Realistically...

[volinca]

Some people and fans are just delusional. Vols will never be what they once were, unfortunately.

Why do you have this attitude?

 

[gnm53108]

We may go 6 and 6, but we will be able to play with about anybody and with the East down we just might get 8 win and be on our way back to the glory days of TENNESSEE FOOTBALL, we are coming and nobody can do a damn thing about it the BUTCHER is fixing to show the whole damn world what TENNESSEE FOOTBALL is really about its more than passion its LIFE.

I'm with pedigo.

:rock:

 

[PineyBluff Vol]

How is everybody here going to handle another losing season?

I tried to get everyone last year to all join hands and jump off the Gay Street Bridge...no one showed up so I just went home and prepared for this year. Since there was such a puny turnout last year, the Gay Street Bridge jumping will be postponed until we are sure we are ready to do something this drastic to deal with a losing season. Realistically, not much I can do except continue to Support the Volunteers as often as I can!

 

[orangeluvr]

How can any Vol fan not be excited ! :dance2: epper: :3cheers:

 

[OJ]

I tried to get everyone last year to all join hands and jump off the Gay Street Bridge...no one showed up so I just went home and prepared for this year. Since there was such a puny turnout last year, the Gay Street Bridge jumping will be postponed until we are sure we are ready to do something this drastic to deal with a losing season. Realistically, not much I can do except continue to Support the Volunteers as often as I can!

Is there a straight street bridge?

 

[EZE]

Realistically, no fan of any major program should be happy after 5 straight losing seasons

No kidding. Can somebody tell me the score of tonight's Mavericks-Knicks game so I can put down my life's savings?

 

[sjt18]

How is everybody here going to handle another losing season?

I could handle it except for the implications about future seasons. IMO, recruiting dries up if they don't make a bowl this year. Even if '15 turns out OK in recruiting, there won't be a bunch of '16 recruits jumping on board.

Moreover, it will demonstrate that this staff does not have what it takes to find ways to win in spite of having less talent. Anyone who is going to succeed at UT MUST have that ability.

We spend most of our time here of late arguing over whether the coaches coached the '13 roster to its potential or below. Fact is that neither is good enough. The Vols need a coach that gets more than the sum of the roster in wins.

 

[Boca Vol]

Is there a straight street bridge?

There used to be but political correctness took over. It was forced it to be torn down and all that used it were deemed inferior members of society.

 

[VolinMichigan]

Don't care. Will watch anyways.

 

[YorkVol]

We may go 6 and 6, but we will be able to play with about anybody and with the East down we just might get 8 win and be on our way back to the glory days of TENNESSEE FOOTBALL, we are coming and nobody can do a damn thing about it the BUTCHER is fixing to show the whole damn world what TENNESSEE FOOTBALL is really about its more than passion its LIFE.

this, all day.

 

[G0V0LS33]

No one knows but I will still bleed ORANGE!

 

[livefaith]

Some people and fans are just delusional. Vols will never be what they once were, unfortunately.

Never is a long long time. You sure bout that?

 

[Rockytoptalker]

That seems to be the overwhelming thought process this time of year the past 7 years..

Seven years ago we went to the SECCG. Next time say past four, so you can try and make your point a little better.

 

[livefaith]

IMO, recruiting dries up if they don't make a bowl this year. Even if '15 turns out OK in recruiting, there won't be a bunch of '16 recruits jumping on board.

Dang SJT. Why such 1/2 emptiness?
The guys just pulled a top 5 and frankly the most spectacular class in the nation this year based on total numbers. They are already in the top5 for next year in early #s with a 5 star on board and telling one 4* to wait to see if we want him.
We may not be certain that this staff can be top tier SEC on the field. But in recruiting they are hitting grand slams. Butch sounds like he could sell jalapenos in hades, so even with another 5-7, he'll still probably land a great class. Will be next to impossible to be .500 with horses like that filling the stable.

The Vols need a coach that gets more than the sum of the roster in wins.

