The sky isn’t falling… OSU is just that good.

[Unconditional Surrender]

Worse? Sorry. Don't know a lot about this new math you're throwing at me.

41-21 vs 42-17?

Eh...Ohio State let off the accelerator in both games, but especially the Oregon game after going up 34-0. It is really impossible to compare them, except for the fact that one was an away game and one a neutral field.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

OSU DID beat us that bad! What are you talking about? (Did you mean Oregon?)

I hit the O instead of the P. I meant Penn State

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

If you think the effort by the team against OSU was up to standard, then you're using Butch Jones level standards.

This is kind of what I’m talking about. OSU had like four things going for them. They looked very talented, well coached, very fast, and very pissed off. In fact, I think they still looked pissed off a week later, and it lasted for about a half of the Oregon game. After that, they came back down to Earth a bit. But when we saw them, they were obviously deeply frustrated about the Michigan thing, and they looked absolutely shot out of a cannon. They had years of high-level success, an expensive roster, and deep benches to act as the foundation for their furious play. I don’t think anybody was going to hang with that team on that day. Tennessee can get there, but we need to grind a bit, keep building our foundation, and be a little bit smarter when we’re obviously about to run into a buzz saw. I’m guessing Heupel will figure it out.

Words of wisdom from the Sheik.

Listen up you young whippersnappers. The Sheik and I spent 12+ years wandering lost in a desert

Bro, you made me panic a little. I thought someone had put together my IRL identity, which is nothing special, but I’d nevertheless prefer to fly under radar.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

It doesn't feel that way to me anymore SY (love your name BTW! Zappa is a musical hero of mine!). I think our record last season has given a lot of people a false view of the actual quality of this team. It reminds me of that one season Richt had at Miami when they won 10 games, but struggled in most of them, winning by very slim margins. Then the very next season they tanked. Programs on the come-up do not lose entire position groups to the portal. Programs on the come-up don't fail to develop a single offensive lineman out of high school in 4 years. Programs on the come-up don't play so undisciplined and make so many stupid, unnecessary mistakes. I'm telling you, we need to brace ourselves because 2025 is going to be a very underwhelming year for the Vols.

You could be right, but you’re judging this team against a history of CFB that was very different. Even if 2025 is a step back in terms of wins, I wouldn’t be phased. Every mountain I ever climbed had some false summits and downhill segments on the way up.

 

[sami]

The game today changes absolutely nothing in terms of my concerns for OUR program! I don't give a rip that OSU throttled Oregon. I only care that they throttled us like we didn't belong (and we didnt) and what CJH and staff plan to do to narrow that wide of a talent gap. Feeling better about ourselves just because Oregon got whipped too is a simp mentality.

Damn, you guys will never let up, will you? It's not a matter of "feeling better about ourselves", it's just an understanding that no one is going to touch a group that talented and that motivated this year - no one.

Oregon was the unbeaten #1 who had already beaten OSU, and was down 34-0 in the 2nd quarter in a neutral site. We got hit early, but fought back to make it a game at the half, and were down two receivers and our primary offensive weapon against a juggernaut, at night, at their place. Disappointing loss? Absolutely. But proving that "we didn't belong"? That's an asinine take, and if you believe that then it must be stated then that Oregon didn't belong, either.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

You could be right, but you’re judging this team against a history of CFB that was very different. Even if 2025 is a step back in terms of wins, I wouldn’t be phased. Every mountain I ever climbed had some false summits and downhill segments on the way up.

Depends on what you mean by step back. If we finish 8-4 or 9-3 this season, then I would view it as a step back. If we finish 7-5 or 6-6, then that's a problem that CJH would HAVE to address and incidentally, I believe 7-5 is a very real possibility.

 

[sami]

Worse? Sorry. Don't know a lot about this new math you're throwing at me.

41-21 vs 42-17?

34-0 midway through the 2nd quarter. At a neutral site. Game over.

