Next year means everything

#126
#126
UTFranklinVol said:
UT won 11 games last year which was our best showing in a very long time. Some people think that is a reason not to question the results this year because Heupel is the best coach we have had since Fulmer.

I think it's worth asking the question though... Which year was the outlier? Was Heupel really a genius coach that got us to 11 wins or did he get extremely lucky to have Hooker and Hyatt on the same team?

Because this year I saw the same coach with basically the same team as last year but with a better OL and better rushing game but minus Hooker and Hyatt and the results were much different. Like, A LOT different we didn't compete against any of the tough teams on our schedule.

So was 2023 the "norm" and 2022 the "outlier"? Or should I expect more out of this team in 2024?

Heupel now has "his guy" at QB and IMO next year will tell the story of which year was the real outlier and who was REALLY responsible for the success last year. I hope Heupel is the real deal and not "in the right place at the right time" guy.
Click to expand...
This is not the same team as last year. This team suffered when Bru McCoy got hurt. They do not have the WRs like last year. Milton is not as good as Hooker was. So it is not the same team as last year. You got to remember when Heupel was hired something like 30 players left this program. So that really messes you up because you do not have the back ups at positions. Alabama or Georgia player gets hurt they just put in another 5 star player. Tennessee can not do that right now.
 
#128
#128
utvols74 said:
Due to graduation, draft, etc. last year's team was significantly more talented. Injuries only nicked away at the remaining talent this year.

Here is my worry....

Is Hendon to CJH what Dobbs was to Jones? My gut says, "No", but my head....well....we'll have to see.
Click to expand...
This depends entirely on Heupel being fired, and he won’t be. You never get a chance to right the ship when you’re not the captain, so you only get one event where your “luck” turned.
 
#129
#129
I stand with some of the other members, I think (try it sometime) 2025 will be the true test of what we have as a coach and team. By that time it will give the guys a year/year and a half working together as a unit. Who knows maybe Martinez will be replaced by then.
I hate to think of another 8-4 season, of course that’s a hell of a lot better than 4-8.
I'm so tired of hearing the damn dogs bark, and would love for the VOLS to be the ones that knock them off their pedestal And grind them into the turf.
 
#130
#130
It looks like being a stat nerd is the only way to settle this thread, so here’s this gem for the OP:

Avg PPG for CJH as head coach. Which one is the outlier ?

UCF 2018: 43
UCF 2019: 41
UCF 2020: 44
TN 2021: 35
TN 2022: 44
TN 2023: 21
 
#131
#131
UTFranklinVol said:
People saying we threw more short passes. Please back that up because Hooker threw a ton of that sh!t too. We ran so many screens out to the flat last year.
Click to expand...
It’s pretty obvious. YPA is down 2.5 yards and Passing yards are down nearly 100 per game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IndianaVol
#136
#136
knox-townVOL said:
I'm really not on board with this notion that Heup just "struck gold" with Hooker/Hyatt/Tillman.

All 3 of them had plenty of football under their belt, Hooker especially, and weren't anything special until Heupel got them. So much of Hyatt's success was the scheme, and Hooker finally being given the coaching to maximize his talent.

I'm comfortable saying this year is probably the outlier. Not every offense requires a QB with a very specific skill set, but ours definitely does. Joe has some really good skills, but throwing the ball to tight windows and perfectly leading someone open aren't among them. That is absolutely crucial to the success of this offense.
Click to expand...

You can't suggest that Heupel played a big role in Hooker's success and then take the opposite view with Milton--oh, he's just not good. Guys are either talented or they're not; smart and good decision-makers or they're not. Hooker is talented.

You know what SEC coach--now retired--got more out of his QBs than anybody? Spurrier. Never had a prototypical NFL QB (Grossman was in the league for several years and pretty good but wasn't exactly classic NFL-quality) but coached up his QBs in a big way and scored a bunch of points on everybody. Turned weak-armed Wuerffel into an all-time college producer. Georgia did a damn good job with a walk-on who won two national titles. His teams has talent all over the field--but he also played very well.

Heupel missed with Milton. Thought he was "his guy," but miscalculated--Milton just isn't a baller, but receivers were also a problem this season. It's silly to suggest that any QB is a coach"s guy until he's training and playing in front of you, and then playing games. Only then do you really know what you've got.
 
