10-2: I don’t see 3 losses on this schedule

[BlinghamptonVol]

I know, orange tinted glasses, but with our offense rolling into its second season with Heup and a defense improving with some really proven position coaches, I expect some good things from this team. 10-2 seems like a big jump from 2020, but then I looked at the schedule a little bit more....

Ball St- Easy W. And we play them on a Thursday night so we have more time to prepare for....

Pitt - They lost too much off last year’s team. If Hooker had been the starter from the get go last year, we beat them by 2 tds. Heup with 2 extra days to prepare? Forget about it.

Akron - Easy W.

Florida - Easy W.

Seriously though , they are in too much turmoil and lack talent on the lines and at WR. Didn’t they just lose a WR to injury? Better luck next year losers gators.

Bye - A little early, but good for a break before LSU and bama. Heup can cook up some plays.

LSU - Also a team with a lot of recent turmoil. Brian Kelly is just Butch Jones, Sr. and been able to hide that with Notre Dame’s weak schedule.

Bama - This one is going to be tough. Saban has a renewed drive after losing to Jumbo and Kirby last year. Look for us to play them close however. If they hadn’t gotten the Georgia WR, I’d say this could be an upset special.

UT Martin - Easy W.

Kentucky - We beat them at their place last year. We’re better. They’re worse. They’ll be physical, but this is a 14-17 point Vol win.

Georgia - They lost soooo much from last year. If this was at Neyland, I’d be putting money on my Vols. Heup has the team competing late, but the SEC wants a uga-Bama championship and the refs bail out the butt-sniffers with a bogus call with under 3 minutes left in the game. Every. Damn. Year. Bring your mustard bottles.

Missouri - Heup blasts the SEC officiating all week and then names his score against Mizzou. Expect 70.

South Carolina - These guys are already dead by this point in the season. Rattler has been crushed by the SEC grind and we play against a grad assistant. Expect 60.

Vanderbilt - Easy W. Students leave this game wondering how Tennessee has ever lost to this university. Expect 70.

10-2 regular season. With the SEC protecting uga and bama, my guess is they lobby for both of them to get in the playoff again (watch the one loss team win the SEC Championship like last year), so we are looking at a Sugar Bowl invite.

I know, big dreams, but I just don’t see 10 teams on our schedule matching our talent, scheme or coaching. Hooker is too good of a leader and qb and Heup is too good of an offensive genius. Our pace can’t be matched.

 

[IndianaVol]

I like your optimism my friend !!!

 

[rocketskates]

Love the optimism. Florida still makes me nervous. In theory, we should beat them easily. But, we also should’ve beaten them every year the Muschamp was coach and we couldn’t. They just seem to have our number, even when they suck.

 

[TNHopeful505]

It's not impossible. Just need big improvement out of defense

 

[rgvol]

OP I hope your right GBO!!

 

[Titan05]

 

[amishvol]

I like the cautious optimism.

 

[tobybeast]

Defense gonna have to play lights out to win that many games. I just don't see it.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

The defense won’t be nearly good enough to win 10. We should be happy with 8 wins and don’t be surprised if we win 7. Losses to Florida Georgia Alabama and lsu

 

[VolunteerNut]

10-2, 10-2? All true Tennessee fans know we're knocking off UGA, Uf, LSU and only loss going to Bama......{rolls eyes}

While it's possible, not probable. But I would dance the night away. But I love the way you think OP. Good thread.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

I know, orange tinted glasses, but with our offense rolling into its second season with Heup and a defense improving with some really proven position coaches, I expect some good things from this team. 10-2 seems like a big jump from 2020, but then I looked at the schedule a little bit more....

Ball St- Easy W. And we play them on a Thursday night so we have more time to prepare for....

Pitt - They lost too much off last year’s team. If Hooker had been the starter from the get go last year, we beat them by 2 tds. Heup with 2 extra days to prepare? Forget about it.

Akron - Easy W.

Florida - Easy W.

Seriously, they are in too much turmoil and lack talent on the lines and at WR. Didn’t they just lose a WR to injury? Better luck next year losers gators.

Bye - A little early, but good for a break before LSU and bama. Heup can cook up some plays.

LSU - Also a team with a lot of recent turmoil. Brian Kelly is just Butch Jones, Sr. and been able to hide that with Notre Dame’s weak schedule.

Bama - This one is going to be tough. Saban has a renewed drive after losing to Jumbo and Kirby last year. Look for us to play them close however. If they hadn’t gotten the Georgia WR, I’d say this could be an upset special.

UT Martin - Easy W.

Kentucky - We beat them at their place last year. We’re better. They’re worse. They’ll be physical, but this is a 14-17 point Vol win.

Georgia - They lost soooo much from last year. If this was at Neyland, I’d be putting money on my Vols. Heup has the team competing late, but the SEC wants a uga-Bama championship and the refs bail out the butt-sniffers with a bogus call with under 3 minutes left in the game. Every. Damn. Year. Bring your mustard bottles.

