Petrino on the UT Game

[sjt18]

You keep harping on 7 or 8 win roster as if no other variables are in play.

AP, WKU, S Bama, Missouri, Auburn, Kentucky, Vandy ---- best case scenario. Where is number 8?

In order of likelihood: USCe, UGA, UF.

It is common but invalid to assume no one else has roster issues. USCe probably has less experienced depth than UT. They have more experience but likely less talent at WR. I wouldn't trade UT's OL for theirs under any circumstance. They are a beatable team and it won't take a heculean effort.

UGA has talent but they have alot of young and inexperienced players starting or in the two deep.

UF started with very solid depth but have been hit with a couple of significant injuries.

Pretty ridiculous rubric for assessing a coach in his first year, with none of his own players, and a terrible quarterback that doesn't fit what he does.

There are three QB's on the roster that he recruited... he chose the 4th one to start.

Winning 7 games is a "ridiculous rubric"? Why? Because you say so? If I were asking for the East then that would be "ridiculous". If I were suggesting he should beat multiple teams that clearly have more talent... that wouldn't be reasonable. But I don't think expecting the "right coach" to outcoach someone is a "ridiculous rubric".

But by all means, Butch certainly may not be the guy for the job.

Give me a break.

So you are saying he definitely is? There's no doubt. Forget about expecting actual results before making that grand declaration, right?

 

[sjt18]

I can't say anything intelligent to this nonsense. You got me. This is actually one of the few times I've been at a loss for words. Gold star for you, buddy.

You haven't said anything intelligent at all. You've just taken a couple of shots at me for saying things you don't like.

And if it is "non-sense" then a bright guy like you should have no problem at all proving it.

 

[DocVOLiday]

kentucky had 216 rushing yards against them (they had the same), so I should hope we'll be able to dominate the los with our OLine

 

[sjt18]

kentucky had 216 rushing yards against them (they had the same), so I should hope we'll be able to dominate the los with our OLine

Shouldn't be a problem. Since the starters should be in longer, it would not be very surprising to see both RB's go over 100 yds.

The concerns are probably more on the D but I take some comfort in the fact that they went VERY vanilla against AP. Maybe they blitzed but I can't remember seeing it.

 

[rlntlss]

This would get him alot of attention and possibly a job opportunity, once the season ends. I doudt that Petrino wants to stay in Bowling Green, Kentucky very long.

Its my understanding KanTucky gals like motorbike rides and are use to Uncles and Granpappys passing 'em around .. Why in the hell do you think he wants to leave? ...He's exacty where he wants to be...it isn't always about foosball :good!:

 

[Ace]

I expect to see some plays that are specifically designed to take advantage of our younger defensive backs. Maybe crossing patterns, etc. etc.

Petrino would love to beat us and make a name for himself. Imagine him beating Kentucky in an away game. Then the following week beating Tennessee in an away game.

This would get him alot of attention and possibly a job opportunity, once the season ends. I doudt that Petrino wants to stay in Bowling Green, Kentucky very long.

Petrino has already made a name for himself at Louisvile, Atlanta, and Arkansas. Being a gentleman, I will not allow myself to repeat any of the names they call him in those three locations. He is a real ray of sunshine.

 

[WhitewaterVol]

You haven't said anything intelligent at all. You've just taken a couple of shots at me for saying things you don't like.

And if it is "non-sense" then a bright guy like you should have no problem at all proving it.

Anytime someone refutes your arguments you just dismiss what they say and then assert you are correct as if you are the final arbiter of the truth.

I think it is impossible to compare this year's team to a previous year and then determine a minimum number of wins for a first year coach. I expect the team to play disciplined and improve each week - things that did not happen under the previous coach. If that happens, the wins will come. I think it is unrealistic to demand a certain number of wins in year one. A first game with no penalties and only one turnover by a second/third string player is a good start. This coming week will give us a better idea of where the team is at this year but even a loss would not necessarily mean we have the "wrong guy". Even Satan had a rough first year with the Oliphants.

 

[Daloth]

Probably true.... but he isn't playing UK this week.

This WKU team is NOT better than the Cincy team UT beat in '11. This UT team SHOULD BE better that that UT team...

It really all comes down to whether Jones is the coach we hope he is. Just ask yourself, if the roles were reversed and Petrino were at UT and Jones were at WKU... what would be the expectations? If Petrino were the coach at UT, what would be the season expectations?

