Jeremy Pruitt Deserves More Credit for Making This Bad Tennessee Team Bowl Eligible
By Michael Luciano
Other than the now-deposed Willie Taggart, no head coach had their head called for more frequently than Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee. The Volunteers looked like an abject mess after losing to Georgia State at Neyland Stadium.
Since then, however, Pruitt has totally turned things around, with a win over Missouri giving the Vols a 6-5 record and making them bowl eligible.
Tennessee is a four-point underdog at Missouri, which has lost four straight and scored only 27 points in those losses. Tennessee wins straight up and becomes bowl eligible. If not for Ed Orgeron, Jeremy Pruitt would be the SEC Coach of the year.
— Tony Barnhart (@MrCFB) November 23, 2019
This team looks nothing like that group that got their butt kicked at home by Georgia State. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano finally has some confidence and is slinging the ball all over the field, while a defense made up of 4 and 5-star recruits is finally playing up to billing.
They have a way to go before they can be trusted to compete with Georgia and Florida, but the progress Pruitt has made is obvious and should be commended.
Going from 1-4 to potentially 7-5 is great.
— Al... The Baddest. (@volunteer_27) November 23, 2019
Also, this tells the real story:
2017: 0-8 in SEC play
2018: 2-6 in SEC play
2019: 5-3 potentially
Tennessee should be a Top 25 program year in and year out, but the entire Butch Jones era and beginning of the Pruitt tenure had them gasping for air just to make it back to .500.
For the first time in what feels like forever, there is optimism in the air in Knoxville.