I just can't agree Alabama has that edge............

[Grudenator]

They have the edge no doubt. We lose by double digits. Hope I'm wrong, but don't think so.

I don’t think we lose by double digits. I think it’ll be close. Our D is good and there offense is nearly as mediocre as ours. It’ll be a field goal type game imo. They have the edge with it being in Tuscaloosa

 

[VOLfrombama]

They are gonna stack the box and force Milton to throw it. Book it

The problem is they can't really load the box because of the wide splits. So Heup's O automatically takes 3-4 defenders out of the box using formations. Satan actually discussed this Monday, how the wide splits force the secondary out wide.

Heup runs a lot of 3 wide with the TE/H Back in tight, so it ends up being 6 on 7, with the 7th being the Qb. If Joe would pull the ball more often, that would help a lot. Hard to tell how many RPO's or just called runs there actually are, but it's there a lot if they want Joe to keep it. They ran 1 option play against a&m that they weren't ready for and it worked fantastically. I'd like to see more Joe runs in this game.

As a result of those formations, they will def be in man coverage a lot, so there will be opportunities to get some 1 on 1s, throw over the top, and maybe get some guys wide open too. That's how Jalin had so much success last year. But Hooker was way more accurate with the ball, had better touch, and could see the single coverages better.

 

[sjt18]

All I've read online is how they have the edge, but what I see when comparing Tennessee and Alabama games this year that I have watched, is Tennessee defense better than anyone in the country, a qb limiting his mistakes, and a running back core that is second to none. Compared to what I see of Alabama, is an old man, probably coaching too long by now, throwing a hissy fit when his qb messes up, then I see the qb running just like a running back, because Saban wants the victory at any cost. We shut down the qb running or keep it in check, we win. We can do that, no doubt.

I think virtually every talking head I've heard on this game is ignoring what IMO will be the key match up of the game- UT's front vs Bama's OL. Bama has real issues on the OL. Their young LT may eventually be a really good player but he's getting destroyed by players much less than Baron, Bailey, and West... not to mention when the Vols go to their pass rush package. Talent doesn't always determine games but this Bama O is not as talented or good as A&M's O.

Without saying it, most guys are basing their opinions a lot on Milton. But Milton doesn't have to do everything. He just has to do enough to keep Bama from stacking the box.. If he runs then he changes the math. If he can hit a few shots down field then that loosens them up. Even if he can be effective with the WR screen they have to make a choice.


There are always other factors like the home field crowd et al that play in. If the officials let Bama get away with holding then that nullifies UT's greatest advantage.

But I don't really see a big difference between Bama and A&M. In fact, A&M probably has better personnel position by position. UT has a good shot at winning this game.

 

[Grudenator]

The problem is they can't really load the box because of the wide splits. So Heup's O automatically takes 3-4 defenders out of the box using formations. Satan actually discussed this Monday, how the wide splits force the secondary out wide.

Heup runs a lot of 3 wide with the TE/H Back in tight, so it ends up being 6 on 7, with the 7th being the Qb. If Joe would pull the ball more often, that would help a lot. Hard to tell how many RPO's or just called runs there actually are, but it's there a lot if they want Joe to keep it. They ran 1 option play against a&m that they weren't ready for and it worked fantastically. I'd like to see more Joe runs in this game.

As a result of those formations, they will def be in man coverage a lot, so there will be opportunities to get some 1 on 1s, throw over the top, and maybe get some guys wide open too. That's how Jalin had so much success last year. But Hooker was way more accurate with the ball, had better touch, and could see the single coverages better.

Joe is scared to run and he runs scared. I agree with everything you said but we both know the reason they don’t run him as much is because he runs scared.

 

[BigOrangeFanatic]

All I've read online is how they have the edge, but what I see when comparing Tennessee and Alabama games this year that I have watched, is Tennessee defense better than anyone in the country, a qb limiting his mistakes, and a running back core that is second to none. Compared to what I see of Alabama, is an old man, probably coaching too long by now, throwing a hissy fit when his qb messes up, then I see the qb running just like a running back, because Saban wants the victory at any cost. We shut down the qb running or keep it in check, we win. We can do that, no doubt.

