Tennessee #12 in USAToday Preseason poll

#51
#51
Seems accurate. Seeing what we have and thinking about what other teams on our schedule has 10-2 doesn’t sound crazy. There are teams all throughout the SEC this coming season with unproven talent, Georgia and Alabama included. I’m counting those 2 as the losses, but Georgia and Alabama will be close games that could go either way IMO. If Bama doesn’t get a QB good enough to run their offense then I don’t think they can keep us down or keep up with us for that matter. Georgia is reloading but sometimes it’s not as seemless as people think. That Georgia game could potentially decide a lot of things if we play the way we are capable. Could decide playoffs, could decide the SEC East rep, or could just be an upset that nobody saw coming. I think 9-3 is the floor for us this year. 8-4 would be passable but disappointing, but the ceiling for us if we reach what our talent is capable of is an undefeated season and I firmly believe that. I think our offense will look diffferent but still be potent, but I think our defense will be solid this coming season. This will make us a more well rounded team. I like the potential of our offensive line this coming year too. Mincey, Spraggins, Mays, and Crawford will more than likely start but with that other guard position up for grabs it will be interesting to see how that shakes out. I just think this season could be better than last, but we will just have to wait and see.
 
#52
#52
LittleVol said:
Haha.
What 4 teams you have beating us???
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I can see A&M, Bama and Georgia and Florida beating us if things don’t go well or getting upset by South Carolina or Kentucky. If Joe bombs at QB and our offensive line struggles, or we have devastating injuries then I can see a 8-4 or 7-5 record that’s a worst case scenario though. And remember we have a new OC as well.
 
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#54
#54
Voldog1998 said:
I can see A&M, Bama and Georgia and Florida beating us if things don’t go well or getting upset by South Carolina or Kentucky. If Joe bombs at QB and our offensive line struggles, or we have devastating injuries then I can see a 8-4 or 7-5 record that’s a worst case scenario though. And remember we have a new OC as well.
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I can see the first three opponents you mentioned beating us if Joe bombs,But no way the gamecocks beat us this year. After what happened last year I can almost guarantee Josh Huepel has his team fired up for that one and not to mention how rowdy Neylands gonna be that Saturday.it’s gonna be a beat down no matter who’s our qb. Kentucky won’t beat us either IMO. GO VOLS!!
 
#55
#55
Voldog1998 said:
I can see A&M, Bama and Georgia and Florida beating us if things don’t go well or getting upset by South Carolina or Kentucky. If Joe bombs at QB and our offensive line struggles, or we have devastating injuries then I can see a 8-4 or 7-5 record that’s a worst case scenario though. And remember we have a new OC as well.
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Bama is in trouble. Relative to what they're used too.

Georgia ia going to be tough, but everyone will see the value that Stetson Bennett brought last 2 seasons.

Florida hell no. Despite the obvious jinx they have on us

A&M will be our toughest game imo.

10-2 to 12-0.
We're the most complete team in the SEC this year coming in.
 
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#56
#56
LittleVol said:
Bama is in trouble. Relative to what they're used too.

Georgia ia going to be tough, but everyone will see the value that Stetson Bennett brought last 2 seasons.

Florida hell no. Despite the obvious jinx they have on us

A&M will be our toughest game imo.

10-2 to 12-0.
We're the most complete team in the SEC this year coming in.
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Can't argue with any of this...............it's great to once again have a solid football program.
 
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#57
#57
For what it is worth ESPN has us #11 on their preseason poll: Post-spring college football power rankings

Here is their synopsis:

11. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous ranking: 10

2022 record: 11-2, 6-2 SEC

Expected returning starters: 7 offense, 6 defense, 0 special teams

Post-spring outlook: Did the Volunteers catch lightning in a bottle last year with quarterback Hendon Hooker and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman? We're going to find out this season as all three of them will be playing in the NFL. Michigan transfer quarterback Joe Milton III worked with the No. 1 offense throughout the spring after performing well in a 31-14 victory over Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Freshman Nicholaus Iamaleava, the No. 6 pocket passer in the ESPN 300, looked the part. He's 6-foot-6 and wasn't overwhelmed by the tempo of coach Josh Heupel's hurry-up offense. Receiver Bru McCoy missed the spring and Oregon transfer Dont'e Thornton was held out of the spring game. The Volunteers have to get a lot better on defense if they're going to contend with Georgia in the SEC East.
 
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#58
#58
I will add that UTSA is also on the ESPN top 25. #21 on USAToday and #23 on ESPN. Normally I would not give two craps about a preseason Top 25 Conference USA team but, as luck would have it, Tennessee plays UTSA in Neyland this year on September 23rd. It would suck to have one of our cupcakes sneak up on us like Georgia State did a few years ago.
 
