THE SKY IS NOT FALLING

[Golfprovol]

Where did I say Heupel is a failure?

Also Tennessee football and basketball are held to different standards.

Vol football has won national titles before, while the BasketVols have never made a final four.

You did say in 3-5 years if he can't get out of the first round. Seem very similar to getting to the sweet 16 and getting beat every year

 

[camp_steveo]

LOL! Then don’t. Awfully immature for a 55 year old but you be you.

Immature? I spent probably close to a grand on this **** show this weekend.

I am saying I won't be going to anymore road games until the Vols prove they can win on the road against actually good football teams, and that's immature?

I think its stupid to just accept things like this without speaking up. What's the point of the board then?

 

[Golfprovol]

Might be a bit of both.

Considering that one of 3 years we didn't have a qb problem, maybe there's some issues with the coaches evaluation?

These will be answered next year if Nico does or doesn't develop as we hope and anticipate that he does.

Correct, I believe people are too harsh in their comparing 2022 to 2024. Niconcould not process information as fast as Hooker. It slowed down our offense, if we have to go slow, we struggle. Even Hooker struggled in the red zone, because we had to slow down and there wasn't room for Hyatt to take the top.off the defense.

 

[camp_steveo]

My brother in law and I had planned on going to Athens this year. But after the Arky debacle and lackluster play after we decided not to. We both figured we’d get skull dragged. I almost went to Columbus…..

My son and I went to Florida last year. Same ******** in Columbus. Its beyond frustrating, and the fans that don't speak up are part of the problem. That's directed at the ones who are criticizing my comments on here. UT sells a product that only delivers when the competition isn't too stiff. CJH needs to get some dogs on this team ASAP.

 

[Golfprovol]

Immature? I spent probably close to a grand on this **** show this weekend.

I am saying I won't be going to anymore road games until the Vols prove they can win on the road against actually good football teams, and that's immature?

I think its stupid to just accept things like this without speaking up. What's the point of the board then?

If a grand to go to an away game is that big of a deal, probably should not have gone

 

[camp_steveo]

If a grand to go to an away game is that big of a deal, probably should not have gone

Got anymore financial advice?

Maybe you are a billionaire and going on a road trip only to be embarrassed is no big deal to you, but to most middle class Americans who work for a paycheck that **** was inexcusable.

 

[GAV4L]

You did say in 3-5 years if he can't get out of the first round. Seem very similar to getting to the sweet 16 and getting beat every year

Yes, in 3-5 years if Heupel can't get us higher than he has, I think conversations about whether or not we might want to roll the dice could be warranted, but one bad loss against a really talented ohio st team on the road is way premature to have those talks.

To use your example of Rick Barnes, he actually did get fired from Texas for being known as "First Round Rick" despite making the tourney on a regular basis.

It hasn't panned out for them as Shaka Smart wasn't built for that type of job (more of a mid major coach like VCU etc) and Chris Beard was a pos who they had to fire.

There are risks and pitfalls moving on from a good coach to try to find a potentially great or elite coach, and more often than not it fails.

But as I said, we are 3-5 years from seriously even entertaining those discussions.

ETA: I don't really agree that being in the first round of the CFP is akin to being in the Sweet 16 of March Madness. The tournament set ups, field, and the type of sports are way too different to compare them like that.

 

[JohnWardForever]

We got beat by a semi-pro team on Saturday.

OSU is expected to have 16 or 17 players drafted in the next NFL draft which would break the all-time record set around 3 to 4 years ago of 15 by Georgia

Guess what? ALL College football teams are now Semi Pro. The best organized, financed and coached will be at the top. Does this criteria describe Tennessee?

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

The sky remains in place. So does reality. We will know when we've built an SEC championship team. It won't be a mystery, and it will not be unexpected. He who wins the transfer portal and high school recruiting will win the 's. And right now, we're winning neither. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

 

[625 Gibbs Hall]

Josh has got to replace some assistants. Stubbornness to upgrade and let his friends go will cost him in the long run

Exactly. See how that blind loyalty cost Fulmer his job.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

Falling off in recruiting as Saban UGA & Auburn rose up around 2000 cost Tennessee. In the mid 90's we were pulling in major league talent..

 

[Baseball25]

I know for a fact the sky is falling. It hit me in the head!

