An 8-4 regular season is on the horizon for Coach Butch Jones and the Tennessee Volunteers if we can close the deal Saturday afternoon vs Vanderbilt in Neyland Stadium. The Vols are currently a 16 1/2 point favorite over the Commodores who enter the game 4-7 overall and just 2-5 in conference. It's hard to envision any scenario in which Tennessee loses this football game. It might be ugly and it certainly won't be flashy, but rest assured, the Volunteers will achieve victory on Senior Day in Knoxville.


It's been a long season with a lot of highs and lows, but looking big picture, there's no way you can say the program hasn't moved forward this season. Obviously, we'd all love to have the Oklahoma and Florida games in the win column and quite frankly, we all know those games should have been won. We know that story too well and I'm not here to dwell on that today. It's been far too long since we've won 8 games and I'm ready to embrace it. We can get to 9 wins with a bowl victory and that would be a cherry on top. I know the competition on the back end of this schedule hasn't been full of top notch opposition, but I also know this doesn't look like the same football team that came running out through the T back in September. I see a harder nosed team that's playing tough football and getting the job done.


It looks to me like Coach Jones has gotten out of the way and some of the mental errors we witnessed early in the season appear to be a distant memory. Our defense is playing it's best ball of the year and the offense is doing enough to close out games. I look around and I see guys that are improving and have improved. Darrin Kirkland Jr has upped his game tremendously since getting the nod at LB. Kahlil McKenzie is improving each week. Josh Malone is another guy who looks to have turned the corner. Heck, look at Coleman Thomas. He's looking like a top notch center in this league now. There's a lot of hope and promise for the future of our football program.


One thing I want to address today is our QB position heading into next season. There seems to be this small vocal minority out there who think we need to open up our quarterback competition heading into next season. Are you serious? Write this down, Josh Dobbs is the undisputed QB of the Tennessee Volunteers until he departs this campus or God forbid, injury keeps him off the field. Josh is never going to be compared to Dan Marino as far as throwing the ball around the park, but he's not Billy Jack Haskins either. I can't imagine where this team would be right now without Dobbs at QB. I guarantee you, we don't win 8 games without that kid starting. I just want to put that foolishness to rest. Joshua Dobbs is our QB now and he will be our QB next year. Take that to the bank!


SOME COLONEL RAMBLINGS

I'm hearing Coach Jones is going to get a raise and most likely an extension after the season is complete. Personally, I would wait until after next season to give him another bump up in salary, but I do believe this decision has been made. I've heard various figures being tossed around so it would be mere speculation on my part to give you a number. I would say it's safe to assume he jumps into the 4.25 mil per season range, because that's where the market is at. I don't think UT would get him to the 5 mil club this year, but that isn't totally out of the question. I can guarantee you, if he has a big year next season, that he's going to get into the 5 mil ballpark whether he gets a raise this season or not.


Very Interesting situation unfolding down in Baton Rouge. I had a conversation Monday evening with an unnamed UT uber booster who has a lot of friends down at LSU. He tells me that Les Miles is done down there. Now I know a lot of people think LSU is nuts to let Miles go, but it was pointed out to me he's only bagged one SEC West Division Crown in the last 8 years. He's also having all kinds of problems finding a decent QB to run the show down there. I would have to think LSU has Jimbo Fisher in their back pocket. Even though Les may not have bagged but one western division title in the last 8 years, it's hard for me to believe they just cut him loose and pay him 15 million to go away if they didn't already have their next coach lined up. It will be interesting to watch this one play out. I'd also caution anyone who reads this to maybe have a grain of salt handy. Sometimes these things can get fluid. I remember one long time UT employee telling me that Charlie Strong was a lock to be our football coach and that Hart was on his way back to Louisville to bring Charlie back. We all know how that turned out. I'm merely passing along what I've heard.


With all of these job openings out there and more to come, I'd have to think somebody tries to lure Dan Mullen out of Starkville. Who does more with less than that guy? His team goes to Fayettville and takes down red hot Arkansas this past Saturday. He lost the most starters off of any team in the SEC this year and he has State sitting at 8-3 with a chance to get to either 9 or 10 wins with a bowl game depending how they fare against Ole Miss. It's not like he's working with 4 and 5 star talent. Starkville is probably the hardest locale to recruit to, in the whole conference. Mullen gets it done.


Last thing I want to hit on before we get out of here. How about Steve Forbes and ETSU beating Georgia Tech in Atlanta the other day. His team got brutally beaten up at Villanova just two days before on the Grab a Check Tour and he gets his kids back up to knock off an ACC team. Great Job, Coach Forbes!


The BasketVols play Army tonight with a chance to get to 4-1 on the young season. I'm starting to agree with Keith Hatfield. This team could get in the conversation come Big Dance time. It's not like the SEC is full of power programs. I'm seeing improvement in Robert Hubbs and Devon Baulkman. I like the style of play. It could be a really fun season around here. Let's take it one game at a time and see where we are come late February/Early March.


That's all for me this week. I hope all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Have a Great Day and Go Big Orange!

Your Vol Colonel

'Hi Tony,

I made the trip from Dallas for the Missouri game and listened to your show on the way back. Great stuff as always. That was my third game this season. I made it to the Oklahoma and Florida games before moving from Jacksonville, FL to Dallas. My pregame thoughts were the same as some of those given on your show. It looked like a very bad time to catch these Tigers. I was concerned I was walking into another disappointment. I wasn't expecting a "workmanlike" domination from the Vols.


Regarding the atmosphere, the Missouri fans near me were all a pleasant, friendly bunch. I made it all the way to the Applebee's near Lake Ozark before I was treated rudely by a fan. Inside the stadium, I was surprised at how their fans did not seem bothered by what was happening on the field. There was no anger or frustration - no fire at all. The fans were just going through the motions.


I also want to comment on the opinion that the SEC is chicken-like for only playing eight league games. I think that came from Beano. If going to nine league games would mean the type of non-conference scheduling that teams like Baylor and Oklahoma State put out, then I'd rather stick with what we're doing. I like how Tennessee schedules - 1 big game, 1 quality mid-major, and 2 cupcakes. Replacing WCU or N. Texas with an SEC West team would add value for the spectator, but it could also add a loss. If everyone who considers themselves a major program is going to play nine league games and challenge themselves out of conference, then I'll be OK with going to nine. I just don't want to lose non-conference games like Okla-Tenn, Bama-Wisc, or TAMU-AZ State.


I do believe the criticism the SEC takes for playing cupcakes this late in the season is unfair. Many SEC teams play a big non-conference game in the first three weeks of the season or are already playing other SEC teams by the second or third week. Instead of lining up all of the cupcakes at the start of the season like other Power Five leagues do, the SEC teams spread them out over the course of the season.


For the record, I'm not an SEC worshipper - just calling it as I see it. There is only one elite team in this league right now.


Keep it up. I hope to hear two more happy recaps on the Fifth Quarter this season.


Thanks,

Mark from Dallas'