emotional
game with Florida State, all on the road. It lost its
only regular season game at home, a horrific loss to
Georgia on a last second Greene TD pass, ending a
nine-year victory dearth. Then, the Vols had a
mystifying loss over LSU, with a second-team quarterback
and tailback leading the show, during the SEC
championship game in Atlanta.
With all the question marks floating about the SEC, the
Vols must take advantage of the opportunity. If not,
then perhaps it will be time for Coach Fulmer to seek
other opportunities, on another sideline. |
