Q: This isn't necessarily about UT football this week. I have just been so sick of all the crap coming out from coaches in all schools regarding agendas, polls, TV, voting rights, etc.

I love college football, but if this stupid BCS system is not fixed soon, college football will wind up being a laughing stock with no real merit to the integrity of the game or its champions, conference or otherwise.

When two coaches from prominent schools in a BCS conference come out in the same week and 1) accuse refs of cheating to send the winner to the BCS, 2) accuse an entire network of having an agenda to talk up a team in a conference it has a TV contract with, well, we are getting close to hitting bottom.

When are the presidents, athletic directors and NCAA really going to renovate college football? It needs it more now that it did before the BCS or Bowl Coalition. The good old days were MUCH better than this crap. This sport has taken 150 steps backward. (It's) because of this system -- a system that did give us our first national championship in quite some time -- I might add.

It's really too bad and more sad than anything else that money, style points, rules violations and politicking to pollsters have more headlines in this sport than the games themselves. The story of the week too many times lately have been about Maurice Claurett and his indiscretions, coaches accusing various entities of conspiracies, coaches in civil law suits etc.

I am just sick of it all. I just want to watch football games again. I want to root for my team to win the conference. I want to them to maybe have a chance to win a national title. I want them to beat our archrivals. I want to look forward to the big game again.

NCAA, presidents, athletic directors, fix it.

JZvanut@saia.com

GRIFF: Things got a bit stickier Wednesday when Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville made his feelings clear on the issue of coaches not revealing their votes in the poll.

"If our vote is going to count, it should be public,'' Tuberville said. "If people want to hide their vote, they're wanting to hide it for a reason.''

One wonders how UT coach Phillip Fulmer, who is in favor of shielding his vote in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, will interpret Tuberville's comments.

You alluded to Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops' comments on Tuesday, which suggested that ESPN might have an agenda in its college football coverage because it has a television contract with the SEC. Personally, I don't think that is so far-fetched.

You also brought up comments made by Kansas coach Mark Mangino after the Jayhawks lost a tight one to Texas as a result of a controversial offensive pass interference call on Saturday. Mangino suggested Texas got the benefit of the call because the officials were aware of the game's potential BCS implications, and they were interested in the Big XII getting more money should the Longhorns qualify. I saw the play and have talked to coaches, and most everyone agrees it was a poor call. Go ahead and count me among those considering such a conspiracy.

Grant Teaff, the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, was very defensive in a Wednesday teleconference. He said the history of the coaches' poll was not to make the vote public.

But since when does the BCS have anything to do with history? The BCS changes its system every year, right down to the last computer.

Taft also took exception to the notion that coaches don't really pay close enough attention to the games when filling out their weekly ballots.

"We'll just disband the poll after this year,'' Taft said facetiously. "Coaches, that's their business. A lot of people would question has there ever been a test given to those at the AP poll, of their knowledge of football.''

Taft may have a point, but coaches have a vested interest in the polls, and writers do not. It's also worth noting that the coaches poll that has kept Tennessee ranked significantly lower than Georgia when the teams have had identical records, even after the Vols beat the Bulldogs head to head.

The BCS Mess doesn't figure to settle down anytime soon, and now there is division in the ranks. It will get worse before it gets better.

Q: I don't think this will happen but I didn't think it would happen last year either. Should the Vols get screwed and wind up in the Peach Bowl again, I would really like to see us turn it down. I know some might disagree but I think it would send a nice message to the SEC about us. We don't go to insignificant bowls.

I think it would garner more respect from recruits than us going down and risking getting injured and losing because we were in a bowl that we didn't want to go to in the first place. I'm sure that the players would get over missing out on that exciting holiday trip to Atlanta.

iamnorwood@yahoo.com

GRIFF: I don't think the Vols would have to turn down the Peach Bowl because I don't think the Peach Bowl would invite them to begin with. I'd say the Music City Bowl would be a more likely option if the Outback Bowl passes on Tennessee for, say, South Carolina or Florida.

UT is still suffering from a national championship hangover. Vols' fans did not support the team in great numbers in a return trip to the Fiesta Bowl in 2000, the Cotton Bowl in 2001 or the Citrus Bowl in 2002. The Peach Bowl attendance has been fine, but Knoxville's proximity to Atlanta has more to do with that than anything.

If the Vols could guarantee ticket sales -- at this point, athletic director Mike Hamilton won't -- that would help things out.

If Tennessee wants respect from bowls, it will have to start winning its bowl games again and bringing more fans.

