Sanning: Pruitt Has Been Phenomenal, But Orgeron is SEC Coach of the Year
If there's one thing you can not doubt about Jeremy Pruitt, it's his ability to galvanize his troops. His ability to do so has been evident ever since Tennessee's got off to a 1-4 start.
Whether it's by delivering motivational halftime speeches or encouraging words following a loss, Pruitt has found his niche as a head coach and is now heading to his first bowl game appearance as a result.
There's no doubt that Tennessee's turnaround this season has been spectacular. If you had told me that UT would open the season by losing four of fives games and would somehow rebound to make the postseason, I would have laughed.
I can't anymore, though.
The Vols are going bowling. They'll likely be in Memphis or Tampa on Dec. 30, but at this point, I think they'll settle for either location (the journalist in me prefers going to Florida, for what it's worth).
So after leading Tennessee back from the doldrums of what was perhaps the most disappointing start in program history, all while losing several players to injury during that span - does Pruitt deserve SEC Coach of the Year honors?
Nope, not quite.
Am I saying that what the Vols have accomplished under Pruitt should be overlooked? Absolutely not. It's been remarkable to witness. I'd even go as far as to say it may have been the greatest turnaround in program history.
The problem is, there's still a man named Ed Orgeron at LSU. There's Kirby Smart at Georgia. And last but certainly not least, there is still Nick Saban at Alabama
All of those teams have had better regular seasons than Tennessee. All of those teams have been regarded as strong contenders for the College Football Playoff, at least at one point.
To me, Orgeron is the easy answer.
The Tigers are undefeated this season and have put together quite an impressive resume. They've compiled four wins over top-10 ranked opponents and knocked off the top-ranked Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
Not only that, LSU's undefeated conference record also speaks for itself.
That doesn't mean that Pruitt doesn't deserve any consideration. He absolutely does. The job he's done this season went a long way in producing perhaps the most encouraging results for Tennessee football this decade.
Not only are the Vols bowl eligible, their five-game win streak marks the program's longest since 2015. Unfortunately for Pruitt, that won't be enough for him to leap over Coach O.
While Tennessee finds itself on a five-game win streak, LSU just won its 12th consecutive game. UT begins practice for its bowl game this week while the Tigers are preparing to play for an SEC championship.
I'm not saying that the Vols can't reach that level of success in the future, but LSU is already there.
Orgeron has picked up where Les Miles left off and then some. He's taken a team that was on the cusp of a greatness and has all but carried them (outside of Joe Burrow, of course) across the finish line.
Again, I am in no way saying that Pruitt does not deserve to be in the conversation. Knoxville hasn't experienced a coaching job quite like this since Lane Kiffin's lone season at the helm of the Vols in 2009.
Despite that reality, it's Orgeron that has stood above the rest this season. His emotional postgame reaction to LSU's win over Alabama spoke for itself.
He's the SEC Coach of the Year, no doubt about it.
