Morning Wrap: Butch Jones Gets Tennessee Contract Extension

We report news of Tennessee head coach Butch Jones getting a contract extension Monday morning for one reason: To give the Michigan fans a reality check. He's not taking your job.

Jones, who led the Volunteers to their 1st bowl bid since 2010 will get $3.6 million a year through 2020. Reports say there is money for his assistants to get raises as well.

The move coincides with a report from FootballScoop.com that Michigan approached Tennessee for approval to speak with Jones. A question that he apparently politely declined.

So the Vols, a team many think have a bright future in the mediocre SEC East have their coach locked up, a ton of young talent in place and future star in QB Josh Dobbs.

That adds up to the school potentially regaining the past glory it's fan base longs for and has wanted since the demise of Phillip Fulmer.

Developing: U of Tennessee Football Players Investigated in Rape Allegations--Updated

((ht: knoxnews.com))

Oh boy, this may not end well.

The Knoxville, Tennessee police department and prosecutors are investigating a reported rape that may have involved players from the University of Tennessee over the weekend.

The rumors began circulating early Monday morning that there may have been players involved in the incident, which is alleged to have involved two 19-year old women at a South Knoxville apartment complex where many football players live.

One of the two women, reportedly from Florida and who was a part of the original complaint, has decided not to press charges. The other, is still pursuing them.

More from the Knoxville News-Sentinel RIGHT HERE

Tennessee coach Butch Jones did confirm in a press conference Monday afternoon that some of his players may be involved. Jones added they when all the facts were made available, he would act in a "decisive" manner.

WBIR TV in Knoxville reports that at least two players; A.J Johnson and Michael Williams are suspected in the incident. Johnson has had legal issues before, having been arrested in February for underage drinking and resisting arrest.

And it should be noted both Johnson, an All-SEC performer and the teams leading tackler and Williams have been suspended from team related activities.

Read into that what you will

WBIR provides video of the Butch Jones presser:

Vandy Stuns Vols On Fake Jump Pass

((HT: XOS Sports/SEC))

It is painfully obvious to the HQ that both Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley have poisoned the Tennessee Volunteer water until further notice...

And the most immediate confirmation of that fact was last night as Vanderbilt drove 92 yards in 12 plays culminating in a Patton Robinette shotgun snap, fake jump pass, bootleg for a score with 12 seconds left in regulation for the 14-10 win

IN KNOXVILLE...

BY VANDERBILT...
Here's your highlights...


Vandy is now 7-4, Tennessee is the opposite...

Here's Butch Jones postgame...
((HT: Knoxnews.com))


Joshua Dobbs finished 11-of-19 passing for 53 yards and Tennessee generated only 237 yards of offense.

Vandy now has a two-game winning streak against UT for the first time since the 1920's.

The HQ is in agreement that Jones is the right guy to bring the program back to where it should...
It may take 15 years or so...

ICYMI: Game of the Day-Georgia Survives Tennessee in O.T--Barely

The game wasn't supposed to be close, one current SEC power vs. a former SEC power desperately trying to regain past glory.

And they very nearly did.

The Tennessee Vols gave the #6 ranked Georgia Bulldogs all the could handle and more in Knoxville. The Vols fought back from a 17-3 halftime deficit to take a late 4th quarter 31-24 lead.

But it wasn't enough.

Georgia senior QB Aaron Murray overcame the absence of his top 2 RB's, his top 3 WR's, all out with injuries, to lead the Bulldogs to a game tying touchdown pass with just 2 seconds left sending the game to overtime.

But Tennessee fought back.

In the 1st overtime, the Vols took the ball right down to the goal line and a semi-reverse by WR Alton Howard would have won it. But Howard dropped the ball trying to lunge into the end zone. The ball rolled out of bounds, giving Georgia an automatic touchback.

Dawgs kicker Marshall Morgan dropped in a 42-yard field goal on the next possession and Georgia moves to 5-0 on the season. Tennessee drops to 3-2 but most Vol fans are encouraged that coach Butch Jones may have them heading in the right direction after years of floundering.

Your highlights from CBS Sports:

Ess-E-Cee The Early: Sakerlina Survives, Tennessee Survives, UGA Survives

((HT: SECDN/ESPN))

It was the theme of the day (early on, anyway) in the Ess-E-Cee where teams got skeered and still won...

Example Number One: Sakerlina was on the road and had to deal with this injury while playing in one of the more obnoxious environments around- the on-campus stadium at UCF...


