Suggested Team Slogan Less Donuts, More Conference Wins

What we learned in 2007 You don't think of Tennessee as a quarterback school, but they've had a surprising amount of successful signal callers aside from Peyton Manning. Erik Ainge joins that list, coming into his own during his senior season, thanks in large part to working with offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe for a second straight season. The other signal caller on the team, LB Jerod Mayo, also may have been one of the best at his position in the country and that leadership helped the Volunteers "upset" some very good teams last season.

More pertinent to this season, we learned that Arian Foster will need to get enough carries to be able to carry this year's Vols offense on his shoulders. His 1,193 yards probably went a little overlooked last season around the SEC, as is the surprising stat that he's just 700 yards away from being the all-time Tennessee leading rusher.

Expectations in '08 There's two sets of expectations for UT. Those in Knoxville always expect an SEC title, even though they've been hard to come by. Losing Erik Ainge and going with Jonathan Crompton, who threw all of 12 passes last season, isn't going to be a seamless transition. Nor is the loss of Cutcliffe, who's been one of the better minds in college football over the last 10 years.

The good news is that the Vols have a very solid offensive line, led by Anthony Parker and Ramon Foster. So long as the ground game can churn out some yardage and open up the field for Crompton, a solid bowl game and perhaps a New Year's Day one at that seem like realistic expectations.

What could hold them back As I've alluded to above, the transition to Jonathan Crompton and new offensive coordinator Dave Clawson is likely to take some time, and during the first half of the season are battles against Florida, Georgia, Auburn and that Monday night opener at UCLA. More than one win among those four would be impressive and unlikely.

The reality is that the SEC's strength is truly what will hold the Vols back. UT is going to be solid, and you'd have to like their chances to compete for a title in the ACC, Big East and even Big Ten. Not in the SEC this season with Florida, Georgia, and Auburn all taking steps forward.

Big Men on Campus Offensive line is a strength, and Park and Foster will be leading the way, but I'd like to give the BMOC credit to a skinny sophomore in the secondary. Eric Berry will anchor the defense at strong safety and his ability to create some big plays will determine whether Philip Fulmer is eating donuts in Florida on New Year's day, or perhaps Nashville shortly after Christmas.

In addition to Berry, UT always has a big-time tight end and this year several will become favorite targets of Crompton. Jeff Cottam is 6'8, 255, while the other talent was just recently cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse. Brandon Warren, a transfer from Florida, will be more of a playmaker from the TE position, whereas Cottam will pave the way for Foster and catch the tough short passes.

Cheerleader Grade



Knoxville is full of local talent, that I'm sure, but it's going to take more than two years for me to get this image out of my head. For now, Vols cheerleaders brings about this nightmare and for that, the grade still plummets. F

Schedule and Predictions

Sept. 1	at UCLA W
Sept. 13	UAB W
Sept. 20	Florida L
Sept. 27	at Auburn L
Oct. 4	Northern Illinois W
Oct. 11	at Georgia L
Oct. 18	Mississippi State W
Oct. 25	Alabama L
Nov. 1	at South Carolina L
Nov. 8	Wyoming W
Nov. 22	at Vanderbilt W
Nov. 29	Kentucky W

7-5 (3-5 SEC) - I'd imagined picking the Vols to win eight games, and that may very well be the case. Home vs Bama and at South Carolina are very winnable games after Crompton gains more experience. Florida and Auburn early on, however, are not.

Your thoughts and predictions?