Vols Are "Most Experienced Power5 Team in the Country"

#1
VolnJC

VolnJC

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#1
According to Phil Steele..it still takes some luck but we are setup for one of those magical seasons.
 
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#7
#7
Defense will make or break team 120, Bob Shoop saves the day and Vols roll......... bringing pain to the SEC east...
I like it!
 
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#9
#9
IF we beat florida, 11-1 is much more reasonable. The momentum from beating our rival for the first time in over a decade would carry us through that 4 game stretch.
 
#10
#10
Vols_14 said:
IF we beat florida, 11-1 is much more reasonable. The momentum from beating our rival for the first time in over a decade would carry us through that 4 game stretch.
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I agree, but would prefer 12-0.
 
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#11
#11
Rockytoptalker said:
We say that every year. But, with that in mind, I don't remember the last time we've held such an advantage over UF talent and experience-wise as we do this year.
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Talent wise the two teams are still pretty similar based according to multiple people including the matrix guy. But we have a lot more talent on offense that's proven.
 
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#12
#12
Vols_14 said:
IF we beat florida, 11-1 is much more reasonable. The momentum from beating our rival for the first time in over a decade would carry us through that 4 game stretch.
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Some think winning a game like that can have a negative affect on a team due to being so emotional.

I don't think so because the players are young and confident.
 
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#15
#15
Now it's time to win some games. The fanbase deserves this. That Florida game is going to be huge for so many reasons. It will make or break our season. Riding that momentum into the last 3 tough games of our schedule could easily allow us to go 2-1.

We HAVE to win Florida. Please god, please.
 
#16
#16
VersaceButch said:
Now it's time to win some games. The fanbase deserves this. That Florida game is going to be huge for so many reasons. It will make or break our season. Riding that momentum into the last 3 tough games of our schedule could easily allow us to go 2-1.

We HAVE to win Florida. Please god, please.
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i'm pretty much right there with ya. except i think you have to win FL for the obvious reasons, and to all but guarantee a 2-2 record in that stretch.

if we go 3-1....whew. katy bar the door............
 
#17
#17
jakez4ut said:
i'm pretty much right there with ya. except i think you have to win FL for the obvious reasons, and to all but guarantee a 2-2 record in that stretch.

if we go 3-1....whew. katy bar the door............
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Yes. If we beat Florida 2-2 is almost a lock, which means 10-2 and an SEC East title can be guaranteed. But if you don't beat Florida, your East hopes are on the fritz, and I'm sorry but there is no way you lose to Florida at home and then win the next 3 games. So any playoff/11-1 hopes the fans have will be over.

Florida is just such a crucial game. It cannot be stated enough.
 
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#18
#18
VersaceButch said:
Yes. If we beat Florida 2-2 is almost a lock, which means 10-2 and an SEC East title can be guaranteed. But if you don't beat Florida, your East hopes are on the fritz, and I'm sorry but there is no way you lose to Florida at home and then win the next 3 games. So any playoff/11-1 hopes the fans have will be over.

Florida is just such a crucial game. It cannot be stated enough.
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agreed. and it just so happens we haven't beaten them in 11 years.

no pressure.:thumbsup:
 
#21
#21
So many of you suffer from Battered Fan Syndrome. Yes, Florida has had our number for more than a decade. But none of those games has any bearing on Team 120. Barring injuries or some unforeseen disaster, we will beat UF by 10+ this fall.

We return 17 starters. We have talent and speed on both sides of the ball - at all levels. We have Shoop whose defense will be more disruptive and create more turnovers than a Jancek-led defense. Butch and DeBord are making it a priority to be more effective at throwing the ball down the field; this will improve balance on what was already a very proficient offense in 2015.

Meanwhile, UF only returns 11 starters which ranks LAST in the SEC East. They still have a talented defense, but they lose very productive starters at all 3 levels. We all witnessed how anemic their offense became last year after Grier was suspended. They will be relying on Luke Del Rio at QB - a former walk on at Alabama who then couldn't cut it at Oregon State. This guy doesn't have any meaningful PT in his career. He also won't see a defense nearly as talented as ours in their first 3 games: UMass, Kentucky, North Texas. Their offense loses Kelvin Taylor (RB) and Demarcus Robinson (WR), and their only returning offensive threat (Callaway - WR) is still indefinitely suspended.

