10-2 Next year, What say you?

#226
#226
turbovol said:
I don't think the schedule is any tougher than usual. We've got 5 gimme wins ('Nooga, Kent State, NC State, UTEP, Vandy) plus two others (Miss. State and Kentucky) that we should win--both being at home. That's 7 wins. That leaves 5 tough games. Florida has struggled in recent years and while Arky is tough at its place, it's not like the Razorbacks are world beaters. And Oklahoma hasn't been great the last two/three years.

Anything less than 7 wins and Heups will be catching serious flak. And with good play and some luck we could win 8. Nine would surely be our absolute ceiling, and LOTS would have to go well for that to happen.
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That math puts us at 10 as an absolute ceiling. Nooga, Kent state, NCST, UTEP, Vandy, Miss st, & Kentucky are all games we will be favorites to win. If we just show up and handle business we should beat all 7. We will be the more talented team in all those matchups no matter what our roster looks like. OU ain't the Lincoln Riley or Bob Stoops OU. They're still trying to find themselves as a program. They will have the talent but it's a toss up game for me. Arkansas is a dangerous game, because we should be favorites but we always have that 1 road blooper. Its likely that Fayetteville will be it in 2024. Fla game needs no explanations, we have never been able to count it as a guaranteed W. It's the swing game for us. Arkansas, Fla, & OU should be circled for us next year. Those 3 games could get us to 10 wins with a shot at 11 in a bowl game.
 
#227
#227
SpookyAction said:
Looks like Bru has @5th rd draft grade as of now.
Is that enough for him to declare? I suspect it is.

I think playing UF later in the season could be a plus for us, given their tendency to play much worse later in the season the past few years.
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Yeah it’s going to be tough to win more than 8. But if Heupel reinforces a floor of 8 wins with a freshman QB and 10-15 new starters, that’s a positive sign.
 
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#228
#228
I will worry about 2024 once 2023 is completely in the books. Finish strongly and we will have a great springboard going into the offseason
 
#233
#233
4 very likely losses - UGA / Bama simply have WAY more talent . . . And UF always beats UT (night follows day type situation) . . . Road game at Oklahoma also likely a loss.

8-4.

Oline will likely be mediocre at best.

The defense . . . I will believe UT fields a decent defense when I see it.
 
#234
#234
VOLS haven't played the first down of 2024.

How many games does it take to win the Natty? That's what I'm going with.
 
#235
#235
temptn said:
OK put your predictions here and next year we can see how you did.
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Little early to make a prediction. Let's see who comes back and who we get in the transfer portal before we make a prediction. Need a shut down corner, at least one stud OT, a stud WR + Mays and Spraggins return. Then, we've got a shot at 10 wins.
 
#238
#238
8-4
Super tough schedule and breaking in a new QB, and I haven't seen news of Martinez being told to hit the road
 
#239
#239
11 and ONE - nobody beats BAMA even up by 5 with 43 seconds on 4th and forever from mid field
A 4 -4 -4 schedule - that middle 4 is a monster
RAZORBACKS UGA SOONERS TIDE seeing RED 4 weeks in a row with the Razorbacks on a 5 game home stand
 
#240
#240
901 Orange said:
That math puts us at 10 as an absolute ceiling. Nooga, Kent state, NCST, UTEP, Vandy, Miss st, & Kentucky are all games we will be favorites to win. If we just show up and handle business we should beat all 7. We will be the more talented team in all those matchups no matter what our roster looks like. OU ain't the Lincoln Riley or Bob Stoops OU. They're still trying to find themselves as a program. They will have the talent but it's a toss up game for me. Arkansas is a dangerous game, because we should be favorites but we always have that 1 road blooper. Its likely that Fayetteville will be it in 2024. Fla game needs no explanations, we have never been able to count it as a guaranteed W. It's the swing game for us. Arkansas, Fla, & OU should be circled for us next year. Those 3 games could get us to 10 wins with a shot at 11 in a bowl game.
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We are a playoff team if we win all 3 of those with losses to Bama and UGA… and Bama at neyland isn’t as scary as it used to be we can win that if Nico is who I think he is… improvising mobile Qbs have always been the ones to beat saban.
 
#243
#243
temptn said:
View attachment 596732
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This schedule sucks big time. So we get to play the top 3 teams in the conference in a row? Damn! The SEC hates us. I know I'm gonna puke when I look at Georgia's and Alabama's schedules. This is awful. Let's just go ahead and add the Chiefs and the Eagles as well. We don't and won't have the depth needed.
 
#244
#244
Heupel has to make some changes in the offseason. It is obvious to me the program has some issues that must be addressed if we want to get to the elite level.