Q: I have appreciated your articles over the years covering UT football that bring extra insight into the overall program.

Me and my friends agree that the type of offense UT runs requires that we either have a great running back or a tremendously talented offensive line or both. My observation is that starting in the year 2000, our offense has not had the type of production worthy of the talented players we recruit.

Where has the offense ranked in the SEC beginning in the year 2000 for time of possession, yards rushing per game, yards passing per game, points per game and total yards per game?

I would also be curious to see how the defense ranked in yards rushing and passing allowed per game, total yards allowed per game and points allowed per game over the same period. I would venture to say the defense has typically ranked in the top three in the SEC each year while the offense was probably more middle of the pack.

Assuming my thesis is correct, it should be clear to our coaching that it is time to adjust the offensive scheme. Given the talent UT recruits each year on both sides of the ball, the problem I don't believe is with the players, it's the system. Based upon how we "stack up" against the rest of the conference. Mike Hamilton has stated that he believes UT should typically rank in the top three for each sport the university participates in. To do that in football, that should mean our offense and defense need to do that also on a consistent basis. If we have a "great" back or "great" offensive line, then all the better with a system than keeping a system that requires both to be successful on offense. It's time to make a change. Your thoughts?

price_mike@bellsouth.net

GRIFF: There's not going to be a change unless it's with the head coach himself. Fulmer oversees the offense, and Randy Sanders coordinates it.

Lately, it seems, the Vols have been a tad more conservative on offense because the defense is playing so well. I understand things go in cycles, and sometimes it makes sense to play to the team's strength.

My question is, when will the offense cycle upward and assume the burden again? Frankly, I haven't seen that on a consistent basis since 1997.

However, it's hard to ignore that Fulmer's system is working. The Vols are on the verge of fourth trip to the SEC championship game in the past eight years. What other team can say that?

Q: Why is Corey Larkins still returning Kickoffs? Is it because the coaches are paying him back for being a team player and moving to defense?

We have too much speed to allow someone like him to be ineffective for so long?

Also, does Coach Sanders EVER say that something is his fault. He seems very defensive in his answers most of the time. If you are going to throw the Hail Mary before halftime in the ND game, why would you first run a draw with no timeouts and then take 25 seconds to set up. Wasn't the ball on the 30-yard line, which would require a 70-yard pass, which is not likely. Sometimes I wish he would just say he screwed up.

tmcfall@lanier.com

GRIFF: Larkins is one of the fastest players on the team, though he hasn't shown that this season. A big part of the problem has been poor blocking, but sooner or later you need to ask your return man to make some things happen for himself. When Corey first moved back to return kicks, he was a hungry player who would do anything to get on the field. He still wants to succeed, but he doesn't appear to be running with the same sense of urgency as when he was trying to win the position. Something's got to give, because UT does have other talented players with good speed. Fulmer, however, trusts Corey to secure the ball and not make bad decisions.

As for your Sanders' criticism, Randy is often put on the defense by the questions he's asked, and I think he's merely trying to explain his logic. The pass wouldn't have necessarily had to have been 70 yards - how about 35 yards through the air, and then the receiver, Robert Meachem, breaks a tackle for a score? It almost happened in the orange and white game with the same receiver. Meachem is one of the best open-field runners on the team.

Q: I am an avid reader of your column and enjoy your insight. One thing I have noticed is that when yourself or others refer to the "great" Tennessee backs of yesteryear, one name that does not seem to get much play is Travis Stephens.

Is he underappreciated for what he gave this university?

To me, he was the most exciting back we have had since Charlie Garner or Jay Graham, someone who could score from any place on the field at any time. You put that excitement with a guy who patiently waited his turn for his shot, I just think he deserves more than he seems to get. The Florida game that he won single-handedly may be my favorite Vol game of all time. And who will ever forget that screen pass in the Georgia game? Is he more appreciated in Knoxville than it seems?

jeft356@comcast.net

GRIFF: Travis Stephens was a good college back who had a great season in 2001, setting a school record for carries and yardage in one season. However, I was a bit turned off that the Vols overused him for the sake of running up his numbers. I'll never forget seeing Travis and Will Bartholomew lobby Fulmer to re-insert Stephens into the fourth quarter of a game that had long been decided. It wore Stephens down, and he had little left in the tank for big games against LSU and Michigan, when he rushed for less than 40 yards in each contest. Stephens had great speed, but he was no more a breakaway threat than Jamal Lewis, and he certainly didn't break near as many tackles as Travis Henry. But still, your point is well taken. He was a good college back who had a great season.