The HQ covered Davis in high school at Stephenson High in suburban Atlanta... the kid can flat out run...
And UCF made a lot of people happy with their back door cover...

Example Number Two: The HQ never thought we would ever hear the voice of the Volunteers, Bob Kessling, ever talk about the Volunteers "surviving" a game against South Alabama (of all teams), but that did happen...

Vols only win by 7...
At home...
Against South Alabama...

The HQ would write that line again, but we don't know if we would believe it if we wrote it ourselves...

What is the world coming to...???


And, then, the 3:30 game...

Aaron Murray throws for four scores and may be the best one-loss team in 'Murica right now having gone 2-1 in the top ten with the early part of their schedule in a 44-41 win...

Evidence below that tied the game at 14...
((HT: SECDN/SEC on CBS))

The Butch Jones Song: The Most Tennessee Thing You'll See This Year

((ht: biglead.com))

It is with great trepidation that we pass on something that we can only call painfully bad.

And it's bad in a way the will ring in your brain and if you are watching during dinner, might make you throw up...just a little.

Most of all it falls into a category of things that we can only qualify as: "Things we can't Unsee" or maybe "Things that only happen in Tennessee"...

It's quite possibly the most SEC thing you will see today...or any other day this month.

((Note--Butch Jones/University of Tennessee football coach))

With that introduction...or warning, we give you the "Butch Jones" song--

Auburn and Tennessee Spring Games: Why the SEC is Bigger Than You

If any of you ever wondered why the SEC is the biggest College Football conference of them all, well, here is an answer to your question.

Auburn and Tennessee both held their spring games on Saturday....and well, they were pretty well attended.

To be specific, Auburn,  had over 83,000 in the house (check out the photo). Yes, that's correct, the 3-9 Tigers with a persecution complex drew 83+ thousand to their game.

It should be noted that the game, in which the Orange beat the Blue 35-14 featured the ejection of CB Jonathon Mincy for laying out WR Dimitri Reese with a hit towards the head. All in all, we're guessing the Tiger faithful are happy to have new/old coach Gus Malzahn and his crazy offense in the house.

As for Tennessee, well, they only drew 60,000 plus to their game, featuring new head coach Butch Jones. (Though hard to tell in the below video)

The Volunteers are also looking for a bit of redemption after several years of mediocrity and coaching changes.

Guess the fans are buying in...at least for the moment.

Here's your Tennessee video:



And the other reason that Auburn had close to 90,000 people in the Loveliest Village was the opportunity to say good-bye to the Oaks at Toomer's Corner. They're going to be removed this week since their death is imminent- thanks to Harvey Updyke. The school introduced a plan yesterday as to how the celebrations will continue at the Corner complete with more trees leading into campus off the diagonal and more seating room for those who want to drop by.

And, as the HQ predicted, it was like the Whos on Christmas Morning...
Here's a look back...
((HT: Auburn Athletics))

Butch Jones to Tennessee: No really

It appears this time, reports that now former University of Cincinnati coach Butch Jones has accepted a new job are true.

Just two days after the false report by Woody Paige of the Denver Post saying Jones was taking the Colorado job, he officially accepted a much better one. Jones will be introduced Friday afternoon as the new head coach at the University of Tennessee.

Jones had been at Cincinnati for 3-years and won 23 games. He took them to a bowl game each of the last two seasons.

He moves from the relative obscurity of a job in the Big East to the bright...and we do mean bright lights of Knoxville. The Volunteer program has been in free fall for the past 5-years after the school fired long-time coach Phil Fulmer after the 2007 season. Now USC coach Lane Kiffin followed Fulmer and was there for a season, Derek Dooley was hired shortly thereafter Dooley went 15-21 in his three seasons before being asked to leave.

It will be very interesting to see what Jones can do. Tennessee was once of the SEC East's power schools and the alumni have never gotten past that. But with their limited success over the past few years, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and even Vanderbilt have passed them by. We will be very curious to see if the somewhat delusional Vol faithful give Jones the time needed to rebuild their program.

As for Jones's previous employer, they will again search for another "Up and Coming" candidate. Cincinnati has done a good job grooming coaches (Brian Kelly) for bigger positions, so the expectation is they'll find someone who may not be a "Big Name" but will probably be successful before moving on to one of the "Big Boy" conference jobs.

Here's the Jones presser:
((HT: WBIR-TV))