I don't get the confidence in Tennessee beating Florida

[Johnnycatvol]

We will win in Neyland at night!

 

[hmanvolfan]

We gone whip they ass.

 

[Smackdaddy46]

Got Florida at +15.5. Too many points for a SEC competitor.

 

[Volizona]

Even the Sports Animal people are confident Tennessee beats Florida and most of them are notorious negavols. And my question is why? The lead-up to this game feels very much like most of the Florida games the last 20 years. We are reeling from a bad loss and our o-line is looking very suspect. The sugar on top is our young QB appears to be going through growing pains and is dealing with shaky confidence from some mistakes and getting hit a lot in SEC play.so far. I don't feel good about this game at all.. I hope I'm wrong.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 30 years in a row, shame on me. This series is called generational sin. Every year, no matter the coach, no matter how good or bad the teams are, we completely forget how to play football and they play like Super Bowl champions. I think we have a chance tomorrow but won’t be surprised if it’s the same script. Last year was the nail in the coffin. Just no excuse for losing that game.

 

[LargeOrange1]

Even the Sports Animal people are confident Tennessee beats Florida and most of them are notorious negavols. And my question is why? The lead-up to this game feels very much like most of the Florida games the last 20 years. We are reeling from a bad loss and our o-line is looking very suspect. The sugar on top is our young QB appears to be going through growing pains and is dealing with shaky confidence from some mistakes and getting hit a lot in SEC play.so far. I don't feel good about this game at all.. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Volizona]

Wrap your head around the fact this coaching staff and these players haven't been here the past 19 years. Tennessee wins

They sure acted like they’ve been here the last 19 years last year in Gainesville.

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

I think it will be a very close game until the end. Even our best team in recent history only beat a 6 win Florida team by less than a touchdown and almost lost on the last play of the game.

This upcoming Florida game is a real toss-up game. I don't see how we're favored by 15 points to be honest.

Yes! The spread is what doesn't make sense to me. I think there's a path to us covering the spread if we come out pissed off and laser focused and go up 7-0. I think our path to covering is starting fast. I wouldn't bet money on that happening. The fact is we have issues and those issues don't appear to be a quick fix

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

Had we boat raced Arkansas I still wouldn't feel good about this game. Why? Because it's UF. and over the last 20 years we have not played them well. It doesn't matter how good we are or how bad they are. I will be surprised if we win this game. And I will keep saying this until we reel off 3 or 4 in a row against them. Just the way it is.

You mentioned Arkansas. All off-season a lot of people pointed to Arkansas as a trap game and they ended up being spot-on. I thought those people were crazy until it happened. Now I'm not drinking the Kool aid on this 2 touchdown spread. If we win it will still be a stressful watch with a lot of cussing at the TV and rage posting here on the official game thread.

 

[rocketskates]

That game was on the road. Road games in the SEC are tough no matter whose playing. Georgia only beat Kentucky by 1 point while Alabama just lost at Vandy.

In the last 25 years Tennessee has not lost AT HOME to Florida as the clear cut better team. Almost all of our losses at home have been when we suck or Florida is just better. Now all that should tell you is we've been terrible for a long time cause we've rarely been clearly better than Florida. The only 2 years I can think of are 2016 and 2022. In 2016 Florida was also good which makes that win more impressive than 2022 when we let a not so good Florida team hang around.

This year is probably the most superior Tennessee has been to Florida since before Spurrier. Plus the game is at home. We've never been in such a situation. That's why people feel it's a gimme. You're just clouded by the fact the circumstances of this matchup have either been toss-ups or decidedly in Florida's favor. We've rarely had the edge this dedecisively. It's why Vegas has us as 15 point favorites. We're the clear cut better team AT HOME for the first time in forever.

Brother, I hope that you’re right, but some of Muschamp’s teams were the worst I’ve seen from Florida; and they still managed to beat us.

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

I’m not optimistic at all. The last two games shattered any expectations I have. I know we beat OU but it was ugly.

 

[BanditVol]

Even the Sports Animal people are confident Tennessee beats Florida and most of them are notorious negavols. And my question is why? The lead-up to this game feels very much like most of the Florida games the last 20 years. We are reeling from a bad loss and our o-line is looking very suspect. The sugar on top is our young QB appears to be going through growing pains and is dealing with shaky confidence from some mistakes and getting hit a lot in SEC play.so far. I don't feel good about this game at all.. I hope I'm wrong.

In a separate post I note this is our biggest spread (-15) as a favorite in at least 30 years (and I am pretty sure going back to 1990), and the only other year we were a double digit favorite was 2022 (-10), which we won. I think expectations should be that we win even factoring in the "jinx"

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Brother, I hope that you’re right, but some of Muschamp’s teams were the worst I’ve seen from Florida; and they still managed to beat us.

