Missouri: Most important game for Tennessee per ESPN

#27
#27
Vol logic said:
I call BS on Missouri being biggest game. All SECe games are big with Bama being the biggest. We have to protect our house first and start winning home games.
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The days are over when bama comes into Neyland and cleans house. Those days are gone. Might get them this year. We don't have the talent but we have something else. Can't wait
 
#29
#29
DL916 said:
I'm on the fence about this. While I agree it will be a big game for us, it also depends on the first couple of months of football. If we lose to Oklahoma but play them close, beat GA after the bye week, and then beat Florida at home. I think the Mizz game wouldn't be as big because I'd like our chances. Now if we lose to all 3 of those teams it would be a huge game to try to make a bowl game.
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I suspect that is why ESPN is saying Mizzou is our most important game. They've already penciled in those 3 as losses for us.
 
#31
#31
volgrad500 said:
"The Florida game (Oct. 4) is important -- and the Vols could certainly win it -- but the season isn't over if Tennessee loses it."
This is going to be my mantra over and over this offseason. FL is going to be better than expected imo, and a loss here should not start a riot on VN
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Why do you think UF is going to be better than people expect? They lost a good amount of talent, still have a huge question mark on their entire offensive side of the ball, and Muschamp is still the coach.

To me, that is the biggest game of the year. Tennessee should beat UF this season.
 
#32
#32
I think Utah St is the most important! We lose that & it'll be a real downer for us & the players....and it's the most important game because it's the next game!
GO VOLS!
 
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#33
#33
PowerT83 said:
Vandy fan at work says they are loaded. That might be the most important game. :crazy:
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Okay first off, they're going to be under a first year coach's new scheme, they just lost a coordinator to a DUI arrest, they're facing us late enough in the season after our brutal schedule and their easy one so our young guys will know much better what's going on at that point, and how much turnover did they have and who did they replace it with? You don't just replace someone like Jordan Matthews right away. Also, who in their secondary can cover our receivers? This will be the first year they get to have fun trying to cover North.
 
#34
#34
If we don't pull off an upset along the way, the Missouri game will decide whether we stay in the bowl hunt or not. I have this game as a toss-up. The advantage Missouri had in overall team speed last year was painfully obvious. There were several times Jancek had guys in the right place to make a play, but the Missouri player was a step quicker and got away (that's why I'm reserving judgement on Jancek until I see him coach some faster players). Missouri lost a lot of speed at the skill positions (including their star receiver), and we gained lots of speed, but the difference last year still makes me think that, at best, we have a marginal advantage in overall team speed. Mauk is a great athlete, but his passing game is a work in progress (did he even complete 50% of his passes last season?) and his top targets are gone. Meanwhile, we don't know who our QB is going to be yet, but we have a ridiculously talented group of receivers. I don't like the match-up of our offensive line against their D-line, but I love the match-up of our receivers against their secondary. If our defense can lock down the edges, I would expect to win this game handily because Missouri is not going to beat us throwing the ball or running between the tackles, but it's been a while since I've seen a Vols D do that.
 
#36
#36
gonzagafan62 said:
Me too. Live in Missouri, and its been hard to take.
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Ugh. I can only imagine. It still makes me sick that they won the East in year two in the SEC, but at least I don't have to hear about it from them. Let's try not to cripple all of their opponents before they play them this year. Has a team ever been so lucky for an entire season? I mean, one quarter from a starting QB was enough to ruin their perfect season.
 
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#37
#37
Its kind of hard to predict anything in college football. Georgia started last year with a legitimate shot at playing in the BCS NC. They lost to Clemson and then were plagued by injuries and completely fell apart.

Any team is capable of suffering numerous injuries and end up like Georgia did last year. I think trying to predict something this early on is absurd.

Why not wait until about the 2nd or 3rd game before trying to say Mizz is our biggest game.
 
#39
#39
Quaint88 said:
If we don't pull off an upset along the way, the Missouri game will decide whether we stay in the bowl hunt or not. I have this game as a toss-up. The advantage Missouri had in overall team speed last year was painfully obvious. There were several times Jancek had guys in the right place to make a play, but the Missouri player was a step quicker and got away (that's why I'm reserving judgement on Jancek until I see him coach some faster players). Missouri lost a lot of speed at the skill positions (including their star receiver), and we gained lots of speed, but the difference last year still makes me think that, at best, we have a marginal advantage in overall team speed. Mauk is a great athlete, but his passing game is a work in progress (did he even complete 50% of his passes last season?) and his top targets are gone. Meanwhile, we don't know who our QB is going to be yet, but we have a ridiculously talented group of receivers. I don't like the match-up of our offensive line against their D-line, but I love the match-up of our receivers against their secondary. If our defense can lock down the edges, I would expect to win this game handily because Missouri is not going to beat us throwing the ball or running between the tackles, but it's been a while since I've seen a Vols D do that.
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So the Vols will have a great pass D and apparently a great run D as well. What else is there?
 
