Can the Vols be relevant while Saban is at the helm in Alabama?

#77
#77
We should focus on being relevant in the SEC East. We have a ways to go to even compete for that let alone hanging with Bama.
 
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#78
#78
Volfan2012 said:
Recruit and develop like they do and you certainly can win. Georgia is getting close no reason we couldn't do it if we ever get the right combination of coaches and recruiting plus player development.
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Agreed
 
#79
#79
I think ga just demonstrated that Bama is beatable. They have the best players but their history of winning makes them less hungry. A talented team properly motivated and coached can beat a more talented team that don’t have the fire.
Heart can triumph over brawn
 
#82
#82
Has anybody considered that Tennessee is the only team in the Eastern Division of the SEC, that would have to beat Alabama twice to win the SEC Championship? Tennessee is the only one in the East,who plays Alabama every stinkin' year! So, we will always be at a greater disadvantage than other teams. We haven't figured out how to beat Alabama once!
 
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#85
#85
No. Vols can't out recruit Bama. Georgia and Florida are hot beds for recruits as well as Texas and Louisiana and I don't think we can pull the top recruits out of those areas from Bama or Georgia or Florida and now maybe a&m and LSU. I see us being mid tier for the foreseeable future no matter the coach or coordinators. Why would kids from those areas with those nearby programs wanna come to Knoxville? What's the selling point? We can't even keep our elite talent in our own State
 
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#86
#86
I guess it depends on what you mean by "relevant."

I have posted before that as long as UT is the only team in the eastern division that plays Alabama every year we can probably forget ever getting to the SEC championship game--at least for the foreseeable future.

The SEC is competitive enough for us without having to play the perennial number 1 team in the country (when our divisional rivals do not) just to get the privilege of (more than likely) playing them again in a championship game.

Of course, we have to learn to walk before we can run, so this isn't much of an issue right now, bad as we are. But I guarantee you it is a competitive disadvantage that affects a lot of things, including recruiting and the caliber of coaches we can attract. The SEC either need to decide divisional champions based just on their record against divisional rivals, or end the permanent cross-divisional opponent thing. I would prefer the latter.
 
#87
#87
bbeacham said:
Has anybody considered that Tennessee is the only team in the Eastern Division of the SEC, that would have to beat Alabama twice to win the SEC Championship? Tennessee is the only one in the East,who plays Alabama every stinkin' year! So, we will always be at a greater disadvantage than other teams. We haven't figured out how to beat Alabama once!
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Yes,

We have won two SEC championships since the division and did not play Bama in either one. The secret is that when we are good that Bama is average. We just have to figure out how to keep our instate players away from Bama. They own middle and west Tennessee and can get who they want. We used to get the better players in northern Georgia before Saban showed up. They have Dodge Chargers and we don't. We have not really been that good since the Neil Sandler Ford dealership closed in Alcoa.
 
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#88
#88
onevol74 said:
Yes,

We have won two SEC championships since the division and did not play Bama in either one. The secret is that when we are good that Bama is average. We just have to figure out how to keep our instate players away from Bama. They own middle and west Tennessee and can get who they want. We used to get the better players in northern Georgia before Saban showed up. They have Dodge Chargers and we don't. We have not really been that good since the Neil Sandler Ford dealership closed in Alcoa.
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Good points. One problem UT has in recruiting west tn is that it is just so far from Knoxville to Memphis. I grew up in West TN and can tell you that in Memphis, UT isn't even considered the state university.
 
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#90
#90
MAUSERWERKE said:
Good points. One problem UT has in recruiting west tn is that it is just so far from Knoxville to Memphis. I grew up in West TN and can tell you that in Memphis, UT isn't even considered the state university.
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Fulmer was great at recruiting the Carolinas. When Spurrier went to SCAR that started to change and now with Dabo at Clemson it has completely shut us out of the top players in those 2 states.
 
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#91
#91
08Vol said:
Fulmer was great at recruiting the Carolinas. When Spurrier went to SCAR that started to change and now with Dabo at Clemson it has completely shut us out of the top players in those 2 states.
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The reason for that was Kiffin firing Dan Brooks, who wanted to stay on this staff at the time. Brooks got whoever he wanted in NC. Instead Dabo picked him up after a year and Brooks started doing what he does best and Kiffin left us at the altar.
 
#92
#92
Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State all seem to be relevant with Saban coaching. I don't know what would exclude our opportunity going forward. We just need the right staff and right personnel. I don't think the problem of beating Alabama is exclusive to just us.
 
#94
#94
bbeacham said:
Has anybody considered that Tennessee is the only team in the Eastern Division of the SEC, that would have to beat Alabama twice to win the SEC Championship? Tennessee is the only one in the East,who plays Alabama every stinkin' year! So, we will always be at a greater disadvantage than other teams. We haven't figured out how to beat Alabama once!
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Playing Alabama has never kept us out of the seccg.
Alabama wasnt in the seccg last year.
One other sece team would have the same excuse every year.
 
#96
#96
SobeVol said:
I think ga just demonstrated that Bama is beatable. They have the best players but their history of winning makes them less hungry. A talented team properly motivated and coached can beat a more talented team that don’t have the fire.
Heart can triumph over brawn
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Saban is a master at making ingame adjustments and coaching decisions....we saw another example of that yesterday.
Bama can be beat, no team is perfect -- but it sure as hell will never be easy to outcoach them.
 
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#97
#97
Mtnvol80 said:
No. Vols can't out recruit Bama. Georgia and Florida are hot beds for recruits as well as Texas and Louisiana and I don't think we can pull the top recruits out of those areas from Bama or Georgia or Florida and now maybe a&m and LSU. I see us being mid tier for the foreseeable future no matter the coach or coordinators. Why would kids from those areas with those nearby programs wanna come to Knoxville? What's the selling point? We can't even keep our elite talent in our own State
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And Clemson is now able to snatch up the top recruits in East Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We are only able to get the "leftovers" after Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Clemson, LSU, and Texas A&M snag up all the four and five stars in the Southeast. As far as recruiting goes boys, we are only above par Kentucky,
South Carolina, Vandyy, Ole Miss, and Missouri now. Let that realisation sink in.
 
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#98
#98
Samuellbronkowitz said:
And Clemson is now able to snatch up the top recruits in East Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We are only able to get the "leftovers" after Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Clemson, LSU, and Texas A&M snag up all the four and five stars in the Southeast. As far as recruiting goes boys, we are only above par Kentucky,
South Carolina, Vandyy, Ole Miss, and Missouri now. Let that realisation sink in.
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For us to go 4-8, 5-7 the last two years and still be 15th in recruiting class should show that we still have the ability to pull good players.
 
#99
#99
GTBATV said:
For us to go 4-8, 5-7 the last two years and still be 15th in recruiting class should show that we still have the ability to pull good players.
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We do. However, we no longer pull in the studs that Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Clemson, LSU, and Texas A&M are able to recruit.
 
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