On Fridays leading up to the 2017 college football season, Sporting News will address five frequently asked questions about a player, coach, program or conference. This week, we'll address five questions about Tennessee.
Butch Jones enters his sixth season as head coach of Tennessee in 2017, and that fact alone can evoke any number of reactions.
Jones is coming off back-to-back 9-4 seasons and has pushed the Volunteers into the top half of the SEC East again. Tennessee, however, is coming off a four-loss season in a year where they were supposed to at least reach the SEC championship game. That didn't happen.
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Where does that put Jones and Tennessee heading into 2017? Let's answer five frequently asked questions:
Should Butch Jones be on hot seat?
Sporting News put Jones on that hot-seat list, but we've reserved the right to re-think that position.
The Vols did not meet the hype last season, though that was a roller-coaster ride through the first half and injuries simply depleted the roster. It's not an excuse. We get that.
With Jones, however, it's important to understand the rebuild. Tennessee hasn't won 10 games since 2007. From 2008-2014 — or from Phillip Fulmer's last season through Jones' first two — the Vols had a 40-47 record. Rebuilds in the SEC don't happen overnight — or sometimes at all — and Tennessee won nine games each of the last two years and beat rivals Georgia and Florida.
Tennessee is positioned to compete with the Gators and Bulldogs to win the SEC East and shoot for that first conference title since 1998.
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Why talk about the hot seat then?
Tennessee can't lose two road games in the division like they did against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, especially in years where they sweep Georgia and Florida.
All coaches in the SEC face pressure, so Jones isn't immune to that, especially with a new athletic director in John Currie. Fulmer also is back on campus as a special adviser. Tennessee has high standards — sometimes unrealistic — and that's always measured in wins and losses first. And, of course, championships.
Not "championships of life," a well-meaning Jones quote that quickly became a meme. SEC championships.
Alabama, Florida, LSU, Georgia and Auburn all have at least one since Tennessee won its last one in 1998. That's the standard Jones must live up to.
Beat Alabama or win SEC East?
As we pointed out in the spring, Arian Foster scored the game-winning TD the last time the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide. That 10-game losing skid hangs over the program, but that's more of a SEC-wide problem. Including the SEC championship game, Alabama has lost just nine conference games the last nine seasons.
That's why winning the SEC East should be the more-important short-term goal. Georgia will be picked to win the SEC East this year, and two-time defending champion Florida won't be far behind. Tennessee don't have as much expectations as last year, and that could work in its favor.
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Who takes over at QB?
Of course, replacing Joshua Dobbs it the biggest change for Tennessee this season. Junior Quinten Dormady has more experience, but redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano is going to compete for that job. If it's close in fall camp, it might not be a bad idea to give Guarantano the nod. That's the biggest dilemma for Jones, and both quarterbacks have shown a ton of confidence through the spring.
The winner will be on display right away. Tennessee opens with Georgia Tech on Labor Day in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Can Brady Hoke help?
Jones brought on Brady Hoke as the defensive line coach in the offseason, and that might cause some to scoff give Hoke's unceremonious exits as Michigan's head coach and Oregon's defensive coordinator. That's a mistake.
Hoke worked his way up the coaching ranks for more than 20 years as a defensive position coach, mostly on the defensive line. That's what he's best at. Tennessee needs that given the loss of Derek Barnett and that senior defensive tackle Kendal Vickers is the top returner with two sacks.
Hoke should be able to unlock some more hidden talent from a defensive line, and that could be a strength for the Vols in a league that demands that.
Nobody will be scoffing when they see the results.