1. Fire Willie Martinez. It’s time. DBs are constantly in bad position and it is obvious that is our worst coached unit. I don’t think Banks needs to be fired. Tennessee’s defense took a step forward this year, not a step back. Schematically he is a “bend but don’t break guy” which I think pisses people off sometimes but it is what it is.
2. Hit the portal HARD! Especially for OL, DB, and WR. Our current offensive line, receivers, and DBs we have on the roster make me very nervous. If anything, we just need to get a couple of transfers that can be rotators for depth purposes. We are so thin in the secondary especially right now it’s not even funny.
3. Cut out the idiotic penalties. It’s getting old. We are never going to win a championship playing undisciplined football. I understand that most refs in the SEC are horrible, however it doesn’t excuse the fact we are #126 in the NATION in penalty yards. That should be completely inexcusable but unfortunately I don’t think Heupel cares. If he does, he sure does not show it.
4. Personnel management. Multiple examples: Wright touching the ball 5 times in the first half after a 75 yard TD to open the game. Jabari Small getting reps over Dylan Sampson despite averaging almost a full yard less per touch (combined rushing and passing) than Sampson throughout the season. Not playing Nico more against UCONN and Vandy when the game is clearly over.

These are just some glaring problems I have seen this season. If he fixes these, Tennessee will go 10-2 or 11-1 next year. If not, they are staring down the barrel of 7-5. The roster next year will not be as good as this year overall unless Heupel gets some portal guys. It is a Jimmy’s and Joes game after all, unless talent is equal.
 
#245
#245
Volnanza said:
This schedule sucks big time. So we get to play the top 3 teams in the conference in a row? Damn! The SEC hates us. I know I'm gonna puke when I look at Georgia's and Alabama's schedules. This is awful. Let's just go ahead and add the Chiefs and the Eagles as well. We don't and won't have the depth needed.
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==> if you look at that schedule you will see that most of the dates have not been set, TBD. The SEC has not set dates so we don't know the order of who we play.
 
#246
#246
Chattanooga......W
NC State............W
Golden Flashes.W
UTEP..................W
Arkansas............W
Ugga..................L
Oklahoma..........L
Alabama............L
FLoRiDa............W
Kentucky...........W
Miss St..............W
Vandy................W

9-3 ALOT of factors but that is without knowing who is staying and who is leaving coaching staff,= etc........ etc........

NOT taking Ugga or Gumps out of the loss column until I see something eye popping or miracle


My guess for the schedule order of play is........

UTC
vs NC State
Kent State
Florida
@ Oklahoma
BYE WEEK
@ Arkansas
Alabama
Miss St.
@ Georgia
Kentucky
UTEP
@ Vandy
 
#247
#247
I think 9/10 wins is in the cards, but Tennessee has to hit on a few WRs and DBs in the portal. Skill position depth is lacking imo. If Tennessee hits on a couple WR in the portal akin to Velus Jones and Javonta Payton in 2021 and they stay relatively healthy, I think the offense will go back to scoring 40 ppg.

I think it really comes down to beating NC State, Arkansas and Florida. Vols have to go 3-0 in those games to hit 9+ wins imo. Definitely possible to win or lose all of those. If you have another anemic offense in the passing game, 7-5 is definitely a possibility. NC State is not a cupcake like UVA was this year. I’m sure that douche bag, Dave Doeren, remembers the 2017 coaching search and will want to stick it to the Vols, as well.
 
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#248
#248
Too early to say right now, but UT would have to win at least 1 of 3 against UF, Alabama, and OU while running the table against everybody else. May be a tall order with a brand new QB.

Hopefully at least 8-4 but I'll say 9-3.
 
#249
#249
BigOrangeGiant said:
Heupel has to make some changes in the offseason. It is obvious to me the program has some issues that must be addressed if we want to get to the elite level.

1. Fire Willie Martinez. It’s time. DBs are constantly in bad position and it is obvious that is our worst coached unit. I don’t think Banks needs to be fired. Tennessee’s defense took a step forward this year, not a step back. Schematically he is a “bend but don’t break guy” which I think pisses people off sometimes but it is what it is.
2. Hit the portal HARD! Especially for OL, DB, and WR. Our current offensive line, receivers, and DBs we have on the roster make me very nervous. If anything, we just need to get a couple of transfers that can be rotators for depth purposes. We are so thin in the secondary especially right now it’s not even funny.
3. Cut out the idiotic penalties. It’s getting old. We are never going to win a championship playing undisciplined football. I understand that most refs in the SEC are horrible, however it doesn’t excuse the fact we are #126 in the NATION in penalty yards. That should be completely inexcusable but unfortunately I don’t think Heupel cares. If he does, he sure does not show it.
4. Personnel management. Multiple examples: Wright touching the ball 5 times in the first half after a 75 yard TD to open the game. Jabari Small getting reps over Dylan Sampson despite averaging almost a full yard less per touch (combined rushing and passing) than Sampson throughout the season. Not playing Nico more against UCONN and Vandy when the game is clearly over.

These are just some glaring problems I have seen this season. If he fixes these, Tennessee will go 10-2 or 11-1 next year. If not, they are staring down the barrel of 7-5. The roster next year will not be as good as this year overall unless Heupel gets some portal guys. It is a Jimmy’s and Joes game after all, unless talent is equal.
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Someone or something on offense OC WR has issues. Don’t know if OC is the right person for that job, need to figure it out
 
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