The CheckerBoard

This will probably get lost among all the coaching talk and everything else that is offseason football, but something in another thread made me want to say this.

I have been a UT fan as long as I can remember. I have been aware of the Vols since birth, but the point at which I actually started paying attention to the team was the 1985 Sugar Bowl against Miami. That night seemed magical at the time, and still brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.

I have seen this program go through a lot of highs and a lot of lows over the years. I remember when Alabama was THE "make or break" game each year, and I can remember David Palmer scoring a TD as time expired to win the game for the Tide on a sweep to the right side of the field. I remember when Fulmer became the HC and the furor from the most vocal of Johnny Majors' supporters. I remember how Florida suddenly became the big rivalry game when the SEC moved to the divisional format and Steve Spurrier took over in Gainesville. I remember listening to John Ward call games on the radio when they weren't televised (back when only a handful of games were ever on TV), and there has never been anyone that can even come close to his abilities in the booth.

When UT played Mississippi State in the SECG in 1998, I was actually watching the game in a Ruby Tuesday (a chain started by UT grads) across the street from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe (where the Fiesta Bowl would be played three weeks later). At the moment the final whistle sounded, I looked across the street at the stadium and knew UT would win the championship. I can't explain it, but there was something perfect about being in that place at that time. While I would have loved to have attended the game, just being there the night of the SECG was fulfilling in its own right.

I have enjoyed watching a lot of talented and gifted players over the years - Peyton Manning, Jay Graham, James "Little Man" Stewart, Travis Henry, Jayson Swain, Jason Witten, Chuck Webb, Carl Perkins, Scott Galyon, Shane Bonham, Tee Martin, and the list goes on. I have also seen some major lows in the program - the 1988 season where all seemed lost after six games, the phone card scandal, the loss to Wyoming and firing of Coach Fulmer, Lane Kiffin - you get the point.

As bad as things seem right now, given the sting of the loss to UK, questions surrounding the coaching staff and attitudes of the players, and the overall attitude of the fan base, it's important to recognize that this is still Tennessee. This program has a history of following a period of turmoil and/or uncertainty with great success. When the Vols last lost a game to UK, they beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl the following year. They followed up the disappointing loss to Nebraska in the 1997 Orange Bowl with an unexpected run to the national championship where they defeated Florida State in the first ever BCS title game.

The last four years have been rough for UT students, athletes, faculty, and staff, not to mention the fans. The problems that Dooley faced when taking over as Head Coach weren't the type of things that can be fixed in 2 years, yet a lot of "fans" seem to think that a coach like Nick Saban or Urban Meyer could have turned around the program in one year. Other than SMU coming back from the "death penalty", this has been the most complicated and rebuilding process I can ever recall in major college football. Whether it's the lack of depth and experience, bad luck on the injury front, or flat out strange endings to games, UT fans have seen just about everything in the last three seasons.

Whether Dooley is here or not in 3 years, he will have left this program in a much better place than he found it. You can already see improvements in aspects not directly related to on the field performance, and the VFL program is a key component of this change. Unlike a lot of FBS coaches, Dooley cares about more than just the stats. You can see that in the way he handled the Janzen Jackson situation, and the way he's promoted VFL to recruits. The number of player incidents has plummeted over the last two years, and that helps because you aren't suspending key players because of dumb decisions they made.

Tennessee will rebuild, and the program will be stronger in the long run because of it. Dave Hart will be an outstanding AD, and he will work with the coaches of all sports to make sure they have all the tools they need to be successful. As Dooley closes the 2012 recruiting class and more of the Fulmer/Kiffin classes graduate or finish their eligibility, you will begin to see this team take on a different persona. 2010 and 2011 have been the foundation, now we begin to see what the actual building will look like.