Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXX

[volfanCLT]

But no one, including you, can explain how the DL will be better next year without DB. They were ok before the injuries and dismissal, but certainly not exceptional.

Chalking up the OL as a strength is iffy too. They improved to the point where they maybe weren't a liability, but it the projected line for next year isn't screaming "elite" either.

OL will be better next year than this year. That's what happens when our freshmen and sophomore grow into juniors and seniors. (Richmond, Hall, Jones, Boulware, Thomas)

DL will be good as well, barring injuries. Khalil, Tuttle, Vickers are solid up the middle and we will be alright at DE.

 

[BigZiti09]

And I love josh Dobbs but he is a liability in the passing game.

When he is forced to play QB and we aren't able to use him as a runner, our entire offense went to crap.

I believe that with improved pass protection (run blocking has not been an issue the past two years) and a qb that can pass we will not see what fans view as "inconsistent playcalling" which I think is mostly just teams being able to make Dobbs play qb.

 

[Catbone]

On the D line.... everyone is a year older. We lose Barnett. We have some real talent at the DE position so I'm not worried about replacing CV. Shy and Khalil are a great combo but DT's showout later in their careers. That's a position where strength and conditioning matters more so than others. When DT is better then everything looks better on defense.

On the O line. Again, we lose one player. This is a developmental position as well and one that Dooley really left us depleted after the 2013 seniors and Tiny left. It takes time to fix that position when it's in that kind of mess. (I'm ready to see a coaching change here)

Wait and see. We will be better at both lines overall next year.

Look at our secondary. They were all a year older this year and regressed. How do you explain that?

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Daannnng....

Highschool female sideline reporter just pondered if Bubba Thompson would "pursue the championship of life at Tennessee."

Burn.

The worst thing about all this. We're a national joke

 

[BigZiti09]

Look at our secondary. They were all a year older this year and regressed. How do you explain that?

Coaching.

But also not enough pass rush especially up the middle.

 

[Outofmyvolcanmind]

And this. Can't believe I left out the main excuse.

Florida was decimated with injuries as well. Somehow turned it into an East championship though.

Such a crap argument. Florida had one game on their SEC schedule remaining when injuries set in.

Didn't stop them from getting stomped by us or Arkansas.

 

[volfanCLT]

I'm also intrigued to see what Alexis Johnson will bring next year. A 4th guy to really step up in the DT rotation would be nice

 

[VolGee4]

You're right-- it is about money... but I don't buy that UK travels better than UT, will spend more $$ than UT or can generate higher ratings than UT.

And honestly, people care a great deal about bowl pecking order. Coaches get an added bonus for taking a team to an NY6 bowl. Look how upset UT fans were over losing the Sugar. And who wouldn't rather go to the Citrus than the MCB? And we were thrilled to leapfrog to a Florida bowl the past two years because it was widely viewed as a sign of upward progress. So now we're on the flip side. I get being positive, but fans and recruits do notice these things and attach meaning.

Yea, my previous post was poorly worded. People care about the bowls, but the system is all about money. In 2014, we went to the TaxSlayer Bowl at 6-6 while UGA went 9-3 and went to the Belk and UF went 7-5 and went to the Birmingham Bowl. Both of them beat us. Success has a little to do with it, but it's about matchups and money. They are essentially exhibition games, and a certain bowl spot doesn't necessarily mean you were better than another team. I guess my point was that it just doesn't seem like people care enough to change it. UT has great fans, and they will attend anything. But I do think UK fans will travel this year because they are starving for a warm weather bowl destination.

 

[nicksjuzunk]

The worst thing about all this. We're a national joke

Yeah, but Mike Gundy was "a man, and 40", but later won a lot of games and even though it's still good for a laugh, it's not the main narrative of his life.

Hopefully Butch learns not to be so generic with his speech, and turns the program back on track and we look back on this with laughs one day

 

[McGeesPub]

On the D line.... everyone is a year older. We lose Barnett. We have some real talent at the DE position so I'm not worried about replacing CV. Shy and Khalil are a great combo but DT's showout later in their careers. That's a position where strength and conditioning matters more so than others. When DT is better then everything looks better on defense.

On the O line. Again, we lose one player. This is a developmental position as well and one that Dooley really left us depleted after the 2013 seniors and Tiny left. It takes time to fix that position when it's in that kind of mess. (I'm ready to see a coaching change here)

Wait and see. We will be better at both lines overall next year.

So your argument is that everyone remaining at two position groups likely to lose their coaches on a staff that already has questions regarding player development is a year older. Got it.

By the way, we may be very well be better in the trenches. Some improvement is inevitable. But it will take a lot more than I think you have in mind to make us elite.

 

[Outofmyvolcanmind]

So your argument is that everyone remaining at two position groups likely to lose their coaches on a staff that already has questions regarding player development is a year older. Got it.

By the way, we may be very well be better in the trenches. Some improvement is inevitable. But it will take a lot more than I think you have in mind to make us elite.

Yes, health would assist also.

 

[BigZiti09]

So your argument is that everyone remaining at two position groups likely to lose their coaches on a staff that already has questions regarding player development is a year older. Got it.

By the way, we may be very well be better in the trenches. Some improvement is inevitable. But it will take a lot more than I think you have in mind to make us elite.

