Man, SOD is putting on the full-court press when it comes to excuse making. Here’s what he laid on Holly Anderson:
“We’re not there yet,” Dooley told SI.com, tracing the scars on the Volunteers left by Fulmer’s ousting and Lane Kiffin’s subsequent bolting. ”But all those anchors are in the past. Between three head coaches in three years, five strength coaches in that short time, a change in the presidential level, a change at the athletic director level, the NCAA cloud hanging over our program, and of course all the attrition. It put us in a challenging position, but the good news is, that’s a thing of the past…”
And if all those changes aren’t enough to making you feel sorry for the man, there’s the litany of bad luck from last season that Tony Barnhart recounts in this piece that’s as eminently predictable as you’d expect.
Dooley’s got his injured players back. He’s got more depth. He’s got assistant coaches with whom he claims he’s more simpatico. And the schedule is softer, to boot. So how many wins does Tennessee have to notch this season for SOD to puff his chest out and proclaim that the Vols are back?
Get The Picture 
SOD is going to have to win 8 games to hang onto his job according to the local beat writers.
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Depends…eight wins if they include some of the right ones…like Florida…Has Tennessee ever beaten Florida?….or at least that’s what I hear in the grocery store before they see me coming.
I also hear “discussions” are already underway with a replacement.
SOD does have great body lean, though.
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PS: You are not a real Dawg if you don’t get the “body lean” thing.
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SOD hired Sal Sunseri and UT is installing the 3-4 on D. That is probably a wise move long-term but as we in Athens found out in ’10 there is a rather steep learning curve with the 3-4. Plus, you have to have specific personnel particularly at NG to run the 3-4 effectively. That move probably won’t pay off for the Vols until at least 2013 or 2014 and SOD won’t be there to see it. I will shed no tears, however, as SOD has demonstrated a complete lack of moral fiber and is getting what he deserves IMHO.
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Depends, really … No team really runs a true 3-4 all the time. Even Grantham has stated repeatedly that he runs a hybrid of the scheme. If Sunseri focuses the play-calling to the strength of the roster for winning today, they might be better than expected (sell-out blitzes work some of the time). If he takes Grantham’s approach in Year 1 (loading up on future success as opposed to just taking chances to win games today) it will be a struggle.
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Yeah, but 3-4 or not, Grantham’s big improvement came when he installed two mountains at NT. You must have the immovable object at the point of attack to be successful in any defense. Does Sunseri have the immovable objects? Most, including myself, think he doesn’t.
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Yeah, I have to admit, I liked SOD when he was hired. I felt like one of ‘our guys’ got a good opportunity and frankly I wanted to see him do well, except against Georgia, of course.
Since then, however, he has proven himself time and again to essentially be both a jackass and incompetent.
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Yep, my take too.
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I’d have to say 8 is the magic number as well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he squeaked by with 7 if some of those wins were against good teams and the losses were close (such as our 2010 campaign). I think he gets a little bit more slack than most because nobody thought he would be a Nick Saban (and he sure isn’t) AND he was stepping into a terrible situation. Either way, I don’t think they’ll be as awful next year. Aren’t they returning the most starters in the SEC? That’s gotta count for something.
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You’re right; quality of wins will play a huge part in it more than anything else. How good the wins are, and against whom, will dictate how recruits view the program.
While SOD hasn’t done too bad on the recruiting trail, he hasn’t knocked ’em dead either, year in and year out. If the recruits smell blood in the water halfway through the season, I think that’ll be the trigger to axe SOD
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OK, let’s look at the UT schedule and the likely outcomes: NC State at the GA Dome-loss; Ga State in KnoxVegas-win; Florida in KnoxVegas-loss; Akron in KnoxVegas-win; UGA in Athens-loss; Miss State in Starkville-loss; Bama in KnoxVegs-loss;USCe in Columbia-loss; Troy in KnoxVegas-win; Mizzou in KnoxVegas-loss; Vandy at Vandy-win; UK in KnoxVegas-win. I see 7 losses here for UT. Maybe the Vols get by NC State or Florida, but I doubt it. Maybe they beat Miss State but I doubt that, too. I think it is more likely that UT loses to Vandy than it beats Florida or Miss State. 5-7 is the most likely outcome for the Vols next season, 6-6 if they upset someone. To make it to 7-5 regular season they have to beat somebody good which ain’t gonna happen. I think there is a reasonable possibility that Troy will wax ’em. If the Vols lose to NC State (which is a probability IMHO) SOD is in big trouble as losses will mount up to the point that by the USCe game it will be apparent that they cannot have a 7 win season. SOD then will get the ax before season’s end so that UT will have the jump on every other school that is going to be making a post-season HC change.Things could get really ugly if that happens as UT might then lose to Troy, Vandy and/or UK.