#40
#40
volfan1231 said:
Its kind of hard to predict anything in college football. Georgia started last year with a legitimate shot at playing in the BCS NC. They lost to Clemson and then were plagued by injuries and completely fell apart.

Any team is capable of suffering numerous injuries and end up like Georgia did last year. I think trying to predict something this early on is absurd.

Why not wait until about the 2nd or 3rd game before trying to say Mizz is our biggest game.
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It's probably absurd to be this excited about football season this early, too, but I'm just glad to have something football-related to read, even if I have to take it with a grain of salt (or a pound of assumptions). At this point in the offseason, if someone wrote an article about our most important game in 2015 or 2016, I'd read it.
 
#41
#41
JohnMarxism said:
Beating Mizzou proves very little about UT. Beating Florida, however, would actually mean something.
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Mizzou may be better than UF again this year. But beating UF is about perception more than anything. (even if it is somewhat false)

UF has continued to beat UT when both were awful.
Breaking that trend (while maybe not beating a better team than Mizzou) is more important IMO.
 
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#42
#42
Quaint88 said:
Ugh. I can only imagine. It still makes me sick that they won the East in year two in the SEC, but at least I don't have to hear about it from them. Let's try not to cripple all of their opponents before they play them this year. Has a team ever been so lucky for an entire season? I mean, one quarter from a starting QB was enough to ruin their perfect season.
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Yeah its pretty disgusting. I went to Columbia last year for the UT vs Mizzou game, and it was bad. Not even scoring a TD and hearing the stupid M-I-Z .....Z-O-U chants hurt man. I froze my butt off and stayed the whole game (mostly because I was so close to the field!!!)

UGH I hate Missouri
 
#43
#43
Rooster1 said:
So the Vols will have a great pass D and apparently a great run D as well. What else is there?
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I think that if we can take away Missouri's outside running game, their inside running game and passing game won't be very effective, but I think you're about to tell me why I'm wrong.
 
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#45
#45
I really hope yall dont start fire butch rants after this season let the man do his job the only reason I say this is I read some of these post that have unreasonable expectations and they say it like it better happen.... Beating Alabama would be nice, but its not our biggest game anymore. When your out classed, outsized, out talented by Alabama you have to start somewhere to get a better record but beating Alabama..... not realistic, slim chance of an upset, and would not be considered a let down when the best team in the SEC beats you. All this article is saying is that if UT makes enough improvements this year to go bowling (which would be huge esp if we win) this game could be the deciding factor in our path of getting there
 
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#46
#46
I think a lot of VN fans want to think FL is a crappy team, and down play them. They will have their QB back along with a lot of players on both sides of the ball. I HATE the reptiles, but they have a lot of elite talent on there team, the same kind of talent we are now getting. However ours will be true freshmen and theirs will be seniors and down. If, and it is a big IF, muskrat can find some offense because of his new OC, then they will be a tough win. Muskrat can, and will, field a tough stingy defense. A defense that will keep them in games. Everyone keeps saying this will be an easy win based upon last year. They will not be the same team as last year, they have talent and odds are stacked against us that they get hit as bad by the injury bug this year as they did last year. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing I want more than to beat the reptiles, and I da^^ sure hope we do. GO VOLS BEAT THE REPTILES.
 
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#47
#47
We really need to beat Mizzou this year but I hope we don't need it to get to a bowl.
 
#48
#48
BeecherVol said:
Mizzou may be better than UF again this year. But beating UF is about perception more than anything. (even if it is somewhat false)

UF has continued to beat UT when both were awful.
Breaking that trend (while maybe not beating a better team than Mizzou) is more important IMO.
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Exactly.

Since 1992, the winner of this game is basically in the drivers seat for a chance to win the division, even with UGA's resurgence last decade.
 
#49
#49
I think what ESPN is saying is that sitting here in late June the Vols only have 5 games in which they would be favored. These are the non-conference games with the exception of the Sooners plus Vandy and Kentucky. So to be bowl eligible the Vols have to “upset” someone. Apparently in ESPN’s view the best chance they have for an upset is the Missouri game at home. Does that make Missouri the most the important game of the year? NOT EVEN CLOSE! As several others have commented the Florida game is THE GAME! That monkey has to be beaten off our backs. It is the singular win that propels the Vols into a brighter future.
 
#50
#50
If we are only going to win 6 games, this should the toughest of the six to win.

If we win more than six, Mizzou victory propels us from 48 hours filming destination Birmingham to possibly Nashville or Atlanta for a bowl game.
 
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