People take shots at me because they think I expect too much of Jones. What I expect is for UT to hire a coach that will take the program back to the top... so the expectation for me does not change with the name on the door. If Jones is the right coach then this is a win and should be by 20+ pts. If he's the right coach then this is a 7 or 8 win roster. Anything less... he's proven nothing on the field that makes him a better coach at UT than Dooley.

What he did at previous stops is nice and makes some feel better about him... but in both cases he followed Kelly who is a first rate coach. He inherited reasonably good situations. Dooley took over one of the most hapless programs in the country in LT... nothing like what Jones walked into twice.

I like Jones' and really do like what he's doing. He's creative, smart, disciplined, and focused. You could not say those things consistently about Dooley. But at the end of the day there is one and only one measure of a coach... WINS. If Jones is better than Dooley then over a 12 game season having inherited a better situation both in program discipline and roster strength that Dooley's '10 season... he should win at least one more game than Dooley did.

I disagree that this UT team is or should be better than the one that smoked the Cinci team. That was the only game we really saw all the pieces click for Dooley. He made a smart special teams play, no dumb or unlucky pentalties/injuries, and the guys played how they should. Talent wise, this offense isn't even in the same league as the one we had. Defensively, if its as good as Wilcox's was that year, then I'll be a very happy man.

 

[The Orange Pants]

I'm not sure where the whole notion that if we don't beat WKU by 20, Jones isn't the right coach thing comes from. The starters might be up 35. Jones pulls the starters for a quarter and a half to let the others get reps. WKU scores a few times while UT sticks to a very vanilla playbook to avoid showing its' hand to future opponents. This results in a victory by 17 points. Fire Butch, right?

 

[The Orange Pants]

Saban could coach WKU this game and still lose. The talent discrepancy is enormous. Flipping coaches in this game would do nothing.

 

[VolFootballlover]

We gona whip thay arse! Bad! You will all see just how much we have improved over Dooley!

 

[hmanvolfan]

Old Stoops got a preview of what is to come. Kentucky is pathetic.

Are you saying Tennessee is pathetic?

 

[Wood Man]

It's not like we were playing a good team. I get his point against top level teams but AP he should dominate hands down. It's not just me saying this, it's the media from coaches. His motor doesn't run at top speed and they are trying to get him motivated. One on One against any AP lineman he should put that guy in the stands. He was stoned at least 5 times one v one Saturday

I been stoned a few times myself.

 

[MannyD]

I see my post went right over your head. If you had fun watching our team play any of the last 5 years, then your expectations have been different than mine. Sloppy is how O would characterize our performances. Even our big wins against inferior opponents were sloppy. The AP game was at least some kind if semblance of consistency in all phases of the game. (With the exception the of one return)

You should give yourself a little more credit. You're obviously well versed in detecting sarcasm.

 

[sjt18]

Anytime someone refutes your arguments you just dismiss what they say and then assert you are correct as if you are the final arbiter of the truth.

I challenged their reasoning. Yes. I practically beg you guys to challenge mine. There is probably no better way to derive a good opinion than that.

I don't dismiss them though. I answer them. Challenge them. Throw facts at them and things that I believe make them untrue.

I think it is impossible to compare this year's team to a previous year and then determine a minimum number of wins for a first year coach. I expect the team to play disciplined and improve each week - things that did not happen under the previous coach. If that happens, the wins will come. I think it is unrealistic to demand a certain number of wins in year one. A first game with no penalties and only one turnover by a second/third string player is a good start. This coming week will give us a better idea of where the team is at this year but even a loss would not necessarily mean we have the "wrong guy". Even Satan had a rough first year with the Oliphants.

I pretty much agree that doing the right things consistently produces the right results... that's pretty much the basis of the argument that you and others keep throwing stones at. Saban took over a Bama program with a lot of discipline issues and some roster problems. That compares better to UT 2009 than now. The better example is when he took over LSU.

OK. Rather than continuing to argue my opinion... throw yours out there. I've had the courage to say what I think and why... don't be a coward. Let's hear you.

At what point should he win at a level better than Dooley if not now... and why? How long is long enough and how will he survive to that point if he doesn't win along the way? Why is 7 wins unreasonable if he's truly a good coach? Is that really a standard that's too high?

You guys say "Butch gets it"... I describe what a coach that "gets it" does and "looks" like.

