Rhiannon Potkey

rhiannon.potkey@knoxnews.com

Kirk Herbstreit understands the hunger of the Tennessee football faithful.

The ESPN College GameDay analyst realizes the patience of a rebuild is running thin for some. He knows they want to see the Vols back in the national title picture on a regular basis.

“I think that fan base is starving and rightfully so. They feel like they are a perennial powerhouse,” Herbstreit said last week while promoting the Allstate #StreitCred Twitter initiative. “When I started doing GameDay in 1996, even though they couldn’t quite get over Florida with (Steve) Spurrier, they finally had a breakout moment in ‘98 and they were like Alabama. They were a powerful program and they were sending guys to the first round every year, and they had an identity and you did not mess with Tennessee.”

The Vols are trying to return to that reputation. They had high expectations this year as preseason SEC Eastern Division favorites and a top 10 ranking.

A 5-0 start filled with memorable comebacks, miracle plays and attendance records generated national attention. Herbstreit and the GameDay crew originated from three of Tennessee’s first six games.

Herbstreit awarded Tennessee his Allstate #StreitCred team of the week after the Vols ended their 11-game losing streak to the Gators in late September.

But a three-game losing streak sent Tennessee tumbling from the spotlight. It started with a 45-38 double-overtime road loss to Texas A&M, continued with a 49-10 whipping by Alabama and reached a low point with a 24-21 upset at South Carolina.

“I think the breaking point for them was probably the game against Alabama because at least against A&M they battled,” Herbstreit said. “But then against Alabama they just got destroyed, and I think that had a hangover effect against South Carolina; and then they had all those issues behind closed doors with the Jalen Hurd distraction.”

Tennessee’s chances to win the SEC Eastern Division title were erased last Saturday when Florida beat LSU on the road.

“The loss to South Carolina probably ends up costing them the SEC East Division championship,” Herbstreit said. “I think you can look back on this year and it’s kind of the year of what could have been instead of a kind of magical year for Tennessee.”

Tennessee (8-3, 4-3) completes the regular season today against Vanderbilt in Nashville, where Herbstreit and his family have resided since 2011.

“If they were to lose that game and drop to 8-4, I think without a doubt you would look at this as a frustrating year and disappointing year. If they win it and go 9-3, you would still look back at it again and maybe be disappointed,” Herbstreit said. “But I would tell you as an outsider, any team in the country that loses the guys they lost at linebacker and Cam Sutton at corner and some of the injuries they sustained up front is going to be impacted.”

Tennessee will lose several significant players from this year’s team with Sutton and senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs graduating. Junior defensive end Derek Barnett is expected to declare for the NFL Draft, redshirt junior running back Alvin Kamara will likely follow and senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin is unlikely to explore a medical redshirt and return.

“I think what Butch Jones needs to continue to do is continue recruiting at a high level and continue to be very demanding on his players and knock out whatever happened with Jalen Hurd and let the young players know we are a team,” Herbstreit said. “That is one thing Nick Saban does a great job at with Alabama. Once he brings in highly-touted big-time recruits, he lets them know they are in Tuscaloosa to win football games and the team and winning is the No. 1 priority.”

Tennessee has steadily improved its win total in four seasons under Jones. With a win over Vanderbilt, the Vols can equal their SEC record from last year, reach nine wins in the regular season for the first time since 2007 and remain in contention for a Sugar Bowl bid.

“It’s maybe not what the fans expect. I know they want to go to Atlanta,” Herbstreit said. “But 9-3 and still going to a pretty good bowl game and feeling OK about where you are as a program is pretty good.”

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