Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXVI

[volssam]

I would take this as a good thing volssam.

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[volssam]

Come on Volnation!

Say it with me:

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[jspvol76]

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Nah, just means you have never had a run in with the law, am I right? :good!:

 

[RoSmitty12]

I could see us losing 2 or even more. But Seeing the possibility and predicting/expecting us to lose are two different things imo. Maybe a fine line. But there's a difference. I think Bama is the only team that could challenge us based on talent/experience/depth across the whole roster. And we get them at home.

I say bring it. We can and arguably should win every game.

It is just so tough to predict some of those toss up games. Crazy how much 1 play can change the entire game. It basically comes down to which team can make the "game changing plays" that swing momentum in their favor. Luckily, we are not short on playmakers on O, D, and Special Teams

 

[volssam]

Nah, just means you have never had a run in with the law, am I right? :good!:

Yeah, I was known as a "goody-two-shoes". Haha.

 

[Aesius]

It is just so tough to predict some of those toss up games. Crazy how much 1 play can change the entire game. It basically comes down to which team can make the "game changing plays" that swing momentum in their favor. Luckily, we are not short on playmakers on O, D, and Special Teams

Yep. Vols don't turn the ball over much on offense and are deadly on special teams. Also think Shoop's defense will put us on the right side of a few key late-game sacks and fumble recoveries.

 

[jspvol76]

Yeah, I was known as a "goody-two-shoes". Haha.

Save that for if you ever change your username.

gudi2shusvol

 

[Smokey123]

For those saying 10-2....

Last year we can legitimately say we coulda/shoulda won every game, minus the possible exception of Arkansas, although had we not blown it against FL, we probably wouldn't have lost to the hogs either.

And this year, we are gonna be better and more experienced and deeper. While it looks like for most of our opponents, it is the opposite.

So how are we gonna lose two games, other than the argument ( which admittedly has some merit) that we are Tennessee, and something bad will undoubtedly happen.

Btw, we should have beat Arkansas. #1 like u said if we beat UF we likely win... But we missed a FG, fumble in the redzone and had a punt return called back because of a flag. That's potentially 17 points

 

[volssam]

It is just so tough to predict some of those toss up games. Crazy how much 1 play can change the entire game. It basically comes down to which team can make the "game changing plays" that swing momentum in their favor. Luckily, we are not short on playmakers on O, D, and Special Teams

Fair enough.

I guess I just choose to believe that our players and coaches have learned enough over the past couple years to get through those as the victor this season.

 

[RoSmitty12]

Yep. Vols don't turn the ball over much on offense and are deadly on special teams. Also think Shoop's defense will put us on the right side of a few key late-game sacks and fumble recoveries.

Knock on wood Aesius!

I like that we have playmakers in the backfield on O and on all levels on D. Then special teams we have great return men and punter. Just need Medley to be consistent and a big play wide receiver to step up

 

[jspvol76]

Fair enough.

I guess I just choose to believe that our players and coaches have learned enough over the past couple years to get through those as the victor this season.

Just having Shoop on board could be the difference. I think with his defensive mentality, we would have won at least 1, possibly 2 of those close games.

 

[RoSmitty12]

Fair enough.

I guess I just choose to believe that our players and coaches have learned enough over the past couple years to get through those as the victor this season.

I am a Cleveland fan and Vols fan, so my whole life has been filled with disappointment until the Cavs won it. I have seen every type of loss possible, thus why I try to temper my expectations haha

 

[drvenner]

I agree with the top.

The bolded is where I disagree. Just because you write two names down doesn't mean they are SEC tackles. Write down Aesius and Big Ziti down as 4th string if you want.

Dude, how have you not heard of Paul Bain? There is a whole thread on him over in the FF. He pretty much does what he wants. If he is 3rd string, it is because he wants to be 3rd string. C'mon, man!!

 

[Aesius]

Ok I feel like I'm missing the joke here. So at the risk of looking like a moron....what am I missing?

 

[volssam]

I am a Cleveland fan and Vols fan, so my whole life has been filled with disappointment until the Cavs won it. I have seen every type of loss possible, thus why I try to temper my expectations haha

Well let's hope your year continues on like it's been. Maybe without the need for the seemingly impossible comeback. Not sure my heart could take it.

 

[volssam]

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[RikidyBones]

Look at you...

 

[volssam]

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.*

 

[GoBigOrange86]

Seriously as long as 1 of the 2 aren't UF I will be very pleased with this season.

Even if we lose to UGA and don't go to Atlanta.

Honestly 10-2 with a win over UF is my bottom line level expectation to be happy at seasons end.

I would get over accidentally losing to UF if we accidentally beat Alabama.

Seriously, UF is important because they're going to have a stout defense, McElwain is a good offensive mind, and because we need to break that stupid streak. But Bama's streak is nearly that long and beating them would be far more impressive than beating Florida.

The way to beat Florida is not to stress about the stupid streak, it's to recognize that they're a team made up of 18-22 year olds just like any other. And they're good...but Tennessee is better. So they should win...but what if they blow it again and then, in a remarkable rally to save their head coach, the Vols knock off Alabama? Meh. I'd live.

Now if we don't beat either AND we don't win the East, I'll grumble. But my prediction is 10-2.

 

[Vols4us]

Between "should" win every game and "will" win every game is a bridge over troubled water (cue S&G). Which makes the journey so much fun. The major difference between this season and last is much more and better quality depth on the roster, Bob Shoop, and Larry Scott. Add in this team is focused, great physical condition, believe they are winners, and are good teammates with each other. All that adds to a minimum of 12 wins. The rest is up to the good fortune and coaching decisions IMO.

