Way ahead of schedule

[ursaminotaur]

To manage a 7-5 season with all the massive challenges would be truly incredible. Some impressive wins and all the losses (so far) have been competitive ballgames. To see a competitive and dangerous team take the field every week is actually stunning. Don't forget that many of us worried that the program might be dead and buried, never to return. We're certainly not there yet but Heupel has fast-forwarded this rebuild a season - maybe 2 seasons ahead of "schedule" given the realities he was facing. Tonight's win was far from perfect but hats off to this staff and this team!

 

[VolCalls]

To manage a 7-5 season with all the massive challenges would be truly incredible. Some impressive wins and all the losses (so far) have been competitive ballgames. To see a competitive and dangerous team take the field every week is actually stunning. Don't forget that many of us worried that the program might be dead and buried, never to return. We're certainly not there yet but Heupel has fast-forwarded this rebuild a season - maybe 2 seasons ahead of "schedule" given the realities he was facing. Tonight's win was far from perfect but hats off to this staff and this team!

Spot on. Been saying this since day one - Heupel is the real deal. We’ll be a perennial top 15 team by year three. Tennessee football is fun again!

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

The culture shift has been addition by subtraction. We are short of bodies but long on leaders.

 

[rocky top buzz]

Agreed. My only concern is if recruiting doesn't improve we could be stuck battling for 2nd in the east. I wasn't sold on Heupel but given what he has done with what we have he has proven he might be the top coach in the east. But at the rate Kirby is recruiting it's going to be a battle and Florida won't tolerate being behind Georgia for long.

 

[Flathead75]

I'll say one thing for him, the offense is fun to watch. He never tries to set up a punt!

 

[VFLCodyGBO]

Recruiting HAS to pick up. You can coach em up all day, but 3 star recruit laden teams don’t win SEC titles. You can talk about stargazing all you want, but coaching is 25% of the equation, talent is 75%.

 

[Rumble4skin]

Well we are getting a full 100% of that 25% on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[House of Neyland]

To manage a 7-5 season with all the massive challenges would be truly incredible. Some impressive wins and all the losses (so far) have been competitive ballgames. To see a competitive and dangerous team take the field every week is actually stunning. Don't forget that many of us worried that the program might be dead and buried, never to return. We're certainly not there yet but Heupel has fast-forwarded this rebuild a season - maybe 2 seasons ahead of "schedule" given the realities he was facing. Tonight's win was far from perfect but hats off to this staff and this team!

Some people said we would go 4-8 or 5-7 and we have a chance to win 9 games now. Heup has done a great job

 

[VolArmy74]

We are at a point where Florida could take a step back, we own Kentucky, and everyone else in the East is terrible. We could be in a position where we are playing Georgia for the East soon, sadly just in time for them to move Alabama to the East.

 

[LittleVol]

We are at a point where Florida could take a step back, we own Kentucky, and everyone else in the East is terrible. We could be in a position where we are playing Georgia for the East soon, sadly just in time for them to move Alabama to the East.

...

Yeah. Then we'd have to Alabama EVERY year. Good point...

 

[casual-observer]

Recruiting HAS to pick up. You can coach em up all day, but 3 star recruit laden teams don’t win SEC titles. You can talk about stargazing all you want, but coaching is 25% of the equation, talent is 75%.

Sorry but your math is off just a little bit. College football is made up of:

33% recruiting
33% player development
33% in game coaching
1% lady luck

Fulmer stunk at in game coaching
Dooley stunk at recruiting and coaching and development
Jones stunk at player development
Pruitt stunk at coaching

To date, Hype-all has shown he can develop and coach in game. He doesnt have a reputation as a great recruiter but he has a lot of hurdles to overcone.

 

[Other_Guy]

...

Yeah. Then we'd have to Alabama EVERY year. Good point...

Lol pretty sure you missed his point.

 

[Schasz]

Recruiting HAS to pick up. You can coach em up all day, but 3 star recruit laden teams don’t win SEC titles. You can talk about stargazing all you want, but coaching is 25% of the equation, talent is 75%.

I'm giving CJH a break for this recruiting season, so this year filling critical needs will most likely come from the portal. He and the staff will be under pressure to have a very good recruiting season come Dec. 2022.

 

[TNHopeful505]

I'm not worried about recruitment. Until the NCAA speaks about our infractions and penalties, we're going to be semi-crippled. The best thing we could have done was to put a solid product on the field where people can see the positive trajectory of the program.

