Tennessee No. 13 in Sporting News preseason poll

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13. TENNESSEE
Tennessee lost four games by a combined 17 points last season before rattling off seven straight wins capped with an impressive 45-6 win in the Outback Bowl. Joshua Dobbs’ evolution at quarterback continues, and Cameron Sutton’s return bolsters the defense. There’s offseason turmoil resulting from a Title IX lawsuit, but Butch Jones has this team ready to win the SEC East on the field. September games against Virginia Tech (at Bristol) and against Florida will set the tone.

Alabama deserves No. 1 until someone ? anyone ? dethrones Crimson Tide | Sporting News
 
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#4
#4

Thought we rattled off 6 straight wins to end the season, not 7 (SCar, North Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Vandy, Northwestern). Just sayin. Anywho, still impressive and glad to see the program getting the respect its earned to date. Be willing to bet other publications will have us even higher than #13.
 
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#8
#8
We should definitely be top 10. 13 is way too low.

I'm not so sure. Yeah, won our last six games, but only one of those teams had a winning record. Granted, we looked our best at the end of the year when other teams in the SEC seemed to be falling apart. I just don't see how we are truly a justified top 10 team right now. Who have we beaten that would validate that? I'd say anywhere from 15-20 preseason is quite fair and accurate until we actually prove we can beat some really good teams.

Seriously, who would you put us ahead of? No way we move ahead of Bama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc.
 
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#9
#9
No way Michigan State should be ranked higher than us. Especially given how badly they lost to Alabama and how many starters graduated.

Ohio State being higher than Florida State is also dubious.

The list is too pro Big 10.
 
#10
#10
I'm not so sure. Yeah, won our last six games, but only one of those teams had a winning record. Granted, we looked our best at the end of the year when other teams in the SEC seemed to be falling apart. I just don't see how we are truly a justified top 10 team right now. Who have we beaten that would validate that? I'd say anywhere from 15-20 preseason is quite fair and accurate until we actually prove we can beat some really good teams.

Seriously, who would you put us ahead of? No way we move ahead of Bama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc.

Michigan State, Stanford, and Ole Miss. They were not that much better than us last year and lost most of their starters. Maybe Notre Dame as well.

We should be right there with Michigan.

We led 2 of the 4 playoff teams with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter. We return 17 starters. And we did all that with a team that was largely sophomore driven last year.

I think anywhere from 8-10 is appropriate.
 
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#13
#13
Michigan State, Stanford, and Ole Miss. They were not that much better than us last year and lost most of their starters. Maybe Notre Dame as well.

We should be right there with Michigan.

We led 2 of the 4 playoff teams with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter. We return 17 starters. And we did all that with a team that was largely sophomore driven last year.

I think anywhere from 8-10 is appropriate.

Michigan thumped Florida, Michigan State beat Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan. You cannot seriously say that Stanford should be ranked behind us after what they have accomplished over the past few years and have PROVEN they can play with the best teams in the country.

All I am saying is, it is too early to have us ahead of these guys since we have proven NOTHING of significance yet, while all the teams ranked ahead of us HAVE proven something over the past 1-3 years. When we start beating some of these teams on the list or start beating teams with a winning record then we have the credibility of being a top 10 team. So far we have tons of talent but no hardware to back it up suffice a couple of bowl wins against some middling Big 10 teams.
 
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#14
#14
I believe that this one is a more realistic rating than any others that have UT in the top 10. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for us to be that high, but I just don't think it's deserved at the moment.
 
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#16
#16
Michigan thumped Florida, Michigan State beat Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan. You cannot seriously say that Stanford should be ranked behind us after what they have accomplished over the past few years and have PROVEN they can play with the best teams in the country.

All I am saying is, it is too early to have us ahead of these guys since we have proven NOTHING of significance yet, while all the teams ranked ahead of us HAVE proven something over the past 1-3 years. When we start beating some of these teams on the list or start beating teams with a winning record then we have the credibility of being a top 10 team. So far we have tons of talent but no hardware to back it up suffice a couple of bowl wins against some middling Big 10 teams.

They didn't prove they could beat Northwestern, fwiw. I actually agree with much of what D4H said (which I don't normally do)... I really think Ole Miss comes crashing down to earth this year. They could easily lose 5 games including 3 in September. Their schedule is brutal.
 
#17
#17
LSU and Florida State are also way too low. Both are top 5 teams in 2016.

Here are my unbiased rankings:

1. Alabama - deepest team on paper
2. Clemson - have arguably the best QB
3. Florida State - maybe the most athletic team in the country
4. LSU - would be #1 with better QB play, but they're still so talented that they are in the top 4
5. Oklahoma - not top 5 in talent but play in the weakest conference
6. Tennessee - as much potential as anyone
7. Ohio State - can they replace all that talent?
8. Notre Dame - like Ohio State they lost alot of good players
9. Michigan - not very talented but have an incredible coach
10. Baylor - like Oklahoma, they're not very talented but play in a weak conference
 
#18
#18
Man, a lot lays out based on our lads meeting their potential as a team.

