College Football's Toughest Schedules...UT #2

#51
#51
orangeblood79 said:
I'm all for having quality out of conference schedules but someone has to pump the brakes on scheduling these powerhouse football programs, year in and year out--at least while we're trying to rebuild the program back to its former glory.

What good does going on the road to Eugene, Oregon and Norman, Oklahoma do for a team that will be fighting for a bowl birth in November? None.

Yeah, I get it..."what if we won those games??" The national exposure would be tremendous but the likelihood of that is slim...to none.

What will likely happen is we take a beating on national television and only add fuel to the perception that we're still a long way from coming back, while also exposing some very real weaknesses on the team for the teams that really matter on our schedule--the SEC.

I'd rather pin my hopes on beating UK and Vandy in November for a chance to go to a BETTER bowl game, rather than beating them to go to one AT ALL.

And I'll cut those who disagree with me off--that's not a defeatist attitude, it's seeing our situation for what it really is and playing the better odds that scheduling a comparable team, talent wise, i.e. NC State will do more for us than the alternative. Doing so will yield a more competitive game, a much more likely win, boost the confidence of the team, as well as the amount of national exposure we receive--all the while increasing the odds of a potential January bowl game.

When's the last time we went to a January bowl game by the way, 2007??

Now, that being said...I would not condone this tactic WHEN we return to our former glory. I think the Nebraska series that starts in a few years could pit two top-15 teams against each other.
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I think we will be back competing against the other powerhouses a lot sooner than you think, having said that we will make a bowl game THIS YEAR. We are TENNESSEE, if you want to be the best you have to play the best. Bowling this year is absolutely not out of the question, we have talent but the talent quit on the season half way through the Florida game last year. I realize we lost a lot of talent from last year, but Butch will be getting Max effort out of the guys we got week in and week out.
 
#53
#53
UT and Ark have the toughest schedules on that list. Cal is only ranked #1 here because preseason rankings have 7 of the teams they play. USC and Oregon St, and probably NW could all be replaced by atleast 10 other teams right outside the top 25. I also doubt more than 4 of them are ranked at the end of the season.

Ark probably has the hardest 4 game run in the country with no byes against 4 top 10 teams, but UT over a 7 week period plays 5 teams in the top 10, which 1 to 2 out of at least 4 of them will be playing for the NC.

Again JMO.
 
#55
#55
BleedingButch said:
I think we will be back competing against the other powerhouses a lot sooner than you think, having said that we will make a bowl game THIS YEAR. We are TENNESSEE, if you want to be the best you have to play the best. Bowling this year is absolutely not out of the question, we have talent but the talent quit on the season half way through the Florida game last year. I realize we lost a lot of talent from last year, but Butch will be getting Max effort out of the guys we got week in and week out.
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1. I never said we wouldn't make a bowl game, I said we'll be fighting for eligibility in November. Big difference.

2. Playing the best when you're an injury or two away from starting walk-on's is not what I would consider and ideal situation for "being our best." If we had more talent on the OL, rather than two walk-on's who might need even make the scout team this year, in 2009, we beat Bama in Tuscaloosa.

3. I think CBJ will get max effort too--the players have been more and more positive with this staff than any I can remember since '09. Here's hoping max effort translates to wins.
 
#56
#56
Rockytoptalker said:
Both UT and Cal have a hard schedule, but I think UT's is harder. Although Tennessee has struggled against teams out west for some reason, most of those games on Cal's schedule are more winnable than games against the likes of Alabama and Georgia.
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I agree, even though they have #2, 3, and 4. I have my doubts about OSU. And those three #20-25 teams are much more beatable. With kiffin, uscW shouldn't be rated.

We are playing proven powerhouses in AL, FL, and OR on the Road as well as GA and USCe at home. Vandy, Auburn and Mizzou are tougher than they get credit for too.
 
#57
#57
HuntlandVolinColo said:
I agree, even though they have #2, 3, and 4. I have my doubts about OSU. And those three #20-25 teams are much more beatable. With kiffin, uscW shouldn't be rated.

We are playing proven powerhouses in AL, FL, and OR on the Road as well as GA and USCe at home. Vandy, Auburn and Mizzou are tougher than they get credit for too.
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Auburn and Mizzou are nowhere near as good as Washington or Arizona
 
#59
#59
Man, Big Ten Brett made sure he was going to start 4-0. UL Lafayette, Samford, Southern Miss, and Rutgers all before SEC play even starts for the hogs.
 
#60
#60
ssvol7 said:
Man, Big Ten Brett made sure he was going to start 4-0. UL Lafayette, Samford, Southern Miss, and Rutgers all before SEC play even starts for the hogs.
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I don't think Bielema had a whole lot of say in Arkansas' schedule. It was pretty well set before he arrived.
 
#62
#62
SCvol333 said:
several of their ranked teams are nowhere near the most talented 25 teams in the country - not sure you could say the same about our ranked opponents
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Im not looking at opponents rankings, im looking at how good the teams are. Washington is very underrated right now. Arizona is no slouch either.
 
#66
#66
Notorious B.E.N said:
And i wouldn't guarantee Southern Miss or Rutgers a win either
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I'll agree with you on Rutgers but Southern Miss did go o-fer last season. I know they've got a new staff but it's hard for me to see a C-USA team that didn't win a game last season knocking off an SEC opponent.
 
#67
#67
ssvol7 said:
I'll agree with you on Rutgers but Southern Miss did go o-fer last season. I know they've got a new staff but it's hard for me to see a C-USA team that didn't win a game last season knocking off an SEC opponent.
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The year before last, didn't Southern Miss go like 9-3 or something and was the only team to beat Houston? And Arkansas wasn't exactly good last year. They will probably win, but not as easily as they might think.
 
#69
#69
Is there anyway to actually read the article on UT? The link directs to Oklahoma at #7. Clicking on the next button does nothing.
 
#73
#73
rockytopya2009 said:
College Football's Toughest 2013 Schedules | ThePostGame
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If we can just win the close games, it will make a big difference in how things turn out.

I recall recently that we beat U.A.B. in a close game, and we beat Vandy, at home in a close game.

The games that we could not close out, were Alabama in 09, Missouri in 12, Kentucky in 11, LSU in 10, UNC in 10.

We win those close games and it will make a world of difference in things....-
 
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