Leading up to the Florida game last month, Lane Kiffin paid mighty tribute to the No. 1-ranked Gators.
He posed the possibility that Florida had both the best defense and the best quarterback ever to play college football. He said Tennessee needed to recruit more speed-burners like Florida has.
While he was entirely sincere then, this week's No. 1-ranked opponent is the program Kiffin most admires.
"It's truly a model for the direction we're going,'' he said Tuesday.
He was speaking of Alabama, of course.
Florida is the team UT has to beat to get to the SEC championship game. Georgia is the border rival UT has to beat for recruiting advantages.
Alabama, that's the rivalry with deep roots that Kiffin heard about during the barnstorming, meet-and-greet phase of his first year at Tennessee.
But Kiffin didn't require a heads-up from passionate Big Orange fans. When it comes to the Crimson Tide, he was already in the know.
What Nick Saban has wrought over 33 months in Tuscaloosa is an outline for what Kiffin wants to realize in Knoxville.
n Recruit great players.
n Instill discipline.
n Play a power, pro-style game.
n Compete for championships.
"I love the style they play and what they do,'' Kiffin said.
"They come at you and don't try to trick you. They're very physical on both sides of the ball. They play more like NFL teams do.
"Florida is completely different.''
Not that there's anything wrong with Florida's approach. Duh! The Gators have won two of the past three national championships and might well add another come January.
"There are different ways to do things,'' said Kiffin. "Florida is a great program with a lot of success.''
Yet Alabama's way appeals to Kiffin. Why? Look to the common denominator between Kiffin and Saban.
Saban was an assistant with one NFL team (Oilers), a defensive coordinator for another (Browns) and, finally, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for two seasons.
Kiffin grew up watching his dad Monte coach in the NFL, then got his first head-coaching shot with the Oakland Raiders.
While both experienced more success in college coaching than the NFL, they hang their helmet on the traditional trappings of the game as it's played at the highest level.
This isn't to portray the two as peas in a pod, nor as equals.
Saban is 57 with an extensive track record of success at various stops. He was coaching at Kent State when Kiffin, 34, was born.
Kiffin is still getting established as a program-builder. If he were able to emulate Saban's rapid recovery pace at Alabama, UT fans would be bonkers.
But it's not likely and the realistic among the masses understand that.
Kiffin's first season is, thus far, akin to Saban's. Saban inherited a 6-7 team and finished 7-6. Kiffin inherited a 5-7 team and won't finish far from 7-6, one way or the other.
Year Two is where the paths will diverge.
Saban's 2008 Alabama team was 12-0 before losing to Florida in the SEC championship game. Year Two for Kiffin? Sorry, but 12-0 isn't in the tea leaves no matter how hard you shake the cup.
Tennessee's rebuilding will take longer. Kiffin said earlier this year a new regime needs to be up and rolling by the third year.
He's out of the gate well in recruiting. His first class ranked 10th and the one he's working on is rated No. 6 by Rivals.com. (Alabama had back-to-back No. 1 classes in 2008 and 2009).
His team has exhibited discipline on and off the field. Penalties have been few, arrests non-existent.
From the first hour of practice, being physical has been demanded. For three or so hours on Saturday, it will be vital to survival.
Big, bruising Alabama is a 16-point favorite. If form holds, the Tide would brandish its first three-game win streak over the Vols since 1990-92.
The streak is at two, coinciding with Saban's arrival. The margin of those wins is a combined 44 points.
"We need to make this thing competitive again,'' said Kiffin.
Until the Vols do, Alabama remains a worthy role model. This fierce old rivalry will be better served when both teams are peers.
Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
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Comments » 27
jcrewvol writes:
1st
smashmouth98 writes:
this is your post? get a clue & grow up. These people kill me.
Cldvols1 writes:
I've said it before, I love the direction the Vols are heading! We'll be better next year than 2009 and by year 3 I look for the Vols to be vastly improved and competing for SEC Titles. Year 4 begins the dynasty as we start to compete for National Championships:) Go Vols!!!
