Enough with the excuses!

#326
#326
You know what you're going to be reading on VN when the thread title contains the word "excuses." We have people complaining of excuses this season and team #119 has yet to officially set foot on the gridiron for a game. The legion of the miserable, like the poor will always be with us. I grant you absolution my child, go forth and live happily, even though you just don't have it in you.
 
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#327
#327
nashvols1 said:
Is this the year we stop hearing the "we played X amount of freshmen last year"? Eventually, these freshmen from years past have to be upperclassmen don't they? Or, do we start stating obscene numbers of X amount of injured players missing X amount of quarters?
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It's been two seasons dude. You that guy that harangues kindergarteners for using GOING TO SCHOOL as an excuse for unemployment? :nono:
 
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#328
#328
nashvols1 said:
Is this the year we stop hearing the "we played X amount of freshmen last year"? Eventually, these freshmen from years past have to be upperclassmen don't they? Or, do we start stating obscene numbers of X amount of injured players missing X amount of quarters?
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Apparently not. Jones already started it.

I get attacked for saying so... but attrition among guys signed by Jones is a bigger factor in having to play Fr than what Dooley left... or rather didn't leave. Yes attrition happens. But UT's attrition in Jones' first two classes has been much higher than the SEC avg. Regardless of who is to blame... it doesn't help to lose those players and constantly have to rely on Fr... at least the ones who aren't ready. When someone recruits the talent Jones has, every class will have immediate contributors like Barnett or Hurd.
 
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#329
#329
FWIW, I would rather be "stuck" playing guys like McKenzie, Tuttle, Jennings, J Jones, Phillips, Kirkland, and Abernathy... than stuck with some of the more experienced but far less talented guys many of UT's opponents have.

Attrition has been high and IMO is NOT helpful. But the guys who have stuck it out and made the cut are pretty good.
 
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#330
#330
Being young is not an excuse. Its a fact. We have quality 'young' players now compared to the last few years. I think we will begin to see results. But if an 18 year old true freshman has trouble against a 22 year old reshirt senior, I am not always surprised. Regardless of the number of recruiting stars.
 
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#331
#331
rtb1983 said:
Being young is not an excuse. Its a fact. We have quality 'young' players now compared to the last few years. I think we will begin to see results. But if an 18 year old true freshman has trouble against a 22 year old reshirt senior, I am not always surprised. Regardless of the number of recruiting stars.
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You can possibly make that point about a Fr but the point has much less validity after the first year. Physical development for a CFB player in a good S&C is on a reverse exponential curve. Improvement in the first year in size and strength will be steep. But the curve very quickly flattens with the last 2 or 3 years being more maintenance than significant improvement.

By the time a guy hits his 2nd August, he is close to what he's going to be from a physical standpoint. You probably won't see much if any improvement after the end of his 3rd summer in the S&C program.

I think several people have made the point that Crowder isn't physically what the coaches would like to have. He probably wasn't before last year. By all accounts, he's worked hard. There just isn't that much more of his ability to be developed.
 
#333
#333
sjt18 said:
Not worried about Jones giving us a NC at this point. Just give us 6-8 wins and a bowl to demonstrate that things are in fact going in the right direction ON THE FIELD.
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I see what you're saying but another 6 win season will warm CBJ's seat a bit.
 
#334
#334
Any program that has had 3 new head coaches in 5 seasons will have 'youth' issues. It's because the coach hasn't been there long enough to build up a solid starting senior / junior / sophomore lineup. The only thing that will fix it is time.

I haven't looked it up, but I'm willing to bet UT is the only power 5 school that's had 3 new head coaches in 5 seasons. That's unprecedented!
 
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#338
#338
90 Vol said:
I see what you're saying but another 6 win season will warm CBJ's seat a bit.
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That must be an old post or something. I've consistently said that 8 wins should be the floor this year.

Six would make his seat blistering hot.
 
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#341
#341
SigSaurP228 said:
No it wont
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If not then the Vol fanbase deserves nothing better than a loser. There are 5 games that should be built in wins this fall. Only Bama has a significant talent advantage over UT and they're breaking in many new players including a QB yet tbd.

Six wins will mean that Jones went 1-5 in the games where the teams were roughly evenly matched talent wise... and that's being kind because I don't honestly believe USCe or Mizzou fit in that group.
 
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#343
#343
Butch is doing a great job so far. Look at what he's done with recruiting and the fan base.I highly doubt they go 6-6 and even if they do Butch isn't going anywhere. You can't expect a NC every year.
 
#344
#344
ALGator said:
Any program that has had 3 new head coaches in 5 seasons will have 'youth' issues. It's because the coach hasn't been there long enough to build up a solid starting senior / junior / sophomore lineup. The only thing that will fix it is time.

I haven't looked it up, but I'm willing to bet UT is the only power 5 school that's had 3 new head coaches in 5 seasons. That's unprecedented!
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Wtf just happened here..
 
#345
#345
90 Vol said:
I see what you're saying but another 6 win season will warm CBJ's seat a bit.
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agreed. Not a full fledged fire but people will start gathering kindling for the fire. The real problem will be if we do not see a real significant improvement this year, recruits will question the comeback of the program and start to chalk up Butches sales pitch as BS. The top 5 recruiting classes will not continue without results on the field.
 
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#349
#349
I would imagine only 6 wins would have a majority concerned.
7 wins would probably create a split but probably only a vocal minority using words like "replace".
There will always be a very vocal minority for anything less than the playoffs.
As far as threads or posts like "enough!!" or "I'm only gonna give" etc.,
they have no real impact on anything. If we continue to move in an upward trajectory,
staying in the spotlight, all the rants will fall on deaf ears.
 
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#350
#350
chargervol said:
I would imagine only 6 wins would have a majority concerned.
7 wins would probably create a split but probably only a vocal minority using words like "replace".
There will always be a very vocal minority for anything less than the playoffs.
As far as threads or posts like "enough!!" or "I'm only gonna give" etc.,
they have no real impact on anything. If we continue to move in an upward trajectory,
staying in the spotlight, all the rants will fall on deaf ears.
Click to expand...

6 wins would be a step back from last year, IMO. I think the realistic # is 7-8 regular season wins. Then if we catch a few breaks, 9 is possible.
 
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