When University of Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton hired Derek Dooley as the Vols’ new head coach, many people held extremely low expectations for Big Orange Nation’s upcoming season. Three different head coaches in three consecutive seasons left the program unstable. Sure, this team had gone to a bowl game the previous season, but even then no one considered them a national powerhouse. With seniors departing and Lane Kiffin recruits transferring, how could anyone expect a great season?
So far expectations have been met, as the Vols have gone through a gruesome season. Much has gone wrong for Tennessee and very little has gone well. As painful as it has been for fans to watch this 2010 season, just imagine what the players feel right now.
Have you ever had a class where for several weeks you studied for one exam? Determined to succeed, you are relentless in your studies and are sure to not overlook even the smallest of details.
After anxious anticipation, the day of the exam finally arrives. You complete the exam but leave feeling like you did not do that well. Sure enough the grade comes back and you get a C.
Despite feeling somewhat disheartened, you study harder and even more efficiently than the time before. The intense work gives you a feeling of accomplishment in the weeks following. At this point an A is only a matter of time, right?
When you take the exam this time you felt much better about it. The grade comes back a few days later and, much to your disbelief, another C. After all of the intense study and preparation for both exams, the only thing you have to show for it are two Cs. These results implicitly tell you that no matter how hard you study or prepare in the end it will not matter. Your grade will be average at best. When the third exam comes along, do you think you will be completely disheartened?
That situation has been Tennessee’s story all season long. The Vols played the now No. 2 Oregon Ducks in Neyland Stadium. At halftime, the score was tied. Tennessee gave Oregon everything the Ducks could handle in the first half.
The second half, though, was a different story entirely. Oregon scored 35 unanswered points, beating the Vols 48-13. Dooley accused his team of giving up late in the second half. UT not only allowed 35 points, they did not score a point for the rest of the game. All they could do was go back to work the next week.
With refocused efforts, Tennessee went back to work and prepared for Florida. They had to put that tough loss behind them. Tennessee put up a fight with the Gators early, as Florida only had a halftime lead of 7-3. During the second half, Tennessee allowed Florida to score 24 points but only scored 14 themselves.
It happened twice. Two second-half collapses ended in two losses. The game against LSU would be crucial for Tennessee to get back on the winning track. They needed a win that they could feel good about. They needed a boost to their confidence and motivation. Finding a win at LSU would be challenging for this young team, however, as they would be heading to one of the loudest stadiums in the country.
Tennessee led through most of the game, winning against the then No. 10 LSU Tigers by a score of 14-10. On the last drive of the game, LSU converted a crucial fourth down and found themselves in a first-and-goal situation. As time was running out LSU sent players on and off the field in massive confusion.
Tennessee, in response to LSU’s confusion, sent players in and out and slightly confused themselves. LSU snapped the ball but it went over the quarterback’s head and Tennessee tackled the ball carrier 15 yards short of the goal line. Dooley ran out onto the field, celebrating his team’s apparent win against LSU. But then his celebration stopped as he noticed a flag on the play. Tennessee was called for having too many players on the field at one time. LSU ran one more play, scored a touchdown and beat Tennessee as the time expired.
That loss was heartbreaking and just like the student who achieves average grades after intense preparation, made these players feel as though their efforts would be in vain. That’s why the 41-14 loss against Georgia the next week came as no surprise to anyone.
Although all of the fans have felt tremendous pain watching these losses, let’s step back and ask ourselves what the players are feeling. We know what it feels like to work hard for something that we didn’t get. What we don’t know is what it feels like to work hard for something we didn’t get and have thousands of people put pressure on us to succeed at that high level.
Let’s give these guys some credit. After everything they have gone through, it would be very easy to just quit and not have to deal with the struggle. Instead they choose to fight through the adversity and keep going. That shows both maturity and perseverance.
As a fan base, let’s take time to comprehend exactly what these players are going through. Knowing that they continue to fight to play the game they love and to give us something to cheer for should put things in perspective.
Be patient with this team as the year progresses on. Above all else though, support this team.
When things are not going their way and nothing is there to offer them encouragement, they will look around and see the fan base, just as proud and encouraging as they were from the first game.
And that will give them the confidence and motivation that they have been looking for all season long.
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