 

[chrisvannoy]

If Ohio state wins it all and rolls some other teams big along the way, it'll all be forgotten. If they lay an egg next week and get beat bad by Oregon it'll stick around a little longer.

 

[Rocky Top T]

Is the dislike of Banks a racial thing? We've only gotten better each year on defense. His peer group is very impressed with him (Broyles nominee).

No it is Not racial! Never. I love Rodney Gardner and like Inge. If I was a racist you think I would say that?

 

[Rocky Top T]

Far as Banks, we’ve improved every year defensively since he got here. I don’t think he’s elite but he’s pretty good. Adjustments though really suck; that said you can only adjust so much if you don’t have the talent. We have to get better at safety; just do not have the speed there to do much.

I think Banks is not good against really good teams. When he needs to bring pressure he won't. He gets destroyed by good OC

 

[Rocky Top T]

No offense taken. Opinions make all of us wrong a lot.
Yours tend to skew towards pessimism. Mine tend to skew towards optimism. But even then, I try to be objective. For instance, I made a way-too-early prediction that UT would be 7-5 this season.

I predicted 9-3. I enjoy having reasonable conversations with people on here. But many get ugly if you disagree with them. Enjoy the back and forth with you

 

[Golfprovol]

I know for a fact the sky is falling. It hit me in the head!

That was space junk or a drone!!! Lol

 

[Golfprovol]

I think Banks is not good against really good teams. When he needs to bring pressure he won't. He gets destroyed by good OC

Bring pressure requires great cover people. The Pili loss hurt bad! We didn't have more than 2 good cover players....

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

Man this football forum is so doom and gloom right now. Yes we got absolutely embarrassed Saturday night. Yes I was angry at players, coaches, and the world for about 24 hours. But after really taking in the situation and taking a step back I feel like we have had an insanely great season that so many people are taking for granted. People are talking about CJH not being the guy, us never being able to be elite for this reason or that, even contemplating their fandom (which is unfathomable to me) because we just won 10 games and made the CFP but were embarrassed by Ohio State in our worst game of the season by far. Fun fact, Peyton Manning's last game of his Tennessee career, a Vol legend and whom many consider the greatest QB to ever play at UT, was a 42-17 blowout loss to Nebraska. Nico is a redshirt FREASHMAN. But I see many people say how Nico will never be a great player?

Lets breakdown a few of the first seasons for the best QBs in recent Tennessee History shall we?

Peyton Manning (Freshman Year) - 11 games, 61% completion percentage, 1141 Pass Yards, 11 Tds, 6 Ints, -23 yards Rush, 1 Rush Td, 8-4 record

Josh Dobbs (Junior Year) - 13 games, 2291 Pass Yards, 59% Completion Percentage, 15 Pass TDs, 5 Ints, 469 Rush Yards, 8 Rush Tds, 9 - 4 Record (Dobbs had played in 10 games for UT at this point and ended the previous year as the starter)

Hendon Hooker (Sophomore at VT) - 11 games, 61% completion percentage 1555 Pass yards, 13 Pass Tds, 2 Ints, 356 rush yards, 5 Rush Tds, 8 - 5 Record

Nico Iamaleava (Redshirt Freshman) - 13 games, 2616 pass yards, 63.8% completion percentage, 19 tds, 5 ints, 358 Rush yards, 3 Tds, 10 - 3 Record (Yes I get the Defense was awesome this year at times for him)

Now lets check out how Coach Josh Heupel Compares in his first 4 seasons versus some of UT's Best in their first 4 seasons.

Phillip Fulmer - 1992: 4 -4, 1993: 9 - 2, 1994: 8 - 4, 1995: 11 - 1

Johnny Majors - 1977: 4 - 7, 1978: 5 -5. 1979: 7 - 5, 1980: 5 - 6

Josh Heupel - 2021: 7 - 6, 2022: 11 - 2, 2023: 9 - 4, 2024 10 - 3 - All while being under pretty insane NCAA sanctions that greatly restricted his recruiting especially in the first two seasons of his tenure

We are also still under those sanctions till 2028 although most of the impact was already dealt with in 2021 and 2022.

Josh Heupels 2022 recruiting class with Nico was also Tennessee's First Top Ten class since 2015. LET ALL THAT SINK IN.

