Tennessee Volunteers Football: 7 New Year's Resolutions for 2013

The Tennessee Volunteers are no doubt happy to wave goodbye to 2012 and say hello to 2013. With the passage of the old year and the beginning of the new, the Vols have seven New Year's resolutions to ensure that they start building a national power once again.

In my experience, you're more likely to follow through with a resolution that's not only written down but also uses flowery language like "whereas" and "therefore." No, you're not standing in the Tennessee House of Representatives in Nashville; you're still reading Bleacher Report.

But after three consecutive losing seasons, desperate times call for formal language. Here are Tennessee's seven resolutions for 2013.

Finish Strong in 2013 Recruiting Class

Whereas when Butch Jones was handed the reigns of the Tennessee Volunteers on December 7, he was handed a program with tradition, zero NCAA sanctions and little else,

And whereas the Vols lacked personnel at key positions, defensive discipline and strong recruiting for 2013,

And whereas from the onset, Jones had a tough job and soon lost commits Ben Bradley, Colton Goeas and Dominic Zanca-McDonald,

Therefore be it resolved that the Volunteers finish with a strong recruiting class for 2013, laying the groundwork for a successful future.

In three weeks, Jones added Lemond Johnson, Riyahd Jones and cemented Jalen Reeves-Maybin as a Tennessee early enrollee. The Vols are also in the running for 5-star linebacker Carl Lawson (ties to Tommy Thigpen) and 5-star running back Derrick Green.

Marquez North, 4-star wide recevier, also recently stated it was down to Tennessee and North Carolina. It would be quite a coup to get all three but even one would be a testament to what players think about the potential of the Jones Era on Rocky Top.

Develop a Quarterback, Not a Thrower

Whereas the Volunteers were thrilled with the passing exploits of one Tyler Bray for the past three years,

And whereas Bray has since declared himself eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft as a junior, leaving a void at the quarterback position for Tennessee,

And whereas his passing abilities lacked a complementary high football IQ and finesse touch,

And whereas as there are no less than two qualified quarterbacks already on the Vols' roster for next September,

Therefore be it resolved that the Tennessee Volunteers develop a complete quarterback who leads the team, meticulously studies film, makes sound in-game adjustments and is able to make every pass.

Bray has etched his name into the records books at Tennessee with his 3,612-yard season in 2012, just the third player in school history to have over 3,000 yards. The total is second only to Peyton Manning's 1997 season.

But if you admit that Derek Dooley's tenure was a failure on the field, you have to also admit that Bray left something to be desired as a quarterback. As a thrower, none was better. As a quarterback, many were better.

Justin Worley is a rising junior with playing experience as a freshman and sophomore. The former National Gatorade Player of the Year from South Carolina was recruited by all and could very well grow into an excellent quarterback with a full offseason with first-team repetitions.

Nathan Peterman is an interesting case. After being rated the eighth pro-style quarterback, he redshirted in 2012. Peterman was heavily recruited by Butch Jones at Cincinnati, so the coaches are familiar with him.

Between these two quarterbacks and even 2013 recruit Riley Ferguson, the Vols can develop a real, complete quarterback. You can't win big in the SEC with a thrower.

Rekindle the Talents of Numerous Defensive Players

Whereas Jacques Smith, Curt Maggitt and Brent Brewer have shown flashes of being great players before,

And whereas Justin Coleman, Maurice Couch, Daniel McCullers and Darrington Sentimore have shown similar flashes and have terrific athleticism,

And whereas LaDarrell McNeil, Daniel Gray, Byron Moore and Brian Randolph showed excellent skills in the defensive secondary,

Therefore be it resolved that the new coaching staff work to improve the individual game of these talented players, who were grossly undercoached in 2012.

Smith and Maggitt, in particular, are capable of wreaking havoc on any offensive line. Their combination of size and speed is rare, but you wouldn't know that from their combined four sacks in 2012.

These two need to be getting at least four sacks each.

Brewer is a hard-hitting safety who apparently has issues with digesting the nuances of the coverage packages. Well...somebody teach him!

For goodness sake, does Les Miles recruit only Rhodes Scholars? Or does he find terrific physical talent and teach them?

There's no way that all these highly-rated defensive recruits are busts. At some point, it's a matter of coaching (ask Auburn).

