Tennessee Vols Football: The Straw That Has Finally Broken the Camel's Back

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it actually does.

The most recent demise of the Tennessee Volunteers at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs has potentially started a chain reaction of unwanted events that seemed buried for at least the remainder of the 2011 college football season.

However, with quarterback Tyler Bray’s broken thumb sidelining him for five weeks, the run game looking more and more suspect and Tennessee fans becoming unusually nonsupporting, the Volunteers are spinning out of control.

However, somehow, the last strings of hope have not been cut.  Fans remember what backup Matt Simms has done before for this university in tight situations, and there may be some light at the end of this long, drawn-out tunnel.

However, is it as clear-cut as fixing the quarterback problem?

Tennessee once again failed to rush the ball more than its opponent.  It even failed to record positive yardage, which is probably the reason Tennessee currently has the 98th-ranked rushing attack in the country.

The Vols’ poor attempt at a run game has left them 0-2 in the SEC and could ultimately set off a chain reaction similar to that of a domino effect.

The blame for such a disappointing season could only be placed upon head coach Derek Dooley’s shoulders.  The rarity of consistency for Tennessee on the field has been its major flaw.  It’s the reason why running the ball in second-half affairs, down 20 points or tied, is not even a second thought.  It’s the reason why fans and followers of the football team are starting to set their deep southern ties aside and wash their hands of a 3-2 squad.

While people tend to fault wide receiver Justin Hunter’s season-ending injury as the stone that struck the first blow, it tends to go deeper than that.  Recruitment has not stood its ground against other in-conference powerhouses and Bray’s second season mandated too high of expectations.  The defensive line rarely sees the light of day and the inability to create turnovers, mainly due to the lack of quarterback pressure, has hampered the team’s chances for success in the SEC.

Before the season, amidst one of the worst public debacles in university history, Tennessee was “supposed to” handle itself well come Saturday.  However, a disappointing loss to Florida in The Swamp and an even more eye-opening setback against Georgia this past Saturday has truly cast a city-wide shadow on a team that once reigned supreme.

For Dooley and company, an upset win over either LSU, Alabama or Arkansas may be the only chance they have in recapturing a fallen heritage.