Exactly. If we were taking HH in there as QB I'd have no problem being confident we could win, but its gonna take a non Joe like performance to come out of there with a victory.

 

[VOLfrombama]

Joe is scared to run and he runs scared. I agree with everything you said but we both know the reason they don’t run him as much is because he runs scared.

I used to agree with that 100%, butlast weekend Joe put his shoulder down on two different runs that made me reconsider a little. Now, whether he would do that to a LBer or DL is another story, but it looked like the contact juiced him up a little bit.

I used to play like that too, of course never in college and never against this level of competition, but I always played better when I got to hit somebody. Maybe that's what Joe needs.

 

[Grudenator]

I used to agree with that 100%, butlast weekend Joe put his shoulder down on two different runs that made me reconsider a little. Now, whether he would do that to a LBer or DL is another story, but it looked like the contact juiced him up a little bit.

I used to play like that too, of course never in college and never against this level of competition, but I always played better when I got to hit somebody. Maybe that's what Joe needs.

All I ask from him and honestly the only thing I think that is missing is that if he doesn’t see his first 2 reads, RUN IMMEDIATELY.

 

[VOLfrombama]

All I ask from him and honestly the only thing I think that is missing is that if he doesn’t see his first 2 reads, RUN IMMEDIATELY.

Agreed. He seemingly gets into trouble when he holds the ball because I don't think he can make it past his second progression. I really wish there were more check down options for him, but the OL has had some issues with pass blocking inconsistencies.

 

[TexasVol281]

Looked horrible against a middle of the road Florida team and not playing well against Austin Peay have built the perception in people that Alabama is still superior. They might be wrong or they might be right. Either way, we find out this weekend! Go Vols!

 

[hUTch2002]

All I've read online is how they have the edge, but what I see when comparing Tennessee and Alabama games this year that I have watched, is Tennessee defense better than anyone in the country, a qb limiting his mistakes, and a running back core that is second to none. Compared to what I see of Alabama, is an old man, probably coaching too long by now, throwing a hissy fit when his qb messes up, then I see the qb running just like a running back, because Saban wants the victory at any cost. We shut down the qb running or keep it in check, we win. We can do that, no doubt.

I think they have a slight edge. They have home field advantage, they have a slight edge at QB and a slight edge on D. I think the rest is fairly even but I haven’t watched them closely so I don’t know about their ST, for example. It’s going to be a close game.

 

[J C Higgins]

Collectively they have the player talent advantage, they're playing at home and they want revenge.
Unless Milton and the receivers perform much better than they have so far this year Bama wins, possibly by a lot.

 

[ArmchairQB]

There's every reason to believe that against a quality opponent on the road, we're going to go run-heavy and try to limit the opponent's time of possession, and that it's got nothing to do with having Milton under center. We did the same thing with Hooker in 2022 against both LSU and Georgia. Some games last year we'd have the ball 15-20 minutes, pass for 300+, and win by 30+. Against LSU and Georgia we kept the ball half the time and ran the ball 64% of the time (LSU) and 56% of the time (Georgia). It worked beautifully in Baton Rouge.

Say what you want about Milton, but our odds against Alabama have everything to do with how our offensive line and run game stack up against Alabama's defensive line. All Milton has to do is put up just enough to keep them honest.

 

[swampfoxfan]

Bama will be prepared for our one dimensional offense. They will sell out on the run and force Heupel to call more of the pass game and more importantly force Joe to actually make the reads and throws. Joe has not by any means shown he is capable of doing that consistently. As many vol fans have said and come to realize.. Joe has zero situational game awareness.. cannot make the quick decisive read and decision... and can't be trusted to throw the ball across the middle of the field bc god knows where it's actually going to go. He's a handicap to this offense and he's not about to magically turn the corner in a rowdy Tuscaloosa Bryant Denny Stadium.

