The 2010 Tennessee Volunteers football squad has embarked on their rebuilding mission.  Having had the chance to attend today's intra-squad scrimmage, I came away with several general feelings.

Over all, this is not a bad team.  Sure, there are still several holes to fill from Phillip Fulmer's lack of depth that was left behind.  While Lane Kiffin's staff did an admirable job in recruiting, the over looked positions are still lacking under new head coach, Derek Dooley.

What are the holes the Vols continue to need to fill?  What are the bright spots for the UT Vols?  What is the general feel?  Would the other 35,890 people in attendance agree with this assessment?  Continue after the jump to find out .... 

Former UT head coach Lane Kiffin had better pray the rumors are not true.  As fast as the brash, young one departed Knoxville, the rumors are beginning to surface even faster. 

Apparently the coaching search/twitter circus is over.  The University of Tennessee is set to name Lousiana Tech Head Coach/Athletic Director Derek Dooley as the next football coach at UT.

Dooley, son of legendary coach Vince Dooley, comes highly recommended by Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Compared to the 'name' coaches that UT sought, and subsequently turned down by, Dooley is a dark horse.

The latest word on the UT coaching situation apparently has hit a snag.  David Cutcliffe reportedly wants to bring his entire staff with him from Duke ... and Mike Hamilton does not want that.  What happened to coaches signing their staff and the administration pencil whipping the forms for the coach?  It worked for Fulmer.

Unlike the previous coaching staff, Cutcliffe is a loyalty man.  He believes that the staff he has assembled is solid enough to challenge in the SEC.  Since several of his staff members followed Cutcliffe from UT two years ago, that is not a far fetched thought.

From a sales perspective, Mike Hamilton is in a poor negotiating position.  If Hamilton wants a coach ASAP, he will likely have to be willing to give in to more demands than what would be considered 'normal'.  Personally, I feel for the man.  Imagine trying to sell something for full price, but needing to get it done before a timer runs out.  Not good.

UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton is running a sprint to find Kiffin's replacement.  It all comes down to timing.  The Vols are losing commitments left and right.  Lane Kiffin could not have bailed ship at a worse time.  National signing day is just around the corner and the coaches are awaiting the end of the dead period.

Interim UT football coach, Kippy Brown, indicated that he expected someone to be hired by Friday ... tomorrow.  Brown would be a solid candidate for the job, but puts Hamilton in an awkward situation.  Hamilton has made moves to shift the donor base from the 'old guard' ... Kippy Brown is a fan favorite among the old guard.  Personally, Brown has solid experience (26 years total) and would be an effective head coach ... but would Brown be viewed as a Fulmer favorite as well?  A very sore subject in Knoxville to say the least.

It has been a rough fourteen months for UT football fans.  That is for sure.  While the Lane Kiffin Experience turned out to be of mild psychedelic benefit to the conference ... ok, it was a major distraction ...

Kiffin is gone.  Adios.  Hasta.  He took one (of the apparent three) dream jobs that he held in his heart.  Had Pete Carroll's staff at USC kept their program clean, I would not be pondering this article.  It is time for Vol fans to collectively breathe in the good, let out the bad.

Even though Lane Kiffin has already left the bride at the altar, there are still two major looming questions that need to be examined:  did the staff violate NCAA rules (again) and why are the fans so torn up?

CNN reported earlier tonight that a 7.0 earthquake had struck Haiti ... apparently they were incorrect on the location.  What started as a rumor, then quickly whipped into a frenzy was the dust settling from Lane Kiffin's sudden departure from Knoxville.

The funny thing is four hours previously, I had jokingly asked Gil if he wanted to start a rumor about Kiffin heading to USC ...   Well....

The Lane Train has left East Tennessee and in its wake has left Vol nation stunned.  In a move that has shocked many, first year head coach Lane Kiffin has not only left the building, but is apparently taking his Dad Monte and Ed Orgeron with him.  After being slapped across their orange faces, what must UT fans do to pick up the pieces?

The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Virginia Tech Hokies on New Year's Eve in the Chik-fil-A Bowl.

The Hokies opened up as 4.5 point favorites. The line has held steady & the game features a 49-point over/under.

As we normally do, and are quite sure our competition will begin to emulate, we have sought out the opinion from the opposing team's fans. The guys from The North Endzone (Bloguin team mates) came through & drove it out of the park.

Will the UT faithful let the fans of the Hokies get in the last bit of smack? NEZ brought it, that is for sure.

Phillip Fulmer once sat atop Rocky Top as a lone sentinel, guarding the Orange Nation ... oh who are we kidding?

Fulmer, regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches to ever coach in the South, has been passed over time after time, after time, after time the past two seasons ... has the game left Phillip Fulmer behind?

Fulmer, owner of the second best winning record in UT football history (152-52 over all), was a good coach.  Somewhere along the way, Fulmer lost sight of what UT football was ... in a Freudian way, Fulmer had installed himself as UT football.

That might sound crazy to some, but if you go back and listen to the comments the man made the last four years he was the head coach at Tennessee, it will be obvious.

From 1992-1999, Tennessee had never had a better football coach.  The team was poised, it seemed to always be ready ...

The SEC East endured a down year this football season.  Most of the entire Eastern Division was log jammed at 7-5.  Even front runner Florida proved to be no match for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game.

After enduring a down year, many fans had high hopes for the SEC East for the 2010 football season ... think again.

There have been several SEC East assistant coaches that will turn out to be 'league changing events' by the time the 2010 SEC football season arrives.  What are the teams that are most affected by these moves and what is the measure of the void that has been left in their wakes?