Tennessee No. 13 in Sporting News preseason poll

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Clemson has had lower recruiting rankings than us the last few years yet they made the playoffs and won their conference championship. So by your recruiting ranking logic, how are we in the same sentence as Clemson right now who "made easy work" of a team that beat us, but has a lower recruiting ranking? And don't give me the schedule was easier bull crap. Clemson played some dang good teams on their way to the NC game.

If you really want to want to equate the ACC with the SEC then go right ahead.

I doubt many would agree you.

 

[VOL 4 Life 83]

If you really want to want to equate the ACC with the SEC then go right ahead.

I doubt many would agree you.

It doesn't matter what other people think or agree with, but the fact is, they went 14-1 last year, lost by 5 t0 bama, and beat everyone on their schedule in front of them, including OU. Have we PROVEN that we can beat 93% of the teams that we play, no matter the schedule or conference? As of yet, no. But you still haven't explained how a lower recruiting ranked team beat the "paper tiger" that we couldn't manage to beat with better talent...

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Wait, earlier in thread you stated that out team last year was largely made of sophomores and freshman that didn't have experience, yet now you say we lost because they were tired and lacked depth?? So which is it D4H...

That's lack of depth.

When the primary backup to Derek Barnett during the Oklahoma game is a true freshmen who has only one game of college experience, then the coaches are gonna play Barnett more because they don't trust a Kyle Phillips during a crucial 4th down in the 4th quarter when Barnett is obviously gassed.

It's the same reason Colton Jumper was out there in the 4th quarter against Oklahoma or in that first drive that resulted in giving up a TD to the Gators.

The coaches (especially on defense) played the experienced guys more snaps than they should have because they didn't trust the freshmen that backed them up. That inexperience resulted in lack of depth which hurt us in the 4th quarters against Oklahoma and Florida.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

So the team that beat us on our homefield and made the 4 team playoffs is a "paper tiger"...but we are clearly a top 5 team worthy of national title talk. Lol. Figures.

I'm guessing you also think Florida is an elite team because they beat us?

Oklahoma didn't beat us because they are an elite team. They beat us cause we weren't ready. We'll be ready in 2016.

If we are fortunate enough to meet them in the playoffs next season, I'm confident we would give them a Clemson style beatdown.

 

[VOL 4 Life 83]

That's lack of depth.

When the primary backup to Derek Barnett during the Oklahoma game is a true freshmen who has only one game of college experience, then the coaches are gonna play Barnett more because they don't trust a Kyle Phillips during a crucial 4th down in the 4th quarter when Barnett is obviously gassed.

It's the same reason Colton Jumper was out there in the 4th quarter against Oklahoma or in that first drive that resulted in giving up a TD to the Gators.

The coaches (especially on defense) played the experienced guys more snaps than they should have because they didn't trust the freshmen that backed them up. That inexperience resulted in lack of depth which hurt us in the 4th quarters against Oklahoma and Florida.

No, you rebutted my comment when I said our sophomores and freshman were more experienced than you give them credit for. That's not depth, that's experience.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

No, you rebutted my comment when I said our sophomores and freshman were more experienced than you give them credit for. That's not depth, that's experience.

Look I don't care what you call it. All I know is guys like Barnett were playing way more snaps that they should have.

You tell me why Kyle Phillips was sitting on the bench the entire 4th quarter against Oklahoma?

 

[JC61]

I thought Oklahoma was good too. Till Clemson made easy work of them. Now I believe they're just a paper tiger.

I should've trusted the recruiting rankings. Oklahoma is a top 15 caliber team recruiting wise. They're not a top 5-8 caliber team which you need to be to be a legit title contender IMO.

OU was a good team last year...or they wouldn't have gone to the CFP. I don't remember all the details of their game w/ Clemson, but it seemed to be a tale of 2 halves...and OU lost a few playmakers for parts of the game. Either way, Clemson did boat race them in the 2nd half. Dabo did a very good job of adjusting at halftime.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

It doesn't matter what other people think or agree with, but the fact is, they went 14-1 last year, lost by 5 t0 bama, and beat everyone on their schedule in front of them, including OU. Have we PROVEN that we can beat 93% of the teams that we play, no matter the schedule or conference? As of yet, no. But you still haven't explained how a lower recruiting ranked team beat the "paper tiger" that we couldn't manage to beat with better talent...

Remember when in the year the games were played. We played Oklahoma the second week of the season. That's a completely different situation than playing a team on December 31 after you've gone 13-0 and built up so much confidence and momentum.

You really think a Tennessee/Oklahoma game on December 31 would have been the same as the one we played in week 2? Especially after building up a seasons worth of chemistry and confidence after going 13-0.

Hell end of the year Kirkland alone gets us the win against Oklahoma on week 2.

 

[VOL 4 Life 83]

Look I don't care what you call it. All I know is guys like Barnett were playing way more snaps that they should have.

You tell me why Kyle Phillips was sitting on the bench the entire 4th quarter against Oklahoma?

Coaching? But this isn't a thread about that. We were a better team and we lost. Clemson beat them. So your logic is skewed. Didn't Clemson lose one of their best defensive players during that game and still win?

 

[VonVol]

Remember when in the year the games were played. We played Oklahoma the second week of the season. That's a completely different situation than playing a team on December 31 after you've gone 13-0 and built up so much confidence and momentum.

You really think a Tennessee/Oklahoma game on December 31 would have been the same as the one we played in week 2? Especially after building up a seasons worth of chemistry and confidence after going 13-0.