118 other D1 schools join you in that quest with $$$ in hand.

 

[DeerPark12]

How is everybody here going to handle another losing season?

Probably with the same nasty vitriol that some started spewing toward the end of last year.

I'm not a negavol by any means. I think the team has a CHANCE to take a big step and improve quite a bit. But to me, this team could improve considerably and still only manage 7-5 in the regular season. I'm excited to see the season play out, but I think you could see the team improve a great deal and still only go 6-6. That's the reality of a tough schedule and a team that is going to rely on a lot of freshmen.

I'm all for being optimistic and I have a lot of faith in this staff, but I see people on here thinking that we're going to win 8 or 9 games, and you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Butch inherited a situation a lot like Dave Serrano did with baseball. A gutted roster and a lot of broken recruiting relationships. People expected too much from a freshman-laden baseball team last year and were disappointed when they struggled. Now, in year three, those players are maturing and the team in considerably better.

Football is in that situation on a larger scale. I'm never going to be a fan that is "happy" with 6-6 in any season, but to make any judgment about Butch and staff if they go 6-6 with the roster we're playing with is incredibly shortsighted.

A team that is going to start as many freshmen as we will is going to look lost at times. They will do things that will cause people here to start throwing around the "poorly coached" tag again. The freshmen are going to be more talented than many of the returning players. But they're freshmen, and expecting them to lead us to 8 wins is going to make for a long fall for a lot of people here.

 

[sjt18]

Dang SJT. Why such 1/2 emptiness?

It isn't. Name a coach that has had two consecutive losing seasons and landed two top 10 classes following those seasons. It is just a fact that recruits go to hot programs and coaches. They may listen to a dream for a year... maybe even two. But if you don't show results then they stop buying it.

The guys just pulled a top 5 and frankly the most spectacular class in the nation this year based on total numbers.

Explain that.

They are already in the top5 for next year in early #s with a 5 star on board and telling one 4* to wait to see if we want him.

Sorry but saying a class is "top 5" at this point is completely useless. It is nothing more than an attempt by a web site to remain interesting. Even the player ratings will change between now and then.

We may not be certain that this staff can be top tier SEC on the field. But in recruiting they are hitting grand slams. Butch sounds like he could sell jalapenos in hades, so even with another 5-7, he'll still probably land a great class. Will be next to impossible to be .500 with horses like that filling the stable.

If he does then he's the best recruiter in the history of CFB including Saban, Carroll, Miles, et al. Not impossible of course... but VERY unlikely.

 

[sjt18]

118 other D1 schools join you in that quest with $$$ in hand.

And some find coaches that do. UT will NOT "rise to the top" unless it has a coach that USUALLY outcoaches the guy across the field.

Pinkel gets more out his roster. James Franklin got a lot more. Malzahn did a pretty good job of it as did Sumilin last year.

 

[dduncan4163]

We will be back. We finally got the coaches and recruiting again that it takes to compete in the SEC. Its a process that can get painful along the way but the victory over SC and the 2014 class should give even the most jaded fans hope that we will be a contender again.

It won't be this year but if Butch keeps recruiting this well we will be legit contenders in 2015 and deadly good come 2016.

 

[sjt18]

Probably with the same nasty vitriol that some started spewing toward the end of last year.

I'm not a negavol by any means. I think the team has a CHANCE to take a big step and improve quite a bit. But to me, this team could improve considerably and still only manage 7-5 in the regular season. I'm excited to see the season play out, but I think you could see the team improve a great deal and still only go 6-6. That's the reality of a tough schedule and a team that is going to rely on a lot of freshmen.

I'm all for being optimistic and I have a lot of faith in this staff, but I see people on here thinking that we're going to win 8 or 9 games, and you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Butch inherited a situation a lot like Dave Serrano did with baseball. A gutted roster and a lot of broken recruiting relationships. People expected too much from a freshman-laden baseball team last year and were disappointed when they struggled. Now, in year three, those players are maturing and the team in considerably better.