I didn't say we'd be elite. We don't have the talent this year or next year to be elite.

We have question marks at development because we had a bad year and everyone questions everything at that point.

 

[head1]

Looking Ahead: Tennessee Football 2017 Depth Chart First Draft - Rocky Top Talk
Junior and Senior starters across the board. Our floor should be 8-4 next season

Am I the only one who looks at that and cringes a tiny bit?

DT depth stinks worse than this year.
Those CBs as our starters, yikes. Need Byrd moved asap.
Jumper still there, should be Berry. Lack of good depth at LB still. Where the hell is Austin Smith? Oh at DE smh
DE will take a step back.
OL will finally be stacked, I see Tatum knocking Hall out of that starting spot if he can put on weight. He looked much better there, more mobile.
WR need Malone to stay to allow Byrd to move.

 

[SergeantVol]

He's had a baffling tenure here that's for sure. How can you do those things and then have two career losses to Vanderbilt?

I think there is a plethora of issues that contributed to this year's underwhelming season. It sucks that this season played out the way it did. CBJ's true test is how he fixes it. If he fails to make positive changes, then I agree he should be gone. This is his first true example of adversity. All coaches go through it, the great ones are able to learn and adapt. If he makes the necessary staff changes, shows to trust his coordinators (at least what we perceive), and starts showing accountability instead of deflecting I will be pleased. I think it will show progress. Only some of these issues were noticeable to us fans. The rest of the issues we perceive is speculation and rumor.

 

[volfanCLT]

CB scares the hell out of me. Need Byrd to move ASAP

 

[Catbone]

CB scares the hell out of me. Need Byrd to move ASAP

Yes. Move Byrd keep JJ at WR

 

[McGeesPub]

I didn't say we'd be elite. We don't have the talent this year or next year to be elite.

We have question marks at development because we had a bad year and everyone questions everything at that point.

Well, you use improvement along the lines as a justification that we will be better (as good?) as next year. The way I see it, the lines will have to be near elite to make up for losses elsewhere- QB mobility, RB depth (I think we'd be obtuse to take Kelly's health for granted all year), possibly WR. Taking into account who we had when we thought the defense would actually be good, losses there as well.

I like your optimism, but thinking that next year will be better is simply illogical.

I hope you are right.

 

[JohnnyD1024]

...

 

[volfanCLT]

Well, you use improvement along the lines as a justification that we will be better (as good?) as next year. The way I see it, the lines will have to be near elite to make up for losses elsewhere- QB mobility, RB depth (I think we'd be obtuse to take Kelly's health for granted all year), possibly WR. Taking into account who we had when we thought the defense would actually be good, losses there as well.

I like your optimism, but thinking that next year will be better is simply illogical.

I hope you are right.

It's not illogical, it's simply a differing opinion than yours.

We lose 3 playmakers next year. Not exactly catastrophic losses.

JG is the wild card to me, what can he bring next year?

 

[BJHSVol]

Am I the only one who looks at that and cringes a tiny bit?

DT depth stinks worse than this year.
Those CBs as our starters, yikes. Need Byrd moved asap.
Jumper still there, should be Berry. Lack of good depth at LB still. Where the hell is Austin Smith? Oh at DE smh
DE will take a step back.
OL will finally be stacked, I see Tatum knocking Hall out of that starting spot if he can put on weight. He looked much better there, more mobile.
WR need Malone to stay to allow Byrd to move.

DT depth doesn't change, we basically trade DOB for A. Johnson and we were without DOB for half the season.
DE takes a step back, but we're losing a top 5 draft pick and that's inevitable
CB is the same as this year with Cam being out all season and his ineffectiveness since he's been back
LB we only lose Bynum and JRM who's been gone all season

I think we haven't had a team talented enough in recent memory that losing senior talent has mattered, but bottom line is this roster is talented enough for 8-9 wins. It's on Butch and the coaching staff to get them there

 

[McGeesPub]

It's not illogical, it's simply a differing opinion than yours.

We lose 3 playmakers next year. Not exactly catastrophic losses.

JG is the wild card to me, what can he bring next year?

Of course it's an opinion. But some opinions are based on logic, some are not.

Just like given the fact that we've seen that it's his MO to go with seniority over talent, as well as he probably values a perceived high floor next year because of the climate, it's logical to think Dormady will start the year. Therefore you may not see JG until after a loss or two.

 

[NMVol]

So much opinion conflated into the imperious "we" and the pretense of infallibility on here especially among the negavols. It's a kind of compulsive covert trolling. Of course I could be wrong.

 

[McGeesPub]

So much opinion conflated into the imperious "we" and the pretense of infallibility on here especially among the negavols. It's a kind of compulsive covert trolling. Of course I could be wrong.

Well it is a message board, but if you want a laundry list of facts they aren't optimistic either.

 

[NMVol]

Well it is a message board, but if you want a laundry list of facts they aren't optimistic either.

Remind me again what the payoff is if you're right.

 

[McGeesPub]

Remind me again what the payoff is if you're right.

None. I hope I'm wrong. But again, as it's a message board about UT football, I don't feel any sort of guilt in having a rational, civil discussion about UT football.