Talking Points: Five things to watch this season, times four, plus RTT's ten

With the team reporting today, Talking Points, if it happens at all, will from this point forward devolve into a list o' links with relatively sparse commentary. We've got our own stuff planned, so rounding up the thoughts of others and commenting on them, while a valid off season pursuit, has become Lower Priority.

It seems that everyone covering Tennessee had the same idea this weekend: to make a List of Five, five things to look for, five players to watch, five, five, five. Well, I'd already written my List of Ten Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2009, which is double, so there. It goes live at 7:30. It is now 7:14, and I'm hoping to beat the deadline. Race!

By the way, exactly what are our plans? Well, first: make a plan. That Plan will include Will's upcoming opponent previews, my Class of 2009 Flash player profiles and random, jumbled thoughts, and hooper's clearing-off-the-desk this week to make room for football. Plus recruiting. It is now 7:16.

Now for the Talking Points:

• Five things to watch as Tennessee starts practice : govolsxtra.com
• VolQuest.com - Some in orange need to start quickly
  Here's five guys (and they are not the only five) that I feel need to get out of the gates quickly this pre-season. (Crompton, Poole, Lincoln, McNeil, and Vinson.)
• Scout.com: Five biggest questions facing UT Football
  With football players reporting to campus at the University of Tennessee on Monday. We at InsideTennessee.com decided to look at the five biggest questions facing this 2009 Football Team as fall camp and practice gets underway here Tuesday.
• Chattanooga Times Free Press | 'So much to do' Kiffin seeking answers as Vols open practice
  The Volunteers have precious little time to sort out these five issues.
• More searching for the Gators' soft underbelly - Dr. Saturday - NCAA Football - Rivals.com

I still hold that the two keys to beating Florida are a) Hit the Tebow Child and b) Don't let him touch the ball in the first place. Obviously, both are easier said than done, but among the few teams that have been able to hang an 'L' on the Gators with Tebow at the helm the last two years, LSU, Georgia and Michigan combined for 10 sacks and more than a dozen QB hurries in 2007, and Ole Miss sacked Tebow three times last year, holding him to a season-low seven yards on 15 carries. Meanwhile, all four of UF's losses in '07 were in games that it "lost" the time of possession by at least four minutes -- recall LSU's comeback that year, when it mounted two epic touchdown drives that took up more than half the clock in the second half while holding Tebow to 16 non-desperation snaps after halftime, after he'd led scoring drives of 47, 77 and 72 yards on the vaunted Tiger D in the first half. Ole Miss didn't do this last year -- time of possession was almost dead even -- but to me the philosophy is, "Hit him, and if you can't hit him, keep him off the field altogether." Again, much easier said than done -- and much easier done against the pup defense of 2007 than the fearsome vets of 2009.

• VolQuest.com - Brunetti hears from Ambles
  Brunetti has received text messages and phone calls from one of Tennessee's two receiver commitments. Markeith Ambles is leaning on the talented signal-caller and Brunetti isn't shying away from Ambles pleas. "He called me about an hour after he committed," Brunetti said. "I was shocked. I thought he was going to go to Florida, but I was happy for him. I told him congrats. He told me he'd like to see up there in Knoxville with him."
• Adams: UT has history of coaching success : govolsxtra.com
  You might not know what to expect from first-year Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin. But if you're concerned, check the track record. I'm not referring to Kiffin's track record as a football coach. I'm referring to UT's track record for football coaches.
• A package of "position previews" : govolsxtra.com
• Adams: UT needs to fight on with ol' SC for recruits : govolsxtra.com
  About half valid premise and half absurdity, Adams talks about how UT can beat USC for more recruits by becoming more like the Trojans.
• Tennessee and Lane Kiffin bringing their billboards to the ATL | AJC College Sports Recruiting

It is now 7:20. See how quick that is? By the way, if someone out there wants to contribute the old style Talking Points during the season, email me and we'll talk.