(07-17-2013 12:55 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 09:05 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(07-16-2013 09:31 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(07-15-2013 03:31 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  You may be right, I may be wrong but the damage is done and it is very obvious. Perhaps my perspective from the outside does not allow me to see enough to know what I am talking about, or perhaps my perspective from the outside allows me to provide unbiased judgement on the situation.

It doesn't look good for Tennessee at all. They couldn't lure away Louisville's Head Coach. With his contacts down in Florida that would have been awesome for Tennessee yet...they didn't have the clout to pull him away from Louisville. That does not speak highly for what is going on at Tennessee and their viewed potential with those in the know. Top coaches are not jumping to go there because of their situation.

If the SEC gave Tennessee a new division, then that massive brand with it's massive following could once again fluorish. Why? Because they wont continuously be beat down out of the running for the conference championship or tournament. If they are competing in a division that is more equal for them then they immediately become the perceived dominant power in that conference and recruits are going to like that. Tennessee will be seen as the favorite to make it to any future SEC Tournament from their "Northern Border" division. That is not just a positive thing for Tennesse, in my opinion, it is necessary.

With regard to the HC search, I think Strong felt a certain loyalty to Jurich for providing him his first HC opportunity. The Vols missed on Strong after the Kiffin debacle when they doubled down and hired Dooley.

I guess my question is why would your proposed 'Boarder' division give the Vols a better chance to win than staying with 'Bama? (UF was only a big rivalry in the 90's. Historically, the Vols have played most of the teams that now make up the SEC West). Vandy, UK and Mizzou are all better than Tennessee right now. WVU and VT have out-perfored the Vols in the last 5 years as well.

I just don't think you can create a division that would be favorable to the Vols that would accomplish what you're suggesting.

Tennessee has a stadium that dwarfs the stadiums of Missouri, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. I don't know about other applicable facilities to compare but I cant see how Tennessee wouldn't have similar and/or better facilities than those three schools based simply off of history, support and alumni backing.

Tennessee has all the right building blocks in place to be successful, they have the more expensive stuff in place. I personally wouldn't worry that much about performance in the past five years as you bring up.

Now, to the big question you asked. Why would Tennessee do better in such a division than what they are in now? Tennessee is closer to the heart of SEC recruiting grounds than Missouri, Kentucky and West Virginia. The problem for them is that they have to compete directly against the schools that inhabit those prime recruiting grounds yet in the recruiting competition it is not an even battle. If Tennessee was in it's own division with those schools farther north than it then the same scenario that has worked against Tennessee is now switched and works For them.

SEC hopeful recruits are more pro-SEC than recruits for any other conference in my opinion. They want to be on an SEC team that is going to be successful and reach the highly respected aspects of the post season. That means the SEC Championship game and the Major Bowls that the SEC has agreements with. In this scenario it means an SEC Tournament. That means four teams instead of just two. If Tennessee is suddenly in what is perceived as a dominant position in their division then their recruiting ability goes up dramatically. Any perspective coaches that Tennessee might want to woo will see that dramatic change too.

That change of division situation for Tennessee could be huge! Recruits will see it as a strong pipeline to getting into the future prestigious SEC Tournament. Right now it is not a strong pipeline for post season coverage because it has a locked in game against Alabama and it is outmatched in the East most years by Florida, Georgia and now South Carolina as well.

UT should have everything a kid would want. They have a mammoth stadium, big crowds, beautiful campus, beautiful part of the country, and great weather. Speaking of dwarfing Missouri, UK, and Vandy, I think it dwarfs everyone except Michigan. The right moves by smart leaders could again make them a national champ.

Exactly, and yet finding a proper head coach is a serious problem. It is not like Strong is the only good coach out there. Tennessee has a huge fan base, a huge Gladiatorial Arena for a Stadium and a very decorated history in college football yet they still cant solve what would seem to be a simple problem in finding a proper head coach to lead this program. They have a very serious recruiting situation that has been growing and now with the bad performance the program has been having, it is not seen by recruits as a program in the SEC that can get you very far.

That will continue to be the case with cross rival as Alabama and quite frankly neither of the two divisions are any better for Tennessee. They will still face some schools in either division that will be having a major recruiting advantage over them. Only with a more northern "border" division will Tennessee be able to thrive again, just my opinion of course. I don't see any seriously accomplished coaches jumping for the Tennessee position the way Tennessee is positioning within the SEC currently.