No One Is Picking Vols to Win?

#1
DiderotsGhost

DiderotsGhost

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#1
I haven't found any major sportswriter picking UT to win this game over Mizzou. I can't even find anyone that has us keeping it close (i.e. within a touchdown). It almost seems as if we were being given a better shot to beat Alabama by the media.

CBS Sports picks
ESPN Blogger Picks
Stewart Mandel at Sports Illustrated

I'm normally the last guy to be a "homer." But I can't for the life of me understand why no one thinks we have a shot.

We beat South Carolina. Mizzou lost to South Carolina, without Connor Shaw for the first half. South Carolina played one of the most horrendous half of football it's had in several years, and still beat Mizzou.

We nearly beat Georgia. Mizzou beat UGA handily, but UGA also turned the ball over 4 times against Mizzou. Without winning the TO battle decisively, UGA probably wins that game. And of course, UGA was banged up after the UT game, as well.

Mizzou's most impressive win, by far, was versus Florida. Honestly, though, I don't think Florida is very good without a healthy Jeff Driskel. The backup QB may have beat us, but that had a lot to do with our defense being too slow to get to the corner (our big weakness this year).

I'm not dogging Mizzou. They've had a great season, but I'm just not seeing how beating up on two injury-plagued teams makes Mizzou the "second best team in the SEC." I've watched Missouri a few times this year, and frankly, I'd put them below Bama, LSU, A&M, Auburn, and South Carolina at the very least.

Mizzou deserves to be the favorites, I'll give them that. But these teams are way more evenly matched than the media seems to believe. Maybe the media ends up being right and we have our butts handed to us, but unless we decisively lose the turnover battle, it seems more likely to be a close game to me.

I think our guys come out with a chip on their shoulder and win this one! I can't remember us being such huge underdogs for no good reason since the 2001 Florida game.

GO VOLS!
 
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#2
#2
Prob has something to do with playing a qb has never played a game. Couple that with the fact we would have to score about 30 to beat missou.
 
#3
#3
When you're 4-4, playing the #9 team, on the road with a true freshman QB, only an idiot would pick you to win.
 
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#7
#7
I actually think this matchup is pretty favorable for us. I'll be shocked if we get blown out like those predictions are saying.
 
#8
#8
Top ten team. Why is this a surprise? How many points have we been beaten by on the road this year? Like 180?
 
#9
#9
I like our chances, but tough to pick us when we haven't won on the road in a few years and haven't looked very good this year on the road.
 
#10
#10
upsets happen every week
Laws of average on the road finally catch up with the VOLS
VOLS 10-7
 
#11
#11
AJeray4TN said:
Top ten team. Why is this a surprise? How many points have we been beaten by on the road this year? Like 180?
Click to expand...

How many times has Mizzou played Oregon and Bama this season?

Honestly, this is one reason why many "upsets" happen. Because the vast majority of people are too stupid to analyze anything beyond W-L records.

A team that plays 9 top 25 teams and goes 4-5 against them is often better than a team that plays 3 top 25 teams and goes 0-3. Yet, it's rare for a 7-5 team to be ranked above a 9-3 team, even when the latter has 4 quality wins and the former has 0. In college football, we punish teams for losing, rather than rewarding them for winning. It's a flawed way of analyzing the game.

Not saying UT will win (though I am picking us). I think both teams are very evenly matched. But the idea that Mizzou is a "top 10" team is based solely off of a much simpler schedule. If the Vols played Mizzou's schedule, we'd be 6-2 and probably in the top 15. All the pundits would be screaming about how "TENNESSEE IS BACK!" But because we played Alabama and Oregon, we're "mediocre."
 
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#12
#12
Here's the question: Is Tennessee going to play with their tails between their legs or their foot between Mizzou's legs?
 
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#13
#13
DiderotsGhost said:
I haven't found any major sportswriter picking UT to win this game over Mizzou. I can't even find anyone that has us keeping it close (i.e. within a touchdown). It almost seems as if we were being given a better shot to beat Alabama by the media.

CBS Sports picks
ESPN Blogger Picks
Stewart Mandel at Sports Illustrated

I'm normally the last guy to be a "homer." But I can't for the life of me understand why no one thinks we have a shot.

We beat South Carolina. Mizzou lost to South Carolina, without Connor Shaw for the first half. South Carolina played one of the most horrendous half of football it's had in several years, and still beat Mizzou.

We nearly beat Georgia. Mizzou beat UGA handily, but UGA also turned the ball over 4 times against Mizzou. Without winning the TO battle decisively, UGA probably wins that game. And of course, UGA was banged up after the UT game, as well.

Mizzou's most impressive win, by far, was versus Florida. Honestly, though, I don't think Florida is very good without a healthy Jeff Driskel. The backup QB may have beat us, but that had a lot to do with our defense being too slow to get to the corner (our big weakness this year).

I'm not dogging Mizzou. They've had a great season, but I'm just not seeing how beating up on two injury-plagued teams makes Mizzou the "second best team in the SEC." I've watched Missouri a few times this year, and frankly, I'd put them below Bama, LSU, A&M, Auburn, and South Carolina at the very least.

Mizzou deserves to be the favorites, I'll give them that. But these teams are way more evenly matched than the media seems to believe. Maybe the media ends up being right and we have our butts handed to us, but unless we decisively lose the turnover battle, it seems more likely to be a close game to me.

I think our guys come out with a chip on their shoulder and win this one! I can't remember us being such huge underdogs for no good reason since the 2001 Florida game.

GO VOLS!
Click to expand...
It's been that way by all our opponents, this year...outside the Sunbelt Conference. No surprise, whatsoever. We'll get respect once we've earned it. I'm hoping we do just that.
 
