11-2: BE HONEST…..

#1
EverythingOrange

EverythingOrange

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#1
Who really expected that after Heuple’s First season (7-7 with a bowl loss to Perdue) that we would be 11-2 last year / #1 Offense in the nation / Breaking streaks to Florida & Alabama / In the mix for the CFP / and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl with our 2nd string QB?

I have looked forward to Tennessee football EVERY year - And several times I have been disappointed…..

But, I have not had a feeling of anticipation for a football season like THIS year for a VERY LONG TIME!

GO VOLS!!!!!
 
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#3
#3
Like 99% of people, I did not see it coming together THAT FAST. But I did think the pieces were in place for it to happen in the very best case scenario. I looked at the team and saw talent, thought we had the coaching and the potential, but didn’t know if we had the depth and luck to put it all together. The 2022 team’s accomplishments are honestly still stunning to think about.

-Beat the defending ACC Champion Pitt Panthers in their own building.
-Beat Florida.
-Beat LSU and exorcised the demons from 2001/2007/2010.
-Beat the filthy Alabama Crimson Slime for the first time in 15 years.
-Won a NY6 Bowl for the first time since 2004 (and that was the Cotton Bowl which didn’t have the same reputation at the time) over Clemson, who has been an absolute thorn in our side in recruiting for 15 years.

That 2022 team to me belongs in a special place along with the 1985, 1989, 1995 and of course, the 1998 Vols, as one of those 5 special teams Vol fans will remember 50 years from now.

And the thing about success…once you get a taste of it, it’s addictive. You just want more.
 
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#6
#6
EverythingOrange said:
Who really expected that after Heuple’s First season (7-7 with a bowl loss to Perdue) that we would be 11-2 last year / #1 Offense in the nation / Breaking streaks to Florida & Alabama / In the mix for the CFP / and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl with our 2nd string QB?

I have looked forward to Tennessee football EVERY year - And several times I have been disappointed…..

But, I have not had a feeling of anticipation for a football season like THIS year for a VERY LONG TIME!

GO VOLS!!!!!
Click to expand...
Can only speak for myself but I've been more than pleased with how quickly things turned around and especially with last years's record. Hoping for the best this year but expecting no more than 9 wins.
 
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#8
#8
Was some what optimistic until the fall practice injury reports started heating up. Thinking 8-4 now.
 
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#11
#11
EverythingOrange said:
Who really expected that after Heuple’s First season (7-7 with a bowl loss to Perdue) that we would be 11-2 last year / #1 Offense in the nation / Breaking streaks to Florida & Alabama / In the mix for the CFP / and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl with our 2nd string QB?

I have looked forward to Tennessee football EVERY year - And several times I have been disappointed…..

But, I have not had a feeling of anticipation for a football season like THIS year for a VERY LONG TIME!

GO VOLS!!!!!
Click to expand...
Heuple?
 
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#12
#12
aaronvol said:
Boys...were splitting Bama and Georgia...and I'm not so sure its not a reversal of last year.
Click to expand...

I’d pick Bama once again. It’s a matchup thing. Our defense is equipped to stop the run and that’s what Bama is going to try and do this year. Not impressed by their passing attack, honestly. They’re good, but they pale in comparison to most of the Alabama QBs and WRs we’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to over the last 15 years.

I see UGA as a much more balanced attack and they’re the 2 time defending champs.
 
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#14
#14
EverythingOrange said:
Who really expected that after Heuple’s First season (7-7 with a bowl loss to Perdue) that we would be 11-2 last year / #1 Offense in the nation / Breaking streaks to Florida & Alabama / In the mix for the CFP / and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl with our 2nd string QB?

I have looked forward to Tennessee football EVERY year - And several times I have been disappointed…..

But, I have not had a feeling of anticipation for a football season like THIS year for a VERY LONG TIME!

GO VOLS!!!!!
Click to expand...

For what it's worth... we were 7-6 in year 1, not 7-7.

I would have loved to have been 7-7 because that would mean somehow we won the East :)
 
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#16
#16
I thought 10-2 was possible last season, with 9-3 more likely. Compete, but lose to Georgia and Bama, win two of three against LSU, Florida, and Pitt, then roll through the rest of the schedule.

LSU was predicted to have a lot of growing pains in year one of Brian Kelley, so I thought that would be a win. If I knew they were going to be a top 10 team, I wouldn't have predicted it. Florida game is always a dogfight to get a win no matter the year, but I was more hopeful than not we would win. And Pitt, I felt strongly we would be focused on getting revenge. So I felt we would be the favorites in all three of those games, but at the same time thought it would be tough to win all three. So drop one to temper expectations. As for the rest, considering how Huepel did in year one, I thought he would run right through UK, Mizzou, USC, and Vandy.
 
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#20
#20
EverythingOrange said:
Who really expected that after Heuple’s First season (7-7 with a bowl loss to Perdue) that we would be 11-2 last year / #1 Offense in the nation / Breaking streaks to Florida & Alabama / In the mix for the CFP / and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl with our 2nd string QB?

I have looked forward to Tennessee football EVERY year - And several times I have been disappointed…..

But, I have not had a feeling of anticipation for a football season like THIS year for a VERY LONG TIME!

GO VOLS!!!!!
Click to expand...

It’s Heupel.
And Purdue.
Tennessee was 7-6 after the bowl loss in 2021.
 
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#22
#22
I thought we would be 9-3 with losses to the big 3 rivals. I’m going with 9-3 for this year too since it worked out last time.
 
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#24
#24
EverythingOrange said:
Who really expected that after Heuple’s First season (7-7 with a bowl loss to Perdue) that we would be 11-2 last year / #1 Offense in the nation / Breaking streaks to Florida & Alabama / In the mix for the CFP / and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl with our 2nd string QB?

I have looked forward to Tennessee football EVERY year - And several times I have been disappointed…..

But, I have not had a feeling of anticipation for a football season like THIS year for a VERY LONG TIME!

GO VOLS!!!!!
Click to expand...

I agree with your trepidation for UT, years of hope only to be disappointed. CJH is in his 3rd year, recruiting is better, development is better, and Offense and Defense are better, but are we at the level of UGA and Bama? this is the question we all have—player development and putting UT in a favorable position to win every game..........close. However, the game at South Carolina showed how thin UT was last year. Is this the year? I am on the fence; could this be another 1998? Let's control what we can control, be supportive, and hope injuries don't come.

I am not in favor of how the defense got a bad rap for last year; YPG is a bit misleading; UT scored so quickly that the opposing teams had more opportunities than the other teams. Look at the teams that had better defensive stats but lost more than 3 games:

LSU: 4 losses
MS State: 4 losses
Miss: 5 Losses
TAM: 7 losses
USC: 5 losses
KY: 6 losses
FLA: 7 losses
Kansas State: 4 losses
Texas: 5 Losses

So, if UT goes 11-2 again and their defense improved, I am good with that.

W vs. L, I don't care how we win as long as UT wins.

GBO!
 
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#25
#25
NeverWe'llSever said:
I’d pick Bama once again. It’s a matchup thing. Our defense is equipped to stop the run and that’s what Bama is going to try and do this year. Not impressed by their passing attack, honestly. They’re good, but they pale in comparison to most of the Alabama QBs and WRs we’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to over the last 15 years.

I see UGA as a much more balanced attack and they’re the 2 time defending champs.
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I absolutely believe vols go in there and win that game.
 
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