This game tells it all!!!

[LBKvol]

If we lose to this Florida team all playoff hopes and dreams are absolutely demolished. Plain and simple. We have went into this game way more undermanned and not as talented. Right now I think we are playing scared and won’t take shots deep and actually spread the defense out. You can say the run game success makes that more of an option but I think it works vice versa. Play calling seems vanilla and the little screen crap when they make big plays on defense seem to get the other team fired up. This team is fully capable and better than Arkansas and who they were last week. It sucked to lose that game and trust me Nico pissed me off looking like Milton running out of bounds but I think our receivers aren’t doing their part either. I’m not sold on Brazzell and think he is mediocre at best and would rather Matthews get a shot. Blessed to have our d line and is the best in the nation as far as depth but secondary is underwhelming. All that can change when playing at home with Volnatin at your back. Got to find out how to win on the road but if we lose this then it’s over. Can only afford to win out and split the Georgia/Alabama games. We are capable but let’s see if we can make it happen. I still believe but gotta change some things and take shots

 

[njvols]

If we lose to this Florida team all playoff hopes and dreams are absolutely demolished. Plain and simple. We have went into this game way more undermanned and not as talented. Right now I think we are playing scared and won’t take shots deep and actually spread the defense out. You can say the run game success makes that more of an option but I think it works vice versa. Play calling seems vanilla and the little screen crap when they make big plays on defense seem to get the other team fired up. This team is fully capable and better than Arkansas and who they were last week. It sucked to lose that game and trust me Nico pissed me off looking like Milton running out of bounds but I think our receivers aren’t doing their part either. I’m not sold on Brazzell and think he is mediocre at best and would rather Matthews get a shot. Blessed to have our d line and is the best in the nation as far as depth but secondary is underwhelming. All that can change when playing at home with Volnatin at your back. Got to find out how to win on the road but if we lose this then it’s over. Can only afford to win out and split the Georgia/Alabama games. We are capable but let’s see if we can make it happen. I still believe but gotta change some things and take shots

Hoping JH learned that playing conservative ball works for some situations, but not others. You don't have to pivot totally. We are a good team, or can be but penalties and lack of being aggressive will bite us again if we're not careful

 

[Chad F]

I don’t see us making the playoffs. I haven’t seen anything to believe that we’ll beat Alabama or Georgia. Had we defeated Arkansas, we could have lost both of those games in competitive fashion and had a great chance to get in. As a 3-loss (at minimum) team, we won’t be in the mix. Heck, the Kentucky game looks like a tough one to win at this point.

 

[Remy]

I don’t see us making the playoffs. I haven’t seen anything to believe that we’ll beat Alabama or Georgia. Had we defeated Arkansas, we could have lost both of those games in competitive fashion and had a great chance to get in. As a 3-loss (at minimum) team, we won’t be in the mix. Heck, the Kentucky game looks like a tough one to win at this point.

Bama defense has given up more than 70 points in two games, one of which was Vandy who hung 40 on them. UGA lost Bama and they have issues on both sides of the football as well. Their QB gave up either 3 or 4 INTs, a fumble, and a safety in their game against Bama who has a very suspect defense to begin with. Think that was a fluke? Clemson trailed UGA at the half 6-0, that’s 6 first half points. UGA is not the dawgs of the past anybody can beat them as they have serious flaws.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

NCST game: “that will tell us a lot about where we are.”

OU game: “this game will tell us a lot about where we are.”

Arky game: “this game will tell us a lot where we are.”

UF game: “season starts here. If we don’t win the road to a good season looks grim.”

Every year it’s the same thing. The UF game tells all. Will that EVER change?

 

[MadMaxSC]

I don’t see us making the playoffs. I haven’t seen anything to believe that we’ll beat Alabama or Georgia. Had we defeated Arkansas, we could have lost both of those games in competitive fashion and had a great chance to get in. As a 3-loss (at minimum) team, we won’t be in the mix. Heck, the Kentucky game looks like a tough one to win at this point.

I agree with you. I don't see playoffs in our future. It is like the Jim Mora interview. "PLAYOFFS?" "PLAYOFFS?" Play--offs?"

When I saw the Vols rated #4, I told a friend that I didn't believe they were even #4 in the SEC. I had them behind 'Bama, Texas, GA, A&M and KY. Now, I worry about Vandy, too. We have promise but we have a redshirt Freshman starting at QB. On Saturday, he made a lot of Freshman mistakes. Our Secondary is suspect. Our defensive front is as good as any in the Country. The O-line looks over-matched against SEC competition.

Some believe JH was too conservative. I believe he has to, if he wants to take the pressure off Nico. I love to see a good ground game. 'Bama and the 'Dawgs have used grinding ground attacks to set up the "dagger" TD to a wide out. I believe JH wants to follow that pattern. I am not going to get down on him for the loss to the Razorbacks. It is SEC Football. The Vols have sprung a few surprises of their own in the past. The key is to regroup and kick some 'Gator butt.

 

[jeff1vol]

CJH loses to Sunbelt Billy... at HOME... his seat warmer officially fires up, IMO. There is ZERO reason to lose to an average (at best) UF team at home. We have the talent to win this one by dbl digits just like last week. But we all know how that turned out.

 

[Special Ed]

Well, KY came within a hair of knocking off GA and Vandy (yes that Vandy) beat Bama.
So, anything can happen.

