At this point, would you consider 5-7 a solid season?

[TBtheGBwiththeTD]

No. Vandy being at home means we need to win that game. UK is terrible.

6-6 and a bowl isn't terrific but it's progress and the recruiting class makes it feel like a big deal.

 

[DaddyChad]

Nope it's not respectable nor solid but it's also not surprising given our schedule. What would be surprising is getting to a bowl game in his first season given the cluster F of a schedule we've had.

 

[sjt18]

5-7 would be a significant underperformance of this roster.

 

[sjt18]

Nope it's not respectable nor solid but it's also not surprising given our schedule. What would be surprising is getting to a bowl game in his first season given the cluster F of a schedule we've had.

Disagree. A 6-6 result would be very "average". It was the result Dooley posted with similar if not worse circumstances.

IMO, 7 wins will suggest Jones may well be the right guy. Six leaves many questions and concerns open about this staff's ability to get the best possible results from a roster. Five.... I'm leaning toward another coaching search after either year 3 or 4. ORRRR, at least a major staff shake up between now and then.

 

[Cartervol]

5-7 would be a significant underperformance of this roster.

Do what?

 

[Cartervol]

Man i must be missing all this talent we have stockpiled.

 

[OrangeBlitz]

6-6. Losing to Vandy and Kentucky are never acceptable.

This.

 

[DC Vol]

No. Vandy being at home means we need to win that game. UK is terrible.

6-6 and a bowl isn't terrific but it's progress and the recruiting class makes it feel like a big deal.

With this schedule, 6-6 would obviously mean we stole a win from someone we shouldn't have.

And we did.

So I consider 6-6 a respectable outcome. Especially if we cap off a bowl win and have a winning season for the first time since 2009.

5-7, however, is completely different. At this point, that would mean we lost to Vandy at home or Kentucky. That's not going to fly.

 

[gardners_51609]

I always want a bowl game and voted "No" in the poll. However, it all depends on how they play. If they give everything they have and somehow fall short is different than them giving up and losing games they could have won.

 

[sjt18]

Man i must be missing all this talent we have stockpiled.

No. Not stockpiled.

There is a lot of acreage though between Bama and UK. UT does not have a championship roster... they also don't have a roster that should have been dominated by Mizzou.... or taken to the wire by USA... or so completely non-competitive vs Bama/Oregon.

Some folks need to stop pretending like this is a mid-major roster. There are roster problems but the coaches aren't consistently getting the best results from the roster also.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

5-7 would be nothing short of a failed season and it would mean that CBJ and staff would not accomplish the goals they set out for this team and this season! 6-6 and getting to a bowl was ABSOLUTELY minmum this year! If we don't accomplish that we are not off to a good start under the CBJ regime.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Disagree. A 6-6 result would be very "average". It was the result Dooley posted with similar if not worse circumstances.

IMO, 7 wins will suggest Jones may well be the right guy. Six leaves many questions and concerns open about this staff's ability to get the best possible results from a roster. Five.... I'm leaning toward another coaching search after either year 3 or 4. ORRRR, at least a major staff shake up between now and then.

So what you are saying is if we don't upset two top 15 ranked teams with this roster then it leaves questions and concerns about the staff's ability. I do think Dooley had more talent on his roster the first year. How many more games do we win this year with the offensive production of Dooley's first year talent. How many games does Dooley win this year under the same circumstances?

 

[orangeluvr]

Poll results indicate VN agrees with CBJ .... losing is not and never will be acceptable at the University of Tennessee. Natural attrition and new blood will help solve that problem. :yes:

 

[sjt18]

So what you are saying is if we don't upset two top 15 ranked teams with this roster then it leaves questions and concerns about the staff's ability.

If the coaches do not show they can beat teams with equal or worse rosters... then yes. That is what losing to both Auburn and Mizzou will illustrate.

I do think Dooley had more talent on his roster the first year.

Really? Name them. How many "great" OL's did he inherit? Poole vs Lane/Neal? How many legit DT's did he inherit? How many healthy DE's? He didn't even inherit a SINGLE scholarship QB who had attended a workout when he took over.

How many more games do we win this year with the offensive production of Dooley's first year talent.

You mean that O talent whose best returning OL couldn't beat out two 265 lb walk ons the year before?

How many games does Dooley win this year under the same circumstances?

Not sure. But is Dooley the standard you really want Jones to meet?

I will say this... UT's D would not be this bad under Wilcox IMO.

 

[FEARinSEC]

First poll I haven't touched in quite some time. Silly.

 

[FEARinSEC]

No. Not stockpiled.

There is a lot of acreage though between Bama and UK. UT does not have a championship roster... they also don't have a roster that should have been dominated by Mizzou.... or taken to the wire by USA... or so completely non-competitive vs Bama/Oregon.

Some folks need to stop pretending like this is a mid-major roster. There are roster problems but the coaches aren't consistently getting the best results from the roster also.