Experience Cincinnati-Like Defensive Turnaround

Whereas the 2012 defense was the worst since 1893 in terms of points allowed per game,

And whereas the 1893 season was only a six-game season where all numbers are amplified (high and low), meaning the 2012 defense might actually have been the worst in school history,

And whereas the defense cannot be adequately assessed after the epic failure that was Sal Sunseri's 3-4 scheme,

And whereas there is no such thing as SEC success without an at least average defense,

Therefore be it resolved that defensive coordinator John Jancek work with his assistants to turn around Tennessee's defense for the 2013 season.

Jancek turned the 44th-ranked scoring defense into the 12th-ranked in three years at Cincinnati, but anything in the top 50 for the Volunteers will be seen as a quantum leap. Tennessee finished tied for 106th in scoring defense in 2012.

There is way too much talent on the defense to regularly give up more than 35 points in a game. Getting them back to par would be a huge success and helping them improve their play would be even better.

Beat Florida, Georgia or South Carolina

Whereas the Tennessee Volunteers have not beaten Georgia or South Carolina since 2009,

(And whereas I dislike Georgia and South Carolina,)

And whereas the Vols have not beaten Florida since 2004,

(And whereas I hate Florida,)

And whereas these SEC East schools represent three of Tennessee's biggest recruiting rivals and losing to them consistently hurts recruiting,

And whereas it is impossible to get back to the SEC Championship by losing all three of these games each year,

Therefore be it resolved that Tennessee begin a new streak with these three foes and defeat one of them in 2013.

Florida will be difficult, as they showed they're much improved under Will Muschamp. Georgia and South Carolina, however, are both in Neyland Stadium and were nearly beaten in 2012.

The Georgia-Tennessee game is completely unpredictable, with five out of the last 11 meetings being decided by more than 17 points and no discernible trend on who is going to thrash whom.

This year, the Volunteers nearly beat the Bulldogs on the road -- the same Bulldog team that was five seconds away from going to BCS National Championship.

South Carolina will return a lot of players in 2013, but I'm convinced they're not going to be a consistent contender the way that Florida, Georgia, Alabama and LSU are. Maybe 2013 is the first year they begin to slide back down.

Beat Vanderbilt and Kentucky

Whereas the Vols lost to Kentucky or Vanderbilt in back-to-back years in 2011 and 2012,

And whereas this hadn't happened since 1981 and 1982,

And whereas Vanderbilt is gaining traction as a respectable football team under James Franklin and at least is stealing recruits and at most is taking the Volunteers' seat atop the state,

And whereas Kentucky is terrible and should never beat anybody in a football game,

Therefore be it resolved that the Tennessee Volunteers beat both Vanderbilt and Kentucky in 2013.

If the goal is to be a competitive team and make bowl games, this resolution isn't necessary. But I know Tennessee fans (i.e., I know myself), and I know the wish is to get back to the promised land (i.e., the SEC Championship).

In that case, beating Vanderbilt and Kentucky is a must every year and something the Vols did all the time when Phillip Fulmer ushered in the most recent era of dominance.

Earn a Bowl Trip

Whereas Tennessee made 23 bowl trips out of the 24 years from 1981 to 2004,

And whereas the Volunteers have made four bowl trips out of the eight years from 2005 to 2012,

And whereas I submit that 2005 was the season that the Vols lost their edge,

Therefore be it resolved that the Tennessee Volunteers make a bowl in 2013 and establish themselves as bowl contenders every year, which is the first step in regaining national relevance.

From 1981 to 2004, Tennessee went 218-70, a win percentage of 76. From 2005 to 2012, Tennessee went 52-48, a win percentage of 52.

Two things can explain the differences over those two spans. First is the change of coaches. From 1981 to 2004, the Vols had two coaches. From 2005 to 2012, the Vols had four coaches.

Second is the lack of bowl trips, as seen in the resolution.

Coaches earn years by winning games and going to bowls. It's not the other way around where bowls are earned after blindly following a bad coach for years and years. Thus, I dismiss the first potential reason for the differences in the two eras.

Traditions are established in the winter during bowl season. It gives the team more time to practice, more national exposure and serves as a terrific stepping stone to the next year and to an even better bowl game.

Happy New Year—Go Vols!