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BTW, the hillbillies deserve it after the way they treated Johnny Majors. Karma’s a real bitch. It just took a while.
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So, Mayor….you’re not real high on Tennessee’s chances of a good season?
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-3 and a clean slate from the Staph Police
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I don’t know if you’ve heard but Barbara and Vince think little Derek inherited a pile of dog poop. Oh, and they also want you to know what a bad man Michael Adams is.
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Barbara and Vince are right on both counts.
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Not enough.
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Anyone else hope he hangs onto his job at UT for the remainder of his life? Kind of like PJ at Tech. I want them both to stay at their respective programs forever.
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Secret agent Dooley reports “Destruction of Tennessee program almost complete”. Will soon redeploy in assistant role at Vanderbilt.
Secret agent Muschamp reports he needs one more year at Florida.
Secret agent Smart discussing succession planning at South Carolina.
Overall mission on schedule.
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*golf clap*
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+ *golf clap*
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Secret agent Van Gorder has given no report on Auburn but is expected “to take no more than 2 years.” However, there is evidence that he may have gone over to the other side and is now a “double agent.”
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SOD has the components to win 7 in 2012. The returning players and perceived depth from a team with a 1-7 conference records is not impressive enough to convince me that they will win more than that. The 2013 mock draft has Bray and Da’rick going 13th and 14th in the first round. A lot of water has to flow down the Tennessee River before draft day and as we have all seen any first round projections can fall into the fourth round. I suspect they will be gone though. I think the ACL injury will hold Hunter at UT until his senior season. SOD gets 7 in 2012 but in 2013 he will struggle to get 6. The uncanny similarity between SOD and Shula will continue and in four years UT will be buying out yet another head coaches contract. This will lead to further athletic department cuts to personnel as UT is spending as much as they make now. UT has only to look back at how Georgia struggled AD and BR to gain an insight into what they have ahead of them. I remember one Saturday game day, after a blowout loss in Knoxvegas getting harassed by hillbilly fans post game, at the hotel and by the waitress’s on Sunday morning while serving us our breakfast. It was during the very first part of breakfast when I stood up threw cash on the table and said “that’s it…. I’ve had it! Anybody who wants a ride back to Athens with me better load up. We’ll eat when we get to Georgia!” And with that we left. It was a quiet ride until we got some breakfast in us. I still get some grief about that. And rightfully so. It was quite a few road trips before the group asked me to drive. Karma UT. “Bless your hearts”.
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Believe me, those hillbillys are quiet these days. Begrudgingly so, but no sound escapeth their Chew holes.
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Careful, gents. Barbara is listening.
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Bull. She’d have to shut her yap about how great Kias are first.
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Someone correct me if any of this is wrong.
1. SOD already had a job where he was both HC and AD.
2. No one forced him to leave this, what can only be described as cushy, situation (well, except for the Ruston, LA part).
3. He volunteered to go into a significantly bad situation simply for significantly more money.
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That and the chance to get UT HC on his resume. Moreover word is that VD advised him to take the job. I sure wouldn’t want to be at the Dooley house in Athens next Christmas.
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Just can’t get past my “who gives a s**t” attitude. To hell with Tennessee…and that goes for Tech, too.
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Also, as much I hate UT, they still have their pride. Another disasterous season (1-7 in Conference last year) and I think they may pull the trigger on him. It’s not just the failings on the field but off the field issues and the never ending PR gaffes that he keeps supplying the media with.
Babas Dooley may be have been right with her tirade on the Knoxville radio but as some point, a coach has to produce.
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UT related but not SOD … Wonder if this was all part of the plan too? Bryce Brown, former #1 HS recruit, goes in the 7th RD of NFL Draft.
http://uga.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1360510
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