There is no lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball

#1
Nashvol2

Nashvol2

Vol For Lifer
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#1
Assuming this is our starting line-up, we have a decently talented offensive team. I know alot of folks don't like to look at the stars but it can give you an overall indication of talent. These are the ratings per Rivals.

Offense

QB- Worley 3* 5.6
RB- Neal/ Lane 4* 5.8 / 4* 5.8
FB/TE: Justin King/Brendan Downs 4* 5.8 / *3 5.6
WR- Croom 4* 5.8
WR- North 4* 6.0
WR- Young 3* 5.5
OT- Tiny 4* 5.9
OT- James 4* 5.9
OG- Fulton 3* 5.7
OG- Jackson 4* 5.8
OC- Stone *4 5.8


There's enough talent to win on this side of the ball. I think it's just a matter of finding playmakers. I think Neal, Lane, and Hill will move the chains behind this offensive line.
 
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#3
#3
EaglesVols91 said:
It's the lack of experience that everyone is worried about.
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I'll concede that there is some question marks around game experience but there's been times where it was worse in the last 5 years. Obviously WR is a huge concern and QB is up in the air but I have to believe that somebody emerges from the group at and takes advantage of the situation.
 
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#4
#4
Looks like a lower division SEC team to me.

It would be wise for us not to get our expectations up. There aren't enough winnable games on the schedule for us to end up with a record we will be very happy with and Butch is having to rebuild the team from the bottom up.

We have one year with a good offensive line before they all graduate or move on to the pros and we don't have the skill position talent and experience to exploit that one area where we have an advantage.

Butch has his work cut out for him.
 
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#5
#5
I completely agree that we shouldn't get our hopes too high. I think we get 6 maybe 7 wins but there's enough clay in this group that cbj and company may be able to mold.
 
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#6
#6
Voluble2 said:
Looks like a lower division SEC team to me.

It would be wise for us not to get our expectations up. There aren't enough winnable games on the schedule for us to end up with a record we will be very happy with and Butch is having to rebuild the team from the bottom up.

We have one year with a good offensive line before they all graduate or move on to the pros and we don't have the skill position talent and experience to exploit that one area where we have an advantage.

Butch has his work cut out for him.
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Sure there are.

Merely by having a coach not named Derek Dooley we are seriously closer to competing against the teams that beat us last year. I can't see Butch losing to Missouri or Vanderbilt (in Knoxville), and Auburn isn't scary, either.
 
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#7
#7
rockytop9808 said:
Sure there are.

Merely by having a coach not named Derek Dooley we are seriously closer to competing against the teams that beat us last year. I can't see Butch losing to Missouri or Vanderbilt (in Knoxville), and Auburn isn't scary, either.
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Exactly what im saying. I thing we have enough on offense to take care of business if things go right against a South Carolina or Auburn and I think we are definitely more talented than Mizzou.
 
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#8
#8
Talent wins and CBJ is doing that but to think 8 or more wins is even possible is flat out ignorant
 
#10
#10
The SEC has great talent on defense... I don't see anyone so far emerging or showed flashes at the skill positions that is considered a difference maker.
 
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#12
#12
volfanhill said:
Talent wins and CBJ is doing that but to think 8 or more wins is even possible is flat out ignorant
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I see at least 3 non conference wins and 3 SEC wins (vandy, uk, mizzou) so that's 6 wins. Here are other potential wins:

Oregon. New coach
South Carolina. Almost beat them last year
Georgia. Always a winnable game.

So there are 9 potential wins. Ga and scar are in Knoxville so I definitely see 8 wins as a possibility.

That doesn't mean I demand 8 wins but I wouldn't be surprised. Its not all about pure talent, and I believe we now have a coaching advantage.
 
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#13
#13
Nashvol2 said:
Assuming this is our starting line-up, we have a decently talented offensive team. I know alot of folks don't like to look at the stars but it can give you an overall indication of talent. These are the ratings per Rivals.

Offense

QB- Worley 3* 5.6
RB- Neal/ Lane 4* 5.8
FB/TE: Justin King/Brendan Downs 4* 5.8 / *3 5.6
WR- Croom 4* 5.8
WR- North 4* 6.0
WR- Young 3* 5.5
OT- Tiny 4* 5.9
OT- James 4* 5.9
OG- Fulton 3* 5.7
OG- Jackson 4* 5.8
OC- Stone *4 5.8


There's enough talent to win on this side of the ball. I think it's just a matter of finding playmakers. I think Neal, Lane, and Hill will move the chains behind this offensive line.
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Experience is the problem here. Obviously the offensive line will be the strong point. Qb is a huge question with very minimal experience and running a new offense. Neal and lane get the job done but we need better rbs. Hopefully they are coming next year. Wide receiver/te is where our problem is. Croom and north have huge upside but they are still inexperienced and nowbyou can throw everything out that croom learned in practice last year. With all this being said if we can improve all year on O and our defense is a lot better as I'm expecting, I think we have a shot at 7-5. I just want to see improvement this year from startvto finish. I never felt like we improved the last 3 years.
 
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#14
#14
Nashvol2 said:
I'll concede that there is some question marks around game experience but there's been times where it was worse in the last 5 years. Obviously WR is a huge concern and QB is up in the air but I have to believe that somebody emerges from the group at and takes advantage of the situation.
Click to expand...

Downplaying the very concerns you point out yourself is pretty problematic. If we can't get some consistent production from the QB position (this with WR being a "huge concern") we are in real trouble. Results remain to be seen but downplaying QB/WR concerns on an offense is rather like downplaying concerns about the engine and steering on a car.
 