You guys say he's a winner and predict that he'll win at UT someday. I give an opinion based on the best evidence we have of when that should happen if he is indeed a guy who will get it done. For your reference, I will say it again- 7 or 8 this year, 6 or 7 in '14, then 9+ in '15 and a win over someone that matters. If that's unreasonable for a coach destined for championships at UT then again... tell me what IS reasonable and why.

So give it your best shot... but make sure you put at least a little thought to it.

 

[sjt18]

I disagree that this UT team is or should be better than the one that smoked the Cinci team. That was the only game we really saw all the pieces click for Dooley. He made a smart special teams play, no dumb or unlucky pentalties/injuries, and the guys played how they should. Talent wise, this offense isn't even in the same league as the one we had. Defensively, if its as good as Wilcox's was that year, then I'll be a very happy man.

This team has a better OL by a very, very wide margin and better RB's. That team had Hunter, Rogers, and Bray. At the point the season started, they were still relatively inexperienced. Hunter had 16 catches and Rogers had 11 in 2010. They played behind Moore and Jones the year previous. This team has talent and better depth of talent at that position. They have no experience but that group didn't have much either when the season started.

That team then had Bray and Hunter injured for a significant portion of the season.

Agree on the D. If Dooley hadn't been such a Saban wannabe and determined to go to the 3-4 then he probably wins 9 or even 10 games and survives. In the long run, it would have been worse for the program... but he'd still be around.

 

[sjt18]

Saban could coach WKU this game and still lose. The talent discrepancy is enormous. Flipping coaches in this game would do nothing.

Agreed. But it would do something to the sentiment on this board. There would be very few predicting a close game much less a loss... and I doubt any would be saying six wins was the ceiling.

 

[MOOOOONEY]

"People take shots at me because they think I expect too much of Jones. What I expect is for UT to hire a coach that will take the program back to the top... so the expectation for me does not change with the name on the door. If Jones is the right coach then this is a win and should be by 20+ pts. If he's the right coach then this is a 7 or 8 win roster. Anything less... he's proven nothing on the field that makes him a better coach at UT than Dooley."

If we win 8 games CBJ should be SEC coach of the year

 

[JacketVol]

"People take shots at me because they think I expect too much of Jones. What I expect is for UT to hire a coach that will take the program back to the top... so the expectation for me does not change with the name on the door. If Jones is the right coach then this is a win and should be by 20+ pts. If he's the right coach then this is a 7 or 8 win roster. Anything less... he's proven nothing on the field that makes him a better coach at UT than Dooley."

If we win 8 games CBJ should be SEC coach of the year

Coach of the year in SEC for doing what YOU think he should do with the roster anyway. Which is it? He would be better than Dools just by just knowing how to run thru the T.

He has shown he is a better coach by just seeing the discipline this team had Saturday and having the game over at the half like it should've been against an AP.

With this schedule this is a 5-6 win team and 7 at best.

I do agree if he gets 8 or more he should be SEC coach of the year but that would be because this team is not a 7 to 8 win team. If he is not doing 8 plus by 2015, he would still be better than fooley but not the right coach at UT.

 

[knoxvols1]

Probably true.... but he isn't playing UK this week.

This WKU team is NOT better than the Cincy team UT beat in '11. This UT team SHOULD BE better that that UT team...

It really all comes down to whether Jones is the coach we hope he is. Just ask yourself, if the roles were reversed and Petrino were at UT and Jones were at WKU... what would be the expectations? If Petrino were the coach at UT, what would be the season expectations?

People take shots at me because they think I expect too much of Jones. What I expect is for UT to hire a coach that will take the program back to the top... so the expectation for me does not change with the name on the door. If Jones is the right coach then this is a win and should be by 20+ pts. If he's the right coach then this is a 7 or 8 win roster. Anything less... he's proven nothing on the field that makes him a better coach at UT than Dooley.

What he did at previous stops is nice and makes some feel better about him... but in both cases he followed Kelly who is a first rate coach. He inherited reasonably good situations. Dooley took over one of the most hapless programs in the country in LT... nothing like what Jones walked into twice.

I like Jones' and really do like what he's doing. He's creative, smart, disciplined, and focused. You could not say those things consistently about Dooley. But at the end of the day there is one and only one measure of a coach... WINS. If Jones is better than Dooley then over a 12 game season having inherited a better situation both in program discipline and roster strength that Dooley's '10 season... he should win at least one more game than Dooley did.

I agree with this. Butch kinda reminds me of a guy who became the head coach here in, say, the middle of 1992. Inherited an already established program etc. We will see if Butch is the best coach we've had in the past two decades because he isn't inheriting much!

