Updated "Tennessee set up for success"..

[GUNTERSVOL]

After next season, Tennessee will only play UGA and Florida every other year. We will only play Bama, Kentucky and Vandy annually.

OK, somebody explain how the 3 6 model allows this. First, with 16 teams overall minus 3 permanent that leaves 13 teams to rotate thru. HOw do we end up with anybody every other year. Home and Home as you rotate not in the cards? 6 group A games followed by six group B games flip home field and go back through two more years rather than home and home then change groups?

Even then that covers 12 teams every four years. What about team 13?

I am still surprised the entire sporting world has not recognized my genius plan of going to 18 teams, with three pods of 6, playing 5 podmates each year and rotating through the other two pods two at a time with home and aways completed every 6 years. Add semifinal games to have each pod winner joined by the highest rated non winner (rules who they play TBD. Then the CC game. So losing to #1 team in the nation on their field is not a show stopper. Could come really close to keeping all the BIG games within pods.

Pod 1 FL GA SC TN KY & 1 eastern time zone newbie.
Pod 2 AL AU MS MSST LSU & VAN which are all CT east of MS River.
Pod 3 TX ATM OK ARK Mizzou, and 1 W of the river newbie.

Select the newbies to balance pods as best possible. A NC team would be nice for the map for the east. Bet NC State would jump at the chance to get away from NC and Duke. NC might jump to not let that happen. The whole ACC deal is sketchy as a power conference vs SEC and the expanded Big?x? Can CU and FSU carry the day?

If somebody like AU & GA or TN & Bama or LSU & ARK wants to play outside the sch, let them do so OUTSIDE conference calculations, just like ND,, OSU, PSU, USC or any other team in the off years. Still got 3 openings every year. If it is important enough have at it. The true conference schedule will be written down years ahead.


Cannot think of a way to offer more parity and fairness for post season, the ultimate goal.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

OK, somebody explain how the 3 6 model allows this. First, with 16 teams overall minus 3 permanent that leaves 13 teams to rotate thru. HOw do we end up with anybody every other year. Home and Home as you rotate not in the cards? 6 group A games followed by six group B games flip home field and go back through two more years rather than home and home then change groups?

Even then that covers 12 teams every four years. What about team 13?

I am still surprised the entire sporting world has not recognized my genius plan of going to 18 teams, with three pods of 6, playing 5 podmates each year and rotating through the other two pods two at a time with home and aways completed every 6 years. Add semifinal games to have each pod winner joined by the highest rated non winner (rules who they play TBD. Then the CC game. So losing to #1 team in the nation on their field is not a show stopper. Could come really close to keeping all the BIG games within pods.

Pod 1 FL GA SC TN KY & 1 eastern time zone newbie.
Pod 2 AL AU MS MSST LSU & VAN which are all CT east of MS River.
Pod 3 TX ATM OK ARK Mizzou, and 1 W of the river newbie.

Select the newbies to balance pods as best possible. A NC team would be nice for the map for the east. Bet NC State would jump at the chance to get away from NC and Duke. NC might jump to not let that happen. The whole ACC deal is sketchy as a power conference vs SEC and the expanded Big?x? Can CU and FSU carry the day?

If somebody like AU & GA or TN & Bama or LSU & ARK wants to play outside the sch, let them do so OUTSIDE conference calculations, just like ND,, OSU, PSU, USC or any other team in the off years. Still got 3 openings every year. If it is important enough have at it. The true conference schedule will be written down years ahead.


Cannot think of a way to offer more parity and fairness for post season, the ultimate goal.

We are team 13, we don't have to play ourselves. So in a 16 team conference, we are 1 team, we have 3 permanent opponents, then there are 12 teams left. We rotate those 12, 6 one year, the other 6 the next.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Heupel's Vols are still a work in progress.
When we see Milton succeed after Hendon, then I will declare us a perennial playoff team.
I truly believe we will, but I no longer put the cart before the horse after the 2010s.
I feel more excited about next season than any year since 2001.

I already feel good about being a perennial playoff team since it expanded to 12.

9+ wins a year keeps us around where we need to be.

 

[swampfoxfan]

I don't know that he recruits "better", but the narrative that Kirby doesn't develop, like many of the other wishful thinking narratives about him not being able to coach or do this or that, isn't true. He is one of the best coaches in the game and will be a problem for years. Fortunately, it looks like they are going off the every year schedule soon and we will be better off for it.

I agree Kirby is a good coach, I don't agree he is better than our coach at developing players.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I agree Kirby is a good coach, I don't agree he is better than our coach at developing players.

I don't know that he develops worse either, he's had several former 3 stars go in the first round.

 

[nomads-11]

It does make me feel better that our HC is the actual OC. What’s going to be entertaining is when the NCAA goes to this 12 team basketball type playoff off and 6 to 8 teams are from the SEC . The rest of the football world is going to lose their minds!!! And I love it! I just wish we could reduce the regular season games to 10.

Yep, they're gonna be pissed. The final game will look more like SECCG II.

