Interesting question for year 3 IMO

#26
#26
'Boro-vol said:
I am in denial that Missouri is even in the SEC, let alone someone that we should countenance ever losing to. They are akin to Kentucky, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt in my book…a garbage program no matter their ranking. I refuse to count them as someone we weren’t supposed to beat.

For me it has to be Georgia this year…and even then I won’t be upset at 9-3, as it’s about where I had thought we’d be with the losses we sustained.
Click to expand...
This seems to be a reoccurring thought here. The fact is, Mizzou has been to 2 SECG since our last and they joined the conference 5 years after that
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ned Ray McWorkher and YankeeVol
#27
#27
volfan_28 said:
Hard to make surprises when you’re coming off an 11-2 season. One could argue that the only opportunity to pull off a surprise win is the Georgia game. Beating Missouri wouldn’t count as an upset but it’s still a quality road win.
Click to expand...
Yep
 
#28
#28
With our secondary, any team that has a QB with even a smidgen of talent would count in my book.
 
#29
#29
Willie Hutch said:
This seems to be a reoccurring thought here. The fact is, Mizzou has been to 2 SECG since our last and they joined the conference 5 years after that
Click to expand...
I am aware. Doesn’t change their status as a come-lately, garbage program.
 
#30
#30
Mizzou will be looking for a pay back from last years drubbing by the Vols. Beating them on the road will be a big win by any measure. It will take us playing a perfect game next week to win, but I'm confident we can based on talent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ned Ray McWorkher
#32
#32
I think you can count A&M even though we were a slight favorite, because they have more talent, and Mizzou would count too since they’re favored and we struggle on the road at times.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bpalmer28
#33
#33
JMSqb11 said:
Winning 10 games this year was my above average expectation this year. I think we are right where we wanted to be record wise realistically thru 9 games.

I really see no reason why we don’t finish 9-3 at worst this regular season.
Click to expand...
While 9-3 sounds great most years, it's the teams that accounted for the 3 losses.
 
#34
#34
YankeeVol said:
While 9-3 sounds great most years, it's the teams that accounted for the 3 losses.
Click to expand...

I would trade the Florida and Bama losses on the road if it meant ending the Georgia streak + keeping the Neyland streak intact, meaning 10-2 finish
 
#35
#35
stolitonic said:
I will not and simply refuse to consider beating the Missouri Tigers in football as any sort of accomplishment.

Don't really care about a "surprise" win. This team has a large number of holes which have become even more apparent after the cumulative injuries started kicking in The staff has done an excellent job of masking those and simply playing to what we were given.
Click to expand...
Good for you…. I consider beating any top 25 team on the road an accomplishment
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ned Ray McWorkher and bpalmer28
#40
#40
This is one of those phenomena that runs itself out over just a few years.

Year 1, beating a KY-level team is a surprise, I guess, to some, certainly not those of us paying attention to the series.
Year 2, beating Bama was definitely a nice surprise.
Year 3, the only surprise would be beating Bama at their place, or UGa. We might not get that nice a surprise this year. Though I've been very pleased with our victories over A&M, USCe, and KY; they were fun. Just not surprises.
...
and you see how it ends up. Once we're splitting games regularly with UGa and Bama, so that even those wins aren't really surprises (nice, yes, but not surprises), then we're out of any chance at a nice surprise short of winning titles. And even those become unsurprising in turn.

We're working ourselves out of this being true, in short.

Go Vols!
 
#41
#41
I think we're right on track for where we "should" be. The Florida game still stings... a LOT. But each and every game we've been competitive in.

The big change between year 1 and the '22 and '23 seasons are other teams have to prepare in a big way for the Vols. Just a few years ago, it would have an easy W to mark on the schedule. Now? Opponents have to rely on actually planning to beat us or hoping for biased officiating to help (here looking at Alabama).

Get over the Florida mental hump and get equal officiating in other games and things change. The Vols are nationally relevant now like we used to be.

Right where we should be...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ned Ray McWorkher, YankeeVol and VFL-82-JP
#42
#42
VFL-82-JP said:
This is one of those phenomena that runs itself out over just a few years.

Year 1, beating a KY-level team is a surprise, I guess, to some, certainly not those of us paying attention to the series.
Year 2, beating Bama was definitely a nice surprise.
Year 3, the only surprise would be beating Bama at their place, or UGa. We might not get that nice a surprise this year. Though I've been very pleased with our victories over A&M, USCe, and KY; they were fun. Just not surprises.
...
and you see how it ends up. Once we're splitting games regularly with UGa and Bama, so that even those wins aren't really surprises (nice, yes, but not surprises), then we're out of any chance at a nice surprise short of winning titles. And even those become unsurprising in turn.

We're working ourselves out of this being true, in short.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...
Of course. The only reason I picked that game was because they were ranked, plus we were 4-4 and 0-3 against ranked teams at that point.

Same could be said of Vandy. Since 2012, it's 6-5 TN.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VFL-82-JP
#43
#43
ZZ13 said:
After the Florida game I didn’t expect to beat A&M at all. So I’m calling that one a surprise win.
Click to expand...
A&M is just such a weird team. So talented. Played Bama tough, played us tough as well. I think that’s a better win than some give credit for. Of course them getting blown out by Miami didn’t help their resume.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volfeeva
#44
#44
Missouri and Kentucky are supposed to be wins every year. Don’t care about rankings
 
#45
#45
YankeeVol said:
This is NOT. A. COMPLAINT. Just a simple discussion between myself and the gentleman who has the seat(s) next to me.

JH has beat an opponent he wasn’t “supposed“ to each of his fisrt 2 years. Kentucky (🤮they were ranked, and it was on the road) would be the one in year one. Bama, FL and LSU last year (pick one, no one thought we’d win all 3).

IF we lose to GA (Not saying we have a great chance, but they aren’t as “scary“ as the last few years), who has the surprise been this year? If we beat Mizzou next week, does that count?

It was just an interesting conversation we had today during the UConn game.
Click to expand...
I'll answer it like this: Kirby and Saban have neither one beaten somebody they weren't supposed to. Get my drift?
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top