We Weren’t Good This Year

#78
#78
RDU VOL#14 said:
You mean we aren’t as good of a football team w/out our 25 year old Senior QB, who is probably one of the top 3 QBs of the last 35 years on the hill? We are a different football team that’s evolving from a team that needed to outscore teams, to a team that played defense and field position all year bc we were starting a RS freshman QB.

We lost 3 games total. 2 of those losses were to the consensus preseason #1 and #2 teams in the country on the road, at night, coming off of devastating losses. UGA and Ohio State have been recruiting at a much higher level than anyone other than Bama for a very long time . When those teams are highly motivated and play at a high level they will win most times . We were exposed at linebacker and safety.. again. We dont have the horses there yet. This is something that has to be addressed, but we’re moving in the right direction. We were 1 of 3 SEC teams that made the Playoff and I don’t consider this season to be a bad one at all.
Click to expand...
That's not what I'm saying. We had a good season overall - a 10-2 season, which is exactly what I expected/hoped for last summer. What is unacceptable to me is we didn't even look like we belonged on the same field last night. A 7-5 Michigan team didn't have a problem competing with them on that field. Neither did a 6-6 Nebraska team. We were embarrassed on national television in the biggest game of the season, and if that doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth, I don't know what to tell you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: livefaith, GAV4L and rdavis007
#79
#79
utVolFanInVA said:
We were slightly above average.

Vol W = NC State (Overall 6-6, Conference 3-5)
Vol W = Oklahoma (Overall 6-6, Conference 2-6)
Vol L = Arkansas (Overall 6-6, Conference 3-5)
Vol W = Florida (Overall 8-5, Conference 4-4)
Vol W = Alabama (Overall 9-3, Conference 5-3)
Vol W = Kentucky (Overall 4-8, Conference 1-7)
Vol W = Miss State (Overall 2-10, Conference 0-8)
Vol L = Georgia (Overall 11-2, Conference 6-2)
Vol W = Vanderbilt (Overall 6-6, Conference 3-5)

Not counting games against the Sisterhood for the Blind!

6 of 9 victories were against teams .500 or below in their conference. Plus 6 of 9 teams played were .500 or below overall. That is weak sauce. Throw in the fact that our play was very inconsistent this year there are red flags all over the place. It should not be a surprise to anyone that we got shelled last night.
Click to expand...

You do you and keep looking for the negative if that’s what makes you happy.

I’m going to look at the many positives from this season. We were and are a Top-10 football team. I choose to consider that as “good.”
 
#80
#80
Gandalf said:
I get being emotional but step back with perspective. We are a top 10 team this year who played badly tonight. We are not a top 5 team at all and there is a large gap between top 10 and top 5.
Click to expand...

Good take. I might say we were a top-something team who played poorly all year against quality teams with the exception of the first half of the Georgia game. We did beat AL and FL in what was a down year for them.

If he wants to stay here, Heup had better go break everything, starting with seriously upgrading the coaching staff, and rebuild the program from the ground up.
 
#82
#82
Not near
twalt said:
The huepl era is just about over simply no where near the football organization needed to beat the upper echelon of college football. The entire football administration middle to below average. Still paying the bil
Click to expand...
your a below average poster.
 
#83
#83
VolCalls said:
That's not what I'm saying. We had a good season overall - a 10-2 season, which is exactly what I expected/hoped for last summer. What is unacceptable to me is we didn't even look like we belonged on the same field last night. A 7-5 Michigan team didn't have a problem competing with them on that field. Neither did a 6-6 Nebraska team. We were embarrassed on national television in the biggest game of the season, and if that doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth, I don't know what to tell you.
Click to expand...
I think it’s hard to make those same comparisons . The transitive property doesn’t really apply. Indiana beat Nebraska by a hundred . Ohio State thumped Indiana, but barely got by Nebraska. I kind of look at Ohio State like an NBA team loaded w/ talent that may not play their best basketball in January or February, but when it’s Playoff time they have the ability to turn it on and out talent people. Of course it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. We lost the game in the first 10 minutes. Nico was shook, we bet that our corners could play w/ their wideouts and their misdirection took advantage of our biggest defensive weakness, our linebackers. When they have as much talent as they do at the skill positions, you can’t have as big of talent gap as there is on the defensive side of the ball. I love Will Brooks, Harrison and Teelander, but they were our athleted on underneath routes and we were either out of position or not quick enough to make the plays that needed to be made. There has never been a great Tennessee that wasn’t elite at linebacker or safety. We desperately need to get speed on that back end. There’s no Deion Grant roaming around back there or a Al Wilson or Raynoch Thompson leading the team from the LB spot. We are missing the pieces to take the next step. When we lost 42-17 to Nebraska it didn’t leave a good taste in mouth either, but we got better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lefthander
#85
#85
RDU VOL#14 said:
I think it’s hard to make those same comparisons . The transitive property doesn’t really apply. Indiana beat Nebraska by a hundred . Ohio State thumped Indiana, but barely got by Nebraska. I kind of look at Ohio State like an NBA team loaded w/ talent that may not play their best basketball in January or February, but when it’s Playoff time they have the ability to turn it on and out talent people. Of course it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. We lost the game in the first 10 minutes. Nico was shook, we bet that our corners could play w/ their wideouts and their misdirection took advantage of our biggest defensive weakness, our linebackers. When they have as much talent as they do at the skill positions, you can’t have as big of talent gap as there is on the defensive side of the ball. I love Will Brooks, Harrison and Teelander, but they were our athleted on underneath routes and we were either out of position or not quick enough to make the plays that needed to be made. There has never been a great Tennessee that wasn’t elite at linebacker or safety. We desperately need to get speed on that back end. There’s no Deion Grant roaming around back there or a Al Wilson or Raynoch Thompson leading the team from the LB spot. We are missing the pieces to take the next step. When we lost 42-17 to Nebraska it didn’t leave a good taste in mouth either, but we got better.
Click to expand...
Hopefully we get better than 10-3 with a first round embarrassment in the future this time, too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GAV4L and RDU VOL#14
#87
#87
I disagree. We were a “good” team this year. But we certainly weren’t elite or where we want to be. We ran into an elite team last night that was firing on all cylinders; we also had a laundry list of injuries and we played like crap. The end result is an ass whooping.
 