We were down 21-10 at the half and getting the ball starting the 3rd quarter, without our primary offensive weapon and down two WR's. At night, at their place.

Yeah, they beat us, but looking at the final score differential without putting the games in context is a pretty pathetic way of making whatever point it is you're attempting to make.

 

[Batman1948]

Crickets from the over reactors. While our performance wasn’t as good as it could have been, when Ohio State is rolling they have the most talent of anybody this year.

The best gauge is the number of their players that will be in the NFL draft

 

[Batman1948]

34-0 midway through the 2nd quarter. At a neutral site. Game over.

We were down 21-10 at the half and getting the ball starting the 3rd quarter, without our primary offensive weapon and down two WR's. At night, at their place.

Yeah, they beat us, but looking at the final score differential without putting the games in context is a pretty pathetic way of making whatever point it is you're attempting to make.

Just watch the different type of spin they post now. They have to justify their earlier posts

 

[Batman1948]

Losing to Michigan might be the best thing that happened to them.

Notre Dame will say the same thing about that disaster loss they had at the beginning of the season

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Damn, you guys will never let up, will you? It's not a matter of "feeling better about ourselves", it's just an understanding that no one is going to touch a group that talented and that motivated this year - no one.

Oregon was the unbeaten #1 who had already beaten OSU, and was down 34-0 in the 2nd quarter in a neutral site. We got hit early, but fought back to make it a game at the half, and were down two receivers and our primary offensive weapon against a juggernaut, at night, at their place. Disappointing loss? Absolutely. But proving that "we didn't belong"? That's an asinine take, and if you believe that then it must be stated then that Oregon didn't belong, either.

Let me ask you a question. If CJH and his staff are worth a damn, do you honestly think they're sitting back this morning and saying "well we sure do feel better about ourselves now that OSU took Oregon to the woodshed!" No, they're still pissed about OSU taking US to the woodshed and working tirelessly to hold each other accountable, make this team better, and narrow that gap! So what's wrong with we as fans having that same mentality?

 

[Batman1948]

I think they threw that Michigan game to avoid the conference championship. No way they go from lazily running up the middle every play into the Michigan buzzsaw to this dynamic offense just because a loss "got them fired up". It's too big of a gap

That would never happen---the hate between OSU and Michigan cannot be explained. Those fans are still pissed that they have lost to Michigan 4 years in a row. That game will get a coach fired

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

You're acting like he's Randy Moss or Jerry Rice lmao

I'm not.

 

[Orangecrush#27]

Ohio state was starting with a better team than most. That team is top three almost every year recruiting. They have elite talent everywhere, where they didn’t they went out and bought it in the portal. Talent gap has to be wide for Day to win. He has two of the best coordinators in the country, elite talent in every position and still manages to crap the bed plenty.

1000x on the first part. Osu has way more scholarship players than Tn does. Add in the fact they’ve been a Top 10 team the last 20 seasons , compared to tn hovering around the top 10 the last. 3 seasons.. It’s a marathon ppl not a sprint.

 

[GVF]

And we played them at their place.

After we gave them plenty of ammo.

 

[GVF]

Damn, you guys will never let up, will you? It's not a matter of "feeling better about ourselves", it's just an understanding that no one is going to touch a group that talented and that motivated this year - no one.

Oregon was the unbeaten #1 who had already beaten OSU, and was down 34-0 in the 2nd quarter in a neutral site. We got hit early, but fought back to make it a game at the half, and were down two receivers and our primary offensive weapon against a juggernaut, at night, at their place. Disappointing loss? Absolutely. But proving that "we didn't belong"? That's an asinine take, and if you believe that then it must be stated then that Oregon didn't belong, either.