So Texas A&M.was surprised by our offense? Thier coaches didn't know how to prepare?

How about they couldn't do anything about our run game and neither will alibubba. Tennessee wins this one.

 

[hUTch2002]

If we give up 115 penalty yards this week like we did against A&M, we'll lose by 3 touchdowns

Nah. Bama will be right there with us.

 

[swampfoxfan]

I think virtually every talking head I've heard on this game is ignoring what IMO will be the key match up of the game- UT's front vs Bama's OL. Bama has real issues on the OL. Their young LT may eventually be a really good player but he's getting destroyed by players much less than Baron, Bailey, and West... not to mention when the Vols go to their pass rush package. Talent doesn't always determine games but this Bama O is not as talented or good as A&M's O.

Without saying it, most guys are basing their opinions a lot on Milton. But Milton doesn't have to do everything. He just has to do enough to keep Bama from stacking the box.. If he runs then he changes the math. If he can hit a few shots down field then that loosens them up. Even if he can be effective with the WR screen they have to make a choice.


There are always other factors like the home field crowd et al that play in. If the officials let Bama get away with holding then that nullifies UT's greatest advantage.

But I don't really see a big difference between Bama and A&M. In fact, A&M probably has better personnel position by position. UT has a good shot at winning this game.

I agree with you assessment. Statistically there isn't much difference in Milroe and Milton

 

[hUTch2002]

The problem is they can't really load the box because of the wide splits. So Heup's O automatically takes 3-4 defenders out of the box using formations. Satan actually discussed this Monday, how the wide splits force the secondary out wide.

Heup runs a lot of 3 wide with the TE/H Back in tight, so it ends up being 6 on 7, with the 7th being the Qb. If Joe would pull the ball more often, that would help a lot. Hard to tell how many RPO's or just called runs there actually are, but it's there a lot if they want Joe to keep it. They ran 1 option play against a&m that they weren't ready for and it worked fantastically. I'd like to see more Joe runs in this game.

As a result of those formations, they will def be in man coverage a lot, so there will be opportunities to get some 1 on 1s, throw over the top, and maybe get some guys wide open too. That's how Jalin had so much success last year. But Hooker was way more accurate with the ball, had better touch, and could see the single coverages better.

We also had guys getting open more last year. I don’t know if defenses adjusted, we’re just not as good at WR or both but Hyatt was shockingly open often last year.

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

It’s not so much about bama as it about the Vols. Too many mistakes, not enough big plays prevent winning a game like this.

 

[Nationdom]

An honest assessment of the matchups is mostly, but not entirely, in their favor. Can we win? Yes. Have we shown a sample that would suggest we will? No. Do I hope we win? Yes! Can I see a path to victory? Yes!


Key Matchups:
Their Strengths:
Environment: We have not played well on the road and that is a very hostile environment.
Penalties: We've had way too many, even at home, and this will be a revenge match for the gumps, and they will be loud.
QB's: Theirs has played better, especially on the deep ball, which is one of our weaknesses on D.
Receivers: Burton is good, and he and Milroe are starting to connect. Two TD passes to Burton was the key to victory for them over A&M, who largely shut us down. We need a receiver to step up badly.
Complimentary: They are playing more balanced ball IMO. We are imbalanced and will have to lean on our running game and defense to have a chance.

Close calls:
Defense: They may have the best total defense in the country, but we have a better front 7. Even if you give us an edge, I think this is close because our QB play cannot exploit their weaknesses.
Special Teams: I'd give us the edge, but they are solid.

Our Strengths:
Lines: I like both our lines better and this is our one hope to win IF -
Our D line can get pressure on Milroe without losing contain and they can pressure him into bad decisions/sacks.
Our O line can allow us to run like they did against A&M and keep Joe from getting happy feet because he has not done well with pressure.

Running backs: We have the best stable in the nation and I do not think there is a debate. Would love to see those guys go off at their house.