Some folks need to stop pretending like "talent" is all it takes to win ballgames.

 

[sjt18]

I am frustrated Sudden Impact. I am frustrated that so many are willing to turn a blind eye to the talent UT DOES HAVE in order to excuse at least some degree of coaching failure. I think it is a combination of roster issues and coaching issues. Roster issues will be fixed with recruiting. But frankly I am not interested in a staff that gets UT back to the 2nd tier. I don't find that a satisfactory "goal".

I DO see what looks like some top shelf talent coming in. What I WANT to see is evidence of top shelf, on the field coaching to go with it.

 

[Catbone]

Solid? No way

 

[SaintLouisVol]

No. Not stockpiled.

There is a lot of acreage though between Bama and UK. UT does not have a championship roster... they also don't have a roster that should have been dominated by Mizzou.... or taken to the wire by USA... or so completely non-competitive vs Bama/Oregon.

Some folks need to stop pretending like this is a mid-major roster. There are roster problems but the coaches aren't consistently getting the best results from the roster also.

I can't disagree with you, but I do think you too easily discount the impact of change in the program.

With a first year coaching staff, I don't think you should expect the same results from a given level of "talent" that you might expect from a 2-3 year coaching staff. Especially if your determinations of the quality of said talent is based on recruiting service ratings.

Consistent play comes with consistent teaching, training and practice. That doesn't come with one spring (and not even that for many that are playing) and one fall.

With typical stability in a program, you have a wealth of upperclassmen who are aiding in the teaching and development of those coming in. They understand the "system", the ethic and the expectation.

Essentially, every player on the team is dealing with his own learning and development curve - especially in light of what seems to be a STARK contrast in style between CBJ and the former guy.

As the CBJ program develops, if we continue to see similar results, I would be the first to agree and aid in the defense of your positions. But, this year, it seems unfair, IMO.

 

[sjt18]

Some folks need to stop pretending like "talent" is all it takes to win ballgames.

Absolutely agree. It takes coaching, development, intelligence, heart,....

I agree completely that some of those things are beyond Jones' control. But the things WITHIN his control... are worthy of discussion.

I really don't want to hear that the OL's aren't tough enough or do not finish their blocks after the 9th game when NO ONE has lost their job on that OL. Sometimes the wake up call is when people start being replaced. EVERY TIME a guy who is tenacious and plays to the whistle is better than a guy who is talented but soft... witness what happened to UT vs MU along the lines.

 

[BJWeeks]

The goal for this season was to make a bowl game. No bowl game is a failed season

 

[Cartervol]

No. Not stockpiled.

There is a lot of acreage though between Bama and UK. UT does not have a championship roster... they also don't have a roster that should have been dominated by Mizzou.... or taken to the wire by USA... or so completely non-competitive vs Bama/Oregon.

Some folks need to stop pretending like this is a mid-major roster. There are roster problems but the coaches aren't consistently getting the best results from the roster also.

Well it's a bottom 3rd SEC roster for sure. I didn't watch one down of the Missouri game, was at a party. The mismatches were obvious in that one if you had watched either team play this year. I'm as prideful a UT fan as they come. I also know football and right now UT lacks, the speed, depth and difference makers it takes to do well in this league. Only way to fix that is get those type of guys on campus..

 

[Vol in]

With this schedule, 6-6 would obviously mean we stole a win from someone we shouldn't have.

And we did.

So I consider 6-6 a respectable outcome. Especially if we cap off a bowl win and have a winning season for the first time since 2009.

5-7, however, is completely different. At this point, that would mean we lost to Vandy at home or Kentucky. That's not going to fly.

This is exactly how I'm looking at it. Also, 5-7 is what we've been the last couple of years, 6-6 would be improvement. I wasn't expecting a NC run this year, just improve and keep improving until we get there.

 

[sjt18]

IOW's, if by game 9 your inherited OL has not "bought in" to your standard for toughness... Why not start playing for the future?

I doubt very seriously Bullard has a pro career to be worried about. Why not start Crowder at C with Stone at OG? Crowder is an aggressive player and the experience he gets could be the difference in a game next year.

 

[sjt18]

Well it's a bottom 3rd SEC roster for sure. I didn't watch one down of the Missouri game, was at a party. The mismatches were obvious in that one if you had watched either team play this year. I'm as prideful a UT fan as they come. I also know football and right now UT lacks, the speed, depth and difference makers it takes to do well in this league. Only way to fix that is get those type of guys on campus..

I not only watched... I was there. Living in MO and having a kid that goes there, I am probably more interested than most in their program. I probably followed it closer than most while they were in the Big 12.

They did NOT beat UT because they have more "talent". There are other good arguments you could make for why they won like having been developed in their system for longer... but there is nothing to excuse the D getting run over. The players were out played and the coaches were out coached.