TotalPackage1 writes:
If you want your screen name to better correlate with your incredibly lame post then change it to something like Kids-gap-vol....that post was not worthy of JCREW....dude, please stop....by the way, if necessary, ask your "1st" Grade teacher tomorrow what "correlate" means.
IBleedOrange444 writes:
"Strange has Adams on No. 1 List to Copy"
Way to have faith there Mike. I'm fine with Kiffin emulating just about everything but the trademark Bammer cheating. It would be nice if Bama underestimated the Vols as much as the KNS sports writers. Here's to not writing off your team before the game even starts. Go Vols! Go walk out of Bryant-Denny Stadium dragging the Bammers' Championship hopes behind you on Saturday night!
IBleedOrange444 writes:
"Strange has Adams on No. 1 List to Copy"
Way to have faith there Mike. Emulate everything but the trademark Bammer cheating. It would be nice if Bama underestimated the Vols as much as the KNS sports writers. Here's to not writing off your team before the game even starts. Go Vols! Go walk out of Bryant-Denny Stadium dragging the Bammers' Championship hopes behind you on Saturday night!
TotalPackage1 writes:
As a recovering 1staholic, it is our responsibility to keep those that are trapped by 1st-abuse and it's ability to completly ruin lives, aware of the pitfalls of continuing in this lifestyle. We must not turn our back on idiocy and let them rot away but must face them head-on with the facts of the disease and pummel them relentlessly until they cease being stupid idiots. We do it FOR THEM, not to them.
TotalPackage1 writes:
Ok...I get your point...you want this method of discussion to be about football...sorry but I read the article and it's content seemed to be something prepared earlier in the year and was put in due to a lack of advertising space being sold. It was not chock full of exciting material to say the least so when I saw the "1st" fresh meat on the table, it was too irresistible not to enter into some selfish web-play. By the way, your post seemed to potentially be a bit self-serving to me and now, based on your initial response to the "1st" post, almost hypocritical...(by the way, jcrewvol, hypocritical is not a Hippopotamus in a zoo's Intensive Care Unit). I understand your position but I will take it upon myself occasionally to "extend" so to say, my feelings. My sincerest apology's to those I may have offended. Over and out, 10-4.
As a FOOTBALL NOTE, I am a diehard VOL living in Bama and need Hardesty to get 71 yds this weekend to stave off a troubling bet I have with a Bammer. Hope he runs it down their throats. You would have to live here to believe the attitude. I think every car & truck is flying a Bammer flag...you couldn't find one 3 yrs ago....ready to see them back in the closet asap!!!
donj3742 writes:
How long will the NCAA tolerate the performance of the Tide. The old coach is right. Using any foreign object to mark the placing of the ball clearly calls for a five yard
penality. This was done on at least four kicking attempts. Violations clearly missed by the officals "again". Go Vols.
cloudodust writes:
Year 3 is about what most of we'uns figure on too, but we'll take a big move forward Satuurday.
orgbleglory writes:
....
PAROLE_tide writes:
lol
TommyJack writes:
Daniel Lincoln should spot his FG attempts on a coin pack.
TIDENTEXAS writes:
Roll Tide
Bama 24 Vols 10
PennVol writes:
I'd like to see a model that is a mix of Florida and Alabama. Able to run the ball when you need to (Bama) but an effective passing attack (Fla, in recent years) to keep the defense guessing and the fans excited (sounds like the early Fulmer years...). Bama is vulnerable against a strong defense since they are running a basic offense, so that model has it's limitations. We wouldn't be thinking the Vols could compete this weekend if our defense wasn't as strong as it is. The question is can our defense hang for 4 quarters.