Was the Ohio State game a huge disappointment? Yes. Did the defense have one of their worst games of the year? Yes. Did the team have one of their worst games of the year? Yes.

But we were without our best player Dylan Sampson, with less athleticism, coming off stretch where our first top ten class in 7 years is just now at the most sophomores and we have been hampered in recruiting, on the road, at night, against a really good team despite the Michigan loss. They played really good and we played really really bad. There is a talent gap imo and there is a money gap. We undoubtably have to spend more in NIL I agree. But also these powerhouse programs take time to build and we need to stack recruiting classes together. Other programs like LSU spent about the same as OSU did in NIL as well but had way worse of a season so is that really the issue? I think only time will tell. We aren't there but we are close and if you take a step back and look at the numbers we actually might be in the best position statistically we ever have been, outside of the General of course. So no the sky is not falling and Josh Heupel has this program in an incredible spot right now with some serious dudes coming in down the line. It wasn't the ending we all wanted but at the end of the day. I didn't expect to win a national championship this year, but my goal for the team was for them to make the playoffs and we even beat Bama and Florida in the process. HELL OF A SEASON in my opinion and Nico and the boys will only get better! There is a BRIGHT future on Rocky Top so cheer up and enjoy the great years to come! GO BIG ORANGE!

Fulmer was 4-0 his first year. It’s hard to take you seriously after reading that because you don’t seem to know the basic facts, let alone any context.

 

[08Vol]

********. Michigan ain't vastly better and they beat OSU but the Vols look like a high school team out there.

That's coping. I ain't buying it.

Michigan has 2 D linemen that are projected 1st round picks. And at least 3 other defensive players that are expected to be drafted. Only defender on the Vols that is guaranteed to go in the first 3 rounds is Pierce Jr. Either this coaching staff isn’t bringing in potential NFL level talent or they aren’t developing it when they get here.

 

[camp_steveo]

Michigan has 2 D linemen that are projected 1st round picks. And at least 3 other defensive players that are expected to be drafted. Only defender on the Vols that is guaranteed to go in the first 3 rounds is Pierce Jr. Either this coaching staff isn’t bringing in potential NFL level talent or they aren’t developing it when they get here.

I ain't calling for heads to roll, but I certainly expect the coaches to find some dogs that will light a fire under the team.

 

[dphil5163]

I don’t like how it ended but I’m satisfied with the season. Continued overall improvement with a freshman qb. People bitch too much.

 

[Werdna]

I ain't buying no excuses.

A lot of hard working Tennessee football fans paid hard earned money to watch the Vols lay down, roll over, and beg for a belly rub.

GTFO if you think people will ever load up and travel for that **** ever again. Not until the Vols beat Alabama, Florida, and Georgia on the road.

Not until they win some big road games. I won't be traveling to get embarrassed by a team that lays down with no fight.

I am going on 55 years and I have been a die hard my whole life. I always will be, but no way I will spend money on that ****.

Then you are not a die hard fan

 

[DaddyChad]

I ain't buying no excuses.

A lot of hard working Tennessee football fans paid hard earned money to watch the Vols lay down, roll over, and beg for a belly rub.

GTFO if you think people will ever load up and travel for that **** ever again. Not until the Vols beat Alabama, Florida, and Georgia on the road.

Not until they win some big road games. I won't be traveling to get embarrassed by a team that lays down with no fight.

I am going on 55 years and I have been a die hard my whole life. I always will be, but no way I will spend money on that ****.

Some still will be happy to travel from time to time.

 

[camp_steveo]

Then you are not a die hard fan

That's your opinion. I love the Vols but I am not driving hours and spending hundreds or even more just to get embarrassed.

Road trips are a luxury for most people, so your definition of a die hard isn't realistic. Only people who are willing to travel when the team has consistently lost big road games, often blow outs, are die hard?

No, I am willing to travel and pay exorbitant prices, but not if the team doesn't give two ***** about the outcome.

CJH needs to get some dogs that fight. That's what I think the problem is at the moment. No fight in the dog. Deer in the headlights the other night.

The game was lost after the first touchdown. Everyone there could see it. A little glimmer of hope in the 2nd, but nothing out of the half. Just a total disappointment.

I'm a die hard. Just not a dumb ass.