Cause we sucked too. If two terrible teams meet either can win. Same thing when two great teams meet. Either can win. However, when a terrible team meets a great team, the great team usually wins. If we're a great team, we'll beat Florida. All this curse talk is just cope. Yall just don't wanna accept this program has been garbage for close to 20 years.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Even the Sports Animal people are confident Tennessee beats Florida and most of them are notorious negavols. And my question is why? The lead-up to this game feels very much like most of the Florida games the last 20 years. We are reeling from a bad loss and our o-line is looking very suspect. The sugar on top is our young QB appears to be going through growing pains and is dealing with shaky confidence from some mistakes and getting hit a lot in SEC play.so far. I don't feel good about this game at all.. I hope I'm wrong.

You should check the "pick the score" thread. Our fan base isn't as confident as you might think.

Of course there are always some that want to see us lose for some deep seeded reason and I'm not saying that is you by any stretch

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

We have a 30+ year history of underperforming against the Gators. I don’t expect that trend to change tonight

 

[arkyvol]

If we can’t whip a half-assed Florida team at home, it’s time to hang ‘em up and move on to basketball.

 

[mitzustu]

Here’s why I’m nervous:

1) Floridas QBs are actually very good. They are a cumulative 72% on the season (100 of 139). They have not been the problem.

2) Floridas two losses are Miami and Texas AM.

3) Our performance last week at Arkansas.

4) Our poor OL play.

5) We are currently favored by 16.5. That’s free money if you bet on the Gators. We haven’t won by that margin in over 30 years.

6) Tre Wilson was abusing us last year before he got hurt. He’s active today for the first time since the beginning of the year.

I want to win. But Florida covers all day. Going to be a nail biter.

 

[volnbama_]

Have you watched UF? All you talk about is not understanding based on UTs play but there are 2 teams.

UF’s play leading into this game has not mattered in this rivalry for 20+ years

 

[GordonC]

WTWTFA
GO VOLS

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

Florida's defense is bad. Really bad.

We were told all last week by the sunshine pumpers how bad the Arkansas defense was and that the Vols would win by fiddy. Forgive me for not buying the poor defense notion. Right now our OL is only good against UTC/Kent State level competition.

 

[VolSince69]

Objectivity is not negativity as the over emotional interpret. UF owns us until they don’t.

Time to change that!

GBO!!!

 

[orangerush]

FL has owned us regardless of talent.

 

[just bob]

Even the Sports Animal people are confident Tennessee beats Florida and most of them are notorious negavols. And my question is why? The lead-up to this game feels very much like most of the Florida games the last 20 years. We are reeling from a bad loss and our o-line is looking very suspect. The sugar on top is our young QB appears to be going through growing pains and is dealing with shaky confidence from some mistakes and getting hit a lot in SEC play.so far. I don't feel good about this game at all.. I hope I'm wrong.

Tennessee hasn't been good offensively against "Power" (Hate the term) conference teams. Tenn was extremely slow to start NC State with 13 points on offense in the first half. Finished with 44 (On O..) but now NC State is 82nd in total defense. The Vols sucked against Oklahoma and Arkansas. It's not good. There's no flow to drives at all, no tempo. Kind of makes me wonder if Hype is trying to do too much with the pre-snap communication allowed this year instead of having tempo. Whatever the reason, the O has sucked. I'm not expecting good things tonight, sure hope I'm wrong.

 

[Orange931]

The reality is that Tennessee must play a better game than it had against Arkansas if it is going to beat Florida. Our players must stop their drive killing penalties. O-line players have to beat their man so Niko can go through reads, set his feet, and throw accurately down field. WRs need to do their jobs. Our RBs need to see holes and creases. The punter needs to punt short when the field is short and long when it is long, instead of long when the field is short and short when the field is long. Duh. We could go on and on about the poor performances last week. They need to play smarter and with more energy. They looked fuzzed and tired, not smart and strong. Tennessee will beat Florida if our guys bring their best game. Question is, will they?

Captain Obvious post of the year

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

This feels like a much bigger game for Heupel than maybe it should be. He’s in zero danger of any job status this season. But, a loss at home to this gators team will polarize the fan base into 2 almost equal camps.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

You do know we've yet to play a home game against a Power 4 opponent? All our big games thus far have been on the road. Maybe you don't know it but winning on the road is tough. Even for elite teams. Just look at Georgia and Alabama thus far on the road. Georgia beats Kentucky by 1 point and then loses to Alabama who ends up losing the following week at Vandy.

We're gonna beat Florida cause we're the better team by a WIDE MARGIN (something that has rarely happened in this series recently) and because we're playing at home (which is a huge advantage in college football). That is why people are confident. They're using logic and reason rather than emotion (which is what you're using).

Totally agree. We haven't played at home in a month. We're gonna crush UF tonight. They have a true freshman QB starting at night in Neyland....good luck.