  • Like
Reactions: crovol
#88
#88
If you're not The Ohio State Buckeyes, or Georgia Bulldogs or Alabama Crimson Tide and you have lots of talent most players don't wanna go to UT anymore. UT can pick up 1 or 2 five stars here and there but not like those other teams mentioned who pick up 4 or 5 every class almost. Ohio State had wayyyyyyyyyy more talent and skill on the field than the Vols. I hate it but that's the reality of it.

Also the only reason Bama stunk this year is bc they don't have Saban.
 
#89
#89
We were an overrated team this year out of a bunch of overrated teams. Sadly if we had beaten Arky we go to the SECC and get beat again by UGA but might have gotten to play Clemson at home or maybe even Indiana. We would have a chance against both of those teams. We are still behind Oregon, UGA, OSU, PSU, Texas, Notre Dame and there with a large gaggle of Indiana, Alabama, Ole Miss, USCeast, Clemson. I will say I’m happy we had an easy schedule and had a 10 win season, the 2nd in 4 years. My son(16) had lost any care to support a college football team and my girlfriends son(10) has a dad that doesn’t care anything about sports but is now wearing UT stuff all the time and sitting watching the games with me! So as much as last night absolutely sucked, we could be Ms State, Vandy or Kensucky fans and life really suck with regards to football. GBO!
 
  • Like
Reactions: GAV4L
#90
#90
FLVOL_79 said:
Giving Ohio its second ever win (or is it three?) over an SEC team stings but it is what is. They were going to break their losing streak to UT one day.
Click to expand...
I can take the loss. We lined up with them, and it wasn't our day.

What I can't take? Listening to the radio, and listening to OSU score their second TD. And that damn Blob Kesling on the radio sounding almost giddy about it. So over that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FLVOL_79
#91
#91
bluevols27 said:
We just weren’t. Beck torched us. The Ohio State QB torched us. Our pass defense was horrible all year. Heupel is kinda vanilla. So uninspired at times. I don’t blame this on the players really. If Michigan’s d can slow down Ohio State, why couldn’t we? So bad on both sides of the ball. I’m speechless. It’s really inexcusable. We played so bad in the first half all season. That’s not on the players. I think Heupel is a good coach. He’s not great. Day out coached him, and Day is not great. We need a great one. Heupel was a good stop gap. It’s time to go in a different direction. That was absolutely pathetic.
Click to expand...
Sounds like an excuse, BUT...we lost 2 receivers and the SEC POY in the first half. That certainly doesn't explain the defense though. I wonder if the game would have been a little different without the facemask penalty on the first drive. Took the wind out of the defense at that time.
 
#92
#92
10-3 is a good record for this team, and if we’re as bad as you say then how did we get to 10 wins? Coaching or just being fortunate with a favorable schedule?
 
#93
#93
Gandalf said:
I get being emotional but step back with perspective. We are a top 10 team this year who played badly tonight. We are not a top 5 team at all and there is a large gap between top 10 and top 5.
Click to expand...
I think OSU has the best team when hitting on all cylinders. I'm sure you saw how they lost to Oregon. The team that played Michigan went from night to day..pardon the pun
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gandalf
#94
#94
Going into 2025 we have to find an offensive identity and get a rhythm/tempo that matches. Nico and the receivers need to work over the summer to build chemistry. Our coaching staff must look at why we can’t throw the ball? Are receivers not getting separation? Is it the route design? Technique? Nico? We need to come into 2025 with a passing attack that keeps defensive coordinators up at night.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lefthander
#95
#95
bluevols27 said:
We just weren’t. Beck torched us. The Ohio State QB torched us. Our pass defense was horrible all year. Heupel is kinda vanilla. So uninspired at times. I don’t blame this on the players really. If Michigan’s d can slow down Ohio State, why couldn’t we? So bad on both sides of the ball. I’m speechless. It’s really inexcusable. We played so bad in the first half all season. That’s not on the players. I think Heupel is a good coach. He’s not great. Day out coached him, and Day is not great. We need a great one. Heupel was a good stop gap. It’s time to go in a different direction. That was absolutely pathetic.
Click to expand...
10-3 says otherwise
 
#100
#100
Sarms58 said:
Going into 2025 we have to find an offensive identity and get a rhythm/tempo that matches. Nico and the receivers need to work over the summer to build chemistry. Our coaching staff must look at why we can’t throw the ball? Are receivers not getting separation? Is it the route design? Technique? Nico? We need to come into 2025 with a passing attack that keeps defensive coordinators up at night.
Click to expand...
I think Nico was shook early on, maybe the entire offense was. There were times last night where they would show a replay of Nico taking a sack or a big hit and there were guys open. He wasn’t seeing it last night. He wasn’t processing things quickly . That’s definitely something that needs to be accounted for and improved upon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sarms58
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top