6-6 or 7-5?

[sjt18]

I love to be optomistic most of the time too but our lack of talent, experience, depth and 1 of the toughest schedules in the country forces me to be more realistic for the next 3 years.

If I see us playing tougher, more disciplined and until the end of every game no matter what and our recruiting keeps going well then that will show me improvement and a 6-6 season with a Bowl Game appearance is a solid step in the right direction.

It's not what I want by far but 6 Wins is all I expect this year and more than 6 Wins will be proof we're on the right track for certain.

VFL...GBO!!!

Six wins will not mean that Jones has outcoached anyone or gotten more out of this team than the sum of its parts. That... is not a step in the right direction.

If you want to see championships in K'ville then you have to have an elite coach. Not a coach that is considered to be successful while beating only the teams on the schedule that he should beat.

Six games are wins if he's even an average coach. Two or 3 more are wins if he outcoaches the guy across the field. Two more are possibilities if he can outcoach them and catch some breaks. Bama would take a near miracle... but Kiffin's sole team at UT wasn't more talented than this one and he got them within a blocked field goal of beating a team that won the NC.

Everyone talks about the liabilities of the roster. This roster is second only to last year's roster in talent since UT last went to the championship game in 2007. It probably has more talent than that team. There are holes that have to be filled. There are thin places that have to be managed... but that's what "great" coaches do.

 

[Titan&Volfan4life]

Six wins will not mean that Jones has outcoached anyone or gotten more out of this team than the sum of its parts. That... is not a step in the right direction.

If you want to see championships in K'ville then you have to have an elite coach. Not a coach that is considered to be successful while beating only the teams on the schedule that he should beat.

Six games are wins if he's even an average coach. Two or 3 more are wins if he outcoaches the guy across the field. Two more are possibilities if he can outcoach them and catch some breaks. Bama would take a near miracle... but Kiffin's sole team at UT wasn't more talented than this one and he got them within a blocked field goal of beating a team that won the NC.

Everyone talks about the liabilities of the roster. This roster is second only to last year's roster in talent since UT last went to the championship game in 2007. It probably has more talent than that team. There are holes that have to be filled. There are thin places that have to be managed... but that's what "great" coaches do.

Talent level and depth do play a major part of what our team will do.

I expect our D to be better but how much better with alot of the same players that had the worst Defense in Tennessee history last year?

We should have 1 of the best O lines in the Country but we have no idea at all how good our main skill players will be at QB, the TE's or the WR's so how can we predict any serious upsets?

Can we predict that Palardy will really hit some long FG's to get us a unexpected Win?

Far too many people on here have been OVERexpecting for too many years and then VN blows up when we lose a game they OVERexpected we should win and people say really dumb things that DOES hurt our recruiting, again, as usual.

I'm just not going to overexpect anything for the next 3 years and give buTch and company the time needed to rebuild our entire program from 1 of the worst programs in the country which unfortunately we really are right now on the field.

Nobody will cheer louder or be happier than me if we upset several teams and Win 8, 9, 10 or all our games because I want to see another Crystal football on the hill before I die and I'm no spring chicken and already have some serious health issues so the sooner the better for me!

VFL...GBO!

 

[PowerT83]

6-6

 

[checkerboards09]

6-6 or 7-5? Neither. I think we finally have a COACH that not only looks tough, but backs it up. We have an experienced O-line, RB's, and a defense that will surprise the hell out of all UT fans. Im gonna say 8-4.

 

[sjt18]

Talent level and depth do play a major part of what our team will do.

And if someone were predicting UT to win the East you'd have a point. We're talking about people calling six wins successful when there are six teams on the schedule that UT has more talent and depth than.

I expect our D to be better but how much better with alot of the same players that had the worst Defense in Tennessee history last year?

UT went into last year with basically the same personnel. Most had played the previous years as underclassmen. We had every reason to expect them to be much improved. Right? Sunseri's schemes put those guys in unwinnable situations.... over and over. Are you saying that it is unreasonable for many of the same players plus some very talented guys to achieve what they achieved as Freshmen and Sophomores under Wilcox?

We should have 1 of the best O lines in the Country but we have no idea at all how good our main skill players will be at QB, the TE's or the WR's so how can we predict any serious upsets?

We DO know that UT has talent at those positions. You just affirm my point. This is a test of Jones' ability to coach. He has enough talent... if he can coach them.

Far too many people on here have been OVERexpecting for too many years and then VN blows up when we lose a game they OVERexpected we should win and people say really dumb things that DOES hurt our recruiting, again, as usual.

I am not "overexpecting". If Jones can coach then this is a better than six win team.

I'm just not going to overexpect anything for the next 3 years and give buTch and company the time needed to rebuild our entire program from 1 of the worst programs in the country which unfortunately we really are right now on the field.

Now THAT is overexpecting. Jones inherits a situation FAR better than the one either Dooley or Kiffin inherited. He has more stability. He has a reasonably disciplined program where guys aren't constantly getting booted for drugs or showing up on police blotters. And... he has more talent to work with in year one. Before arguing with that, go back and look at the first year rosters and starters for both Kiffin and Dooley. Both had to recruit from nothing... while it could be better Jones isn't starting from zero.

It is definitely overexpecting to think that this fan base will watch him post 3 .500 or worse seasons then give him a 4th year. And if you really look at it... this is probably going to be his best chance to win within those first 3 years unless you believe he's going to get it done with Fr and So players.

and already have some serious health issues so the sooner the better for me!

VFL...GBO!

Very, very sorry to hear that.

 

[UGADawg4Life]

I just don't see auburn being the 9-10 win team that some are projecting. They may be better than 3-9, 0-8 in the SEC, but that's not saying much. Butch is far and away a better coach than Gus any day. It may not be pretty, but we will beat auburn this season.

May turn out to be true, but I just don't see how anyone can make such a claim at this point. CGM orchestrated a NC offense (even if it was with a hired gun). CBJ hasn't coached a down of SEC football yet. No one outside of TN would rank CBJ over CGM yet. Especially "far and away". Better see how he does first.

 

[Boca Vol]

May turn out to be true, but I just don't see how anyone can make such a claim at this point. CGM orchestrated a NC offense (even if it was with a hired gun). CBJ hasn't coached a down of SEC football yet. No one outside of TN would rank CBJ over CGM yet. Especially "far and away". Better see how he does first.

I'm pretty sure the difference is that Jones gets it. Just sayin'.

 

[DD4ME]

Maybe I'm overloading my expectations but if CBJ doesn't get to 7 wins somehow even with a bowl I will be very disappointed. I also believe an outcome of 6 wins might be a harbinger of an even worse year in 2014 when we lose the entire O-line. I'm optimistic though that he can give us more than just an also ran reason full of near misses.

 

[DD4ME]

May turn out to be true, but I just don't see how anyone can make such a claim at this point. CGM orchestrated a NC offense (even if it was with a hired gun). CBJ hasn't coached a down of SEC football yet. No one outside of TN would rank CBJ over CGM yet. Especially "far and away". Better see how he does first.

Agreed. After the last several years people can call me a pessimist but I'm at a point where our coaches have to show me something before I believe they are somehow better than anyone in this league. They've done well on the recruiting and publicity trails and have my respect there but until I see this team play up to an opponent instead of down I'm not "booking it" or over hyping our situation.