VOLuntarilyConservative

Greatness Starts Now

Only 18 days until kickoff!

It was dismaying to read the accounts from Saturday's first scrimmage. While the defense and running game appear to be headed in the right direction, Erik Ainge does not seem to have progressed at the rate needed to lead this Tennessee team against the toughest schedule in the nation.

If Ainge doesn't rebound in the second scrimmage this Saturday night, Coach Fulmer has to consider inserting Jonanthan Crompton as the starting QB. Too many people have worked too hard and sacrificed too much to have one player sink the ship.

On the bright side, the defensive secondary (especially Jonathan Wade) may be the best in the SEC, and the slimmed-down offensive line looks to have worked out the problems from the 2005 campaign. The return of JT Mapu has also been a welcome addition to a thin but exceptionally talented defensive front.

Optimism is still present in Knoxville, but concerns about the QB situation have dampened the mood a bit compared to last week.

MORE: I have added a poll to the sidebar regarding UT's QB situation. Just to make it interesting, we'll follow the Ford family motto out of Memphis - "vote early, vote often, vote dead or alive!"