Q: Who are the leaders on this team? Is there any one player that gets in people's face and demands excellence and effort on the offense?

Are Ainge and Schaeffer guys that can ascend into that role? I know that on the defensive side, Burnett is the most vocal, but also in the past that he can get frustrated easily and start to play out of control.

Our 1998 team was self managed in many respects; does it look like that can happen this year? Also, have the players challenged James Banks on his mysterious disappearing act? When a guy dominates and then goes AWOL, it's usually a matter of heart. Seems he's haunted by the ghost of K-Dub past.

abrown@nc-growth.com

GRIFF: I see Michael Munoz, Parys Haralson and Kevin Simon as being some of the most vocal leaders. Burnett is another player who brings intensity to the table. I think what you've seen from Burnett the last year or so has been a lot of frustration because the after-effects of the knee injury have left him at less than 100 percent. It will be interesting to see if he gets back to his sophomore form this season.

This year's team has a good hunger about it, and a nice-size chip on its shoulder. These players have not even got the whiff of an SEC championship ring (except Rick Clausen, who transferred from LSU), and they are starving to get one.

I think both Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer have the potential to be great leaders, but it starts on Saturdays and neither has taken a collegiate game-day snap.

James Banks is in a tough spot, knowing he can't play until the fourth game of the season. It's hard to work hard when you know you won't be suiting up on Saturdays. Banks has a lot of support from his teammates. He's well-respected despite his ill-advised adventures.

Your "K-Dub'' reference, I assume, is to Kelley Washington. Kelley was a showman, but he brought effort and an excellent work ethic to the field every day. I still believe he got a bad rap from a few jealous teammates. If you looked closely, you'd see the players who supported him, guys like Casey Clausen and Julian Battle, were the ones who went on to have great success.

Q: Loved your prediction for 10-1. From what you have seen, if you had to predict who you think might be a big-time quarterback for the future, who would you pick? Can they keep Crompton, Schaeffer and Ainge all here?

utfans@mac.com

GRIFF: Actually, my prediction is 10-2. Not sure which two games the Vols will lose, but you've got to count on one bad bounce or bad break (the good teams get more than their share), and perhaps a loss at Georgia, in the SEC title game or maybe the bowl.

As for the quarterbacks, Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge both look excellent. I think it's possible for coach Phillip Fulmer to keep both here, but I don't know what the young men will think about that.

Jonathan Crompton is a mere verbal commitment and won't sign until February as far as I know. Talking to Crompton's father, UT is his dream school and it's unlikely he'll be deterred. The recruiting process, however, is long and drawn out and things can change quickly. How much conviction and confidence does Crompton really have?

We'll find out in five months.

Q: Now that I've moved to the middle of Wisconsin (long story) I've noticed a large area full of football fanatics who don't have any college team loyalty. Everybody here is a Packers fan! Of course, there are some ex-Vols on the offensive line plus recently the great Reggie White.

Does UT have any plans to recruit this football-loving area? The Vols recruit everywhere else! And the weather in Knoxville is definitely more pleasant, especially the winter.

Bhunley@aol.com

GRIFF: That's such a good question I thought I'd ask UT's recruiting expert, coordinator Greg Adkins.

Here's what Greg had to say Sunday night:

"It's like anything else, we want to find the best players wherever they are at. Hopefully, there will be some guys that have some interest. We're recruiting that region.''

Adkins said he is the assistant who is in charge of the territory that includes Wisconsin. He very nearly landed one of the best offensive linemen in the country last year out of the Chicago area.

According to the UT media guide, there's only been one football letterman who called Wisconsin home, and that was Alfred Thomas, who played for the Vols from 1937-1939.

Q: What are the odds of C.J. Leak winding up as a starter a one of the safety spots sometime this year?

PhilipJaycox@21stmortgage.com

GRIFF: I'll assume you would adjust your question to asking if Leak will play some tight end, since he was recently moved there. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, he has the size and athleticism.

However, playing any position at UT is no easy task, and most of the players Leak is competing with have worked hard at the position for a long time. Being a good athlete and hard worker doesn't necessarily translate into playing time at a big school like UT.

As deserving as Leak is for an opportunity, it would be crazy to play him somewhere else just because he got beat out at quarterback. If he plays, it should be because he earned it -- not because of politics. That's the way C.J. would want it.

Q: I would imagine you get all kinds of hate mail from other schools' fans. After reading the last couple in your column, why do you sit and take it? Put these fools in their place. Are they just sick of seeing Coach Fulmer succeed? I don't understand.

It also seems to me that when a fan of Tennessee gets on the coaches for various reasons throughout the season, you point out the facts and "shut 'em down.''

What's the over/under on wins this year? I can't imagine us losing any less than three. When will that start to affect Coach Fulmer's stability in staying in Knoxville? Signed Bleeding Orange.

CandSProperties@aol.com

GRIFF: I try not to look at it as hate mail. My ego is too fragile to consider the possibility that someone might dislike me because of what I write. I look in the mirror each morning and think, "I like me.''

If I disagree with a fan or a guest in this column, I try to back my argument up with facts, regardless of whether it involves the UT coaching staff.

I don't always agree with the Vols' assistants, such as when Trooper Taylor said Corey Larkins was in front in the battle for starting tailback even after Larkins shoved him at a recent scrimmage.

I also disagree with the decision to move C.J. Leak from quarterback. I think both he and the team would be better served if he stayed at QB as a backup in the event that one, or both, of the freshmen fail.

Got a question for Ask Griff? Email Griff at knsgriff@aol.com. Mike Griffith is entering his 12th year covering SEC football, his seventh on the Tennessee Vols' beat. He can be heard on Monday mornings from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on WKVL-850 AM.