Tennessee Volunteers Football: This is Gonna Hurt Me

This can be found (along with all of my other Blog Championship Series entries) at www.sportingnews.com/blog/wassup471

Tennessee has long been hovering around the top of the SEC, save for a disastrous 2005 campaign that pitted a young team against 5 opponents in the top-10 (all losses). Last year was no exception: Although not in National Championship talk, the Vols put together a run to hold off Georgia thanks to their dominating victory over the Bulldogs, pulling out another SEC East title and almost upsetting LSU's chances at the National Title in a 21-14 loss in the SEC Championship.

Finishing with a 21-17 victory over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, the future is...well, bleak, honestly. Here's my early 2008 prediction for the Vols-you may be surprised.

The coaching changes have been killer: Four assistants have jumped ship, most notably David Cutcliffe in his desire to try again at head coaching, this time at it-can-only-get-better Duke. Matt Luke and Kurt Roper went with him, giving Duke hope in 5 years. And when WR coach Trooper Taylor headed to Okie State to be their new offensive coordinator, all hopes of a good offensive year in 2008 were shot.

The signs were already ominous: Starting QB Erik Ainge is gone, having exhausted his eligibility. Arian Foster had surgery on his knee, and Larry Coker has been in and out of trouble ever since 2006, so the backfield situation is unsteady. Now, on ESPN.com's College Football Page, it's reported that Brittan Colquitt, the Vols' All-SEC punter, has been suspended 5 games for a DUI over the weekend. Oh, and starting DB Antonio Wardlow, the one who saved the win in the Outback Bowl with a last-second INT, has also been suspended, although the reasons are unknown at this time.

Furthermore, an opinion piece in a local Knoxville newspaper drew hundreds of responses, after the article called for Phillip Fulmer to be fired thanks to poor handling of off-the-field issues regarding players. Although most of the e-mails have reportedly been against the article's author, one can't help but feel the seat is warming by the day for the SEC's longest-tenured current coach.