The crash is gonna be bad

[Volatility]

I'm right there with ya. Right now, Butch Jones is infallible to me. I have 100 percent faith in him.

But we're going to lose some games this season. We might get blown out in a few. And the staff might even make a few questionable play calls. But as Vols fans, we have to be patient. With CBJ, there is no "wait and see" like there was with Dooley. There's just "wait."

He'll get us back on top. We just have to be patient.

That's a tall order for Volnation

 

[bleedorange0037]

We're a 6-6 team if we just beat who we're supposed to beat. We're a 7-5 team with an Auburn victory (which I think we can pull off). The only way I see us losing more than 6 games is if we are decimated by injuries at an un proportional level.

Where do you come up with 6-6? Vandy beat us like a drum last year and we've gotten worse since then. Do you just count them in the "should win" column because they sucked for years and we used to always beat them? At best, I would say it's a toss up. To me, here's the breakdown...

APU, S. Alabama - 100% chance of a win

UK, WKU - >90% chance of a win

Vandy, Mizzou, Auburn - 50% chance of win

USC, UGA, UF - 20% chance of win

Bama, Oregon - <1% chance of win

 

[YorkVol]

I am so high on Tennessee Football right now I don't know what to do with myself.

I am a total amateur at following recruiting. So maybe what I think I'm seeing isn't really happening. Feel free to bring me back down to earth.

I am in love with Team 117. I want these young men to see every dream they have of Tennessee be a reality this year. J Smith, B Mo, Tiny, AJ, Justin and Nate, Palardy, hell all of them that decided to don the orange and play in the most beautiful setting ever created for college football.

Coach Jones you better not let me down. If we crash, it's gonna hurt. And it's gonna hurt bad.

As long as no announcer says things like "I don't understand why they used a time out at this point.' or "I can tell the play by looking at the formation"

and the boys fight hard for 60 minutes in every game, then I can survive a few losses this year.

 

[vollygirl]

Not speaking to or about anyone in particular. Just in general.

In some ways, this ramping up of expectations (it's really more hope than anything else, IMO) is just one of the rites of summer, not just for UT fans, but for all college football fans. I think it's just important for people to keep in perspective that we were a 5 win team last year who literally lost all it's playmakers, and everyone who remains on the team was recruited by the same imbecile who spent the last three seasons running what was left of the program into the dirt.

To me, if people would just see that this is likely a 5 or 6 win team, then they're very unlikely to be disappointed with the job Jones does the fall, and if by some miracle we beat a team like SC, UF or UGA, then that would just be icing on the cake. Expecting to win those games is just setting yourself up for disappointment and Jones up for failure IMO. You just don't win a lot of hands in poker when you're dealt a non suited 7-2, and that's kind of what Jones is going to be dealing with this fall.

I tried to make this point once that expectations has to meet reality, but apparently it came off as if I said we don't deserve anything cause we're UT. :hmm: Thanks for saying it better than I did.

 

[vollygirl]

As long as no announcer says things like "I don't understand why they used a time out at this point.' or "I can tell the play by looking at the formation"

and the boys fight hard for 60 minutes in every game, then I can survive a few losses this year.

Or "They've got two minutes left, why did they let the clock run out and force overtime?"

 

[hmanvolfan]

Where's my party pooper post?

 

[Bleed-Orange]

awesome priorities here.


laugh at academics but boast about facilities, tradition and a stadium. cause thats gonna get you far in lie.

Academically speaking there are only two things that are statistically proven to be indicators of success and neither is academics or IQ. The first is discipline. The second is emotional intelligence. One piece of EI is social awareness which would mean gauging the audience before you make comments like yours. Just a thought &#128521;

 

[vollygirl]

Where do you come up with 6-6? Vandy beat us like a drum last year and we've gotten worse since then. Do you just count them in the "should win" column because they sucked for years and we used to always beat them? At best, I would say it's a toss up. To me, here's the breakdown...

APU, S. Alabama - 100% chance of a win

UK, WKU - >90% chance of a win

Vandy, Mizzou, Auburn - 50% chance of win

USC, UGA, UF - 20% chance of win

Bama, Oregon - <1% chance of win

Tiny said we're not losing to Vandy. Bank.

 

[bleedorange0037]

Or "They've got two minutes left, why did they let the clock run out and force overtime?"

Last year was a little different because it was a home game that we had dominated. However, I can't lie... there are quite a few games on our schedule this year that I'd be ecstatic if we even made it to overtime, regardless of the circumstances.

 

[W.TN.Orange Blood]

I was really happy we got this kid. Taught me not to get my hopes up. Which falls right in line with this thread. I don't have a clue what went wrong with him. But I hope he has the season of his life this year.

true dat right there.

