Tennessee Football: 5 reasons why Volunteers will stink in 2017

BRISTOL, TN - SEPTEMBER 10: Running back Travon McMillian #34 of the Virginia Tech Hokies breaks the tackle attempt of defensive back Todd Kelly Jr. #24 of the Tennessee Volunteers in the first half at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 10, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

5 of 6

TUSCALOOSA, AL – OCTOBER 26: Head coach Butch Jones of the Tennessee Volunteers against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

2. Butch Jones on the hot seat

Some coaches do well under pressure, when it matters most. We’ll see if that’s how Butch Jones handles himself. Very few coaches enter the season in more of a spotlight or on a hotter seat than Jones.

Tennessee is a blue blood football program and expects their team to live up to that tradition each and every year. Yet, they have consistently fallen short of that expectation for roughly the last decade. That has to wear on Tennessee fans. And getting so close with so much hype the last two seasons and not seeing results is even more disappointing.

Rarely does a coach on the hot seat perform better than a coach that has job security locked down for the foreseeable future. Jones brought Tennessee back to relevance with two consecutive nine win seasons and AP Top 25 finishes but that doesn’t seem like enough.

The Vols do have the talent to win the SEC East in 2017 and the race is still wide open. Georgia and Florida are the favorites to take the division but not by a lot. The Bulldogs and Gators have major flaws in some respects as well.

Home/Tennessee Volunteers