Tennessee Volunteers Football: This is Gonna Hurt Me

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.

Just to pile it on even worse, the recruiting season this year didn't go so hot; nobody had UT as a top-25 class, and some had them outside the best 40. With so much talent leaving (whether voluntarily or not), one has to wonder about the future of the Vols in the next few years. I mean, Alabama, a longtime hated rival, forced me to give them props for their recruiting and rebuilding, with a lethal year in 2009 a strong possibility!

I'm going to admit, I've been wearing my UT hat around campus (in Georgia, mind you!) with pride. It's definitely basketball season, and I have no problems with that. But every time a fan of any other school starts talking football, I'm forced to admit their program's eminent supremacy and point out a true fan knows about most sports. But it's killing me.

So, the 2008 season? Georgia and Florida are going to be competing for National Title hopes. South Carolina is extremely hungry, and Spurrier is recruiting as well as ever. Kentucky and Vanderbilt are tired of being at the bottom, though both lost considerable amounts of talent as well.

Pen 'em in for 4th in the East, with a 5-loss season likely. I'll enjoy our crappy bowl game.

Ouch.