 

[vollygirl]

Academically speaking there are only two things that are statistically proven to be indicators of success and neither is academics or IQ. The first is discipline. The second is emotional intelligence. One piece of EI is social awareness which would mean gauging the audiences perception before you make comments like yours. Just a thought &#128521;

Your words really don't go with your picture.

 

[Bleed-Orange]

Your words really don't go with your picture.

I read it on a bathroom wall.

 

[bleedorange0037]

Tiny said we're not losing to Vandy. Bank.

Maybe, but this isn't basketball where one player can take over a game. There's about 25 other people who also have to hold up their end of the bargain, and while Tiny is one of the best and will probably do his part, there's going to be a lot of weak links out there on the field with him, particularly on defense.

 

[YankeeVol]

Drink more. It won't hurt as bad.

Best advice

 

[Aesius]

Where do you come up with 6-6? Vandy beat us like a drum last year and we've gotten worse since then.

I like how you only point out UT's attrition and never any other teams'. Fact is, we're still more talented than Vandy. By a pretty large margin. They also lost their RB, QB, and several other important players.

And they only beat us like a drum because the entire team quit, from the coaches down to the players.

Remember when Ole Miss beat us like a drum in 2009, and then we beat them like a drum in 2010? How about UGA in 2009 and 2010? Or USC in the same year?

We have a new competent coach, it's in Neyland, and the players are probably going to be playing for bowl eligibility and revenge. It's a W in my book.

 

[bleedorange0037]

I like how you only point out UT's attrition and never any other teams'. Fact is, we're still more talented than Vandy. By a pretty large margin. They also lost their RB, QB, and several other important players.

And they only beat us like a drum because the entire team quit, from the coaches down to the players.

Remember when Ole Miss beat us like a drum in 2009, and then we beat them like a drum in 2010? How about UGA in 2009 and 2010? Or USC in the same year?

We have a new competent coach, it's in Neyland, and the players are probably going to be playing for bowl eligibility and revenge. It's a W in my book.

People always say this, and I just disagree. Our defense was too bad. I can see how people think the offense (Bray in particular) quit, but I saw a pretty business as usual effort from the defense and I don't think it would have mattered if the offense showed up.

 

[checkerboards09]

I think Butch is gonna take care of business this year. I see either a 7-5 or 8-4 season with UT being in all the losing end battles til the 4th.

 

[KBVol]

I was with you until Palardy...

Hahaha... that's funny

 

[JacketVol]

Maybe, but this isn't basketball where one player can take over a game. There's about 25 other people who also have to hold up their end of the bargain, and while Tiny is one of the best and will probably do his part, there's going to be a lot of weak links out there on the field with him, particularly on defense.

September 22,2012 Final Score: Pandy 48 Georgia 3

My bad...it was Georgia 48-3 OVER Vandy.

UT lost by less than a score.

By the time we got to Vandy game, this team had given up on FOOLS. It is in no way an indication of the true difference between the two team. In no way will anything close to what happened against Vandy last year will happen this year. If it does, then we have the wrong coach. I don't think we do and we will beat Vandy even without CP, Hunter, and Bray. Our QB will not be as young anymore at that point unless a recent injury makes that happen. The point is the Vandy/UT game last year was a joke because this team did not care anymore just like against Kentucky the previous year. With FOOLS gone, they took care of the Cats easily the very next week.

Expect better this year. It would not take much to have better coaching.

:yahoo: :rock2:

:wassup: Butcher is what's up

 

[JacketVol]

People always say this, and I just disagree. Our defense was too bad. I can see how people think the offense (Bray in particular) quit, but I saw a pretty business as usual effort from the defense and I don't think it would have mattered if the offense showed up.

48-3 dang it Vandy sucks and yes they did mail it in dooley was a dead man walking and they did not care


not the same team the next week

 

[DownTheField]

I'm not even thinking about wins and losses. I just want it to be everything it looks like it is.

With regards to "wins and losses" it is, unfortunately as they say, "what it is." So, imo, you are right to mitigate expectations in the W/L column. After all, we do play the toughest schedule in the country.

I'm not sure what you're hoping things to look like, but here's what I am hoping/expecting to see this season come game time:

I hope to see something on our sideline that I've had to watch on other sidelines for far too long. Plainly, I hope to see a coach. A leader on the sideline who exudes confidence and commands (rather than demands) respect. I hope to see the kind of team that responds to such leadership. I expect to see a team that shows no evidence that they've missed out on the post-season for two straight years. A team that plays loose and reflects the confidence of their coach. I am excited to see a team that plays the fourth quarter like it's the last quarter of their football career. I expect to see smart game-day coaching and the smart style of football that comes from it.