I think that literally everyone in America can see that. This class probably won't be stellar from a star perspective, but it'll be a good solid depth class full of contributors.

 

[VOLnMiami]

Recruiting HAS to pick up. You can coach em up all day, but 3 star recruit laden teams don’t win SEC titles. You can talk about stargazing all you want, but coaching is 25% of the equation, talent is 75%.

Recruiting will start picking up, a lot of them were unsure about the NCAA stuff and the unknown about CJH and staff...Most of that has been answered...I mean who in thier right mind wouldn't want to come play in that offense?!?...We need to focus on defensive players to build some depth tho bigtime.

 

[loservol]

Like a lot of college coaches, I don't think he cares much for the recruiting aspect of the game. Can't really blame him. Probably the best thing he could do, is maybe hire position coaches/recruiters to pick up that slack so he keep all his focus on what is most important.

 

[Creekcat]

Recruiting HAS to pick up. You can coach em up all day, but 3 star recruit laden teams don’t win SEC titles. You can talk about stargazing all you want, but coaching is 25% of the equation, talent is 75%.

Maybe, just maybe, this 1st season of CJH, can recruit itself. Not saying that 5* players would love to jump on board, but maybe some marginal 4* will. A program that was still in turmoil when he got here, and the transfer portal was draining the team quickly. The result on the field just may open some players eyes, who had written UT football off as a destination.

 

[VolArmy74]

...

Yeah. Then we'd have to Alabama EVERY year. Good point...

Gonna assume you meant to say "then we'd have to play Alabama every year" before adding the sarcastic emoji as if I somehow don't know we play them every year. My point was, they'd be competing against us in the division every year if they move to the East. Thus becoming another road block to the SECCG.

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

Sorry but your math is off just a little bit. College football is made up of:

33% recruiting
33% player development
33% in game coaching
1% lady luck

Fulmer stunk at in game coaching
Dooley stunk at recruiting and coaching and development
Jones stunk at player development
Pruitt stunk at coaching

To date, Hype-all has shown he can develop and coach in game. He doesnt have a reputation as a great recruiter but he has a lot of hurdles to overcone.

Pruitt stunk at development. Heupel had turned Tillman and Jackson into star players. Pruitt couldn’t improve JG no matter how many he played.

 

[JohnD13]

S we have a chance to win 9 games now.

Only if there is a blizzard in Cuba. We have ZERO, ZILCH, NADA, NONE, NO chance of beating UGA. We will be 7-5 with a chance to win a bowl game to go 8-5. That is the ceiling....

 

[arkyvol]

I though Heupel was another Dooley type desperation hire. Now, I'm beginning to hope.

 

[loosecannon]

Agreed. My only concern is if recruiting doesn't improve we could be stuck battling for 2nd in the east. I wasn't sold on Heupel but given what he has done with what we have he has proven he might be the top coach in the east. But at the rate Kirby is recruiting it's going to be a battle and Florida won't tolerate being behind Georgia for long.

I will take battling for 2nd in the east for a few years. We have to get some stability before we get to the top.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Agreed. My only concern is if recruiting doesn't improve we could be stuck battling for 2nd in the east. I wasn't sold on Heupel but given what he has done with what we have he has proven he might be the top coach in the east. But at the rate Kirby is recruiting it's going to be a battle and Florida won't tolerate being behind Georgia for long.

I wonder who Florida will hire to replace the coach a bunch of people on this board wanted Tennessee to hire.

 

[LakeMaryFLVol]

To manage a 7-5 season with all the massive challenges would be truly incredible. Some impressive wins and all the losses (so far) have been competitive ballgames. To see a competitive and dangerous team take the field every week is actually stunning. Don't forget that many of us worried that the program might be dead and buried, never to return. We're certainly not there yet but Heupel has fast-forwarded this rebuild a season - maybe 2 seasons ahead of "schedule" given the realities he was facing. Tonight's win was far from perfect but hats off to this staff and this team!

This is an intelligent, lucid, thoughtful post ....

 

[901 Orange]

Agreed. My only concern is if recruiting doesn't improve we could be stuck battling for 2nd in the east. I wasn't sold on Heupel but given what he has done with what we have he has proven he might be the top coach in the east. But at the rate Kirby is recruiting it's going to be a battle and Florida won't tolerate being behind Georgia for long.

We'll get some players. What I'm most happy about is his ability to coach. If he can get 7 wins plus a possible bowl win in year 1 with this roster, the big boys are gonna be in trouble if he just gets top 4-6 SEC classes bc his staff can actually coach.