Talent Gap is closing (not there yet) and…

#51
#51
SGMVols said:
He has the literal #1 overall player in the country coming in 2026 and he’s a qb. That’s certainly something you can sell.
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He has a $2 million QB this year and the offense is struggling mightily in SEC play, much like it did last season.
 
#54
#54
CAVPUT said:
Year 5 is all Heupel's product. I think it will be very fair to judge him based on what we see next season. Doesn't matter who is behind center if that OL stinks. Gonna be interesting to see what kind of line his buddy gives him to work with next year. If we have to go portal diving to field an OL next year, I pity Nico especially if Samson isn't around and our WR room looks even remotely like this years version.
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Yep. Heupel is going to have to answer some tough questions this offseason, as you laid out.

Right now, he and the offensive staff look as lost as last years easter eggs. For the second straight year, our offense isnt good.
 
#55
#55
They have better coaches than we do. Last night was a very winnable game and we were out coached in the 2nd half pretty bad.
 
#58
#58
UTK said:
I think it will continue to close. However the last puzzle this staff has to put together is how to win big games on the road in hostile environments . They’ve done it twice (LSU 2022, OU 2024) I’m not counting Pitt, Kentucky/Vandy. It’s not an easy thing to do. But it’s what championship programs do. We shall see. If this game was played in Neyland I think we win a close one. The road woes continue to haunt us.
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Both UGA losses came on the road. So did both Bama losses.
 
#59
#59
We say this trash every year! It's will, want too and balls to make changes and take risks. And coaching.
 
#60
#60
Volsinnash said:
We are always just one year away lol. When will it end?
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If the standard is national champion every year, then yeah, it’s gonna get old. It ends once every 30 or 40 years and then it restarts. You’ll be disappointed.

All my life, that has always been the root problem right there. “If you cheer for this team you’re not a true Vol fan” and so forth.
 
#61
#61
UTK said:
I think it will continue to close. However the last puzzle this staff has to put together is how to win big games on the road in hostile environments . They’ve done it twice (LSU 2022, OU 2024) I’m not counting Pitt, Kentucky/Vandy. It’s not an easy thing to do. But it’s what championship programs do. We shall see. If this game was played in Neyland I think we win a close one. The road woes continue to haunt us.
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I do agree the talent gap is closing. However I’m not sold this loss was due to road woes. We never adjusted. We never rattled beck. We were going to have to show something new on offense. We didn’t. Our staff is consistently out coached in these big games. It’s a bit alarming. We also have to figure out how to not shat the bed once a year against someone we shouldn’t. Great teams/coaches beat who they’re supposed to beat. The loss to Ga isn’t a dealbreaker without the loss to Arky
 
#62
#62
EZE said:
Vol football program is on the rise. Vols were not outclassed today. Instead, lost a competitive conference game against a top-tier opponent on the road.

I hope we see them again on a neutral field deep in the playoffs.
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No you don’t. We ain’t there yet.
 
#63
#63
UTK said:
I think it will continue to close. However the last puzzle this staff has to put together is how to win big games on the road in hostile environments . They’ve done it twice (LSU 2022, OU 2024) I’m not counting Pitt, Kentucky/Vandy. It’s not an easy thing to do. But it’s what championship programs do. We shall see. If this game was played in Neyland I think we win a close one. The road woes continue to haunt us.
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LSU at noon is a different deal and OU is trash this year. I’m not sure Heupel has won a hostile road game against a quality opponent in his time at UT.
 
#64
#64
UTK said:
Maybe but at home I think we win the game. I think the road is his actual kryptonite, not gonna lie.
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Heupel’s two best teams have gotten Bama and UF at home and UGA on the road. Flip the years and he’s likely 0-8 against Bama and UF combined and 2-2 against the Dawgs. 😬
 
#65
#65
WoodsmanVol said:
It's on the players, not Heup.
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Woodsman I truly enjoy your posts, and most are no nonsense truth. But this is garbage. Heup is the leader of thus team. It starts abd ends with him. That’s how leadership works. If they aren’t ready, if they don’t execute, then it’s on him. Not players, not refs, not any other excuse. When great leaders fail they look inward for the problems, not pointing outward. What if every coach got to the podium after a loss and blamed players? There would be so many firings that me or you might get a HC job soon. The non disciplined play is 100% on him. That is 100% the culture if a program. That is taught and engrained over time.
 
#66
#66
EastTNVol6240 said:
Woodsman I truly enjoy your posts, and most are no nonsense truth. But this is garbage. Heup is the leader of thus team. It starts abd ends with him. That’s how leadership works. If they aren’t ready, if they don’t execute, then it’s on him. Not players, not refs, not any other excuse. When great leaders fail they look inward for the problems, not pointing outward. What if every coach got to the podium after a loss and blamed players? There would be so many firings that me or you might get a HC job soon. The non disciplined play is 100% on him. That is 100% the culture if a program. That is taught and engrained over time.
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While I don't necessarily disagree with you, when it comes to failures of missions, campaigns, and such, one size doesn't fit all. The Germans in WWII (had better equipment) and the South in the Civil War, had better battlefield leaders, tangible and intangible circumstances led to their defeat, just the same. Football is a form of war, so tangibles and intangibles apply to the games as well.
 
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#69
#69
EastTNVol6240 said:
Georgia beats us 90 out of 100 games right now. We’re getting better. But the talent gap is still there. Just is what it is.
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I'm not sure they beat us at Neyland last night, but I'm not arrogant enough to speak it as fact.

Besides, that has nothing to do with what I responded to.
 
#70
#70
UTK said:
I think it will continue to close. However the last puzzle this staff has to put together is how to win big games on the road in hostile environments . They’ve done it twice (LSU 2022, OU 2024) I’m not counting Pitt, Kentucky/Vandy. It’s not an easy thing to do. But it’s what championship programs do. We shall see. If this game was played in Neyland I think we win a close one. The road woes continue to haunt us.
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Lsu was so early in the day and got of to such a good start it never got hostile.
 
#72
#72
Anyone else notice that our defensive linemen looked a lot smaller than the Georgia offensive line?
 
#73
#73
volgr said:
He seems to be stuck though and his offense looks like crap. If not for some amazing defensive performances this season, it's a rough year. Next year is year 5, does he look like a coach at the end of next season that can get us a SEC or National title? If not, how do you sell him long term?
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Consistently in the top ten.
 
#74
#74
Firebirdparts said:
If the standard is national champion every year, then yeah, it’s gonna get old. It ends once every 30 or 40 years and then it restarts. You’ll be disappointed.

All my life, that has always been the root problem right there. “If you cheer for this team you’re not a true Vol fan” and so forth.
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The standard at this point is just make a 12 team playoff and we can’t even do that. This was once a program with tons of SEC championships. Now we are just happy to hang around. It’s laughable yet amazingly sad. We should hang a banner at the end of the years that says first runner up playoffs 2024.
 
#75
#75
We still need big bad gut stomping offense lineman.
True 6ft 3 or taller (physical) receivers and a few big bruising type running backs with speed.Also a coach that can make halftime adjustments (hurts to say but I just don't see it)
 
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