Obviously, we all want wins. And my expectations as a fan are very high- the highest. But I'm also smart enough to know that (enough) wins probably can't come this year- no matter who the coach is. And so, for me, the things above imply (in our case) championship football is just around the corner. And when I see these things on game day, I'll be as giddy as a school girl singing Rocky Top.

 

[vollygirl]

Maybe, but this isn't basketball where one player can take over a game. There's about 25 other people who also have to hold up their end of the bargain, and while Tiny is one of the best and will probably do his part, there's going to be a lot of weak links out there on the field with him, particularly on defense.

You're good at doing that "bring me back down to earth thing."

But we're still not losing to Vandy.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Where do you come up with 6-6? Vandy beat us like a drum last year and we've gotten worse since then. Do you just count them in the "should win" column because they sucked for years and we used to always beat them? At best, I would say it's a toss up. To me, here's the breakdown...

APU, S. Alabama - 100% chance of a win

UK, WKU - >90% chance of a win

Vandy, Mizzou, Auburn - 50% chance of win

USC, UGA, UF - 20% chance of win

Bama, Oregon - <1% chance of win

APU
WKU
UK
S.Alabama
Vanderbilt
Mizzou

are wins!! I don't care what happened last year. Like I said, IF we stay relatively healthy there is no reason we don't win these games!! The one toss up IMO is Auburn. I think we have the talent to beat them and it's at home. I just don't know about the "Malzon" factor. He'll need a quality QB in his system for it to work and I just don't think they have that right now. Still, historically we don't play Auburn very well.

 

[Volbackhomefromtx]

I've been thinking this for months now. I understand after the Dooley era that people are grasping at anything they can to feel excited about UT football, but good feelings ultimately lead to greater expectations, and I feel at this point it's a disservice to Jones to heap all those expectations on him. He's been handed a team with a strong offensive line, but no QB, no playmakers at the skill positions and one of the worst defenses in the history of organized football. There's literally no reason IMO for people to think this team should win any more than 6 games, yet you've got people posting on this website that they think UT can win 8-9 games.

As of today, as best I can tell, Jones has hardly set a foot wrong since arriving in Knoxville, yet I'm afraid we're still going to end up with pissed off fans come November, not because Jones did anything wrong, but because he failed to meet the absurd expectations that spiraled out of control when he did all the off the field stuff right during the offseason. He's handled everything within his control masterfully so far, but he has basically no control over the roster full of sub-SEC talent that he'll be going into games with this year, and we'll just have to see how he does with that.

This is exactly right. I will look for team improvement from game to game, player improvement from game to game, and energy and enthusiasm from the entire team until the game is over. As the schedule doesn't progress in toughness but hits a high with Florida and then the crescendo in mid-season. Through all this, I'm looking for consistent improvement and good coaching. It has been a long time since we have been able to say our players have been coached up. If this happens, we should feel good about the year because we know the team we have and the incoming freshman will be Giving Their All For Tennessee. Even the Legacy Team of 2014 will take some time to get acclimated into the system. Let the fans be satisfied with the progress, have those fists up on the third down stops, and get ready for the Rise to The Top. We should pack the stadium for every game. If everything goes right, we will improve throughout the year and win one that no one gave us a chance to win. If this turns out to be more than one, we should be on Cloud 9. The best we can really hope for is to be rewarded at the end of the season with a bowl. Like you, I accepted Year Zero but was devastated by the lack of improvement of Year Three, demoralized by the throwing in of the coaching towel against Mizzou, and sickened by what I witnessed in Music City. I expect Team 117 to Never Say Die. That's all we can ask.

 

[ITSGR82BATNVOL]

I've been thinking this for months now. I understand after the Dooley era that people are grasping at anything they can to feel excited about UT football, but good feelings ultimately lead to greater expectations, and I feel at this point it's a disservice to Jones to heap all those expectations on him. He's been handed a team with a strong offensive line, but no QB, no playmakers at the skill positions and one of the worst defenses in the history of organized football. There's literally no reason IMO for people to think this team should win any more than 6 games, yet you've got people posting on this website that they think UT can win 8-9 games.

As of today, as best I can tell, Jones has hardly set a foot wrong since arriving in Knoxville, yet I'm afraid we're still going to end up with pissed off fans come November, not because Jones did anything wrong, but because he failed to meet the absurd expectations that spiraled out of control when he did all the off the field stuff right during the offseason. He's handled everything within his control masterfully so far, but he has basically no control over the roster full of sub-SEC talent that he'll be going into games with this year, and we'll just have to see how he does with that.

Spot on post. Intelligent fans are with you.