Auburn 2009 opponent previews: More to Tennessee than new coach

Just in case you’ve forgotten — and you probably have — there’s more to Tennessee’s football team than Lane Kiffin.

Yes, the fiery new coach has done just about everything to keep the national spotlight on his 34-year-old self, taking jabs at his colleagues, ripping off his shirt in front of recruits and racking up a bevy of secondary recruiting violations in the process.

But he’ll only be able to do so much when the games start counting and the only talking that will matter is what he says into his headset to his multi-million dollar coaching staff.

He’ll be just like Gene Chizik that Saturday in Neyland Stadium, coaching in what will be just his second career SEC game.

“I’m not promising you how many wins, how many championships; I can’t do that,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference Dec. 1. “But I want the Tennessee family to know this: no one is going to outwork me as a head coach and no one is going to outwork our staff. That’s the promise I’m giving you. The wins will come after that. You’re going to see it; you’re going to feel it throughout the state. It starts today.”

Sound similar to Chizik’s opening press conference? Well, this meeting will be the first litmus test to gauge which coach is on a faster track to reaching his goal.

Both Auburn and Tennessee were mammoth disappointments in 2008, as both missed out on the postseason bowl scene. Their meeting in September served as the Tigers’ final conference win and just a flatout ugly day of football played by two below-average teams.

This year’s installment could be eerily similar.

Tennessee averaged just 17.3 points per game in 2008 and that can largely be attributed to its inconsistency at quarterback, where Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens equally floundered.

Both are back for 2009 and have even less competition to deal with. Former minor league pitcher Mike Rozier, a 23-year-old freshman, is the only other quarterback on the roster. He’s considered a walk-on, though the Boston Red Sox will be taking care of his tuition. Sophomore B.J. Coleman recently left the program to play at Chattanooga after feeling he didn’t get a fair shake at the job during spring practice.

“We’re pleased with their development and how they’re meeting our expectations and competing on the football field,” offensive coordinator Jim Chaney told USA Today. “They’re hungry to be the starting quarterback.“

The Volunteers lost their top rusher in Arian Foster, but gained two big names from Kiffin’s first recruiting class.

Remember David Oku? The Oklahoma City product who chose Tennessee over Auburn well after National Signing Day will join Bryce Brown, who was considered one of the top prospects in the nation, in a deep Volunteers’ backfield. Former Auburn assistant Eddie Gran will oversee the group.

The real star on Tennessee, though — sorry, Kiffin — is strong safety Eric Berry.

Berry, not Kiffin, graces the cover of Tennessee’s spring prospectus, and for good reason. This year’s odds-on favorite for SEC Defensive Player of the Year reeled in countless awards last season, as he picked off an NCAA-best seven passes and set an SEC record with 265 interception return yards. He needs just 15 more to claim the NCAA record for the largest career total.

Volunteer fan Web sites have begun “Berry for Heisman” campaigns. A YouTube clip of Berry making an acrobatic interception followed by a crushing hit on former Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno has been viewed more than 160,000 times.

That’s about 150,000 more than a clip of Kiffin’s introductory press conference. Sometimes, apparently, the focus of the national spotlight isn’t dictated by supply and demand.

| 334-737-2561