Tennessee usually plays well in alabama

Milroe will be on the ground a lot

KH will shut down Burton

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

All I've read online is how they have the edge, but what I see when comparing Tennessee and Alabama games this year that I have watched, is Tennessee defense better than anyone in the country, a qb limiting his mistakes, and a running back core that is second to none. Compared to what I see of Alabama, is an old man, probably coaching too long by now, throwing a hissy fit when his qb messes up, then I see the qb running just like a running back, because Saban wants the victory at any cost. We shut down the qb running or keep it in check, we win. We can do that, no doubt.

I agree with that for the most part. However, being in Bryant Denny makes it more difficult to operate the offense for the guys calling out the blocking schemes and plays

 

[hUTch2002]

I think virtually every talking head I've heard on this game is ignoring what IMO will be the key match up of the game- UT's front vs Bama's OL. Bama has real issues on the OL. Their young LT may eventually be a really good player but he's getting destroyed by players much less than Baron, Bailey, and West... not to mention when the Vols go to their pass rush package. Talent doesn't always determine games but this Bama O is not as talented or good as A&M's O.

Without saying it, most guys are basing their opinions a lot on Milton. But Milton doesn't have to do everything. He just has to do enough to keep Bama from stacking the box.. If he runs then he changes the math. If he can hit a few shots down field then that loosens them up. Even if he can be effective with the WR screen they have to make a choice.


There are always other factors like the home field crowd et al that play in. If the officials let Bama get away with holding then that nullifies UT's greatest advantage.

But I don't really see a big difference between Bama and A&M. In fact, A&M probably has better personnel position by position. UT has a good shot at winning this game.

Agreed on the LOS assessment. If Milton hits 3-4 passes of 20+ yards we will win this thing. If he has less than 3 it gets tougher. Or, like you said, if he mixes in some runs, not planned runs but runs when the pocket starts collapsing, then I like our chances. He had a good one last week that reminded me of Hooker.

 

[swampfoxfan]

I agree with that for the most part. However, being in Bryant Denny makes it more difficult to operate the offense for the guys calling out the blocking schemes and plays

Mays will.make a huge difference.

 

[vavolfan6]

If we had any resemblence of a passing game, I'd like our chances. A healthy Bru McCoy could at least give me hope. But, I just don't see it. This game is going to be a defensive struggle, which unless we force a few extra turnovers and provide the offense with really good field position, I don't see us winning.

 

[VOLfrombama]

We also had guys getting open more last year. I don’t know if defenses adjusted, we’re just not as good at WR or both but Hyatt was shockingly open often last year.

It is hard to tell because the camera's always on the ball, but it seems like Joe just has a hard time being decisive on deep shots whereas Hooker knew he was throwing the route before he even snapped the ball. JMO

 

[n_huffhines]

All I've read online is how they have the edge, but what I see when comparing Tennessee and Alabama games this year that I have watched, is Tennessee defense better than anyone in the country, a qb limiting his mistakes, and a running back core that is second to none. Compared to what I see of Alabama, is an old man, probably coaching too long by now, throwing a hissy fit when his qb messes up, then I see the qb running just like a running back, because Saban wants the victory at any cost. We shut down the qb running or keep it in check, we win. We can do that, no doubt.

I think we are better than Bama at home or a neutral location, but we are a terrible road team. It feels like teams know how to time up our silent snap count and just entirely wreck our offense, and then our D is on the field all day. This is what happened against UGA and SC last year, and Florida this year. I hope we've finally figured this out.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

I agree. As happy as we’ve been with Heupel’s performance thus far, we need to be patient and give him a few years. Not only have we been hiring incompetent coaches, there’s been so much turnover that no one really wanted the job. The fact that we’ve made the strides that we have so quickly is a testament of what I feel is to come with CJH at the helm.

As far as Bama having the edge? This is a super weird game. It’s in Tuscaloosa which hurts us, but Bama hasn’t been playing particularly great ball and neither have we on the offensive side. I have no idea how it’s going to play out, we will see Saturday.
[/QUOTE]

The running game on our offensside has been pretty great