 

[TitanicVolz]

OK, somebody explain how the 3 6 model allows this. First, with 16 teams overall minus 3 permanent that leaves 13 teams to rotate thru. HOw do we end up with anybody every other year. Home and Home as you rotate not in the cards? 6 group A games followed by six group B games flip home field and go back through two more years rather than home and home then change groups?

Even then that covers 12 teams every four years. What about team 13?

I am still surprised the entire sporting world has not recognized my genius plan of going to 18 teams, with three pods of 6, playing 5 podmates each year and rotating through the other two pods two at a time with home and aways completed every 6 years. Add semifinal games to have each pod winner joined by the highest rated non winner (rules who they play TBD. Then the CC game. So losing to #1 team in the nation on their field is not a show stopper. Could come really close to keeping all the BIG games within pods.

Pod 1 FL GA SC TN KY & 1 eastern time zone newbie.
Pod 2 AL AU MS MSST LSU & VAN which are all CT east of MS River.
Pod 3 TX ATM OK ARK Mizzou, and 1 W of the river newbie.

Select the newbies to balance pods as best possible. A NC team would be nice for the map for the east. Bet NC State would jump at the chance to get away from NC and Duke. NC might jump to not let that happen. The whole ACC deal is sketchy as a power conference vs SEC and the expanded Big?x? Can CU and FSU carry the day?

If somebody like AU & GA or TN & Bama or LSU & ARK wants to play outside the sch, let them do so OUTSIDE conference calculations, just like ND,, OSU, PSU, USC or any other team in the off years. Still got 3 openings every year. If it is important enough have at it. The true conference schedule will be written down years ahead.


Cannot think of a way to offer more parity and fairness for post season, the ultimate goal.

 

[rocky top buzz]

OK, somebody explain how the 3 6 model allows this. First, with 16 teams overall minus 3 permanent that leaves 13 teams to rotate thru. HOw do we end up with anybody every other year. Home and Home as you rotate not in the cards? 6 group A games followed by six group B games flip home field and go back through two more years rather than home and home then change groups?

Even then that covers 12 teams every four years. What about team 13?

I am still surprised the entire sporting world has not recognized my genius plan of going to 18 teams, with three pods of 6, playing 5 podmates each year and rotating through the other two pods two at a time with home and aways completed every 6 years. Add semifinal games to have each pod winner joined by the highest rated non winner (rules who they play TBD. Then the CC game. So losing to #1 team in the nation on their field is not a show stopper. Could come really close to keeping all the BIG games within pods.

Pod 1 FL GA SC TN KY & 1 eastern time zone newbie.
Pod 2 AL AU MS MSST LSU & VAN which are all CT east of MS River.
Pod 3 TX ATM OK ARK Mizzou, and 1 W of the river newbie.

Select the newbies to balance pods as best possible. A NC team would be nice for the map for the east. Bet NC State would jump at the chance to get away from NC and Duke. NC might jump to not let that happen. The whole ACC deal is sketchy as a power conference vs SEC and the expanded Big?x? Can CU and FSU carry the day?

If somebody like AU & GA or TN & Bama or LSU & ARK wants to play outside the sch, let them do so OUTSIDE conference calculations, just like ND,, OSU, PSU, USC or any other team in the off years. Still got 3 openings every year. If it is important enough have at it. The true conference schedule will be written down years ahead.


Cannot think of a way to offer more parity and fairness for post season, the ultimate goal.

Pods are dumb. Just play 2-3 annual opponents and rotate the others every other year. This way every 4 year player will come to Neyland, and every 4 year Vol will visit every opposing stadium. This thing of only playing LSU, Auburn or Ole Miss every 6 years is ridiculous.

 

[rocky top buzz]

(If you’re reading this, there’s a decent chance you read my recent article about Tennessee being set up better for longterm success than Alabama or Georgia. Stick with me until the end and I’ll add some context to my thoughts and respond to some of the criticism from opposing fan bases, writers, etc.)
"Tennessee being set up better for longterm success than Alabama or Georgia”
Alright, so let’s just dive right into this.
Earlier this week, I wro better for longterm success than Alabama or Georgia.
I think a lot of folks are misinterpreting what I was trying to say, though perhaps I could’ve included some better context.
In no way am I predicting that Tennessee is about to take over college football. I have no idea what the future holds. No one does. Everyone makes predictions — including some of the writers who took a shot at me (good for them I guess?) — and rarely do those predictions pan out. They’re just for fun. And folks tend to take them way too seriously.
But back to the article. I suggested that Georgia is a special team at the moment because they have an elite offense and an elite defense. Their offense was incredibly underrated and overshadowed by their defense. But that offense is what truly made Georgia a juggernaut. It’s why they didn’t lose against LSU in the SEC Championship game or Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
With Kirby Smart leading the program as a defensive-minded guy, he’s reliant on someone else running that offense. The same goes for Alabama and Nick Saban.
Tennessee, however, isn’t. Josh Heupel is always going to run the offense in Knoxville as long as he’s the head coach. There will be no risk of a bad offensive coordinator.
Now, obviously, that same concept applies to Georgia/Alabama when it comes to defense. They’ll never have to worry about who runs the defense.
Essentially, my belief is that offense is more important than defense in college football. Maybe other folks disagree or believe my thinking is flawed. That’s fine. I don’t have all the answers (and neither does anyone else). That’s just how I view the sport moving forward.
With that said, I’m not predicting Tennessee’s imminent rise or Georgia’s downfall. I also think success, at least for now, is defined differently for all three programs.
For the Vols, success is an 11-win season. Stacking those types of seasons on top of each other is something Tennessee has to do before they even think about getting to Alabama’s level or Georgia’s level.
But for Bama and UGA, success is a national championship.

