Phillip Fulmer once sat atop Rocky Top as a lone sentinel, guarding the Orange Nation ... oh who are we kidding?

Fulmer, regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches to ever coach in the South, has been passed over time after time, after time, after time the past two seasons ... has the game left Phillip Fulmer behind?

Fulmer, owner of the second best winning record in UT football history (152-52 over all), was a good coach.  Somewhere along the way, Fulmer lost sight of what UT football was ... in a Freudian way, Fulmer had installed himself as UT football.

That might sound crazy to some, but if you go back and listen to the comments the man made the last four years he was the head coach at Tennessee, it will be obvious.

From 1992-1999, Tennessee had never had a better football coach.  The team was poised, it seemed to always be ready ... no comments

The SEC East endured a down year this football season.  Most of the entire Eastern Division was log jammed at 7-5.  Even front runner Florida proved to be no match for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game.

After enduring a down year, many fans had high hopes for the SEC East for the 2010 football season ... think again.

There have been several SEC East assistant coaches that will turn out to be 'league changing events' by the time the 2010 SEC football season arrives.  What are the teams that are most affected by these moves and what is the measure of the void that has been left in their wakes? no comments

UT football player Janzen Jackson is a free man.  The Knoxville Police Department has dropped all charges against him this morning according to WATE.com.

This was not an unexpected move by the KPD as Jackson was the only person released without bail.  Back channel noise from various sources are indicating that behind the scenes wrangling occurred to make the dropped charges happen.  According to multiple sources, the arresting officer believed he had enough evidence to charge Jackson with a minimum of being an accessory to the well known crime on Knoxville's Cumberland Strip.

According to police officials, they will move forward with prosecution of the other two former Vols (Mike Edwards and Nu'Keese Richardson) and a female who drove the trio.

The looming question now is simple to see:  does Jackson learn from this close call with the police or does he end up being the Vols' next Demetrice Morely?

The Tennessee Volunteers have many traditions.  While some traditions are old enough for my Father to remember seeing them begin (I am 60), even I can remember seeing traditions being born in Knoxville.  One particular tradition that began in 1965 is allowing Senior football players to run through the band's formation of the Power T solo prior to their last home game. Allowing the Seniors to run solo gives the UT fans the chance to recognize the players for spending four or five years of their life with Tennessee.

Eric Berry, UT's stellar safety, followed in his Father's footsteps by playing football at the University of Tennessee.  Berry is most likely foregoing his Senior season at Tennessee to play professionally.  Two factors seem to be swaying Berry away from UT:  a family situation and the fact that the NFL could potentially institute a rookie salary cap in 2011.

Whatever the reason, the traditionalists among the Vol nation are up in arms over a statement that Lane Kiffin made in his press conference this past week.  When specifically asked if Eric Berry will be allowed to run through the 'T' with the Seniors, Kiffin said yes, if that is what Berry wanted to do.

I realize that this does not seem like a big deal to many SEC fans outside of the Knoxville area and that is o.k.  To the traditionalists of the Unviersity of Tennessee, allowing Berry to participate with  the departing Seniors is being taken as if someone just rode into Knoxville and removed Smokey from the sidelines or changed the fight song from "Rocky Top".

I am not going to delve deeply into this subject because there is an article that gives you the run down much better than I can.  Our friends at HardKnoxSports.com has taken a look at this subject and in my opinion, smacked a home run.  To check our HardKnox's article, simply follow the link.

What do you say on the matter?  Throw your two cents worth into the comments section over at HardKnoxSports.com.

Lane Kiffin is young.  Kiffin is brash.  According to rapper Lil Wayne, Lane Kiffin talks a LOT of trash.  What does anyone expect?  The head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers is young and his motives are easy to understand:  get the school's logo in front of the kids, make noise, win games.  It really is that simple.

Kiffin stepped on several toes with his attitudes and incorrect statements ... he has learned from his mis-steps.

There are certain members of the national news media that simply do not like Lane Kiffin.  While these media members are not exactly fans of Phillip Fulmer, they do not like the in-your-face brashness that Kiffin brings to the table. no comments

UT Vols players Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson, and Mike Edwards were arrested at 1:45am EST Thursday.  no comments