KNOXVILLE - Will Muschamp knows the territory Butch Jones is in.
In fact, Muschamp has done his part to push the fifth-year Tennessee football coach onto the proverbial hot seat by winning three straight games against the Volunteers.
But beating Tennessee in 2013 and 2014 did not save Muschamp's job at Florida, where he was fired amid a near-deafening clamoring by fans as the Gators struggled to a combined 10-13 record his final two seasons.
Now in his second season at South Carolina - where expectations are high but lower than those at Florida - Muschamp can reflect on what it was like to be under fire at one of the Southeastern Conference's historically proud programs.
"I don't know that you address anything with your football team," Muschamp said this week. "You're not going to be able to shut off Twitter and limit or stop that negativity. That's not going to stop. I think as a coach, you're somewhat in a bunker mentality."
Jones will emerge from his bunker and stand on the sideline at Neyland Stadium today when his Volunteers (3-2, 0-2) host Muschamp's Gamecocks (4-2, 2-2) in an SEC East showdown that carries an intriguing secondary storyline beyond the implications it could have for Jones' job security.
Muschamp's first South Carolina team inflicted a crushing blow on Tennessee's division title aspirations last year with a 24-21 victory. Tennessee players downplayed the revenge factor during interviews this week, but there have been a few jabs exchanged between Vols and Gamecocks on social media leading up to the game.
"Each year is different. Each storyline is different," Jones said. "This is a different team, but I think our older players obviously remember it, and I think there's a respect they have for them because they are a very good football team."
Last year's meeting was crucial in South Carolina's eventual qualification for the Birmingham Bowl and helped define Muschamp's debut season with the Gamecocks as a success. The loss tainted Jones' fourth season at Tennessee, but the adversity he has faced since then still pales in comparison to what Muschamp experienced in 2013, his third season at Florida.
The Gators started 4-1, including a win over Tennessee, before losing their last seven games.
"There is a lot of negativity out there, and some of our fans need to get a grip," Muschamp said after his Gators lost 19-14 at South Carolina for their fifth straight loss that year.
Muschamp was fired exactly a year later after another loss to South Carolina dropped the 2014 Gators to 5-4. After spending the 2015 season as Auburn's defensive coordinator, he returned to the SEC East with the program that proved to be a nemesis to him at Florida.
There is no hot seat for Muschamp - at least not yet - but he knows the position Jones is in as the two face off today.
"I get up really early and come in here," Muschamp said. "I leave late at night. I hate to disappoint all of you. I don't read any of your articles. Not that I have time or want to, but I don't. I don't listen to the radio. Sorry. I apologize. There are things that have happened. It may be a day before I even hear about it.
"I'm in the film room, in my office, watching recruiting tape. There's a lot going on that you don't know about during the season. You just continue to work. You keep your head down, control the controllables and you just keep working."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.