It’s inevitable based on last year’s unpleasantness that James Franklin and Todd Grantham would be a big part of the story leading up to Saturday’s game. But if we’re lucky, the following week in Athens may see us blessed with another big coaching story.
So let’s evaluate where the Vols go from here. Akron should not be that much of a problem on Saturday, but the trip to Georgia — to Dooley’s hometown, no less — is shaping up to be the defining moment of his career.
Yes, it seems that Dooley’s Vols have a defining game or a season-shaping chance every other week, but so it goes when a coach and a program are searching and starving for a statement moment and a helmet-hanging win.
Good coaches can regroup a team amid challenges, and great coaches can regroup them amid great distractions. The inverse of that is true, too, and if these Vols do not respond with an inspired effort in what will surely be the biggest game in Dooley’s coaching career, then we all will see exactly what kind of presence Dooley has in the UT locker room.
The Georgia game represents Dooley’s next chance at making UT fans believe he is worth the emotional investment.
It could be one of his last chances.
Cue the groundhog.
Will there be that much drama? Who knows. I’ll just settle for it turning out to be another non-coaching moment for Tyler Bray.
Get The Picture 
Carefull.. Barbara is listening..
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I hope Mrs. Barbara is not reading this blog!
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Bray just wants to go back and throw bottles at cars and not have to answer any questions about it. This football stuff can get your character questioned.
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Ho Ho …. and a +1, good sir.
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Maybe that’s his problem this year — footballs don’t have necks with which to throw them.
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No doubt!
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Vols ran Patterson and Hunter to death against Florida. They rarely substituted for them and sent them deep on a lot of run plays. Both were completely gassed by the 4th Q. Hope they keep it up.
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“Dooley cited studies that show NFL quarterbacks don’t play their best football until their sixth or seventh year in the league.”
So two or three years after he leaves Tennessee, Bray should be ready for big-time college football.
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No offense Pumpkin Pants, but I want to ruin your life…er moment.
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+1
That reference tops “Bamboo Warrior Coach” and ” Shah of Showering Technique”. It also ties in well with the “Pumpkin King” moniquer of a previous coaching regeime.
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I did not even glance at this.
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OK… that officially made me laugh out loud.
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As my good friend Pulpwood Smith would say…
“Tyler Bray?? He ain’t nothin’ but a pussy”
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Where is Pulpwood? Love that Monkey.
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Now UGA is the “Coach Killer” team? If they don’t beat us, it’s the nadir of their season? Holy Smoke! The 3-game run gets larger. Now when they play us, each team is saving their coach’s job.
It probably won’t matter by the time we play Chizik.
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Damn, why are we everybody’s “defining” opponent?
No fan base in the conference loses with quite the “sky is falling” mentality of our Vol friends. I see mystery moving vans in Derek Dooley’s future driveway.
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That writer is a serious homer. The article just screams meltdown – Bray is so convinced of Bray’s own value that he is a train wreck of cognitive dissonance when things don’t go his way. Some may be looking foward to the physical beat-down he will receive at the hands of our defense in ten days – I am eagerly anticipating watching the psychological dismantling of a punk narcissist right there on CBS network tee vee.
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I would like you to meet the University of Georgia Validators! Oh, you have already met? At the Sugar Bowl (WVU)? And the Capital One Bowl (MSU)? And at the Georgia Dome (Boise State)? And in Stillwater (OSU)? I dd not realize you and the Validators were so close.
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