SCORCHED 3D HOTSEAT FULL

The schedule has been brutal the last two years, with South Carolina improving, along with catching SEC West games against LSU and Arkansas in 2011. Out of the seven defeats in conference games this season, four of those were by more than 10 points. One alarming trend developing for Tennessee is the losses in SEC play over the last two years.

SCORCHED 3D HOTSEAT FULL

Had quarterback Tyler Bray and receiver Justin Hunter stayed healthy for the full year, it’s likely the Volunteers could have gotten to at least 6-6 or pulled off an upset to get to 7-5. Yes, back-to-back losing seasons are a disappointment and Saturday’s loss to Kentucky isn’t sitting well in Knoxville, but the cupboard wasn’t exactly full when he took the job. Steven Lassan ( think it’s too early to judge Dooley at Tennessee. Regardless, though, his team needs to look like it has improved - something that can’t be said for each of the last two seasons. It’s always dangerous to throw out a number of wins required for a coach to keep his job, but Dooley will probably need to win at least eight games in 2012. The Vols ranked 117th in the nation in rushing, averaging a paltry 90.1 yards per game. That can explain some of this team’s struggles, but there is no reason that Tennessee should have had so much difficulty running the ball. His 2011 team was hit hard by injuries, losing star wideout Justin Hunter to a torn ACL in Week 3 and quarterback Tyler Bray to a broken thumb for five games. In his two seasons at Tennessee, he is 4¬–12 in the SEC, with two wins over Vanderbilt and one win over Ole Miss and Kentucky. In five years as a head coach (three at Louisiana Tech and two at UT), Dooley has a 16–24 record in conference play. He didn’t inherit an ideal situation at Tennessee, but he has done nothing in his two seasons to prove that he is the long term answer for the Vols. Mitch Light ( believe it’s fair to say that Derek Dooley will be on the hot seat in 2012, his third season in Knoxville.

Maybe he can win eight or nine games next season and surprise us all, but there is no current reason to believe that will happen.Ĭollege Football Michigan Football: All-Time Wolverines Team

Dooley is the type of coach you want to back, and he does compete in America’s toughest league. This is not the first time in Tennessee’s storied history that it has faced the obstacles of youth and injuries, but it is the first time in a century (1910-11) that the Vols have had two consecutive losing seasons. There are some scary stats from Dooley’s second campaign - 117th in the country in rushing, 70th nationally in rushing defense, dead last in SEC games in scoring, rushing yards per carry (2.3) and rushing yards per game (63.5) - but the fact the Vols program seems much closer to Vanderbilt and Kentucky than it does to Alabama, LSU, Georgia, etc. The Vols were young this season and did suffer key injuries, but those are reasons why you don’t compete with the SEC elite - not excuses for going 5-7 and playing lethargic, uninspired ball against Kentucky with your season on the line. Dooley is a very likeable leader who does things the right way, but there are no indications that things will improve on The Hill. Patrick Snow ( think Dooley is in trouble, although I do not expect Tennessee to make a move this offseason and deal with the attrition of four coaches in five seasons. Is Dooley already in trouble in Knoxville? The Vols have dealt with extensive youth and injuries - including losing quarterback Tyler Bray and top receiver Justin Hunter for major parts of this season - over the last two years, but that does not explain his 11-14 Rocky Top record to many fans and college football observers. Dooley seems to be everything that Tennessee wants as a leader, but the results on the field have been horrible. Consequently, Derek Dooley inherited low scholarship numbers and was asked to clean things up from Kiffin’s recruiting “style”. Enter the scorched-earth policy of Lane Kiffin, who cost the program massive personnel losses between running off players and recruiting others who were not fits in an academic or proper-behavior setting. Phil Fulmer had an amazing run from 1992-2004 before letting the program slip severely, missing the postseason in both 20. Tennessee is historically a top ten football program, but that has been nowhere near the case for the last four years. The Tennessee football program will be watching bowl season from home, and Vols fans are already contemplating if head coach Derek Dooley can lead them back to prominence.

Scorched 3d hotseat