 

[utchs81]

The UF game will determine the real make up of this team. Rebound and win handily is what we all hope for, but if it's a struggle one has to be concerned about the mindset and resiliency of this team. Sorry for the Butchism.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

Losing one of the games we shouldn't makes all the rest of the games the next big one. No room for error now.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Stop the hand wringing, we got this. AND, when, not if, but when we win, and win big, steer clear of the recent blatant arrogance. That's trash meant for the Bamas, Gators, and slobbering mutts.

 

[Fatman Photos]

WE ARE GONNA SUCK FOREVER

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

CJH loses to Sunbelt Billy... at HOME... his seat warmer officially fires up, IMO. There is ZERO reason to lose to an average (at best) UF team at home. We have the talent to win this one by dbl digits just like last week. But we all know how that turned out.

If Josh gets out coached by Billy after getting out coached by Pittman/Pitino, things look really bleak facing Smart and DeBoer.

I don't like execution errors (penalities, missed assignments, missed blocks, missed throws, etc) but I realize that's what coaches can correct in players.

When you have scheming issues, get beaten because you can't adjust to the defensive alignment, get completely vanilla because you have no "Plan B" in your pocket....... there's no one to "coach up" except yourself. That's not good.

Last year we saw Josh be pretty vanilla and lots of folks blamed it on Joe. Now we're seeing it with Nico. Sure, both guys might be "too slow to make good decisions" to make the offense run but both guys were specifically selected by Coach Heupel for his team.

There's only one buck and it has to stop somewhere.....

 

[chuckiepoo]

I am not going to get down on him for the loss to the Razorbacks. It is SEC Football. The Vols have sprung a few surprises of their own in the past. The key is to regroup and kick some 'Gator butt.

 

[overseasorange2]

I don’t see us making the playoffs. I haven’t seen anything to believe that we’ll beat Alabama or Georgia. Had we defeated Arkansas, we could have lost both of those games in competitive fashion and had a great chance to get in. As a 3-loss (at minimum) team, we won’t be in the mix. Heck, the Kentucky game looks like a tough one to win at this point.

Don't forget Vandy at their home

 

[JRich]

If UT loses to this Florida team, I may just retire from college football fandom.

 

[Volizona]

Hoping JH learned that playing conservative ball works for some situations, but not others. You don't have to pivot totally. We are a good team, or can be but penalties and lack of being aggressive will bite us again if we're not careful

I don’t think he’s learned because he’s called ultra conservative games multiple times now. Florida and Missouri last year. Ok and Ark this year. Not sure why he keeps calling bi-polar games like this.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

Losing to Florida would kill all SEC title hopes, without which of course there is no playoff hopes. And a loss to Florida would certainly halt recruiting momentum. We definitely need to win this game. For many reasons.

 

[loservol]

The loser of Saturday Night's Hot Seat Bowl gets to go and sit in this chair ->

 

[Vol$_Deep_11_9]

I think there’s been a wide overreaction to this Arkansas game. That was not an awful football team that beat Tennessee Saturday night. Two close losses to decent opponents, should have honestly won both those games. However, that was the mulligan game.

I think we learn about lot more about this team is and who they are this week. At this point I think all of us know what Tennessee is capable of. Good teams learn from games like Saturday and let it make them better. A playoff team does that.

 

[Chad F]

The UF game will either:

(A) confirm that the mental weakness that has historically plagued this program against Florida is still a festering cancer in our psyche

or

(B) give an indicator that we *might* be taking steps toward shaking off that mental block.

This program has a history of helping provide opposing coaches who are on the hot seat with immediate relief. Sometimes we help them get contract extensions,

This team needs to step up this weekend in a big way. Of course, we also needed to do so last weekend too. We’ll see.

 

[HalfullVol]

Vols win this game but don’t cover 15.5.

Vols, baby!

 

[Jackcrevol]

CJH loses to Sunbelt Billy... at HOME... his seat warmer officially fires up, IMO. There is ZERO reason to lose to an average (at best) UF team at home. We have the talent to win this one by dbl digits just like last week. But we all know how that turned out.

Truth is our HS recruiting has never been what I would call elite. Its absolutely above average. That said, the number 1 QB should, play like it. The line should block, and should be able to get a consistent push against 3 man fronts with 0 pressure. Its def not a good luck, Arkansas isnt good.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Bama defense has given up more than 70 points in two games, one of which was Vandy who hung 40 on them. UGA lost Bama and they have issues on both sides of the football as well. Their QB gave up either 3 or 4 INTs, a fumble, and a safety in their game against Bama who has a very suspect defense to begin with. Think that was a fluke? Clemson trailed UGA at the half 6-0, that’s 6 first half points. UGA is not the dawgs of the past anybody can beat them as they have serious flaws.

I am pretty worried about Bama's offense, they will stress our defense in ways we haven't come close to being stressed this year so far. If it becomes a shootout I don't know that we can hang offensively.

As to UGA, their front 7 is a terrible match up for us against our OL, and that's a match up made worse by that game being on the road as crowd noise lends an advantage to a pass rush.

Based on what I have seen we lose both of those games at least 9 out of 10 times it's played. Like assassinating Hyman Roth, beating either will be difficult, not impossible certainly, but very, very difficult.

 

[Cartervol]

They commit 10 penalties again. Nico looks like a deer in headlights this week then Josh will start to feel what the pressure cooker of this conference really is. UF really isn't the ideal team considering the history to get everything right against. They'll be ready like usual.