Ranking the Hardest Games of the 2014 Schedule

[sjt18]

Disagree. Freeze isn't on any kind of hot seat and doesn't look like he will be. He's done alot with that program. He took over a 2-10 team and he's gone to back-to-back bowl games. He beat Texas and LSU last year. He brought in a top 5 recruiting class, signing the top players at several positions. Judging by the posters here, if Butch Jones had been that successful, they would give him a statue and a lifetime contract. Don't tell me Ole Miss (who hasn't even competed for a conference championship in 50 years) has higher standards than we do.

Things change quickly. I would say that any coach that comes in and doesn't make a big move within 3 years will be in trouble. Nutt had a little success as did Cutcliffe. At the first sign of trouble, the Ole Miss faithful turned on them just like they were used to winning championships or something.

 

[thebjd]

bama should be a win if the fans are loud enough. bottom line. Alabama should come away from that game with a loss and half the team going deaf or with at least permanent hearing loss.

We'll be loud for a half

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Things change quickly. I would say that any coach that comes in and doesn't make a big move within 3 years will be in trouble. Nutt had a little success as did Cutcliffe. At the first sign of trouble, the Ole Miss faithful turned on them just like they were used to winning championships or something.

Yeah and I bet they remember what a bonehead move it was to part with Coach Cutcliffe after one mediocre season for a mostly mediocre program.

 

[sjt18]

Yeah and I bet they remember what a bonehead move it was to part with Coach Cutcliffe after one mediocre season for a mostly mediocre program.

Hopefully you are wrong :whistling:

But the last time I saw an Ole Miss fan post in a forum like this they were pretty defensive and approving of the Cut firing. I'm not sure many fanbases would admit they were wrong about someone with no more tie in than he had there. They're probably saying... "Duke is in the ACC. He never would have made it here"

 

[thebjd]

Hardest games. The slideshows take too long but this is my take.

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. UGA
4. USCe
5. UF
6. Ole Miss
7. Missouri
8. Vanderbilt
9. USU
10. UK

 

[KBVol]

Hopefully you are wrong :whistling:

But the last time I saw an Ole Miss fan post in a forum like this they were pretty defensive and approving of the Cut firing. I'm not sure many fanbases would admit they were wrong about someone with no more tie in than he had there. They're probably saying... "Duke is in the ACC. He never would have made it here"

One of my old work counterparts was an Ole Miss alum and said he and a lot of other fans hated Cut. Said he wouldn't recruit and only had success because of Eli. I tried to point out that Cut was the primary reason Eli went to Ole Miss but he would have none of it. He was convinced that Cut was bad for the program and no one was gonna convince him otherwise.

 

[IluvdoubleD's]

1.@ Oklahoma
2.@ Ole Miss
3.vs. Florida
4.@ Georgia
5.vs. Mizzou
6.@ Scar
7.vs. Utah State
8.@ Vanderbilt
9..vs. Kentucky
10..vs. Ark. State
11.vs. Chattvs.
12.vs. Alabama

FIXED

 

[volfan1231]

I think the top 5 hardest games they've got are.

1.) Oklahoma
2.) Alabama
3.) Ole Miss
4.) Georgia
5.) South Carolina

 

[99gator]

Florida did not lose 4 starting offensive lineman.

I don't know where this comes from. Of the 55 lineman who had to start, they may have lost 4. But, that's all I can piece together that makes sense.

Rest easy, we return much of the group that can't block worth a damn

 

[oregonvol]

Things change quickly. I would say that any coach that comes in and doesn't make a big move within 3 years will be in trouble. Nutt had a little success as did Cutcliffe. At the first sign of trouble, the Ole Miss faithful turned on them just like they were used to winning championships or something.

Nutt went 6-18 his last two seasons at Ole Miss. That should get you fired anywhere.

The Cutcliffe firing is debatable, but he was never hugely successful there. One 10 win season with the top NFL draft pick as a senior at QB, the rest were 7/8 win seasons and his final season was 4 wins.

Freeze hasn't had a losing season (even though he took over as bad a situation as anyone in the SEC) and has shown he can recruit as well as anyone in the nation. I stand by my assessment that he is nowhere near being on the hot seat. He's much closer to leaving because of a bigger job offer than he is to getting fired.

 

[sjt18]

Freeze won 7 his first year then 8. He's signed two full classes. The first was 4th in the SEC. The second was 10th in the SEC. That is NOT a clear trajectory toward significant improvement.

Nutt was a disaster off the field predictably. The problem with thinking that Freeze won't be in trouble if he backslides is that we have a different view of where Ole Miss belongs in the SEC pecking order than their fans do.

