LSU Footall: Tigers can put an end to three head coach’s jobs
By Ryan Micklin
(4-5, 0-5 SEC) Tennessee Volunteers
Up next for the Tigers? The struggling Volunteers of Tennessee who stand at 4-5 and have yet to win a conference game this season.
That might change this weekend, however, when the Volunteers travel to Columbus to take on the Missouri Tigers.
A win over Missouri this week would give Butch Jones and this dwindling fan base a boost of some sorts, but it won’t be nearly enough to keep us from batting an eye to the dumpster fire of a season that the Volunteers have experienced thus far.
The Volunteers have acquired wins over all four of their non-conference opponents after barely managing to squeak by UMASS and Georgia Tech in September. And that’s about the only thing that Jones and his team can hang their hat on.
It’s been a much different story when the Volunteers have matched up against tougher competition. If not for Florida’s last second Hail Mary, the Volunteers would have at least notched one win against an SEC team heading into this weekend’s game against Missouri.
Tennessee nearly pulled of a victory over South Carolina which would have easily been the Volunteers’ most impressive win to date, but the backbreaker for Butch Jones and Tennessee came when the Volunteers faced off against Georgia, Alabama, and yes, Kentucky.
Georgia and Alabama absolutely dominated the Volunteers in such a way that really made you question whether or not Tennessee was an actual SEC team.
Take a look at these numbers.
The Volunteers were outscored by Georgia and Alabama 86-7.
Georgia and Alabama amassed a combined 566 rushing yards against the porous Tennessee defense.
Tennessee’s struggling offense, led by both Jarrett Guarantano and Quentin Dormandy who flip flopped at QB against Georgia, generated just 124 passing yards and the offense as a whole produced just 250 yards in eight quarters against both Alabama and Georgia.
These numbers are atrocious, and it’s very clear that Tennessee is no where near the level that some of the SEC’s power players have sprung too.
Not only that, but one week after the demoralizing loss to Alabama, Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats were able to defeat Tennessee for the first time since 2011, providing spectators with even more evidence of the downfall of this once-heralded program.
And in case Tennessee fans and boosters needed more fuel for their growing fire, 5-star OT and Knoxville-native, Cade Mays, a long-time Tennessee pledge, went public with his decommitment from Tennessee on Monday.
Tennessee fans have protested against Jones and the current state of the program by coordinating attempts to dissuade people from showing up to games.
By now, you’ve probably seen some of the many “Fire Butch Jones” signs.
The question really boils down to when.
When will Butch Jones get the axe?
A loss to Missouri this week and a loss to LSU at home next Saturday should easily provide Tennessee officials with enough ammunition to pull the trigger.