seventysevenvol writes:
I don't expect to see FL struggle with Tebow gone too much. Meyer won the NC with Leake as his QB when Tebow was a freshman and basically came in as a fullback(due to lack of one) on short situations. Meyer went 14-0 at Utah with a wide open offense- the antithesis of "Turbo-Tebow"- and has Brantley- an All American highschool QB on board. He already has his "system" prepared for the transition next year, like most schools. Florida, like ALabama, USC and Ohio State, etc. has recruited solidly for years under Meyer and will stay atop the perch until someone knocks them down. UT needs to keep recruting like it has/is, and hope Kiffin Sr. will stay a few more years while Kiffin Jr. grows up and morphs into a head coach in the SEC. If he doesn't morph, I see the program modeled more like LSU than Bama- oodles of All American talent but lacking in a skilled head coach...equaling a series of 9-3 and 10-2 type years. Maybe I'm wrong...
AFVol423 writes:
We shouldn't need to immulate that part of Bama. We have the mountains, lakes, stadium....Ever been to Bama? Now who would go there if they didn't bend the rules to entice recruits.
murrayvol writes:
A win by the Vols Saturday will be infinitely more devastating than the Manning led blowout of 95'.
murrayvol writes:
Memo to 1st posters and 1st poster bashers: Let it go...please.
notoriousBIGorange writes:
Or maybe it's the person that can't spell "MAYBE"
SmokeyWazHere writes:
Oh boy he spelled maybe wrong, should we call homeland security?
coastal_vol writes:
last
Vol57 writes:
Agreed!!
brokebackvol writes:
Get off Strange's back - he's been a very good columnist covering the Vols for alot of years. I don't like hearing what he has to say at times but I know he's gonna "tell it like it is." Far more gems than clunkers.
As for Bama...
Once upon a time, this game mattered more than Georgia or Florida did, and that comes from a long reign at the top by the Bear, with many SEC and National Titles to enjoy. The dreams of the SEC as the top conference and the top two teams at the top of the polls seems like the way it ought to be.
Except we want it to be Tennessee. Frustratingly, UF finally became the giant Bryant spoke of many years ago. We get about as mad at the "second in the SEC" songs as we do that dadgummed "Rammer Jammer." Always gets under my skin enough to make me wanna kick ahole in the wall.
Anyway, we have a boy wonder with a good seasoned supporting cast running the show. Fulmer's days are over, and he did take us where we wanted to go. Whether Lane can take us back up there, we'll see. The future remains bright for the Vols simply by name recognition, something we didn't have when Johnny Majors came back to Knoxville.
We owe a lot of great memories to both Majors and Fulmer, and Lane's busting his buns to take us up the mountain again.
Emulating the top teams is smart. We may hate the idea of it being other teams than UT's but that's where we are at, and on the way up. We just don't know the velocity or climb, but good days are ahead. We didn't expect that whippin' of the dawgs, and we didn't expect them to make ole Jonboy look like Peyton had stopped in for a game. So we are past humpday, and heading into that classic game that ties us together with the past present and future. Alabama week.
Go Big Orange! BEAT BAMA!
ROCKYTOPVOL2012 writes:
I just hope we dont get killed by bammer in saturday, if its close and we play good i'll be happy with a loss. blowout is another thing. I hope kiffin is actually not just saying this stuff. i do believe tennessee is gonna be back, but ive been a fan of them since the 04 sec title game. (yes i know weird timing), so i havent seen them do anything. except win games of course, lol. GO VOLS!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The reference is to the divination technique of "reading tea leaves". In the old days when a cup of tea was brewed with loose leaves instead of with bags as we do it today, it was thought that the pattern of the leaves in the bottom of the cup could be "read" to predict something about the person whose cup was examined. If one did not like the reading, one would swirl the last drops of liquid in the cup to change the pattern made by the leaves. Glad I could help!
VOL03_NC writes:
UT is Kiffin's proving ground. He may not have the past stats but it seems to me he is well on his way. Age has nothing to do with experience or know-how.
GBO
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