Come September 24, Knoxville will be a mad house - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a night game. Team 120 knows they let one get away last year in Gainesville. The Vols will be ready.
 
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#22
#22
no the games previous don't affect the outcome of this game. agreed.

but to say that the streak has no affect is just naive. everyone is aware of it. you can't ignore it. and everyone in the complex over there knows about it.

and that's all they'll be asked about the week leading up to the game, it will be all that's talked about on talk radio, ESPN, SEC, or any other outlet talking CFB that week.

it just needs to be acknowledged, understood, accepted....and finally.....DEALT WITH.

GBO.
 
#23
#23
jakez4ut said:
no the games previous don't affect the outcome of this game. agreed.

but to say that the streak has no affect is just naive. everyone is aware of it. you can't ignore it. and everyone in the complex over there knows about it.

and that's all they'll be asked about the week leading up to the game, it will be all that's talked about on talk radio, ESPN, SEC, or any other outlet talking CFB that week.

it just needs to be acknowledged, understood, accepted....and finally.....DEALT WITH.

GBO.
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Everyone in the football program is well aware of the streak, but it doesn't affect the players, coaches, or support staff.

The media and fans are the ones who let things like that get to them. I played ball for a Power 5 team that hadn't won a bowl game since '49. I was a part of the program when that streak was broken. That kind of stuff does not change your preparation OR the way you play as an athlete. You treat it like any other game. Our guys will be a little more juiced because it's a rivalry, but other than that it's business as usual.

As an example - CLE hadn't won any major sports championships since the 50's. You think that impacted the Cavs in their post-season run this year? I don't think so.
 
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#24
#24
VolsDeep_5 said:
Everyone in the football program is well aware of the streak, but it doesn't affect the players, coaches, or support staff.

The media and fans are the ones who let things like that get to them. I played ball for a Power 5 team that hadn't won a bowl game since '49. I was a part of the program when that streak was broken. That kind of stuff does not change your preparation OR the way you play as an athlete. You treat it like any other game. Our guys will be a little more juiced because it's a rivalry, but other than that it's business as usual.

As an example - CLE hadn't won any major sports championships since the 50's. You think that impacted the Cavs in their post-season run this year? I don't think so.
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The 11 game streak might not matter, but I guarantee you these players that have been on the team two years in a row for choked 4th quarter leads remember those games for sure.

You throw out just a bunch of statistics of how on paper we are so much better than them. What is the point of playing the game if we already won it on paper, right? Because the favorite always win.
 
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#25
#25
VolsDeep_5 said:
Everyone in the football program is well aware of the streak, but it doesn't affect the players, coaches, or support staff.

The media and fans are the ones who let things like that get to them. I played ball for a Power 5 team that hadn't won a bowl game since '49. I was a part of the program when that streak was broken. That kind of stuff does not change your preparation OR the way you play as an athlete. You treat it like any other game. Our guys will be a little more juiced because it's a rivalry, but other than that it's business as usual.
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I believed that about our squad two years ago, when we played so many freshmen and sophomores. Could see them all thinking that, "sure, the program had a problem with Florida in the past, but we're the solution to that problem."

I still somewhat believed it to be true last year, when the "center of mass" of the team were still the sophomore class.

But this year, I have to say, it would be very unusual for our junior-heavy team not to have one corner of the brain focused on the two teams that they haven't been able to beat, two years running.

Sure, they'll be coached to forget the past, focus on who we are now, this is Our Time, Team 120 forges its own destiny, etc. That's just good coaching.

But it's human nature to remember the past, to see patterns. And so I think there is an element of that in our collective psyche. Players and coaches as well, not just fans.

No matter, though, let's just whup dey azz and start a new direction for both series. Go Vols!
 
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