Tennessee Football: It’s time to go old school

In the famous words on John Ward, “It’s time.” It’s time to go old school in the football program in a few different ways.

Tennessee fans often get blamed for living in the past and most notably living in the 90s. I’m not reliving any of Tennessee’s glory days, because frankly, I started paying attention to Tennessee football when Derek Dooley was the head coach.

I had grown up a Tennessee fan, but around that time was when I was able to process everything going on and I was able to understand the good, bad, and the ugly of Tennessee football. Unfortunately, that’s when things took a deep dive for the worst.

When I say, I want Tennessee to go old school that doesn’t mean I want Peyton Manning as the head coach, Tee Martin as the offensive coordinator, and Al Wilson as the defensive coordinator it simply means I want Tennessee to go back to doing things Tennessee’s way.

As a player, if you don’t like how Tennessee does it, then you can get out. That’s something Pruitt iterated time and time again last year, but after seeing their performance in Week 1, I can only think all of that was bogus.

When I say I want Tennessee to go old school, I want them to play hard nose football. I want them to be the biggest, toughest, strongest team on the field.

I’m tired of some players getting playing time or are starting just because they’re upperclassmen or they did it last year. If there is someone better at that position, he deserves to play regardless of what year they are.

There are no participation trophies in college football, and when you hand out positions to upperclassmen who might not deserve it, you find yourself in the position you were in last Saturday.

I know I might sound like old school Facebook dad crowd right now, but after the debacle, we witnessed on Saturday something has to change.

Maybe I’m just yearning for the success Tennessee once had, but there’s something about the huge shoulder pads, the middle bar facemasks on the helmets, and the orange pants running through the T, oh the orange pants we miss you.

Heck, just let me coach a game. I’ve played enough games on NCAA Football 14 to know if something’s not working to change things up (including the depth chart). If I fail, it’ll be alright it can’t get much worse than it is now and I won’t even negotiate a buyout :).

I should probably stop complaining; it doesn’t really matter. Nothing will change because we’re cursed, but I guess this is the Tennessee we should come to know until they can prove us otherwise.