Missouri - Heup blasts the SEC officiating all week and then names his score against Mizzou. Expect 70.

South Carolina - These guys are already dead by this point in the season. Rattler has been crushed by the SEC grind and we play against a grad assistant. Expect 60.

Vanderbilt - Easy W. Students leave this game wondering how Tennessee has ever lost to this university. Expect 70.

10-2 regular season. With the SEC protecting uga and bama, my guess is they lobby for both of them to get in the playoff again (watch the one loss team win the SEC Championship like last year), so we are looking at a Sugar Bowl invite.

I know, big dreams, but I just don’t see 10 teams on our schedule matching our talent, scheme or coaching. Hooker is too good of a leader and qb and Heup is too good of an offensive genius. Our pace can’t be matched.

I am going into this year with more optimism compared to the last few seasons. I think we get to 9 wins somehow. A win over UF is never easy even when we appear to have a better team on paper. The Vols are just going to have to prove it with a W over the gators. We have 5 games that will most likely be victories, 5 tossup games, and 2 that are probable losses. There were 3 games last season that could have been wins if we just play better even with all the deficiencies Heupel had to overcome. The current roster is not elite however it is deeper than the 2021 squad. GBO!!

 

[Doberman]

OP is waayyyyy overconfident.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I’m all for optimism, but Brian Kelly can coach football. He’s better than Lester Miles and Coach O and they won titles. I think the Bye couldn’t come at a better time. Glad that it’s no longer at the end of an 8-9 week run that included Florida, UGA and Bama.

I absolutely think we can go to Baton Rouge and win.

 

[sunnyvol79]

Some of y’all gonna be real disappointed if we go 8-4 or 7-5 which is a real possibility. We could easily lose to Pitt, Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina along with a probable loss to LSU and and definite losses to Georgia and Bama. Pump the brakes and temper your expectations because 10-2 isn’t happening. I would be estatic with 9-3, pleased with 8-4. Disappointed with 7-5 unless we have alot of injuries. 6-6 would leave me questioning if Heupel is the guy long term for us.

 

[volmanNC]

Of course most all of us would like to go 12-0 and also win the NC..

However, I think even 8-4 would be fairly good for this year. 9-3 or above would be GREAT IMO...

 

[sunnyvol79]

OP is waayyyyy overconfident.

. Just a wee bit lol

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Hello boys and girls! The word for today is optometrist.

 

[VolBricks]

I love the optimism I just don't see the 10th win. 9 wins maybe 8-4 probably. This UT team is just to thin at some positions including QB. I know we have Milton as backup but I just do not trust that he has overcome the overthrows and freshmen rarely come in and look great at the QB position.

 

[UTgrad2015]

Never thought I’d see Florida and “easy W” in the same sentence

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Love the optimism. Florida still makes me nervous. In theory, we should beat them easily. But, we also should’ve beaten them every year the Muschamp was coach and we couldn’t. They just seem to have our number, even when they suck.

Of course, Gators make you nervous. They have a mouth full of sharp teeth, lizards tend to be murderously bloodthirsty, however when seasoned and cooked properly, gators make good gumbo.

 

[BlinghamptonVol]

I’m all for optimism, but Brian Kelly can coach football. He’s better than Lester Miles and Coach O and they won titles. I think the Bye couldn’t come at a better time. Glad that it’s no longer at the end of an 8-9 week run that included Florida, UGA and Bama.

I absolutely think we can go to Baton Rouge and win.

I was a little extreme with the ‘Butch Jones, Sr’ line, but I do think Brian Kelly benefited from some easy schedules at Notre Dame. I can’t remember a ‘big’ game that they won during his tenure. I’m just not sure he’s gonna make it at LSU.

They’ve lost a lot of talent and had serious culture issues the last few years. Eli Ricks left for Bama and I’ve heard he doesn’t want to practice at Bama and may not start at the beginning of the season. That’s the type of culture Kelly is walking into at LSU.

 

[xpsyclonex2002]

This is how "battered Vol syndrome" starts..........overhyped expectations until reality comes crashing down.

In all honesty, Hooker was lights out last year. The probability of an improvement is slim and the likelihood of a step back is probable. That's not to say he craps out but he could have much less success this year now that the other teams aren't unaware of how good our offense is. Our D steps up and we have the same record as last year but our team overall improves across the board. The table is getting set for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. 2022 is about how much can our QB carry the team. 2023 will have a new QB and we will have a team that is able to carry itself on it's own accord.

 

[Jax_Vol]

Really can't see how we can lose to bammer

Perhaps UGA, plus one upset, for 10-2 overall

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Really can't see how we can lose to bammer

Perhaps UGA, plus one upset, for 10-2 overall

Seriously?

 

[Nationdom]

The defense won’t be nearly good enough to win 10. We should be happy with 8 wins and don’t be surprised if we win 7. Losses to Florida Georgia Alabama and lsu

We lose to all those teams and we’ll need to be looking for a new coach. Need 2 of those 4