Football is in that situation on a larger scale. I'm never going to be a fan that is "happy" with 6-6 in any season, but to make any judgment about Butch and staff if they go 6-6 with the roster we're playing with is incredibly shortsighted.

A team that is going to start as many freshmen as we will is going to look lost at times. They will do things that will cause people here to start throwing around the "poorly coached" tag again. The freshmen are going to be more talented than many of the returning players. But they're freshmen, and expecting them to lead us to 8 wins is going to make for a long fall for a lot of people here.

People here think I am too harsh or negative but I'd be happy with six or 7 regular season wins and have said so repeatedly. I don't think those are "pie in the sky" hopes. If they are a good staff then those totals are within the range of "reasonable". At some point, performance reflects the quality of the coaching staff.

 

[LotteryPick]

And some find coaches that do. UT will NOT "rise to the top" unless it has a coach that USUALLY outcoaches the guy across the field.

Pinkel gets more out his roster. James Franklin got a lot more. Malzahn did a pretty good job of it as did Sumilin last year.

Malzahn had a very talented roster, whether you want to admit it or not.

Sumlin had Manziel, Matthews, and Mike Evans, among other highly touted players coming out of HS.

Those rosters weren't lacking talent or depth.

 

[sjt18]

We will be back. We finally got the coaches and recruiting again that it takes to compete in the SEC. Its a process that can get painful along the way but the victory over SC and the 2014 class should give even the most jaded fans hope that we will be a contender again.

It won't be this year but if Butch keeps recruiting this well we will be legit contenders in 2015 and deadly good come 2016.

That's the problem. Elite recruits don't sign with programs that keep posting losing records. Put yourself in the shoes of an opposing recruiter. Let's say UT wins only 4 or 5 games this fall. What would you tell the recruit? Would you not point out that the coaches weren't improving the program? Would you point out that he was going to be on a hot seat? Of course you would. That and much worse.

Jones sold a dream to the '14 class. That's very good and what he should have done. You can do that after one losing season. It gets progressively less believable if you keep losing though... and especially if they aren't more competitive than they were at times in '13.

 

[sjt18]

Malzahn had a very talented roster, whether you want to admit it or not.

Weren't you earlier chastising me for not paying attention to what you've actually written?

I said BEFORE THE SEASON that UT matched up well with USCe and that they had roster issues. I also said that Auburn was more talented than most were giving them credit for.

I don't need to "admit" anything about Auburn. I knew last summer that they had talent.

Sumlin had Manziel, Matthews, and Mike Evans, among other highly touted players coming out of HS.

Those rosters weren't lacking talent or depth.

Right. Back to the ol' default excuse.... TAM had a VERY similar situation to UT's when Sumlin took over on O. They had no idea what they had at QB and started a RS Fr. Their best WR talents were FR. They had an experienced but underperforming OL. They had good but not great talent at RB... sound familiar?

 

[LotteryPick]

Right. Back to the ol' default excuse.... TAM had a VERY similar situation to UT's when Sumlin took over on O. They had no idea what they had at QB and started a RS Fr. Their best WR talents were FR. They had an experienced but underperforming OL. They had good but not great talent at RB... sound familiar?

TAMU had a 9 win season 2 years prior. Not exactly a dumpster fire.

Manziel is rare. So is Winston.

If Riley Ferguson was that guy (doubtful), then UT would be looking at 7 or 8 wins.

The right QB changes everything.

 

[NO SIR EEE]

REALISTICALLY MY ASS!!! It's a game by game basis and you have no idea what will happen next year, so to you, I say F OFF!!!

 

[o3marine52]

I see you have USMC in your name. Is that what they teach in the Marine Corps? Take a negative outlook and have no hope for the future. Just go ahead and accept the fact that things really won't get any better. I thought the Marines were the ones that could overcome adversity and had the discipline to prevail in the end.

Are you seriously equating the Marines and what they to to college football. Now i love the vols as much as anyone but in the end it is a game whereas what the military does is far and away more "life and death".