I am not predicting him to be fired if he gets 7-8 wins again this year... but he won't be as secure as he is today. If he were to win only 4 or 5 then he will be on a very hot seat or perhaps even fired depending on how it happens.

His OOC schedule is Boise, ULL, Memphis, and Presbyterian. That's not close to UT's but there are two potential losses there if Ole Miss is missing players or not playing well.

Obviously the West is stronger than the East with TAM, Bama, LSU, and Aub all potential if not likely losses. They get UT in the middle of a stretch in which they get Bama, TAM, the Vols, LSU, and Auburn in consecutive weeks.

 

[govols105]

Florida did not lose 4 starting offensive lineman.

I don't know where this comes from. Of the 55 lineman who had to start, they may have lost 4. But, that's all I can piece together that makes sense.

Rest easy, we return much of the group that can't block worth a damn

florida lineman block great!!!

wide stance CHECK

pads level CHECK

Engage the Enemy CHECK

Hold on the inside of jersey CHECK

 

[Boca Vol]

1.@ Oklahoma
2.@ Ole Miss
3.vs. Florida
4.@ Georgia
5.vs. Mizzou
6.@ Scar
7.vs. Utah State
8.@ Vanderbilt
9..vs. Kentucky
10..vs. Ark. State
11.vs. Chattvs.
12.vs. Alabama

FIXED

When I 1st saw your list I thought, WTF? However, after thinking about it I would move Oklahoma to 11 and shift everyone else up.

To me, the toughest games are the ones where the teams are the most evenly matched. Very few expect UT to beat Oklahoma or Bama, therefore there's not much pressure on UT.

However, UT will need its share of wins against: Ole Miss, UF, UGA, Mizzou, USCe, USU, and Vandy. Those are the pressure games for UT.

Simply ranking the opponents by how good the opponent is, sure Bama and Oklahoma.

 

[sjt18]

Does anyone besides me see this schedule as somewhat significantly less difficult than last year?

OU-Oregon push
Aub-Ole Miss easier
USU-USA push
ASU-WKU push to easier
APSU-Chatt push

Are any of the common opponents from last year expected to improve alot? I would expect Mizzou for certain to be weaker along with Vandy. UF is still vulnerable due to flipping OC's for the 4th time in 5 years. USCe is away but they lost playmakers on both sides of the ball that they cannot replace easily.

I think UGA gets better if they don't have a rash of injuries again. Everyone else looks to be a push or down.

 

[Give_All_Vol]

Does anyone besides me see this schedule as somewhat significantly less difficult than last year?

OU-Oregon push
Aub-Ole Miss easier
USU-USA push
ASU-WKU push to easier
APSU-Chatt push

Are any of the common opponents from last year expected to improve alot? I would expect Mizzou for certain to be weaker along with Vandy. UF is still vulnerable due to flipping OC's for the 4th time in 5 years. USCe is away but they lost playmakers on both sides of the ball that they cannot replace easily.

I think UGA gets better if they don't have a rash of injuries again. Everyone else looks to be a push or down.

Tough to say about UGA. We'll see what happens with the guys that got arrested last night. Most weren't big time players but Mathews was involved. That could really hurt them, losing both starting safety positions before the season starts.

 

[KBVol]

Florida did not lose 4 starting offensive lineman.

I don't know where this comes from. Of the 55 lineman who had to start, they may have lost 4. But, that's all I can piece together that makes sense.

Rest easy, we return much of the group that can't block worth a damn

They seem to block the ever living hell out of UT every year.

 

[KBVol]

Does anyone besides me see this schedule as somewhat significantly less difficult than last year?

OU-Oregon push
Aub-Ole Miss easier
USU-USA push
ASU-WKU push to easier
APSU-Chatt push

Are any of the common opponents from last year expected to improve alot? I would expect Mizzou for certain to be weaker along with Vandy. UF is still vulnerable due to flipping OC's for the 4th time in 5 years. USCe is away but they lost playmakers on both sides of the ball that they cannot replace easily.

I think UGA gets better if they don't have a rash of injuries again. Everyone else looks to be a push or down.

No

 

[sjt18]

No

No what? No it is not easier or no you don't expect anyone to be significantly better?

Please explain.

 

[bamawriter]

No what? No it is not easier or no you don't expect anyone to be significantly better?

Please explain.

Utah State compared to South Alabama is not a push. South Alabama is still a team trying to establish itself as a FBS program. Utah State is one of the better mid-majors out there right now.

Aside from that, your argument has merit.

 

[sjt18]

Utah State compared to South Alabama is not a push. South Alabama is still a team trying to establish itself as a FBS program. Utah State is one of the better mid-majors out there right now.