But yeah, I can't think of more than a dozen teams in the nation I would say have even odds or better against us on the field.

There Bama...maybe LSU, depending on the QB situation...maybe Ole Miss...always gotta include Georgia and Florida as peers, though neither of them will rank as high as us going into the season...Ohio State...(I'm not buying Michigan yet, and I don't buy Michigan State at all)...Clemson...maybe Florida State...Oklahoma...maybe Baylor...and I don't know enough about any PAC team to rank them that high (Oregon?).

So putting us anywhere in the #8 to #12 range seems about right to me. We're definitely in the hunt this year, for the SEC and beyond. As long as the teamwork is solid and the guys come to play EVERY week.

Go Vols!
 
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#19
#19
They didn't prove they could beat Northwestern, fwiw. I actually agree with much of what D4H said (which I don't normally do)... I really think Ole Miss comes crashing down to earth this year. They could easily lose 5 games including 3 in September. Their schedule is brutal.

But Ole Miss has proven they can beat some big time teams over the past few years. If they lose 5 games so be it, but they are loaded and have the talent to win a bunch of games, and their recent history has shown they are a really good team. Based on that alone, they should be ranked ahead of us. When we start whippin up on folks, then we can move into the top 10. Until then, we don't deserve it is all I'm saying.
 
#21
#21
Michigan thumped Florida, Michigan State beat Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan. You cannot seriously say that Stanford should be ranked behind us after what they have accomplished over the past few years and have PROVEN they can play with the best teams in the country.

All I am saying is, it is too early to have us ahead of these guys since we have proven NOTHING of significance yet, while all the teams ranked ahead of us HAVE proven something over the past 1-3 years. When we start beating some of these teams on the list or start beating teams with a winning record then we have the credibility of being a top 10 team. So far we have tons of talent but no hardware to back it up suffice a couple of bowl wins against some middling Big 10 teams.

Look this isn't a list of best programs of the last 5 years. All that matters is how good will these teams be in 2016.

Tennessee is more TALENTED than Michigan State and Stanford. They've recruited better in the last 3 years. They return more proven stars.

You can argue we've sucked the last 5 years. But we ain't talking about the past. We talking about 2016. And in 2016, Michigan State and Stanford are not in the same class as Tennessee.
 
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#22
#22
LSU and Florida State are also way too low. Both are top 5 teams in 2016.

Here are my unbiased rankings:

1. Alabama - deepest team on paper
2. Clemson - have arguably the best QB
3. Florida State - maybe the most athletic team in the country
4. LSU - would be #1 with better QB play, but they're still so talented that they are in the top 4
5. Oklahoma - not top 5 in talent but play in the weakest conference
6. Tennessee - as much potential as anyone
7. Ohio State - can they replace all that talent?
8. Notre Dame - like Ohio State they lost alot of good players
9. Michigan - not very talented but have an incredible coach
10. Baylor - like Oklahoma, they're not very talented but play in a weak conference

Unbiased? Really? Take off the orange glasses. Yes we have talent, yes we have a dynamic backfield and QB and a defense poised to make some noise, but can you objectively sit here and say that we should be #6 right now without having beaten more than one team with a winning record that is worth a da#%?
 
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#23
#23
But Ole Miss has proven they can beat some big time teams over the past few years. If they lose 5 games so be it, but they are loaded and have the talent to win a bunch of games, and their recent history has shown they are a really good team. Based on that alone, they should be ranked ahead of us. When we start whippin up on folks, then we can move into the top 10. Until then, we don't deserve it is all I'm saying.

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.
 
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#24
#24
...can you objectively sit here and say that we should be #6 right now without having beaten more than one team with a winning record that is worth a da#%?

No 2016 football team has beaten anybody yet. The season hasn't started.

Team 120 is not Team 119. Clemson 2016 is not Clemson 2015. Same for Bama. Same for Ohio State.

Right now, you gotta look at talent, and teamwork, and coaching, and scheduling. Not what happened last year or the year before.

p.s. Not saying I agree with D4H's #6 ranking for us. I'd put is in the #8-#12 range (see above). Just saying that you're going about prognosticating the future using a rearview mirror...it works better if you don't do that.
 
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#25
#25
Look this isn't a list of best programs of the last 5 years. All that matters is how good will these teams be in 2016.

Tennessee is more TALENTED than Michigan State and Stanford. They've recruited better in the last 3 years. They return more proven stars.

You can argue we've sucked the last 5 years. But we ain't talking about the past. We talking about 2016. And in 2016, Michigan State and Stanford are not in the same class as Tennessee.

Polls are largely based on the "what have you done for me lately" mantra. I agree we have more talent, we've had more talent than a lot of teams we have played in the past couple of years. OU, Arkansas, equal talent with Florida in my opinion last year. But guess what, we got beat by those teams with less talent. Until we prove that we can beat those teams with more, and even less talent, we aren't a top 10 team yet.
 
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