By Jimmy Hyams
Tennessee has recorded back-to-back nine-win seasons and won three bowl games in a row, but that doesn’t mean Butch Jones can prop his feet while sitting in a recliner.
In fact, CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel thinks Jones is squarely on the hot seat.
“I think obviously he’s on the hot seat,’’ said Neuheisel. “You’ve got a new AD (athletic director) who’s listening to all the noise and is going to be watching very carefully. … You’ve got a 100,000-seat stadium that needs to be rocking and rolling, and that first game against Georgia Tech will be huge.’’
Neuheisel thinks it’s important for Tennessee to get off to a good start considering Georgia Tech, Florida and Georgia are among the first five opponents on the schedule.
Neuheisel said if Jones can beat Florida and Georgia “as he did a year ago and stay healthy …you watch that contract extension. You watch how big it will be.’’
Neuheisel said being on the hot seat is part of the SEC “culture.’’
The fact that Tennessee plays Alabama each year as a permanent crossover opponent in the West Division isn’t doing Jones any favors.
“I term these guys Everest,’’ Neuheisel said of Alabama. “When you have to climb Everest every year, there’s going to be some casualties. We saw it happen to (former LSU coach) Les Miles. Kevin Sumlin’s AD came out and said he’s got to win more than eight. (Arkansas coach) Bret Bielema’s got to find a way to get going in the right direction. It’s on and on and on when you’ve got Everest in your division.’’
Overall, Neuheisel gives Jones a thumbs up for turning around Tennessee.
“I think Butch has been really good in terms of stockpiling talent, winning the day with respect to recruiting and getting great talent in there,’’ said Neuheisel.
But, there is a but – a big but.
“He’s been in some ways — and I know this because I did it to myself — a little bit his own worst enemy because he’s such a positive guy and he doesn’t shy away from high expectations,’’ said Neuheisel, former head coach at Colorado, Washington and UCLA.
“But when he says things like `champions of life’ and `five-star character (actually hearts)’ or whatever, when you say things like that, it can inflame the fan base. They don’t want to know about the pain, they just want to see the baby and the baby is a championship because the Tennessee fan base considers themselves the blue blood of college football.
“They go back to that BCS championship in 1998 and say, `Where is that?’ We want to be back in Atlanta (site of the SEC Championship game).’’
Neuheisel said he expects Jones to be a little bit more tightlipped about future expectations, but he added: “There’s no question that he understands the situation wasn’t good enough last year, given the start, given the promise, given everybody’s expectations. But I still think two years in a row of nine wins is evidence he’s on the right track.’’
Does Neuheisel likes UT’s chances of winning the East this year?
“I’ve got to see the quarterback,’’ Neuheisel said. “(Quinten) Dormady was 10-for-10 in the spring game. That to me says he can play, that to me says he understands how defenses play.
“I’ve got to see how (first-year offensive coordinator) Larry Scott manages that offense. Is Larry Scott getting that title mean Butch it getting himself more involved? When you’re on the hot seat, that’s what you want to do. If I’m going to lose my job, I want it to be me that loses it. So we’ll wait and see how all that plays itself out.’’