#138
#138
Dramatic. Next year doesn’t mean everything, but agree in that we do need to take steps forward. Need to win a road game. Got to beat 1-2 of uf, bama, uga. Making the 12 team playoffs would be great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IndianaVol
#139
#139
RDU VOL#14 said:
It looks like being a stat nerd is the only way to settle this thread, so here’s this gem for the OP:

Avg PPG for CJH as head coach. Which one is the outlier ?

UCF 2018: 43
UCF 2019: 41
UCF 2020: 44
TN 2021: 35
TN 2022: 44
TN 2023: 21
Click to expand...

Which is the outlier

12-1
10-3
6-4
7-6
11-2
8-4/9-3
 
#140
#140
Be careful saying stuff like that around here. the sheep will get their panties tangled up.

Huepel could be the man and have a great career here. People can't just assume he is going to do great things based off of one season. There are definitely red flags from this season. This year was much closer to 6-6 than 9-3....
 
#142
#142
UTFranklinVol said:
UT won 11 games last year which was our best showing in a very long time. Some people think that is a reason not to question the results this year because Heupel is the best coach we have had since Fulmer.

I think it's worth asking the question though... Which year was the outlier? Was Heupel really a genius coach that got us to 11 wins or did he get extremely lucky to have Hooker and Hyatt on the same team?

Because this year I saw the same coach with basically the same team as last year but with a better OL and better rushing game but minus Hooker and Hyatt and the results were much different. Like, A LOT different we didn't compete against any of the tough teams on our schedule.

So was 2023 the "norm" and 2022 the "outlier"? Or should I expect more out of this team in 2024?

Heupel now has "his guy" at QB and IMO next year will tell the story of which year was the real outlier and who was REALLY responsible for the success last year. I hope Heupel is the real deal and not "in the right place at the right time" guy.
Click to expand...
Not so fast, Nico knows he will get to start elsewhere next year and he is pretty much gone. He was treated badly this year! Heupel better get another quarterback or play the walk-on's.
 
#145
#145
VFL-82-JP said:
I don't agree that the 2023 squad was "basically the same team" as the 2022 squad. The differences were significant across the offense, defense and special teams.

And I'm not sure I agree 2024 is the litmus test. Yes, a lot of the lads will be "Heupelites" for the first time. But it's still a freshman QB, and it's still a roster that lost its "Covid fat" (all those players who got to play a 5th year thanks to the Covid exclusion). That latter is the rubber band snapping. And it's snapping for every team in college football in 2024.

So I'm waiting for 2025 to see what we really have. That will be a more "ordinary" transition from year to year. I think then we'll see what Josh Heupel and his system are fully capable of. That's the year I think we start lighting things up with our presence in championship contests (conference and national).

But still, I do hope next year is awesome, too. Of course.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...
No chance of that happening with Nico gone to the portal!
 
#148
#148
UTFranklinVol said:
This is a bad argument though. "Hooker and Hyatt and Tillman weren't good before Heupel worked his magic on them" but wait why didn't Heupels magic wand work on Milton or Keyton or White? Since he apparently has the hand of God that turns players into NFL draft picks. Lol pass.

Hooker and Hyatt were all time good players.
Click to expand...
so why was Hooker a transfer? i'll wait.......
 
#149
#149
VFL-82-JP said:
I don't agree that the 2023 squad was "basically the same team" as the 2022 squad. The differences were significant across the offense, defense and special teams.

And I'm not sure I agree 2024 is the litmus test. Yes, a lot of the lads will be "Heupelites" for the first time. But it's still a freshman QB, and it's still a roster that lost its "Covid fat" (all those players who got to play a 5th year thanks to the Covid exclusion). That latter is the rubber band snapping. And it's snapping for every team in college football in 2024.

So I'm waiting for 2025 to see what we really have. That will be a more "ordinary" transition from year to year. I think then we'll see what Josh Heupel and his system are fully capable of. That's the year I think we start lighting things up with our presence in championship contests (conference and national).

But still, I do hope next year is awesome, too. Of course.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...
If the Vols don’t make a significant move in 2025 and able to be at least competitive with GA, Bama, or whoever is in the upper echelon, Heupel is not going to take the Vols to the NC. I could be very wrong and 2026 be the year but 2026 is the maximum litmus test for me.
 
#150
#150
vol94fan said:
If Nico is a great qb, then we will be much more competitive next year. The qb position has the most impact on any team's performance. Insert a great qb and everything changes. This is not to hate on Milton. He did all he could which is all we can ask for. This year, if Milton was our best qb, then CJH should have just turned him loose to throw downfield and lived with the consequences, for better or worse.
Click to expand...
So what do you think happened the last 11 games?
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top