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#15
#15
rocky top buzz said:
I see at least 3 non conference wins and 3 SEC wins (vandy, uk, mizzou) so that's 6 wins. Here are other potential wins:

Oregon. New coach
South Carolina. Almost beat them last year
Georgia. Always a winnable game.

So there are 9 potential wins. Ga and scar are in Knoxville so I definitely see 8 wins as a possibility.

That doesn't mean I demand 8 wins but I wouldn't be surprised. Its not all about pure talent, and I believe we now have a coaching advantage.
Click to expand...

Oregon promoted their OC. They will be sickly talented. Less than 2% chance Vols get a win their. GA has a ton of talent back , especially on offense. SC will be very good this year. Pretty good chance this will all 3 be in the " L" column this coming season barring a few miracles.
 
#16
#16
Honestly, so many of the games this year could go either way. As much as I hate to say it, it's very possible that Vandy could come in here and pull out the W. SC is a toss-up, Stoops with UK might be dangerous, same with Gus at Auburn.
 
#18
#18
At this point Western Ky could come here and win. Our QB play is nowhere close to being where it should. I'm hoping for 6 and a bowl game.
 
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#19
#19
rocky top buzz said:
I see at least 3 non conference wins and 3 SEC wins (vandy, uk, mizzou) so that's 6 wins. Here are other potential wins:

Oregon. New coach
South Carolina. Almost beat them last year
Georgia. Always a winnable game.

So there are 9 potential wins. Ga and scar are in Knoxville so I definitely see 8 wins as a possibility.

That doesn't mean I demand 8 wins but I wouldn't be surprised. Its not all about pure talent, and I believe we now have a coaching advantage.
Click to expand...

I've seen this sort of talk a lot lately and I'm not picking on you but I'm gonna use your post to highlight areas where I believe Vol fans err on the side of seeing only the positives.

Oregon is winnable?
- Is Marcus Mariota gone? He was a Heisman candidate at one point last season. Their new coach was also their OC for the last 3yrs. So what if thier offensive production drops 7-10pts per game. They averaged 50 something pts/gm last year. Every game against the Ducks is a shootout. With Bray, Patterson, Hunter, & Rivera gone how can anyone reasonbly predict that we have the bullets to hang in such a contest. Again, I'm all for optimism but I just think it should be tempered with the facts. You don't walk into Outzen with an unproven QB, WR's, RB's, no pass rush, questionable CB's and leave with a W. It just doesn't happen.

South Carolina?
Of the three you listed I actually think this one is at least plausable however last year's game was close due in large part to Bray, Hunter, Rivera, Z.Rogers, & Patterson. Until I see anybody in class 117 with their levels of production I think the edge has to stay with USC.

Georgia?
We haven't beaten them since Lane was in K'ville and they've out-recruited us annualy. Their "Dream Team" recruits should begin to see the field with more regularity this year. Again, with the exception of the O-line we don't currently line up talent wise with UGA, UF, Bama, LSU, and ATM.


Coach Jones = X-Factor
I do believe Jones is a much better coach and motivator than Dooley. From what I've seen so far, I at least think he's qualified to be here, unlike Dooley. Can Jones coach up the team to perhaps win a game that (on paper) it shouldn't? It's possible but I don't know that people should leap to the conclusion that it's probable. Make no mistake, this schedule is brutal. Bama would do well to go 10-2 with our schedule yet somehow folks think we could go 8-4 with it when we haven't won 8-games since 2007? Sorry but right now we're more than 2 games worse than Bama. 6-6 this year is a decent season. 7-5 and I KNOW we've got the right guy. This rebuild is gonna take time and I'm prepared to give it to Jones. Building up unrealistic expectations imo is kinda setting Jones up to fail. :twocents:
 
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#21
#21
I like North long term as much as anyone, but you're pencilling in a guy who has been a high school QB, and is very raw as a WR as a starter when he isn't even on campus yet and hasn't had 1 practice?

North will be good, but it will be a slow process and he may play very little this year. Jenkins is the better mid summer enrollee, because he's more polished as a WR. North just has a ton more upside
 
#22
#22
Wins against UK, Vandy, Missouri, Auburn, Austin Peay, WKU, S.AL would result in a season better than Dooley ever achieved. I think that might actually equal Dooley's career SEC win total. :dunno:

I stand by the notion that 7-5 would be a great season. 8-4 is approaching coach of the year territory b/c it would most likely mean that we were 5-3 in conference.
 
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#23
#23
bigdaddy said:
At this point Western Ky could come here and win. Our QB play is nowhere close to being where it should. I'm hoping for 6 and a bowl game.
Click to expand...

At this point, all of our offensive playmakers are on the sidelines. Also, would WKy get to play touch football with our QBs?

We know nothing about our O, based on the O&W game.
 
#24
#24
Voldemonium said:
Wins against UK, Vandy, Missouri, Auburn, Austin Peay, WKU, S.AL would result in a season better than Dooley ever achieved. I think that might actually equal Dooley's career SEC win total. :dunno:

I stand by the notion that 7-5 would be a great season. 8-4 is approaching coach of the year territory b/c it would most likely mean that we were 5-3 in conference.
Click to expand...

Well... CBJ has won conf COY before. LOL
 
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#25
#25
Why do people put so much salt into stars?

Stargazing has worked out pretty good for teams like Bama, LSU, and UF. Obviously there are teams such as Va Tech and even Oregon to a degree, that are not loaded with 4 and 5 stars, and have played for NCs. And have been decisively beaten for the NC by the teams loaded with stars. Good coaching and passion will get you only so far, but if you want to play for all the marbles you better have a roster full of stars.
 
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