Aside from that, your argument has merit.

Probably true. I do not see a significant difference in difficulty though between USU + ASU and USA + WKU.

 

[KBVol]

No what? No it is not easier or no you don't expect anyone to be significantly better?

Please explain.

I don't expect it to be easier. Utah State looks like a more difficult game than either APSU or WKU who we beat 97-20 last year. Oklahoma looked like a top 5 team dismantling Bama in the January bowl game.... that young QB looked like a Heisman contender.

The game at Ole Miss looks to be a difficult one considering the young but experienced talent Freeze has accumulated there with a returning SR QB and going to SCar with a pretty experienced QB will hardly be a cakewalk, though I do believe we match up with them well.

Florida and Bama games are as close to 100% losses as you can get.

The only thing that could make this schedule more pallatable than last years IMO is that a couple SEC teams will be breaking in new QBs (Georgia and Bama), but that's about it. Jmo.

 

[Boca Vol]

I don't expect it to be easier. Utah State looks like a more difficult game than either APSU or WKU who we beat 97-20 last year. Oklahoma looked like a top 5 team dismantling Bama in the January bowl game.... that young QB looked like a Heisman contender.

The game at Ole Miss looks to be a difficult one considering the young but experienced talent Freeze has accumulated there with a returning SR QB and going to SCar with a pretty experienced QB will hardly be a cakewalk, though I do believe we match up with them well.

Florida and Bama games are as close to 100% losses as you can get.

The only thing that could make this schedule more pallatable than last years IMO is that a couple SEC teams will be breaking in new QBs (Georgia and Bama), but that's about it. Jmo.

Pretty good assessment. Keep in mind that only UT seems to struggle with young/new qb's. I'm sure UGA, Mizzou, USCe, and Bama all have plans to fill the position and get production out of their qb's.

If UT gets any production out of the qb position they should be fine on O.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Does anyone besides me see this schedule as somewhat significantly less difficult than last year?

OU-Oregon push
Aub-Ole Miss easier
USU-USA push
ASU-WKU push to easier
APSU-Chatt push

Are any of the common opponents from last year expected to improve alot? I would expect Mizzou for certain to be weaker along with Vandy. UF is still vulnerable due to flipping OC's for the 4th time in 5 years. USCe is away but they lost playmakers on both sides of the ball that they cannot replace easily.

I think UGA gets better if they don't have a rash of injuries again. Everyone else looks to be a push or down.

I would say 2014 is on par with last year. The only thing better is that Mizzou and Vandy are gonna regress quite a bit.

OK = OR
UtahSt is comparable to Vandy of last year...which we should have beaten.
Chatt much better than APSU
ARKST about even WKY
GA won't be as good but...you expect them to be healthier and it is a road game.
USCe won't have the superstars from last year except for Byrd and Davis. But they bring back all but about 10players, so they have plenty of experience.
FL is a question mark, if players lose faith in Muskchump, then it could be anarchy.
Vandy and Mizzou lost droves of star players that aren't easily replaced in those programs. We get revenge!

 

[MADISONGAVOL]

Nobody talks about fact that UGA will be wrangling in a new defense and coordinaor. I believe could be a huge challenge for them. As we all know you never get all defense installed and u always play slow your first year

 

[sjt18]

I don't expect it to be easier. Utah State looks like a more difficult game than either APSU or WKU who we beat 97-20 last year.

They lost a bunch of players after winning 8 games against an extraordinarily weak schedule. I simply don't agree that they are going to be appreciably better than WKU.

Oklahoma looked like a top 5 team dismantling Bama in the January bowl game.... that young QB looked like a Heisman contender.

OU is as good and may be better. UT will have to play better and coach better than they did at any point last year to stay in that game.

The game at Ole Miss looks to be a difficult one considering the young but experienced talent Freeze has accumulated there with a returning SR QB

Ole Miss is not as talented as Auburn. It won't be easy. But UT will not play a national championship game participant when they visit Oxford.

and going to SCar with a pretty experienced QB will hardly be a cakewalk, though I do believe we match up with them well.

The question isn't necessarily easy... but "easier". IMO, USCe will be well short of last year in terms of talent.

Florida and Bama games are as close to 100% losses as you can get.

UT should have a very good shot at UF. Jones nor most of the players he needs to play well are attached to UT's history with them. If UF's new OC installs his system and runs over the D at UT... then there will be even MORE doubts about the DC.

The only thing that could make this schedule more pallatable than last years IMO is that a couple SEC teams will be breaking in new QBs (Georgia and Bama), but that's about it. Jmo.

Just don't see it. I really had not thought about it until someone listed the games here.