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#14
#14
We just have to play the physical type of football we played against UGA and USCjr. We aren't the fasted D but we definitely are one of the stronger ones. Make them feel every catch or run, and gang tackle. We also got to play special teams like we did against UGA and USCjr. Lastly AJ Johnson will be a liability in coverage but will be an asset in the running game
 
#15
#15
UT has won 3 SEC road games in the last 6 seasons! 2 against Vandy and 1 against UK.

Until UT proves otherwise, the smart pick is the home team. UT can take a huge step forward tonight.
 
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#19
#19
DiderotsGhost said:
How many times has Mizzou played Oregon and Bama this season?

Honestly, this is one reason why many "upsets" happen. Because the vast majority of people are too stupid to analyze anything beyond W-L records.

A team that plays 9 top 25 teams and goes 4-5 against them is often better than a team that plays 3 top 25 teams and goes 0-3. Yet, it's rare for a 7-5 team to be ranked above a 9-3 team, even when the latter has 4 quality wins and the former has 0. In college football, we punish teams for losing, rather than rewarding them for winning. It's a flawed way of analyzing the game.

Not saying UT will win (though I am picking us). I think both teams are very evenly matched. But the idea that Mizzou is a "top 10" team is based solely off of a much simpler schedule. If the Vols played Mizzou's schedule, we'd be 6-2 and probably in the top 15. All the pundits would be screaming about how "TENNESSEE IS BACK!" But because we played Alabama and Oregon, we're "mediocre."
Click to expand...

You're right, not a single person picking Mizzou actually does this for a living. You're the only one that sees the truth.

Give me a break dude. I'm hoping you're just a homer, and not truly as naive as you sound.

The Vols absolutely have the ability to win, and I hope they do. But this idea that had we not played Bama and Oregon on the road that people would be saying "TENNESSEE IS BACK" is idiotic.
 
#20
#20
Though we're not being picked to win, we are getting a little more respect from the media this season.
I've heard us mentioned as a possible spoiler.
Also heard some say we're a team on the rise, but the talent gap is just too great.
Better than the ignore or slight chuckle when mentioned in recent history.
 
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#21
#21
DiderotsGhost said:
How many times has Mizzou played Oregon and Bama this season?

Honestly, this is one reason why many "upsets" happen. Because the vast majority of people are too stupid to analyze anything beyond W-L records.

A team that plays 9 top 25 teams and goes 4-5 against them is often better than a team that plays 3 top 25 teams and goes 0-3. Yet, it's rare for a 7-5 team to be ranked above a 9-3 team, even when the latter has 4 quality wins and the former has 0. In college football, we punish teams for losing, rather than rewarding them for winning. It's a flawed way of analyzing the game.

Not saying UT will win (though I am picking us). I think both teams are very evenly matched. But the idea that Mizzou is a "top 10" team is based solely off of a much simpler schedule. If the Vols played Mizzou's schedule, we'd be 6-2 and probably in the top 15. All the pundits would be screaming about how "TENNESSEE IS BACK!" But because we played Alabama and Oregon, we're "mediocre."
Click to expand...

DiderotsGhost gets it.
 
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#22
#22
Tonight VN gets a reality check about our opponent to the west. Seen a lot of threads this week that simply don't understand that Mizzou can play and win in this conference. They sling the ball all over the yard and have three starting wide receivers (including the number one recruit in the nation from 2 years ago) that can run, catch, score and all are over 6'4 tall. Our secondary cannot play like they have this year for us to win. I hope we can go into Columbia and shock the world, but I'm a realist and understand our opponent is good.
 
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#23
#23
give_him 6 said:
Tonight VN gets a reality check about our opponent to the west. Seen a lot of threads this week that simply don't understand that Mizzou can play and win in this conference. They sling the ball all over the yard and have three starting wide receivers (including the number one recruit in the nation from 2 years ago) that can run, catch, score and all are over 6'4 tall. Our secondary cannot play like they have this year for us to win. I hope we can go into Columbia and shock the world, but I'm a realist and understand our opponent is good.
Click to expand...

give_him 6 gets it.
 
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#25
#25
AJeray4TN said:
You're right, not a single person picking Mizzou actually does this for a living. You're the only one that sees the truth.

Give me a break dude. I'm hoping you're just a homer, and not truly as naive as you sound.

The Vols absolutely have the ability to win, and I hope they do. But this idea that had we not played Bama and Oregon on the road that people would be saying "TENNESSEE IS BACK" is idiotic.
Click to expand...

You believe journalists are "experts" at football?

You might be a bit deluded, son. I'm going to tell you a little secret: most football journalists are not hired for their high intelligence! Shocker, isn't it? The average journalist has no more special knowledge about football than Jenny McCarthy has about science.

Coaches "do this for a living." Coaches are "experts." Journalists are entertainers that happen to watch sports.

Take a look at Mizzou's schedule. I'll even make it easy for you. Here's a link:

2013 Missouri Tigers

I challenge you to find more than two losses for the Vols in that schedule. If the Vols played that schedule this year, they'd be 6-2, not 4-4.

Now, I want you to take a look at this poll below and tell me what the lowest ranked 2-loss SEC team is at.

AP Top 25

If Tennessee had Missouri's schedule, the Vols would be 6-2 and probably ranked top 15. The media would be proclaiming "THE VOLS ARE BACK!" But we played two of the best teams in the country, so we're "struggling."

My point isn't that the Vols are back. Rather, it's that Missouri is extremely overrated, because too many people are unable to look beyond win-loss records. That is why Miami is now ranked #7, even though they've only looked like a borderline top 25 team if you've actually watched their games.
 
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