 

[The Breakerboy]

I'm gonna say this and leave it at that....

We don't have the best defensive line in the nation but we do have a good defensive line. One that has enough talent and depth for us to get to Atlanta.

It's been so long since we have had a talented defensive team I think people have forgotten what it looks like to have a team stacked with ballers.

Vereen, Barnett, Khalil and O'Brien/Vickers are probably our best line in 10 years but they aren't the best line in the SEC. In the East alone, Missouri and Florida have as good if not better units on the defensive line.

We have a lot of guys at DE that are potential stars but have yet to prove it on the field.

Neither of those lines are as deep as Tennessee. Stop this sob story...

 

[Brillovol]

Post of the week.

 

[The Breakerboy]

Between "should" win every game and "will" win every game is a bridge over troubled water (cue S&G). Which makes the journey so much fun. The major difference between this season and last is much more and better quality depth on the roster, Bob Shoop, and Larry Scott. Add in this team is focused, great physical condition, believe they are winners, and are good teammates with each other. All that adds to a minimum of 12 wins. The rest is up to the good fortune and coaching decisions IMO.

Shoop is that DUDE! Ask Franklin what how he was winning at Vandy....,

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

I don't know why yall are predicting losses. Could we lose 2 games? Sure. But I've seen nothing from this team to suggest we'll lose to anyone on our schedule.

Folks saying we'll go 10-2 are simply going off history rather than looking at team 120 for what it is.

Given our talent, schedule, and experience, we can EASILY go 12-0. And probably should considering we get Florida and Alabama at home. Plus I don't believe this team will have a letdown against Georgia and A&M.

Stop being afraid of the expectations. This is a 12-0 caliber team. Stop predicting losses.

 

[highspeed]

For those saying 10-2....

Last year we can legitimately say we coulda/shoulda won every game, minus the possible exception of Arkansas, although had we not blown it against FL, we probably wouldn't have lost to the hogs either.

And this year, we are gonna be better and more experienced and deeper. While it looks like for most of our opponents, it is the opposite.

So how are we gonna lose two games, other than the argument ( which admittedly has some merit) that we are Tennessee, and something bad will undoubtedly happen.

First, I picked us to go 8-4 last year while so many posters on here were saying we would win 10. I hit the nail on the head. The year before I said we would go 5-7 while many on here were saying we would win 8 or 9. I was off by one game. In Butch's first year I said we would go 5-7 while many were saying we should make a bowl game. Again, I hit the nail on the head, so I have a track record of being pretty accurate with my conservative predictions.

Also, I think you can look at those close losses last year and just as easily point to things that could have made them more convincing losses. We needed a couple of trick plays to score the 2 first half TDs against FL to get that lead everyone talks about us later losing. Without those plays their defense was really giving us fits. Against Bama I think our fans consistently underestimate the advantage we got from coming off a bye while Bama was playing their 8th game in a row. I think that may have been worth 2 scores in our favor.

Overall, Butch has done a great job of rebuilding our roster, and I expect this to be the best team we've had in a decade and maybe our best team since 2001. There is a lot of talent on this team and a lot to be excited about. It wouldn't surprise me to see us win 11 games, and I think there is an outside shot that we could even go undefeated (though that is extremely hard to do). For the first time since the Fulmer era, I look at our schedule and think we have a legitimate shot in every game.

Having said that, here are my reasons for predicting a 10-2 regular season rather than 11-1 or 12-0.

1.) We lack depth at DT. Right now we have 3 DTs we can count on in Vickers, O'Brien, and McKenzie. Picou is still a project, Tuttle and Johnson are still question marks in my mind, and as much as VN loves Paul Bain, I'm going to have see it to believe it with a walk-on playing in the trenches in the SEC. Other than these guys, we're looking at moving DEs over to DT because the coaches know we need more bodies. If everything falls into place, we could end up being fine here, but one injury combined with Tuttle and/or Johnson struggling to regain form could leave us in a bad place.

2.) Depth at LB. JRM and Kirkland give us a very dynamic starting duo, but if either of them gets injured (or just needs a breather) there seems to be a BIG drop-off from 1st to 2nd string at that position.

3.) I don't trust our passing game.

4.) OT. We were already lacking depth here before Hall got injured. Him being out only makes it worse. Richmond has a very high ceiling, bus as a RsFR he's probably still a couple of years away from hitting it. He may be good this year, but I think he will also go through some growing pains against the better D-lines we face. And while Brett Kendrick is a nice player, I don't think he's an upper-level OT in the SEC.

5.) This one may be a bit of a stretch, but depth at RB. We could lose a star-caliber player in the secondary, at DE, or even OG and still be ok because we have star-caliber players waiting in the wings at those positions. I don't think that's the case at RB though. If Hurd or Kamara goes down, there's a huge drop-off. I like Kelly and Fils-Aimee, but those guys are no Hurd and Kamara. Our top two are irreplaceable. Before you bash me on this one, stop and think about it. If one of those guys goes out for an extended period of time, how does that affect our offense and our chances of winning big games? Given our inconsistency in the passing game, and how well those 2 players compliment one another, losing one of them would be really bad news.

When I look at our schedule, these question marks are enough to add up to 2 losses IMO. I think we're a top 10 team (which is tremendous progress considering where we were when Butch took over), but, primarily because of the lack of depth at the key positions mentioned above, I don't think we're a top 5 team. Not yet.