Hell end of the year Kirkland alone gets us the win against Oklahoma on week 2.

In your equation, only one of the two teams is gaining chemistry and confidence? The fact is nobody knows who would win that game if it was played again because it wasn't. Even though I kinda agree with you about the possible outcome.

 

[Volunteer Pride]

Sounds about right to me

 

[tennesseecoyote]

I'd put the Vols right at around 11, just out of the top ten. If we are undefeated by Florida, ranked around 8/9. After that in top 6, I'm guessing even with a fair season (this year), 2 loses in the regular season, we will never get lower than 15th.

 

[BACKDOC]

How is LSU ahead of UT; we played much better than them down the stretch.

 

[#1ManningFan]

IMO UT should be and will be in the Top 10. No team on our schedule we can't beat and with the talent, experience and depth we have returning the time is now for the taking. Only reason OSU is #4 on this list of preseason rankings is that weak sauce schedule they have every season.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

Clemson kept losing to Florida State and South Carolina for most of the last 5 years. Then they went to the national title last year.

I have no idea why you think the last 4-5 years matters?

All that matters is 2016. Who do you have coming back? Who do you have scheduled? How good are your players?

Team 120 has nothing to do with any team before it.

Gotta agree with you on this one. Past records do not influence this year's results. These pre-season polls are ranking teams based off of potential to win this year, not who have you beaten in past years.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

That was the first game of the year and was clearly an anomaly. Stanford finished 12-2 and was one of the better teams in the country by season's end. There can be no doubt that Stanford was a better team than Northwestern last year. We were better than 3 of the teams we lost to last year IMHO.

I agree that if NW played Stanford 10 times last year, that Stanford probably wins 8 out of 10 times, but a loss is a loss, as we all know too well. There is not a win-loss-anomaly column in the final record.

Sorry, I saw where you had responded to a similar comment earlier. Took me a while to wade through 100's of comments to find it.

 

[TrueOrange]

IMO UT should be and will be in the Top 10. No team on our schedule we can't beat and with the talent, experience and depth we have returning the time is now for the taking. Only reason OSU is #4 on this list of preseason rankings is that weak sauce schedule they have every season.

I might be mistaken on this, but I think that along with playing Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State, OSU is playing Oklahoma in Norman next year, along with a 9-game conference schedule (conference championship not included).

 

[KBVol]

I'm guessing you also think Florida is an elite team because they beat us?

Oklahoma didn't beat us because they are an elite team. They beat us cause we weren't ready. We'll be ready in 2016.

If we are fortunate enough to meet them in the playoffs next season, I'm confident we would give them a Clemson style beatdown.

No, very little about Florida was elite last year. They can beat us with virtuallt no characteristic, no element of their team being elite. That's been proven, so I think your example here is poor.

But Oklahoma was indeed an elite team last by virtue of the full body of work of their season in 2015, their loss in THE PLAYOFFS to Clemson notwithstanding. And again, just trying to figure out your "logic" in calling the Oklahoma team which won 12 games and beat us in Neyland a paper tiger, while declaring our 4 loss team a sure fire top 5, national title contending playoff team going into this season. I understand being a homer, but let's have a little bit of intellectual honesty, shall we?

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

No, very little about Florida was elite last year. They can beat us with virtuallt no characteristic, no element of their team being elite. That's been proven, so I think your example here is poor.

But Oklahoma was indeed an elite team last by virtue of the full body of work of their season in 2015, their loss in THE PLAYOFFS to Clemson notwithstanding. And again, just trying to figure out your "logic" in calling the Oklahoma team which won 12 games and beat us in Neyland a paper tiger, while declaring our 4 loss team a sure fire top 5, national title contending playoff team going into this season. I understand being a homer, but let's have a little bit of intellectual honesty, shall we?

I learned my lesson from last year. If you remember, I was high on Oklahoma against Clemson last year as well as discouting Florida against Tennessee. Eventhough the recruiting rankings said Florida was more talented than us and Clemson more talented than Oklahoma, I ignored them and thought I was smarter.

Now I just follow what history says. College football recruiting: Top-6 class common among champions - SEC Blog- ESPN

If you don't fit that quota you are not elite in 2016.

So that means the elite teams for 2016 are:

SEC - Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, Texas A&M
Big 10 - Ohio State, Michigan
ACC - Florida State, Clemson
Pac 12 - USC

 

[checkerboards09]

Lol @ all of the people that are bit**ing and griping about this ranking. Welcome to UT expectations folks.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

#13 in the poll, #1 in our hearts :wub: Kinda korny.

Is Butch feelin like a Freak on a Leash?

 

[BaldBiker]

Lol @ all of the people that are bit**ing and griping about this ranking. Welcome to UT expectations folks.

Yep. They could start us ranked at 13 every season and I don't think I would ever get too upset. It's where you are at the end of the season that matters. Our October stretch of games is what makes or breaks our season for the most part, regardless of where we are ranked to begin with.

 

[MFL]

Perfect spot. They will be hungry to move up.

 

[Neyland Law Vol]

I think TN will go 11-1 losing only in an upset to UGA. Then will lose to LSU in the SEC title game. A repeat of 2001.

 

[KBVol]

I think TN will go 11-1 losing only in an upset to UGA. Then will lose to LSU in the SEC title game. A repeat of 2001.

11-2 with wins over Bama and Florida. I'd take all day everyday. Kinda sounds like fantasy, but I'd sign up for it without a second thought.