The fact that people are criticizing us for being "classless" is a sign we are elite

[ConantheVolbarian]

And I'm loving it! By the way, what did we do that was classless? We scored 6 points in the 2nd half and played a lot of people. Trying an onside kick wasn't classless. Teams schedule this sort of game so they can work on stuff.

 

[OrangeTsar]

And I'm loving it! By the way, what did we do that was classless? We scored 6 points in the 2nd half and played a lot of people. Trying an onside kick wasn't classless. Teams schedule this sort of game so they can work on stuff.

And we started pulling starters early in the second quarter. Our second string was just that much better than their starter.

 

[09dunbar]

Haters gonna hate. A lot of SEC teams struggled yesterday. If coach is going to preach nameless, faceless opponents, with score being 0-0, he has to show he is practicing what he preaches.

Kent State seems to be the on who declined the running clock.

 

[87&91ALUM]

My dad and mom always said you can tell a lot about people by what they say about other people. Folks need to look in the mirror. Our problems today have less to do with the average Joes and more the elite Karens.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Haters gonna hate. A lot of SEC teams struggled yesterday. If coach is going to preach nameless, faceless opponents, with score being 0-0, he has to show he is practicing what he preaches.

Kent State seems to be the on who declined the running clock.

A lot of respect to the Kent state coach for turning it down. Matched by respect for Heupel for not embarrassing his opponent further in that second half.

 

[CNCVol88]

And I'm loving it! By the way, what did we do that was classless? We scored 6 points in the 2nd half and played a lot of people. Trying an onside kick wasn't classless. Teams schedule this sort of game so they can work on stuff.

I accept our role as Villains of college sports

 

[WillisWG]

they need to pull their heads out of their backside

 

[StuckInBamaVol]

One man who was proud of the onside kick.

 

[Go Fight Win]

It’s never classless with Kiffin lets his QB throw for 600 and 6 and get the 70 burger only when we do. I wonder why? Perhaps because OM has no fan base to rile up and espn knows they can get free clicks from us? Idk but I hope we beat every team so bad they call us classless for a decade

 

[J C Higgins]

Whether justified or not this reaction was 100% predictable.
You have to look at it from the other person’s point of view.

Few, including me, saw the event in it’s entirety or only heard about it and didn’t know the situation as later explained.
If Big Team U was leading 50 point underdog, Small Team State, by 30 points in the first quarter on track to win by more than 120 points and they executed an onside kick I guarantee you there would be an outcry that BTU was running up the score.

 

[m1al]

Ignore that crap. Jealousy and envy make for sour attitudes. I'm no coach, but with UO next week, I would play my starters and run my offense/defense wide open the entire first half, minimum, regardless of the score. The same mentality would apply to those lower on the depth chart, full playbook and wide open.

The players/team need to keep their edge and that doesn't happen by easing up to early on an opponent.

My $.02.....

 

[m1al]

I meant "OU"...

 

[overseasorange2]

OK.....now ask me if I care

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

I kinda think we need to beat somebody we aren’t supposed to before we use a word like elite.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Look, fans of other teams are going to criticize us no matter what. If we're weak, they'll criticize us for being weak. If we're strong, they'll find a way to criticize us for being strong (like whining about an onside kick even when it was appropriate).

Just as we criticize all our rivals, nearly constantly.

There's always a good reason to criticize the other guy. So don't worry about when they do it to us.

I kinda think we need to beat somebody we aren’t supposed to before we use a word like elite.

You could wait forever for that to happen.

Because we're now "supposed to beat" Oklahoma, according to Vegas. And by the time we get to the TSIO, we may be "supposed to beat" Bama. And if UGa keeps that crap up they did yesterday, we may be "supposed to beat" them by the time we all get to November.

So this is a bad metric to apply.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure we're playing at an elite level right now. I trust my eyes, CBO, even if you're not ready to trust yours. Yes, the yardstick used each week to measure ourselves is a different length than the one before, but it's not ALL relative--there are absolutes visible among it all. Like discipline, and cohesion, and raw speed, strength, agility, talent. If you see those, you start to see the truth in spite of constantly-varying opponents.

Go Vols!

 

[DonDiego]

And I'm loving it! By the way, what did we do that was classless? We scored 6 points in the 2nd half and played a lot of people. Trying an onside kick wasn't classless. Teams schedule this sort of game so they can work on stuff.

This ^...what kind of moron accuses a team of running up the score when that team scores 65 points in the first half and only 6 in the second? And those 6 were to mainly give our freshman kicker more experience. We freaking played our 5th string QB! Could have easily hung 100 on them. I think coach showed the very picture of class.

 

[TnVol!]

Jealousy and wishing it was there team. No tears here.

 

[McDad]

Criticism is far better than condescending condolences and faux encouragement we got in the Dooley to Pruitt years. I remember the "friendly" pats on the back and the empty platitudes uttered through smug expressions.

Let. All. Criticize.

What is best in life?
"To crush your enemies. See them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of their women".

 

[farmdogvol]

The announcers had no problem with it. The coaching staff definitely had scouted Kent St. Hart said that CJH has mentioned an inside kick around the 3rd kickoff. Kent St had the worst kick return set up I've every seen. I'm surprised that everybody they play doesn't try one. The hole was huge, as they pointed out.

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

I kinda think we need to beat somebody we aren’t supposed to before we use a word like elite.

Uh, why? Just look at the college football landscape this year. A lot of the top ranked teams have struggled against lower tier teams so far. Has anyone else been as dominant as we have on both sides of the ball? I haven't seen anybody else as consistently dominant as us this year yet. So yes, elite is a fitting word for us. When you're averaging over 50 points a game and the defense hasn't given up a touchdown you are elite.

 

[VolFanatic27]

I accept our role as Villains of college sports

I relish it. After a decade of pity and derision, hatred is like the first sip of cold beer on a hot day.

 

[jerrync]

The announcers had no problem with it. The coaching staff definitely had scouted Kent St. Hart said that CJH has mentioned an inside kick around the 3rd kickoff. Kent St had the worst kick return set up I've every seen. I'm surprised that everybody they play doesn't try one. The hole was huge, as they pointed out.

It is a learning experience for their coaches!

 

[FranklinVFL]

 

[northknoxvol]

We will find out a lot more about our team in Oklahoma. Not had any competition so far.

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

This is all subjective so in my opinion, elite implies a program that is consistently in major conference title contention. See Alabama and Georgia. For this season, the Vols look like they can compete with anyone. I hope and think we are on the right path to “elite”.