Talking points: Tennessee still looking for a new head coach edition

See also The Case for Mike Leach as Tennessee's Next Head Coach.

Quickly this morning . . .

• Gerald Jones is not happy with Mike Hamilton and says he'd better make a good hire for Tennessee's next head coach:
  

  If not, he's going to have a whole bunch of people mad at him. Well, he already has a lot of people mad at him. He better make that up. He better make it up.

  I really don't have too many things to say to Mike Hamilton right now. He took a lot of stuff away from me, something very valuable, and that's my head coach. Coach Fulmer's one of the main reasons why I came here, and he took it away. So for him doing that, I could care less.

• ESPN is reporting that Tennessee sidled up to Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith, whispered something into his ear, and slinked away rebuffed. Oh, and Gruden is still saying no.
• Yes, Jonathan Crompton will start at QB for Tennessee's game against Vanderbilt at 12:30 on Saturday. He's excited. For Vol fans, "wary" would be putting it nicely. But you know what? This is truly the Season of Constant Sorrow, and there's really no reason to think that it's going to get any better these last two games. There's an argument to be made that heightened criticism might be necessary to effectuate change, but the change has now been made, and there's really not much point anymore. Especially with the booing and name-calling directed at kids. Please no. 
• Scout.com wonders about the possibility of Todd Graham as UT's next head coach. Quick turnarounds (from 3-8 to 9-3 as defensive coordinator at West Virginia; from 1-11 to 8-4 as DC at Tulsa; from 1-11 to 7-5 as head coach at Rice), a high-powered offense ranked 1st in the nation in total offense and converting 58% of its third downs, and Texas recruiting ties will get you asking questions like that. But here's another: how do you reconcile all of that with the fact that his team currently ranks 101st in total defense?
• Wayne Chism is almost to the "I'm not going to take it anymore" stage. No pre-season All-SEC team for him? Whatever. But listed at Tennessee's sixth man with Ryan Childress as the starter in Sports Illustrated? Come on.
• Bobby Maze had 10 assists during Saturday night's 114-75 dismantling of Chattanooga and several afterwards.