You surely are aware of Tennessee’s coaching turnover in football. But as prevalent as it has been, it can’t match Mississippi State’s.

 You will be reminded of that when the Bulldogs visit Neyland Stadium on Nov. 9.

Since Dan Mullen left the Bulldogs for Florida after the 2017 season, they have had four coaches. That doesn’t include Greg Knox, who twice has had to finish out recent seasons as an interim coach.

Perhaps, the Bulldogs are still trying to hire a Mullen-type coach. That’s what all their hires aside from Zach Arnett suggest.

Arnett, a successful defensive coordinator, was hired after the death of coach Mike Leach in December of 2022.

Like Mullen, Leach was an offensive-minded coach. And like Mullen, he was successful.

Its other two recent hires didn’t fare as well. Joe Moorhead, another coach renowned for offense, lasted only two years. Arnett lasted just one. He was fired after going 5-7 and winning only one SEC game last season. 

You know what that meant? Mississippi State has earned the reputation for the quickest firing trigger of any program in the SEC.

It’s up to Jeff Lebby to change that. Not surprisingly, his chances for success likely will be tied to his offense.

He got high marks for offense in his coordinator days at UCF and Oklahoma. But running those offenses isn’t comparable to running Mississippi State’s program, especially this season.

I can understand why Lebby couldn’t resist the temptation of an SEC head-coaching opportunity. However, his timing wasn’t great.

Mississippi State’s recruiting was disrupted by all the coaching changes. Sure, there is a greater opportunity for quick fixes now that transfers move so often and with such ease. But those changes can’t completely make up for a program’s instability.

That accounts for just one of Lebby’s disadvantages in his first head-coaching job.

The Bulldogs became accustomed to difficult SEC schedules from their time in the SEC West. But they didn’t get a break when the conference expanded to 16 teams and did away with the divisional setup.

Tennessee is just one of many Bulldogs opponents that was nationally ranked in preseason. They already have played Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M. After Tennessee comes Missouri and Ole Miss.

Ole Miss’ successful surge under Lane Kiffin, Lebby’s former boss, also could work against him. He’s joining the in-state rivalry when the Rebels are at the top of their game.

But maybe, he can do what Mullen did: develop a potent offense and sign enough three-star recruits who turn into four-star players.

ADAMS: One reader rips Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel. Another offers offensive tips

Nonetheless, Tennessee should be pleased that someone other than Mullen will be coaching against it.

The Vols were 0-1 against him in his nine seasons at Mississippi State and 0-4 against him when he was at Florida from 2018 through 2021.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

The Kentucky Wildcats will enter Saturday’s matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers pretty shorthanded.

With several starters out for the matchup, the Cats will look to pull off the upset. However, it is going to be quite difficult.

In tonight’s update, the Cats didn’t have many changes to the injury report, which still includes Deone Walker as probable heading into the matchup.

Defensive back Quay’sheed Scott and linebacker Jayvant Brown have been downgraded to out. Starting cornerback DJ Waller Jr. has been upgraded to probable, so that’s some good news.

However, the biggest thing to watch remains outside of the injury report as the Cats have yet to name a starting QB. Will it be Brock Vandagriff or Gavin Wimsatt? That is the big question.

The Cats do need to get healthy, though. If not, the rest of this season will be as tough as the first two months have been.

The Tennessee Titans are heading into their Week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots desperately needing a win. After last week’s blowout loss, they fell to 1-6 on the season.

One of the only bright spots from their 52-14 loss to the Detroit Lions last week was the play of wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

Ridley had gotten off to a slow start to the season, but following the DeAndre Hopkins trade he looked much better in Week 8. He went off for 10 catches for 143 yards, finally showing off the potential and talent he has to be a legitimate No. 1 target for the Titans.

Following his big game and looking ahead to this week’s game, Ridley made a very bold statement.

“It’s just about getting better,” Ridley said. I think my preparation all week — I just worked every moment I was here throughout the day. . . . I just worked, and it showed up. I should have all games like that.”

There is no question that he has the talent and ability to play like he did last week all of the time. He has always possesses elite route-running, speed, and hands.

If he can just follow through on that statement and prove that he should be a star each and every week, Tennessee would be in a much better place. They certainly need him to be that kind of threat for second-year quarterback Will Levis.

So far this season as a whole in seven games, Ridley has caught 22 passes for 326 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully, those numbers are about to start rising.

Going up against the Patriots offers the Titans a chance at a much-needed win. New England has not been great this season either. This game will also have major implications on the 2025 NFL Draft order.

Both teams are current contenders to end up with the No. 1 overall pick. While they aren’t going to “tank,” losing is not necessarily the worst thing in the world for either franchise.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see how Ridley plays following this statement. He’s right that he should be a big factor week in and week out. Now, fans will be watching closely to see if he’s capable of actually doing it.

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