Let's face it, UT was going no where in that OSU game with Sampson on the sidelines. It was a game of attrtion that we lost out on by half time. THe peronnel we needed to win were all side lined, and some of those prob wouldn't have mattered (WR's) if they were in the game. And the ones that were dropped wide open TD passes. We had a chance and came up short. I still think we could beat OSU, just not that particular game. They were avenging an embarassing loss, and we were limping. It is what it is. That being said I still contend Nico made no significant improvement this year. I get the WR's were largely absent all year, but his completion rate never left the low 60's as a whole. Say what you will about Banks as DC, but if not for him it would have been a dismal season.

 

[JBVolunteer]

Think we will look back in awe at how loaded this OSU team was after these player’s have cemented their NFL careers.

Possibly the most loaded team I’ve seen since that 2001 Miami team.

 

[northknoxvol]

How the heck did Michigan Beat them?

 

[volbound1700]

How the heck did Michigan Beat them?

The same way we lost to Arkansas, they played like crap which is what happens in CFB.

 

[volbound1700]

I will FEEL better about ourselves when we have a WR room again.

The sky is FALLING not because of the loss to Ohio State but because of the lack of offensive output most of the 2024 season and the turnover of the entire WR room with no viable options for next year. Who is Nico going to throw to?

We also lose a lot of other output in other areas such as Dylan Sampson at Tailback, Cooper Mays at Center, and most our Defensive Line. 2025 is looking really rough right now and I am concerned.

 

[rocketskates]

If you're just going by score.......they were down 34-0 late in the first half. OSU played soft in the 2nd half. We were down 21-10 with the ball at the start of the 2nd half.

Not to mention OSU threw in a garbage time touchdown at the end of the game against us, and Oregon put in a garbage time TD yesterday to make it appear closer. OSU thoroughly dominated both Oregon and us. They are firing on all cylinders and I think they're gonna win it all.

 

[rocketskates]

Damn, you guys will never let up, will you? It's not a matter of "feeling better about ourselves", it's just an understanding that no one is going to touch a group that talented and that motivated this year - no one.

Oregon was the unbeaten #1 who had already beaten OSU, and was down 34-0 in the 2nd quarter in a neutral site. We got hit early, but fought back to make it a game at the half, and were down two receivers and our primary offensive weapon against a juggernaut, at night, at their place. Disappointing loss? Absolutely. But proving that "we didn't belong"? That's an asinine take, and if you believe that then it must be stated then that Oregon didn't belong, either.

Small detail as well, but the game started to shift big time with the facemask penalty on OSU's first drive. You get a big sack there on their first drive, you get the ball, all of a sudden you're feeling pretty good about yourself. Not saying in any way that this was "the game", but it was pretty significant in terms of momentum as they scored two plays later.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

Oregon getting walked does not change our reality in anyway. But reaching out for any straw is an obvious move when one is drowning. The real winners laugh heartily at what this thread implies....

 

[sami]

Let me ask you a question. If CJH and his staff are worth a damn, do you honestly think they're sitting back this morning and saying "well we sure do feel better about ourselves now that OSU took Oregon to the woodshed!" No, they're still pissed about OSU taking US to the woodshed and working tirelessly to hold each other accountable, make this team better, and narrow that gap! So what's wrong with we as fans having that same mentality?

Did you even read my post? I said this has nothing to do with "feeling better about ourselves". Ohio State was the better team this year - period.

I don't think anyone aside from complete idiots believe that CJH & Co. are sitting back and content because Oregon got their asses kicked. Working tirelessly and productively to be better in every way is a completely different thing than pissing and moaning about cleaning house, questioning the effort of players, and calling a 10-2 season where you made the playoff anything but successful.

 

[sami]

Eh...Ohio State let off the accelerator in both games, but especially the Oregon game after going up 34-0. It is really impossible to compare them, except for the fact that one was an away game and one a neutral field.

Disagree. We were down 21-10 and getting the ball first in the second half at their place at night. Oregon was down 34-0 midway through the second quarter at a neutral site. Both were blowouts, but OSU had to actually play in the second half against us, while they went into the football version of the 'four corners' yesterday.