Is Butch's "Hot Seat" Cooler Than We Think?

Two weeks ago when Tennessee went on the road to Florida, stunk up the joint for three quarters, blew multiple scoring opportunities, pulled off an improbable late rally to tie the game, and then followed up all of that by losing on a Hail Mary, it felt like the last straw for Butch Jones. And when they followed up that game by slogging through a 17-13 win over 0-4 UMass, a program that had won just EIGHT games since 2014, that felt like the nail in the coffin. And when Butch went on his “fake news” rant at his media session on Monday, saying, “Sometimes the negativity is overwhelming, and if everyone is Vol fans, how do we let our opponents use that in the recruiting process with fake news?”, it felt like something a desperate henchman in a crime movie would say to avoid being whacked by his mob boss.

I said “felt”, because, incredibly, conventional wisdom seems to indicate that Butch would keep his job as long as Tennessee doesn’t get blown out by Georgia tomorrow AND has another 8 win season. There’s been no leaked angry booster stories, no indication from the University that they're weighing their options, and no sense from them that there's anything above the normal pressure to win.

All of this, of course, is mind boggling to me. What has Butch done to warrant keeping his job? What are his accomplishments? I can only think of three; he’s stayed out of NCAA trouble, the talent level on campus is significantly higher than it was when he got there, and the “oh there was a robbery on campus? Just make sure you get his jersey number” jokes are no longer topical. That’s it. The on-field results, of course, have been a massive letdown. He’s 0-4 against Alabama, 1-4 against Florida, 2-2 against Georgia, 2-2 against Vanderbilt, 6-16 against ranked teams, hasn't won the East yet, and has overseen so many bungled games that simply saying “they Butch’d it” completely communicates to the listener/reader what kind of loss you're talking about.

This isn’t Vanderbilt or Kentucky, where an eight-win season jazzes up the fanbase and causes them to say things like, “Wow, we’re really making some moves here! Watch out SEC! WE’RE ON THE RISE!”. But if I'm wrong, and that’s all the program is now, then sure, Butch should stay. If everyone is content with losing to Alabama every year, playing sloppier than a my adolescent bedroom each time against Florida, and having multiple clock management/play calling issues every game, then I’ll stop getting on here every time Butch decides it’s a good idea to throw 4 straight times inside the five yard line when his best player is a running back who hadn't been stopped all day.

Or, we could all take a look in the mirror, remember that this program won a national title not that long ago, and realize that if Tennessee is going to be the football team we all think it can be, then a change at the top is absolutely necessary. Butch, by all accounts, is a nice guy who cares about the players, but at the end of the day, his most important job requirement is to win games and championships. 8 wins and blowout bowl win over a mediocre Big Ten team isn’t good enough.

And if a change is made, then the athletic department is going to have to be willing to open the wallet and spend the cash. Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, etc. didn’t start winning big by Butching it and going cheap on a guy from Cincinnati. If Chip Kelly is available and interested in coaching, and this program actually cares about winning, then write the man a check for $6 million. They can certainly afford to do it.

Seriously, I don’t mean to come off as so negative, but I can’t envision a scenario where Butch suddenly reverses everything and starts rapidly improving as a game coach. It’s Year 5 for the man, and he’s got all of his own players in there now. There's no reasonable excuse for this team or Butch to be still making same mistakes every single week. Hell, if Josh Dobbs-to-Jauan Jennings Hail Mary didn’t happen last year, then the Vols lose to Georgin in basically the same way they lost the Florida game two weeks ago, when a defensive back got caught out of position and allowed a receiver to run right by him. Eventually, you’re just that coach.

Predictions for tomorrow? Isn't the most likely outcome another roller coaster ride for three and half hours, one riddled with turnovers and head-scratching play calling that ends with a miracle comeback, which is then immediately undone by a back-breaking play that leads to a devastating loss, one that leaves every Vol fan feeling like a battered housewife? Why wouldn't it be? A variation of that game happens every single week with Butch. I'm sure glad this is what we have to look forward to each week!