We Should Beat Mizzou - We Are Getting No Respect

Are we being underestimated because of our schedule?

  • Total voters
    0
#52
#52
We beat the team that they lost to. They beat two teams that we lost to. This will end up being a good game. I say we definitely cover and hopefully can leave Columbia with a W.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#53
#53
People making bets often look no deeper than one team being 7-1 and another being 4-4. If they do then they'll look at the fact that Mizzou beat UGA and UF while losing to USCe while UT reverses that... most won't look or care about why.

The talking heads aren't much better. They know both UF and UGA are decimated by injury but will hardly relate that to UT and Mizzou.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#54
#54
This will be the game that our Vols start their streak of WINS that will continnue through the rest of this season!!!

Just cheer loud and BELIEVE people because our Vols are about to rearrange the bricks and #RisetotheTop!

#BrickbyBrick...VFL...GBO!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#56
#56
good points made here...but there are two intangibles that play to TN's favor:

1 - Mizzou's "house" is not a hostile place to play AT ALL. it's an embarrassingly small stadium by SEC standards, and the crowd is quiet. TN will be able to neutralize the "on the road" disadvantage.

2 - mental toughness. One of the key factors TN has missed these past few years has been discipline and mental toughness. Butch Jones appears to know how to coach this very well. Mizzou, on the other hand, is looking at a huge goat - their only other 7-0 start fell apart completely, and they spiraled. All this week, these players have had that in the backs of their minds "are we the same team? is this what Mizzou does? do we belong among he elite?" This stat is ALREADY in their kitchen regardless of what the coach does to combat it.

TN keeps it close, and these two factors above give the advantage to TN. Plus, we go in with confidence, knowing that TN had Mizzou beat last year, and mental fragility and a coach quitting on his players gave the team to Mizzou.

my two cents
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#59
#59
sjt18 said:
You guys spotted them 3 qtrs and still beat them with a gimpy QB.... plus you need UT to win, right?:good!:
Click to expand...

Yup. We played like hot garbage for most of the game, and outscored them 27-7 down the stretch. We should have beat them worse, honestly. You guys can beat them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
#60
#60
AllVolForLife_16 said:
I think you're wrong. Dobbs might only be freshman, and he might have only attempted 12 passes so far in his college career, but Mizzou's pass defense is atrocious and I think Dobbs will pick them apart. This is the perfect situation for him to come in, and find success against a supposed top 10 team.

I know Mizzou isn't bad, but they're also not a top 10 team IMO. We can beat them, but we have to have a better defensive performance than last week. If our defense can play like they against Georgia and South Carolina, then I think we take this game.
Click to expand...

Coaching
 
Last edited:
#61
#61
sjt18 said:
No. They really didn't. Neither UF nor UGA rolled into their games with Mizzou with the same health and roster as when they played UT. UGA in particular was hurting. UF has pretty much just fallen apart... a reflection IMO of Muschamp. I hope they keep him forever.

UT beat the same team by a made FG... and UT played against their starting QB the whole game and throttled him.

So was USCe. Faurot was recently expanded to 71k. It is not a particularly noisy place to start with... and I expect UT to be well represented tomorrow. In short, this isn't like another trip to the Swamp, B-D, or Autzen. Travel still has its challenges but Mizzou has never really had a huge home field advantage.

Now that is HUGE.

We can all be hopeful but we really do not know how Dobbs will play. This could turn into another failed experiment. However if he plays well... UT has the better roster, more overall talent across both lines, and should win the game.
Click to expand...

Cfbmatrix.com ran some numbers that showed that an experienced returning starting QB only accounts for .2 games more a season than a similarly talented team that starts an inexperienced QB. I havent checked his numbers, but that dude is solid. Interestingly enough, the one position that accounts for the most wins a year is kicker. The difference between experience and green was like 1.5 games a year if memory serves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#62
#62
MO should be the favorite based on how they have performed so far. If that's disrespect, then so be it. The best way to get respect is to beat a team you aren't supposed to beat, and in their house. GO VOLS!!!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#63
#63
That is interesting stuff. I guess it would be a more accurate representation of what I was trying to say if I pointed out that we simply have not seen enough of Dobbs regardless of his class to know what we're going to see. I think most of us expected more from Peterman.

If Dobbs were a Soph who had not played... pretty much the same would apply.
 
