Are we ever going to catch Georgia?

[BigOrangeTrain]

Thread says it. Are we ever really going to catch them? I don’t think so. People can talk about the portal and NIL all you want. It’s not
Leveling anything. All it’s doing is making the rich richer. I mean how long has it been since we have owned UGA? Well let’s look at facts.

Since 2000, we are 6-18 against UGA. And let’s face facts. The UGA that Heupel is going against is VASTLY better than ANY UGA team Fulmer or anyone else faced. I mean Butch beat UGA in 2015 and 2016. I mean really? That was Riches last year and Kirby’s first ever with a true FR QB. In 2016 we needed a pure luck play to beat them.

We know UGA will recruit nothing less than top 3 from here on out. So how do we overcome that?

 

[jonnon111]

I'm disappointed to say, but appears as soon as the Saban machine is winding down another rival we play regularly hires his mini-me.

They are a recruiting machine in the best state for HS recruiting. They are excelling on offense, not even thier head coaches specialty. They are about to break Bamas unbeaten streak record and are barreling towards a three-peat. It's scary to say the least.

In summary, NO.

 

[DarkVolder]

I doubt it as long as Kirby is there. Will Georgia ever lose again is the question?

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

It’s all about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s. Until we can have comparable players, we are what we will be.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I doubt it as long as Kirby is there. Will Georgia ever lose again is the question?

I think they will at some point. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they go 4 years without losing a game.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

It’s all about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s. Until we can have comparable players, we are what we will be.

How do you get comparable players when UGA is gonna out recruit us every single year??

 

[DarkVolder]

I think they will at some point. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they go 4 years without losing a game. if they go 15-0 again this season which is very possible they could seriously challenge Oklahoma’s 47 game win streak back in the 50’s. I never thought we would ever see a modern team even come close to getting close to that. I hate them but can’t deny they are on an incredible run right now.

 

[Chitlin&theDude]

Smart (and Saban) undertsand the kind of players needed to win in this conference - and how to recruit and develop them. I'm not sure Heupel does. He seems light years behind

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

How do you get comparable players when UGA is gonna out recruit us every single year??

That’s the question. What is it gonna take? More money? More wins? Hotter females? Sabotaging the competition? This would be my personal favorite.

 

[DarkVolder]

Another scary thing about Georgia is Kirby is only 47 years old

 

[RockyTopFox]

Georgia is just a more prestigious program with far better recruits growing up in their backyards. Tennessee will never have what they do or the same extended success.

Welcome to why college football blows. Half a dozen schools can compete every single year, everyone else just tries to stay relevant and have their 2019 LSU season.

 

[vavolfan6]

Unfortunately, from a recruiting standpoint Georgia will always have us beat. Their state is a recruiting hotbed, they have no real in state threat to compete for thos recruits, and Kirby is churning guys into the NFL at a ridiculous pace.

With that said, I do think there are ways to close the gap. We won't ever have the depth, so we have to do a better job, first of all, at staying healthy. I know its part of the game, but it seems we have too many guys going down.

Next, we have to spend big on NIL on defense, particularly the DLine, to get some prized players. Mix in some exoerienced transfers to fill the gaps. And then be very specefic with who we target for Heupel's offense. No more over loyalty. We need the best of the best at skill positions. Heupel's offense should sell itself. It's on offense where we can close the gap.

So I think its possible to make us a serious, competitive threat to Georgia wheras we are currently getting rolled over. We just have to be more precise with our resources and who we target.

 

[Chitlin&theDude]

Georgia is just a more prestigious program with far better recruits growing up in their backyards. Tennessee will never have what they do or the same extended success.

Welcome to why college football blows. Half a dozen schools can compete every single year, everyone else just tries to stay relevant and have their 2019 LSU season.

Not true. Yes there are more elite players closer to their campus, but Knoxville isn't in North Dakota. In the 90s we took who we wanted out of Georgia. And historically (not lately) been the better program. TN can (and has) competed with the very best. We've just been in a 15 yr rut.

 

[The Tall Gguy]

Georgia is just a more prestigious program with far better recruits growing up in their backyards. Tennessee will never have what they do or the same extended success.

Welcome to why college football blows. Half a dozen schools can compete every single year, everyone else just tries to stay relevant and have their 2019 LSU season.

I remember us beating UGA at least 9 years in a row.

 

[DirtyDawg]

Not true. Yes there are more elite players closer to their campus, but Knoxville isn't in North Dakota. In the 90s we took who we wanted out of Georgia. And historically (not lately) been the better program. TN can (and has) competed with the very best. We've just been in a 15 yr rut.

I said much the same about recruiting earlier. It’s true that GA has a big advantage at the moment, but it didn’t happen overnight. Richt recruited very well for many years and then Kirby took it to a new level.