I think he is missing the biggest flaw to his logic.

Gus Malzhan

Think about it, Auburn hired the OC that took them to a national championship, he came in and very quickly took them to a national championship runner up. And he had success against Saban, I think he even beat Kirby the year they went to the championship game, right? So what happened, if an offensive coach sets you up for more success than a defensive coach, why are the offensive coaches (Gus, Heupel, Lincoln Riley) sitting with 0 national championships. But defensive guys like Kirby, Saban even coach O winning the championships?

 

[KTrain]

I think he is missing the biggest flaw to his logic.

Gus Malzhan

Think about it, Auburn hired the OC that took them to a national championship, he came in and very quickly took them to a national championship runner up. And he had success against Saban, I think he even beat Kirby the year they went to the championship game, right? So what happened, if an offensive coach sets you up for more success than a defensive coach, why are the offensive coaches (Gus, Heupel, Lincoln Riley) sitting with 0 national championships. But defensive guys like Kirby, Saban even coach O winning the championships?

It's simple they have much better players by a lot even some of their backups where better than over 1/2 of the lower SEC when they won Championships.
Remember when Butch had better players than Kirby? Butch beat Kirby.

 

[rocky top buzz]

It's simple they have much better players by a lot even some of their backups where better than over 1/2 of the lower SEC when they won Championships.
Remember when Butch had better players than Kirby? Butch beat Kirby.

Yeah but the post said UT is setup better because the HC is OC. I think that's the reason this article is catching flak because you are correct, the team with the best players is winning. LSU, Clemson, when they won they had elite talent. Tennessee finished 12th in the rivals rankings this last year even with Nico. If you take just the SEC schools (including OU and TX who both finished above us) we finished 6th in the SEC. I'm all about developing players like Derek Barnett, but also going to have to have more 4-5 stars to complete at the top.

Heupel's biggest criticism coming here was recruiting, and because he runs so fast and plays usually the same 12-13 offensive players that makes it hard to get a kid to come here who will be mostly on the bench if they are 2nd in the rotation. Maybe you could say a lot of the c/o 2023 relationships were already built before our success last season, but right now rivals has the 2024 class ranked at 18. I do fear that Heupel's tenure could look like Richt at Georgia, certainly a great improvement over the last decade but also not what Tennessee fans want to aim for.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

Kirby is recruiting and developing. See back to back Natty's. To disagree is not genuine.

I don't think it will be more than four SEC teams in the 12 team playoff. And in most years, only two. The added teams (12) were for the other schools. The SEC is already capable of putting 2 teams in the Four team tournament.

The schedule will be an issue. I can see several 10-2 SEC teams that would be good enough to win other leagues undefeated. But I don't think folks will settle for 6 SEC teams in the playoff, even if they are deserving.

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

6-8 playoff teams will not be from the SEC. Each conference will get their champion in. They will make sure 1-2 teams from G5 make it as well. Rest will be at large, so maybe 2-3 from SEC total.

They should go by the rankings and I believe they will. Making sure 1-2 G5 teams make it no matter what makes no sense.People want to see the 12 best teams why even have a playoff if your going to cherry pick which teams get in. Be in the top 12 or move on. Heck the sec is the best conference and getting 2 teams in the top 4 most years now. Adding 8 spots and your telling me the sec isn’t getting any more in? I highly doubt the SEC would be in favor of a 12 team playoff if they were limited to 2 teams getting in. The reality is most years at least 3-4 teams in top 12. Sometimes 5. This should be about the top 12 teams making the playoffs not taking the 17th ranked team just cause. People will hate that crap. GBO!!!!

 

[DirtyBirdEarl]

I don't know that he recruits "better", but the narrative that Kirby doesn't develop, like many of the other wishful thinking narratives about him not being able to coach or do this or that, isn't true. He is one of the best coaches in the game and will be a problem for years. Fortunately, it looks like they are going off the every year schedule soon and we will be better off for it.

Great post. Completely agree. Was gonna ask for examples of Heupel being the better developer of talent. JH does develop talent greatly don't get me wrong but look what Kirby and crew did with a former walk on QB. Kids a beast. Clutch as any QB I've seen.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

I agree.

It's about strong QB play with that game.

If Joe and just as importantly the offensive line have one of their better games next season against UGA, we’ll be them this year. That’s a fairly big if, so I don’t feel like I’m going out on much of a limb.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

It all starts up front.