This is the best I’ve felt about the program forever it seems. Agree?

#101
#101
TNnative said:
One can hope, I guess. You folks who have stayed emotionally invested in the program have been on a strange ride for too long. Hire a coach, get excited, things unravel, rinse and repeat. I am hoping that they are finally getting things right, because you all are alot more fun when your hypertension is not off the charts over this program.

Eventually, I am sure someone connected to the program will find a way to screw something up about it, but I sincerely hope they wait a little longer than usual to get around to it.
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Your BVS may be incurable.
 
#102
#102
walkenvol said:
So you were ok with him being a lying scumbag poser?
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Well, I just talked about him being a poser. At length.

I'm not sure he was a scumbag then. He sure became one later, when he flaunted his celebration of Bama beating the Vols while an intern for Saban after being fired in Knoxville. But I don't remember anything truly scumbaggy while he was with us.

I only remember one unquestionable lie that he told. The one about the lad tripping over a helmet. Obvious, blatant lie. But that was it.

Most of the time, he came across as a decent, sincere, goofy, over-energetic, not-too-bright guy in a tophat in the center ring of the circus. Selling tickets, entertaining. Not so much coaching, not really knowing how the Xs and Os work, but leading an entertainment enterprise.

If you remember him differently WHILE STILL in the job, you certainly have the right to see him as whatever you did.

Just glad we're in a potentially much better place now, with an undoubtedly much better football coach.

Go Vols!
 
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#103
#103
Best I’ve felt since October of 2016, because not only do I think we are going to have a good year this year, but if we have a seamless transition from Hooker to Nico, it could be sustainable until 2026. If you have a top 3 QB in the league, you’ll win at least 8 games.
 
#105
#105
When I see the attitude of confidence in the program where ranked visiting teams came in as favorites and left with buttkickins, I’ll be optimistic but guarded. There was a time opponents dreaded playing in Knoxville. I hope they can get the program back to that level.
 
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#106
#106
knox-townVOL said:
I’m about the same as I have been in other coaching tenures. I was really hyped about 2014, it felt like Butch was really turning things around with his recruiting and excitement.

Going into 2020 on our absurd winning streak I was sure Pruitt was the guy. This team just refused to lose. By halftime of the Georgia game that year I was completely bought in, then of course, I wasn’t.

Im excited right now, but we’ll see. I’ve been here before.
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Whether CJH is The One or not, we will have a ton more fun watching his teams play than watching Pruitt’s teams. That was the most horrible football I’ve ever seen on a consistent basis.
 
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#107
#107
This is one of the things that makes college football simultaneously so rewarding and so frustrating. Changes to the program require years to fully take their full impact and you only get between 12 and 15 measurement points PER YEAR to actually gauge objective results. It’s like manning the helm of a giant cargo Ship. A change in the rudder takes a looong time to show on the chart. And with football, that time is in years. And if you get it wrong like we did the last several coaches, you lose a minimum of 3 years every time (actually 5 given the time it takes the next coach to make HIS course correction)
We have only 13 actual data points on Heupel so far and they look positive. But we never really know. I remain optimistic, but any fan who doesn’t remain at least a bit nervous is whistling past the graveyard so to speak. I will feel a LOT better if we get solid wins against Pitt and FL
 
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#108
#108
knox-townVOL said:
I’m about the same as I have been in other coaching tenures. I was really hyped about 2014, it felt like Butch was really turning things around with his recruiting and excitement.

Going into 2020 on our absurd winning streak I was sure Pruitt was the guy. This team just refused to lose. By halftime of the Georgia game that year I was completely bought in, then of course, I wasn’t.

Im excited right now, but we’ll see. I’ve been here before.
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Well spoken
 
#109
#109
We realistically should have beaten Pitt, Ole Miss, and Purdue. Just take two of those, and Heupel gets 9 wins with a patchwork roster.

I believe with every fiber of my being that we win at least 9 THIS year, and that includes the gators. I can't stand the wait..I'd go sit in my seat right now if they'd let me....GBO!!
 
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#110
#110
orange_glory said:
Hope Hype works on game management a little more this year. Know when to kick a field goal and when to use time outs. Seems like when other teams flopped we lost our rhythm and sometimes wasted possessions.
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That comes only with experience unfortunately. Heupel will learn more each season but sometimes the lessons are painful
 
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#112
#112
utfantilidie said:
Go big orange, just wanted to say thanks coach thanks to the admin for finally getting it right, for righting the wrong. Too much history with this program to ever allow it to go backwards again.
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Did you watch our defense last year? Hope for the best. And really hope QB stays healthy.
 
#113
#113
R.f75c3131cc5d171793334a8b11a7eedc
 
#114
#114
It's a different vibe under JH. The expectations from the fan base aren't being driven by coach speak or recruiting ranking but the potential we as fans saw on the field last season. I don't care what anyone says; last year's team was the most explosive TN offense I have ever seen in quite some time. While some of the scores may have looked ugly, we were still able to move the ball. Honestly felt we were never out of too many games. Hooker has a year in the system, and with his WR corps, it may get ugly against some opponents. Hopefully, curb stomp Mizzou again for their coach's BS statements.
 
#117
#117
The feel good signs are there. Players not transferring out or going to the NFL at the drop of a hat. No arrests, drugs, or grade issues. Players working out on their own, or staying after for 1 on 1 instruction. The little things will pay off.

But it can go south if you don’t win. Gotta keep the momentum going.
 
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#118
#118
As many have said, I'm cautiously optimistic, but much more so than at any time since Kiffin, who I thought was the real deal after going 7-6 with the dreck he inherited. Dickey had panic hire written all over him, Jones seemed like a lightweight from day one, and although I respected Pruitt's pedigree, the way that whole search went and Fulmer's omnipresence made it never feel quite right.

With Heupel there's some clear substance, and none of the garbage of the last three clowns - this guy just rolls up his sleeves and comes to work. I'm not going to put all the stock on this year's W/L, because the depth is still a year or two away from being where it needs to be to seriously compete in this league. If he goes 8-4 and puts a scare into Bama and UGa, standing toe to toe with them, and has another good recruiting year and continues to develop the talent, something that has been woefully missing for a long time, I'll be pretty much sold on us having turned the corner.
 
#122
#122
McDad said:
It's been two years. How do you feel about the program?
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Still cautiously optimistic. A lot of questions still need to be answered. As of now I feel that Huepel has this program designed with a high floor, in that he's always going to get 8 or 9 wins. The question remains if 2022 was an anomaly or if he can repeat that or do even better.

As a measurement of success, I honestly think winning the conference is no longer that important, but rather being one of the top 12 teams to make the playoffs. I'd almost rather make the playoffs and host a round one game at home against a #10 seed and not be one the two teams that play in the SEC championship game.
 
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#123
#123
Go47 said:
This is a likely scenario. Optimism is high . . . Then a spectacular loss to Florida kills momentum / hopes.

Of course, last year they recovered to play ok after losing to Florida. But an 0-3 conference start will be tough to overcome.
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UT is not starting 0-3 in conference play.
 
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