But to your point, there are several schools in our area that are potential recruiting giants. Bama and GA as we’ve seen recently, but I would also add TN, Auburn, Fl, and LSU as potentially prime recruiting schools in the SEC. It can be done at all of these schools, it just takes time

 

[BradstarVols]

This recruiting class coming in, which currently ranks 3rd behind GA and Oh St as far as average stars, will help.

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

If they don’t move from their perch at the top of the recruiting rankings and we remain around 12-15 then probably not.

 

[KKruzVFL]

Got to start out paying Georgia and Alabama for recruits. That’s what it comes down too. The roster has to be all 4 and 5 stars to compete. The state of Tennessee is becoming one of the riches states in the country with all the people and companies moving here. There is no reason why Tennessee Football shouldn’t be an elite program.

 

[THEONLYTENISEE]

Thread says it. Are we ever really going to catch them? I don’t think so. People can talk about the portal and NIL all you want. It’s not
Leveling anything. All it’s doing is making the rich richer. I mean how long has it been since we have owned UGA? Well let’s look at facts.

Since 2000, we are 6-18 against UGA. And let’s face facts. The UGA that Heupel is going against is VASTLY better than ANY UGA team Fulmer or anyone else faced. I mean Butch beat UGA in 2015 and 2016. I mean really? That was Riches last year and Kirby’s first ever with a true FR QB. In 2016 we needed a pure luck play to beat them.

We know UGA will recruit nothing less than top 3 from here on out. So how do we overcome that?

Until Saban retires, our goal is to be 3rd or 4th best in the SEC. It appears UGA and Bama still control the SEC.

 

[djwes]

Georgia is winning, deep and fundamentally sound due to outstanding coaching. They are putting guys in the NFL and winning championships. That's not gonna change for a while.

Tenn needs to keep recruiting, desperately need depth, and become more fundamentally sound.

Tenn is a mid-level SEC program, next step is the "Penn State equivalent", consistently beat everyone except OSU & Michigan, in our case UGA & ALA. Losing to a historically bad UF tells the tale on depth, talent and coaching.

Look at Beck and the UGA line, not phased playing at Neyland. Tenn on the road looks like a pre-school child who lost their mommy.

No easy road to getting better.

 

[Volsinnash]

We will not catch Georgia or Alabama in the foreseeable future. For the past 20+ years this is what Tennessee football is. Unless we start getting consistent top 5 recruiting classes we will be mediocre. This is what vol football is until proven different. The atta boys come out after 8-9 win seasons but quite frankly 8-9 win seasons is not championship level football. But some of our fans have grown accustomed and accepted mediocrity. This football program in its current state is mediocre and will be until proven different.

 

[MurphyVol]

Thread says it. Are we ever really going to catch them? I don’t think so. People can talk about the portal and NIL all you want. It’s not
Leveling anything. All it’s doing is making the rich richer. I mean how long has it been since we have owned UGA? Well let’s look at facts.

Since 2000, we are 6-18 against UGA. And let’s face facts. The UGA that Heupel is going against is VASTLY better than ANY UGA team Fulmer or anyone else faced. I mean Butch beat UGA in 2015 and 2016. I mean really? That was Riches last year and Kirby’s first ever with a true FR QB. In 2016 we needed a pure luck play to beat them.

We know UGA will recruit nothing less than top 3 from here on out. So how do we overcome that?

Not until we re recruit drastically better

 

[goldvol]

Thread says it. Are we ever really going to catch them? I don’t think so. People can talk about the portal and NIL all you want. It’s not
Leveling anything. All it’s doing is making the rich richer. I mean how long has it been since we have owned UGA? Well let’s look at facts.

Since 2000, we are 6-18 against UGA. And let’s face facts. The UGA that Heupel is going against is VASTLY better than ANY UGA team Fulmer or anyone else faced. I mean Butch beat UGA in 2015 and 2016. I mean really? That was Riches last year and Kirby’s first ever with a true FR QB. In 2016 we needed a pure luck play to beat them.

We know UGA will recruit nothing less than top 3 from here on out. So how do we overcome that?

I'm mostly with you, but 2016 wasn't just a luck fluke play. We were in control and looked like the better team most of the game. I was there at the stadium. Georgia needed a hail Mary and got it when our coverage just stopped on the play. So yeah, we had one nice play at the end but that's not the entire story of that day

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

As long as Kirby is there probably not.

 

[volfan2024]

I'd rather win but ain't no fan like a Vol fan, PERIOD! That's why they hate us, well don't like us. My UGA grad friend and he's older told me of all the games they have won, the Tennessee victory back years ago in Georgia was his most satisfying.