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#59
#59
Hawkeye4588 said:
I will add that UTSA is also on the ESPN top 25. #21 on USAToday and #23 on ESPN. Normally I would not give two craps about a preseason Top 25 Conference USA team but, as luck would have it, Tennessee plays UTSA in Neyland this year on September 23rd. It would suck to have one of our cupcakes sneak up on us like Georgia State did a few years ago.
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That won't happen

Heupel has the team actually prepare for every team we play

Unlike Pruitt.
 
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#66
#66
Impressive.

Still surprised we are getting top-15 love after a single good season, but people are seeing what we are. Not an illusion.
 
#67
#67
PlanetVolunteer said:
Bahahaha

It's amazing how Bama gets the overwhelming benefit of the doubt even after losing every single key piece they had last year, returning zero stars and three quarterbacks that haven't even come close to proving they can lead the third best team in the country.

We'll be ranked higher than 12th after Bazooka Joe and Nico put 60+ on UVA.
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Uhh you do get they've had top-3 classes for umpteen years? Lol

When you have the best talent coming in and the GOAT at hc...not sure what you'd expect. Shoot, #3 is low for them preseason 😅

I'd be more apt to take a shot at Michigan.
 
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#69
#69
OffTackleVol said:
8-4 would be a disappointment. We'll probably be favored in 10 of the 12 regular season games.
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"Being favored" doesn't mean it's 100%. For instance, if you have 4 games where you're a 3:1 favorite (let's say UF, TAMU, USCjr, UK, just as an average...tamu and uf may be closer), you'll drop one of the 4 games about 70% of seasons. It's the cumulative effect you can't ignore.

FPI has us at 8.3 wins iirc. I have us at 8.5 fwiw. I think there's enough tweener games that we'll drop a game where we're a so-so favorite (70-30 type game). 2 isn't out of the question among those 4 + Mizzou and UVA, but I don't want to go there lol.

I also agree with what a media person suggested on Milton - we could see the highest of highs, but also lowers than HH had (did he even have a low?!). I think he may end up with a headscratcher along the way, just as 99% of QBs do. Even Dobbs did. HH was just that special and not the norm at all.
 
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#70
#70
Devo182 said:
DAMN fine.

Feels good to be back in the conversation. From now till Fulmer, 2016 was the only season we were top-15 preseason. It's been an awful journey, but we're here FINALLY.
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Yeah, for real. I know some fans feel disrespected by being out of the top 10, but I can remember getting excited about just being in the top 25 during that 15 year rough stretch.

We had an amazing year. Next step of this rebuild of our football program is showing some consistency. We need another couple of good years before people start giving us the benefit of the doubt.
 
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#72
#72
I don’t think 12 is disrespectful considering many aren’t sure how Milton will play. As I’ve said before though, with great QB play, the Vols offense will be tough for any team. Truth is that these rankings don’t matter at all. TN wasn’t even ranked in the top 25 last preseason, but the first week the rankings that mattered came out you guys were #1.

Just win, and it’s very possible this happens again. TN doesn’t have the talent and depth yet to be considered on par with Bama, GA, or tOSU. But the last two seasons have proved that with great QB play the TN offense is one of the best in CFB. CJH is likely going to see that this trend continues as long as Milton plays very well. I honestly think that is going to be the deciding factor for the Vols this season. In any event, I’d be very pleased right now if I were a Vol. You got yourselves a pretty good coach it seems.
 
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#74
#74
Yeah, I’m not buying Bama at all. Not saying the dynasty is dead or Saban is washed. Just that for this 2023 team, they are a 9 or 10 win team, not a playoff contender. I just see a lot of good players on offense, but not really elite ones. QB is very suspect. Defense last year was very underwhelming compared to talent. 2024, they might be back to form, but I’m not seeing it in 2023. Last time they had crap QB play was with Blake Sims in 2014, but they had Amari Cooper, Deandrew White, Derrick Henry, TJ Yeldon, OJ Howard, an elite OL and defense plus Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart calling the plays.
 
#75
#75
NeverWe'llSever said:
Yeah, I’m not buying Bama at all. Not saying the dynasty is dead or Saban is washed. Just that for this 2023 team, they are a 9 or 10 win team, not a playoff contender. I just see a lot of good players on offense, but not really elite ones. QB is very suspect. Defense last year was very underwhelming compared to talent. 2024, they might be back to form, but I’m not seeing it in 2023. Last time they had crap QB play was with Blake Sims in 2014, but they had Amari Cooper, Deandrew White, Derrick Henry, TJ Yeldon, OJ Howard, an elite OL and defense plus Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart calling the plays.
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Saban since he got to Bama has never gone three full seasons without winning a natty
 
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