#64
#64
PACKERVOL said:
MO should be the favorite based on how they have performed so far. If that's disrespect, then so be it. The best way to get respect is to beat a team you aren't supposed to beat, and in their house. GO VOLS!!!!!
Click to expand...

Because we know that the evals are generally pretty shallow we should not get all worked up over spreads or predictions.

Mizzou should not really be the uniform favorite they are based on how they have performed. They have benefited from a schedule that just fell in place for them. Based on common opponents alone, score results, and statistical results... this is an even match up. Based on raw talent, UT has an edge. Mizzou has a slight experience edge even with Mauk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#66
#66
DarthVisor said:
Yup. We played like hot garbage for most of the game, and outscored them 27-7 down the stretch. We should have beat them worse, honestly. You guys can beat them.
Click to expand...

What was the deal with Thompson? I don't think I have seen him play that poorly.
 
#68
#68
Yeah OP. Definitely an unranked team SHOULD beat a top 10 team. SMDH... unreasonable expectations.
 
#69
#69
DarthVisor said:
Yup. We played like hot garbage for most of the game, and outscored them 27-7 down the stretch. We should have beat them worse, honestly. You guys can beat them.
Click to expand...

Against my better judgement, I beginning to like this guy
 
#71
#71
BanditVol said:
Well yeah, we are much better on D. It's difficult to be worse. Thank God last year is over with!

The question is whether they have as bad a half against us as they did last year. We limited them in the first half pretty well, but (as usual) fell apart in the second.

One trend with Butch in most of our games is that the team gets better as the game rolls on. Let's keep it close at halftime. We do that, we have em.

I would not have said that last year. I would have been SMH and dreading the second half.

Not this year! :good!:
Click to expand...

UT is struggling in the 2nd & 3rd quarters. They've got to improve on this.

Score by qtr 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
Tennessee 72 59 44 48 0 223
Opponents 54 84 62 31 3 234
 
#73
#73
Rifleman said:
I have heard one preview after another of tomorrow's game where the commentator sagely pronounces that Mizzou will easily whip us.

One reason given on a program last night: because Tennessee ranks 83rd in total defense and won't be able to stop Mizzou's offense.

Mizzou's defensive front was also invoked, but I have already given evidence why they are overrated here:

http://www.volnation.com/forum/tennessee-vols-football/207144-mizzous-run-defense-overrated.html

To rebut the pundits, I want to focus on our defensive improvements this year as well as the fact that we are getting no credit for our strength of schedule.

People are dissing us because of our showing at Oregon and Alabama . . . as if Mizzou would have won those games? UCLA just lost by 4 TDs at Oregon. Would they be heavy underdogs versus Mizzou? Further, even if we remove these games from our schedule, we have still played as tough a schedule as Mizzou.

So where would we rank in the FBS in the major defensive categories if we exclude the Alabama and Oregon games?

Total Defense
Vols - 366 ypg - 33rd
Mizzou - 395.6 ypg 66th

Rushing Defense
Vols - 176 ypg - 76th
Mizzou - 111.4 ypg - 16th

Passing Defense
Vols - 190 ypg - 14th
Mizzou - 284.3 ypg - 112th

Scoring Defense
Vols - 21.7 - 29th
Mizzou - 22.8 - 35th

I think the stats above provide a valid comparison because they include games against Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina for both sides as well as the soft underbellies of both schedules.

We are not the team that was giving up massive yardage to the Troy's of the world last year.

We have a significantly better pass defense than Mizzou, but who doesn't? They have a better rush defense. All in all, there is no reason we should be scared of these guys, play tentative, and get ourselves into an early hole. This is a game where we are not being given a chance to win, but I think we have a lot of advantages the casual pundits are dismissing. I don't think Maty Mauk or a gimpy Franklin can beat us.

Go Vols!

Edit: A good example of what I'm talking about. Every "expert" but Bruce Feldman on CBS Sports is picking us not to be able to cover a 12.5 point spread. So they all feel it is more likely that we'll lose by 13 or more, than not? I don't think there is any validity in that viewpoint.

Expert Picks - Against the Spread - Week 10 - CBSSports.com
Click to expand...

Scoring Defense alone (but other categories as well) would be even more lopsided if Mizzou had played Alabama and Oregon. Those two teams destroy any defenses statistics. The game will be closer than many think. If it were at Neyland I would put UT as a clear favorite. It's 50/50 whether or not we win. Hopefully it's the game we break our road woes.:peace2:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top