*This was posted as a reply on BleacherReport.com by Matt, where I posted this article as well as here on GT.com.

Lane is a reflection of society today. There are those that work diligently all their lives to get where they are and slowly or quickly move their way up the socio-economic ladder.

Then there are those that constantly create attention around themselves, rely on a title/degree/name for a reputation, and try and skip steps on the ladder to reach the top, even if it means stomping on others to get there. He is that young guy out of college with an MBA that becomes your boss after 10 years of working with a firm and making your way up the corporate ladder. The one who knows nothing about the position but will lean on everyone else around him to prop him up until he can get another promotion based on work of others.

Think about it, he coached at USC and was basically a co-offensive coordinator on a team loaded with NFL talent in a conference that was rapidly becoming the whipping post of USC. Then he uses that and his dad's last name to get an undeserved head coaching position at Oakland, where he created an absolute circus with Al Davis (arguably not hard to do, but he is the perfect personality for that). He was rightfully fired and then lands a nice job at Tennessee and is trying so hard to get away with every little thing he can to keep afloat in the SEC, including a recruiting juggernaut of a staff that likely he will use to prop him up for his next big role.

Realistically, Tennessee fans are looking at 3 options:
1) He is a great coach and recruiter, gets the team moving and playing top notch while competing for SEC Titles again, etc. Then he moves on after a year or two of this and Orgeron is hired as head coach and Vols scream bloody murder. This is the least likely scenario.

2) He is a terrible coach and is fired after 2 of the worst years in Tennessee history, especially with all of the negative press. This is almost as unlikely as scenario 1 because of the staff assembled.

3) He is mediocre. Phil Fulmer part 2 with different punchlines. This will keep him at Tennessee for maybe 5 years or so, the typical run that allows him to assemble "his team," meaning only his recruits and full accountability.

Either way, Tennessee football is not on the best path.

To give a little perspective on how incredulous it is that Kiffin is Tennessee's head coach right now, Urban Meyer was considered one of the youngest up-and-coming coaches when Florida hired him. He was 40 years old an had already proven he could be a solid head coach at 2 other schools. His first job at Bowling Green was at the age of 36, then at Utah at 38. Both teams were turned around in only 1-2 years, Utah being the first BCS-buster while going undefeated. Kiffin? He's 33 now. He has proven that he can continue to coach Oakland to mediocrity with a 5-15 record.

Maybe he is back in his element, college football. But from the looks of it and considering the Reggie Busch fiasco was on his watch, he doesn't belong in football at all. He is a phony.

I just was talking to someone who was at BHG Stadium yesterday, and he said the hallway to the weight room and where the players walk out onto the field had the quotes from Lane Kiffin about Urban Meyer and about "singing Rocky Top all night long after beating Florida" posted all over the walls. These guys are going to treat Tennessee this year like they treated Georgia last year. It's going to be great!!