A question that has come up more than a few times during Tennessee's 3-5 football season: Is a lack of discipline on the field related to a lack of discipline off the field?

Not always.

Some of coach Barry Switzer's best teams at Oklahoma hardly behaved like choirboys. You could say the same for coach Tom Osborne's first two national championship teams at Nebraska. And didn't Miami develop an outlaw reputation at the same time it was becoming a college football powerhouse in the 1980s?

So UT's rash of arrests and off-the-field incidents leading up to this fall were no sure indicator that a promising season would come apart at the seams. But as the season tumbles downhill, evidence mounts that what worked for Oklahoma, Nebraska and Miami isn't working at UT.

Bottom line: A lack of discipline in UT's program has been reflected on the scoreboard. Notre Dame's 41-21 victory Saturday was just the most recent example.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer often says his players are like family and he will not abandon them in time of trouble. That's one of his explanations for keeping players on the team who have committed acts worthy of dismissal. That's one of his explanations for giving players second, third and fourth chances after off-the-field incidents.

Some players appreciate and embrace second chances. Too many others don't. And you can see how that could impact a team's record.

If players aren't accountable off the field, why would they think they're accountable on the field? If they get away with breaking team rules and the laws of the land in the off-season, why would they fear the repercussions of a false start, a dropped pass or a lost fumble?

Last week, some UT players expressed shock that offensive coordinator Randy Sanders had resigned, effective at the end of the season.

Why would they be shocked? Their head coach said in preseason this team was good enough to make a run at a national championship. Half a season later, the same team was in jeopardy of a losing season.

Someone had to be accountable.

Following UT's loss to Notre Dame, Fulmer said he didn't want his players to become discouraged. He was expressing genuine concern -- like a parent for his children -- for a team that has been criticized extensively by media and fans alike. But in the coach's attempt to boost his team's spirits was he undermining its chances for improvement?

I don't think this team realizes how bad it is. I think it believes it's just a few mistakes away from being a great team. And Fulmer reinforces that belief when, after a dreadful offensive performance earlier this season, he said the Vols were successful on 54 of 63 offensive plays.

This team sometimes reminds me of former UT coach Jerry Green's under-achieving basketball teams.

After losing a first-round game in the SEC tournament, I remember a UT player saying, "Nobody wants to play us in the (NCAA) tournament."

That team thought it could flip a switch and turn potential into production. Never mind all the mistakes and the losses. It clung to a misguided notion that its talent would prevail in the end.

Talent is only one component in a team game. You need teamwork. You need discipline. You need leadership.

And you need accountability.