CBS Sports bowl picks for 2014...

[CountVolcula]

And it would have happened had Worley stayed healthy. What's your point?

Point is, they said the same thing last year

 

[W.TN.Orange Blood]

A lot of early speculation. Anxious to see how we'll look on the field come August.

Hope the coaches find us a QB w/confidence that can produce good results as in win at least 6 games.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Looks like every SEC team is in. There must be more bowl games now.

Kentucky, Vandy, and Arkansas MIA

 

[CountVolcula]

I think we'll do better. I just have a feeling we'll be much improved. I'm feeling 9-3. I admit I don't know why. It's just a hunch. Maybe wishful thinking, I don't know.

Amnesia

 

[utvols74]

If we have decent QB play and D-line play (not championship caliber - just above average), we should go 7-5. Breaks in the kicking game/special teams with one of the possible defeats - who knows?

 

[TrueOrange]

No way Memphis and the Liberty Bowl pass over Tennessee for Missouri if the two teams are within a game of each other.

 

[Nationdom]

Same thing was said last year

and we underachieved.

 

[VolFan4Life87]

Same thing was said last year

If we haven't made some marked improvements over last year, this staff may not be the answer.

 

[ALLVOL24/7/365]

If we haven't made some marked improvements over last year, this staff may not be the answer.

We all know that we have made marked improvements over last year. Some of our new recruits we signed are lazer timed in the low 4 second range, instead of some of our established players who are timed with a sundial. That is not all their fault either, dools never coached them and made them better players and many probably regressed under dools. That speed from our new players is a marked improvement. That being said they are still going to be just freshmen, mere months out of high school playing against the best players in college football. They are going to take their licks. The record next year may not be radically improved over this year but I think we will all be able to see that the coaches are making strides. I want to see a bowl and a victory there for a winning record, then 2015 season the SEC is on notice " WEEEEEERRRRRRRREEEEE. BBBBBBBAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKKKK". VFL

 

[orangeluvr]

I have no ideal why so many writers have OSU as a top contender. I bet they don't get a smell, their soft schedule flip on them having to play Mich, Mich st, and Penn State...but CUM still managed to play a soft schedule...look for retirement coming soon...

osu and nd are overrated every year, pretty typical.

 

[Catbone]

6 is easy 7 is doable. Anything more is gravy.

 

[smokey07]

 

[gunner]

Last year we didn't know 3-9 Auburn was going to the National Championship and 5-7 Mizzou was going to all of a sudden become world-beaters with the exact same personnel as the previous year.

Both teams had more production from their QB's, that will be the key to UT wining more than five games.

 

[joevol33]

will be interesting to see if OU can still make it with an early sept loss

^^^^ good one, I see what you did there! I agree!

 

[jeffmcflurry27]

Same thing was said last year

And we said it the year before and the year before that.

UT is fielding a HS All America team against the SEC and the OOC games aren't exactly cake walks, either.

 

[VolFan4Life87]

We all know that we have made marked improvements over last year. Some of our new recruits we signed are lazer timed in the low 4 second range, instead of some of our established players who are timed with a sundial. That is not all their fault either, dools never coached them and made them better players and many probably regressed under dools. That speed from our new players is a marked improvement. That being said they are still going to be just freshmen, mere months out of high school playing against the best players in college football. They are going to take their licks. The record next year may not be radically improved over this year but I think we will all be able to see that the coaches are making strides. I want to see a bowl and a victory there for a winning record, then 2015 season the SEC is on notice " WEEEEEERRRRRRRREEEEE. BBBBBBBAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKKKK". VFL

We have made improvements to the roster yes, but as you stated they're underclassmen. We may not have supreme talent at the upperclassmen level, but they're D1 players who had scholarship offers across the board nonetheless. 2 years in they should be "better" if the coaches are doing their damn jobs. "Better" may not be good enough, given the competitiveness of the SEC and the gaps that still exist on the roster. Regardless, as a fan base we should expect 6 wins and a bowl appearance, as well as minimal blow out losses. Anything less is a failure of a season and could have negative impacts to recruiting.

 

[wolfej]

Both teams had more production from their QB's, that will be the key to UT wining more than five games.

Auburn didn't have a QB, they had a fast-as-hell running back who would throw and RB pass every now and then.

Seriously, he's down right awful throwing the ball. Their success last year was having fast talented players that fit the spread and Malzahn being one of the best offensive minds in the game.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Memphis going to a bowl? This I got to see.

 

[BennisDrewer]

And we said it the year before and the year before that.

UT is fielding a HS All America team against the SEC and the OOC games aren't exactly cake walks, either.

Hell the year before last I thought anything less than 9 wins was a failure....

and what a failure it was :cray:....that team could have easily won 9 games.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Even if we did finish 5-7 (which we won't), we could still make a bowl with our APR. There is talk of not having enough teams 6-6 with qualifying APRs, TN could be one of those picked in such a scenario.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

So a Clowney and Shaw-less South Carolina is in a BCS bowl but not Bama?

Edit: oops...... missed the playoff bracket at the top.

Still surprised they have S. Carolina having so much success.

USCe is supposed to have the best Oline in SEC...just like us last year. Thompson is a better passer but not a better runner and doesn't have Connor Shaw's tenacity. Loss of Quarles, Clowney and best CB hurt. But if you look at their losses, it is 8-10 players, so most of the 1-2 deep rotation return. They will be tough and better than GA unless key injuries are sustained.

Also look at their schedule with key SEC teams: at FL & Aub; UT, GA, aTm, Mizzou all at home.

 

[DERELICK_MY_VOLS]

Belk bowl, look out.

Here we come baby!!!!!!

Read on the stall wall at a Wal-Mart bathroom in Tampa that all Gators in attendance get a Belk lifetime discounts of 75% off Fubu jorts and Sean John shirts....and as an added bonus free Tebow Broncos, Jets, and Patriots jerseys!!! It seems all 3rd world countries that recieved them found if they wore one of the Tebow jerseys in public soon lost their jobs shortly after...complained their rear ends became numb as if they had sat on a team bench for an entire football season....so they consider them cursed.

 

[MrBiggles]

I would think that the Music City, Liberty, or the Belk bowl would choose us before the Birmingham Bowl gets a chance. We haven't been to a bowl in 3 years and they know our fans are starved for any bowl and it would be a sell out! I think we will get 7 wins.

 

[jeffmcflurry27]

Hell the year before last I thought anything less than 9 wins was a failure....

and what a failure it was :cray:....that team could have easily won 9 games.

Yeah if anyone wanted to bet me before the season that UT would score 45 on UGA and 35 on USCe and still lose, I would have considered that easy money.

 

[Volfreak1964]

I want a bowl any bowl!