 

[livefaith]

You have the wrong year. In '11 we had Hunter and Da'rick starting (until Florida).

That Cinci game was the best game UT has put together in 5 years, IMO

UGA 09'. Monte vs a pro style offense was really nice.

 

[SteelerVol]

We pasted AustinPeay for 2 qtrs and the rest of the game was a scrimmage for the back-ups.

We had zero penalties and 1 turnover, plus had the right number of players on the field for every play.

Playing in Neyland stadium versus Kentucky's stadium is like comparing playing in Thomson Bowling versus an asphalt court with a chain net.

2 to 1 better talent.

Our 1st team versus WK's 1st team for 4 qtrs?

Quit with the Dooley comparisons and bet the house on Tennessee giving up the 14 points.

 

[BigDave]

I've read so many comments about CBJ should win "x" number of games . . . CBJ has "talked down" his roster . . . CBJ has it "better" than Dooley/CBJ has it “worse” than Dooley . . . WOW . . . Just WOW!

CBJ had the Vols ready to play against AP, a very overmatched AP, with discipline and drive! The offense executed really well in the first half, Croom's block to spring Neal was beautiful to watch, and the defense smothered AP in the first half and kept them in check the second half. Keep in mind the discipline that the Vols played with produced ZERO penalties!

I wasn't able to watch the game but I was able to watch some of the highlights; the players appeared to be working together as a unit - unlike last year's defensive melt down - and produced results on both sides of the football. The defensive front 7 played exceptionally well, from the highlights that I viewed, very few missed assignments and gaps were filled as AP did NOT try to run the ball up the middle and found it very difficult to hit the edges – Hood’s screen pass interception.

On offense, the play calling was very very conservative and rightly so, it allowed the players to get the butterflies out and to shake out the young wide receiving corps. The offensive line blew holes open that allowed Neal and Lane to reach the second tier defenders with ease, can they improve – yes, just listen to Tiny and James statements in the press conference after the game and listen to James’ statements during Monday’s interview.

Which leads me back to the statement that CBJ has “talked down” his roster; CBJ has said that EVERYONE must improve to be a successful football team. CBJ has praised players throughout the Spring and Fall camps but he expects each player to improve in all facets of the game, as any coach or boss expects.

Now for this week’s game against WKU – everyone is making predictions based upon what is on “paper” or what the opponent did last week against whomever . . . as my Grandfather told me many years ago – “football isn’t played on paper, it’s played on the field”.

Do I expect the Vols to win this game – HECK YES I DO! Do I know by how many points – NOPE! But I expect a win over the Hilltoppers regardless of who their coach happens to be.

In closing, I have supported and loved the Vols regardless of who the coach was – Dickey, Battle, Majors, Fulmer, Kiffin, Dooley and now Butch Jones . . . this will never change with me as I am a diehard Vols fan and UT alumni . . .

 

[TBrown]

I challenged their reasoning. Yes. I practically beg you guys to challenge mine. There is probably no better way to derive a good opinion than that.

I don't dismiss them though. I answer them. Challenge them. Throw facts at them and things that I believe make them untrue.


I pretty much agree that doing the right things consistently produces the right results... that's pretty much the basis of the argument that you and others keep throwing stones at. Saban took over a Bama program with a lot of discipline issues and some roster problems. That compares better to UT 2009 than now. The better example is when he took over LSU.

OK. Rather than continuing to argue my opinion... throw yours out there. I've had the courage to say what I think and why... don't be a coward. Let's hear you.

At what point should he win at a level better than Dooley if not now... and why? How long is long enough and how will he survive to that point if he doesn't win along the way? Why is 7 wins unreasonable if he's truly a good coach? Is that really a standard that's too high?

You guys say "Butch gets it"... I describe what a coach that "gets it" does and "looks" like.

You guys say he's a winner and predict that he'll win at UT someday. I give an opinion based on the best evidence we have of when that should happen if he is indeed a guy who will get it done. For your reference, I will say it again- 7 or 8 this year, 6 or 7 in '14, then 9+ in '15 and a win over someone that matters. If that's unreasonable for a coach destined for championships at UT then again... tell me what IS reasonable and why.

So give it your best shot... but make sure you put at least a little thought to it.

I bet you sleep well at night. Must take a significant amount of energy to get all the way up on that horse and bless us with your posts each day.

 

[TNVolunteerGrad]

Antonio Andrews will become very familiar with one Daniel McCullers.

Post of the week.