SI's Andy Staples: Tennessee Fans Should Be Cautiously Optimistic in 2015

#1

Aesius

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#1
Butch Jones and cautious optimism at Tennessee; Punt, Pass & Pork - College Football - SI.com

Very fair article about Jones and the state of the program heading into 2015.

Says we're basically on the precipice of big-time success, but a couple of key injuries could derail the season due to a lack of depth.

If we can avoid the injury bug this upcoming season, I think 9-10 wins is within reach. But if any position units get hit particularly hard, 7-8 wins is much more likely.
 
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#2
#2
not saying hes wrong but i know more ab my team than these national writers that dont cover us at all. He is accurate but i dont need andy staples to tell me about what we have.
 
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#5
#5
True enough. I'm looking forward to watching this team. If they bring it every game like they did at the Taxslayer bowl, it will be a fun year.
 
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#6
#6
Great, an article to give the Brake Pumping Crowd something to reference...even though the articles that call for a breakout season far outweigh the cautiously optimistic ones.
 
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#8
#8
not saying hes wrong but i know more ab my team than these national writers that dont cover us at all. He is accurate but i dont need andy staples to tell me about what we have.

dude im not upset. I just think theres alot of players they leave out bc they arent as familiar with our team. Of course they know Maggitt, North, Hurd and Barnett. Everyone does. But we are also a little deeper than they elude to. Sutton, Randolph, TK, McNeil, McDowell, Danny O, Vereen among several others that i dont feel like naming. Im not saying they are stars but there is several players who provide solid depth and contribute. Outside of QB and RB im not sure we are really that thin everywhere else. We have kids nobody is aware of at all on the outside yet but everyone of us who follow the team everyday already know what they are about.
 
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#9
#9
dude im not upset. I just think theres alot of players they leave out bc they arent as familiar with our team. Of course they know Maggitt, North, Hurd and Barnett. Everyone does. But we are also a little deeper than they elude to. Sutton, Randolph, TK, McNeil, McDowell, Danny O, Vereen among several others that i dont feel like naming. Im not saying they are stars but there is several players who provide solid depth and contribute. Outside of QB and RB im not sure we are really that thin everywhere else. We have kids nobody is aware of at all on the outside yet but everyone of us who follow the team everyday already know what they are about.

I think the point is, Tennessee loses Dobbs, they could struggle to be a .500 team.
 
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#10
#10
not saying hes wrong but i know more ab my team than these national writers that dont cover us at all. He is accurate but i dont need andy staples to tell me about what we have.
Well. Kudos to you for paying more attention to one team while a writer's following several dozen. Overall this was an astute article. The D line, LBs, WRs, TEs, corners and safeties can take some attrition...but not much. QB, nickel and RBs are periously thin...don't kid yourself...and the OL, although much better off, should realistically display at least a few growing pains, with an injury or two really wreaking havoc. I'm flat out giddy optimistic about team 119. But I'm still crossing my fingers.
 
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#14
#14
9 wins if we are healthy, 7 or 8 I'd we catch the injury bug.

I'll go in the middle at 8
 
#15
#15
Cautiously optimistic should never be used around Tennessee fans...lol

"Cautiously Optimistic' for most UT fans these days is we make the playoffs BUT don't win the Championship - I'd be OK with that.....

For all the progress Butch has made in re-stocking the cupboard, Staples is right that a few bad breaks could expose the talent gap that still exists between our 2nd and 3rd stringers and the teams we need to start beating.

The most interesting part of the article was the DeBord impromptu film review. Everyone likes the hot new names in coaching searches but those old guys can surprise you! I think he is going to be just what the Dr. ordered whether we realized it or not.
 
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#16
#16
I try to stay cautiously optimistic every year, but as the season approaches I go full fanatic mode and have crazy expectations (in my mind).
 
#21
#21
Cautiously optimistic sounds about right to me. I have not yet reviewed the quarterly business plan, analyzed the marketing data, or communicated my proposed organizational changes to Coach Jones. But then, I'm not the CEO of the Lawn and Garden department at Walmart. :birgits_giggle:

8-9 wins without injuries at the vulnerable positions seems reasonable.
 
#25
#25
That was one of the more well written articles I have read about our upcoming football season. He seems to actually know what he's talking about when it comes to our team, unlike most writers. Kudos to him for doing his homework and writing a fair assessment of our beloved team.
 

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