Stay in Your Lane: Vol Nation Needs Perspective This Rebuilding Season

I know the title of this article alone has you ready to comment early and often telling me how fat I am, that I should shutup, or even shouting the random meaningless threat toward me. But at least hear me out before you go all Volniac on me.

I am a diehard Tennessee fan. I punched my ticket on the Lane Train and bought in hook-line-and-sinker.

You know what, I'm still on the train. Yep, even after the disappointing loss to UCLA on Saturday.

I have long thought 8-4 would be the absolute best we fans could hope for. Hear that? The best we could hope for. If you were expecting 10 wins this season, you are delusional and delirious. No, seriously, you need help. At one time, I thought nine wins was doable, but I realized late in the preseason that wasn't realistic either.

I will admit that I thought Jonathan Crompton would be better this season. I thought getting away from Fulmer and the Clawfense would do wonders for the redshirt senior. Apparently I was wrong...or was I?

I know how everyone feels about this kid. I know he received death threats from some of the stupid, illogical branch of UT fans (By all accounts a growing segment of our fan population).

The three interceptions on Saturday made me sick as well. I was upset beyond words at the kid. "Here we go again," were just some of the words I and many others uttered.

But just take a look at what else happened.

Two dropped passes. One by Quinton Hancock on a play that would have netted 20 yards to the UCLA 30 in the first half. The other dropped pass came via Denarious Moore inside the 10 yard line! Inside the 10! In a game we lost by four!

Did anyone see Gerald Jones on the field? Did you see him running the wrong routes on three different plays? I know you saw Crompton overthrow him when he was wide open, but did you know he wasn't where he was supposed to be on that play? Did you know that the final three plays, which ended up in incompletions, were messed up because of Jones?

How about the playcalling inside the five-yard line when Tennessee needed only six to tie and the extra point to win? I was upset about it, too. Four straight rushes up the middle reminded me of the great pumpkin himself. The last two should have been at least a toss sweep play.

But you know what? I had absolutely enough coach second-guessing when Fulmer was here. I had enough whining and crying about the conservative nature of a coaching staff that never changed. We all did. As a matter of fact, we cried so much that he finally got the hook.

Now we have what we have. Virtually the same exact offensive players from the 117th ranked offense in 2008 and a new coach promising to take us back to the promised land. That coach has done a great job of bringing in some great freshman talent, albeit raw talent.

Nowhere in his contract did it say, "You must win eight games in your first season," or "You must have no less than six wins in any season." You know why his contract didn't state that? Because this is not Alabama. We don't hold our brand new coaches to such a high standard. We realize there is a time of rebuilding.

Did I realize it was going to be a big job of rebuilding? Heck no. I thought the rumors of Tennessee's lack of talent were false. But just one look at those receivers dropping passes,  and the fact that Crompton is "better" than any other QB on our roster speaks volumes to the true dropoff that Tennessee has experienced.

One recruiting class is not, I repeat, not going to turn that around. It will help. Bryce Brown, David Oku, Marsalis Teague, and Nu'Keese Richardson will help this season, but if you are still expecting a miracle, magic wand type result; keep waiting.

This offensive line has two walk-on's! TWO! How many SEC schools can claim that? I guarantee you it's less than one.

So I beg you to gain some perspective. Just let the non-Tennessee fans continue making fun. That's completely fine. Kiffin brought that on himself when he tried mercilessly to get Tennessee in the news.

This program is still two years away from being relevant in the SEC again. Hope for six wins and a Music City Bowl berth this season, seven-to-eight wins in 2010 with a Chick-Fil-A Bowl berth, and 10 wins or more in 2011 with the sky being the limit that season.

That is rebuilding. That is exactly where this program is at. That is exactly why Lane Kiffin was hired in the first place—to get us from here to there. It's not going to happen overnight. Kiffin is not yiddish for Houdini.