Well, I feel good about the program.

[mudhen]

All of this talk about the playoffs and all, I think that we should be grateful for where our program is, and is going. After decades in the wilderness, Tennessee has retaken its seat at the table of the great football programs. We are relevant again, talked about by the media in a good way (for the most part), and even Finebaum is lauding our success. Hell, we even beat Florida and Bama in the same season. I'm hopeful that the future sees us continue to accelerate until everyone we play fears us.

 

[DaddyChad]

Fahr Hoopel???

 

[LivinginthePast]

It’s all about when you lose. If ole miss loses to Kentucky this late in the year they would be in the same shape. If we would have lost two early games then beat Alabama last week we would be swapped with them in rankings.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Overall I do too. However there are some things I see under Huepel that he has GOT change/address if we are ever to take that next step. Starting with cleaning up how sloppy/undisciplined we are at times. We make a LOT of unforced errors. Also, our playcalling has got to get more creative. I dont know what's happened to our offense, but compared to the first two seasons under Huepel, out offense has regressed so much.

 

[IndianaVol]

10000% AGREE !!!
A CRAP TON of people in this fanbase are failing to recall just 3 to 4 months ago when EVERY talking head, pundit, analyst, and swinging d!$k around had UT finishing in the 7-5 to 9-3 range.
At 10-2 we are going to beat expectations for the year.

 

[Rocky Top T]

10000% AGREE !!!
A CRAP TON of people in this fanbase are failing to recall just 3 to 4 months ago when EVERY talking head, pundit, analyst, and swinging d!$k around had UT finishing in the 7-5 to 9-3 range.
At 10-2 we are going to beat expectations for the year.

No, most I watched had us around 9 wins. Everyone had us beating Arkansas, which is a really bad loss

 

[xpsyclonex2002]

I give the team a lot of crap on here. But I know the team is light years ahead of where we've been. It feels good to complain about why we lost to Georgia. 3 years ago we would have chalked it up as a loss. We've got a solid coach. We've got a good coaching lineup top to bottom. We're recruiting top 10 classes. Our best days are ahead of us.

 

[Volbrando]

good... I don't want to see another Gruden thread started around here

 

[Golfprovol]

Overall I do too. However there are some things I see under Huepel that he has GOT change/address if we are ever to take that next step. Starting with cleaning up how sloppy/undisciplined we are at times. We make a LOT of unforced errors. Also, our playcalling has got to get more creative. I dont know what's happened to our offense, but compared to the first two seasons under Huepel, out offense has regressed so much.

Jesus, let the play calling complaints go! We have a FRESHMAN QB and you are comparing him to a 2022 QB who was a red shirt SENIOR. I know most on here anointed Nico the second coming before his first play, but that was totally unfair. The play calling is the same, what is different is the vision of the QB.

The game is still fast for him, he still doesn't see the field totally, he needs a little more time to read the defense.

Here I will explain what happens:
After each play, we line up fairly quickly, Nico calls the play and then looks over to the sideline at this point CJH is talking to Nico telling him what to look for and how to adjust the play and the pass blocking.

Then Nico passes the info along to the OL and everyone else, and we snap the ball.

Hendon didn't have to do this, he could see it for himself, so we were able to go faster and run more different types of reads

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

Overall I do too. However there are some things I see under Huepel that he has GOT change/address if we are ever to take that next step. Starting with cleaning up how sloppy/undisciplined we are at times. We make a LOT of unforced errors. Also, our playcalling has got to get more creative. I dont know what's happened to our offense, but compared to the first two seasons under Huepel, out offense has regressed so much.

Heupel has done well but can he get the program to take another step higher? Have we already seen the best offense we’ll ever have in 2022?

 

[adam.vol]

It’s all about when you lose. If ole miss loses to Kentucky this late in the year they would be in the same shape. If we would have lost two early games then beat Alabama last week we would be swapped with them in rankings.

Week 5 or 6 shouldn’t be looked at any differently than week 11. You didn’t lose in August or even in your first road test. You are the team that took the field 5 weeks into the season.

 

[CAVPUT]

Jesus, let the play calling complaints go! We have a FRESHMAN QB and you are comparing him to a 2022 QB who was a red shirt SENIOR. I know most on here anointed Nico the second coming before his first play, but that was totally unfair. The play calling is the same, what is different is the vision of the QB.

The game is still fast for him, he still doesn't see the field totally, he needs a little more time to read the defense.

Here I will explain what happens:
After each play, we line up fairly quickly, Nico calls the play and then looks over to the sideline at this point CJH is talking to Nico telling him what to look for and how to adjust the play and the pass blocking.

Then Nico passes the info along to the OL and everyone else, and we snap the ball.

Hendon didn't have to do this, he could see it for himself, so we were able to go faster and run more different types of reads

Not to nitpick, but he's a RS freshman. Makes what UFs true freshman is doing even more amazing.

 

[CAVPUT]

Heupel has done well but can he get the program to take another step higher? Have we already seen the best offense we’ll ever have in 2022?

I think '22 might have been the ceiling. Having said that, if 9-10 wins and a nice bowl game is what we get from this staff, I can live with it. Way better than what we've seen over the last decade plus.

 

[Golfprovol]

Week 5 or 6 shouldn’t be looked at any differently than week 11. You didn’t lose in August or even in your first road test. You are the team that took the field 5 weeks into the season.

For all intents and purposes, OKLA is not a real test even though back them it seemed like it

 

[YankeeVol]

Jesus, let the play calling complaints go! We have a FRESHMAN QB and you are comparing him to a 2022 QB who was a red shirt SENIOR. I know most on here anointed Nico the second coming before his first play, but that was totally unfair. The play calling is the same, what is different is the vision of the QB.

The game is still fast for him, he still doesn't see the field totally, he needs a little more time to read the defense.

Here I will explain what happens:
After each play, we line up fairly quickly, Nico calls the play and then looks over to the sideline at this point CJH is talking to Nico telling him what to look for and how to adjust the play and the pass blocking.

Then Nico passes the info along to the OL and everyone else, and we snap the ball.

Hendon didn't have to do this, he could see it for himself, so we were able to go faster and run more different types of reads

*cough* REDSHIRT freshman buddy

 

[YankeeVol]

For all intents and purposes, OKLA is not a real test even though back them it seemed like it

They likely wont make a bowl game unless they get lucky 1 of the next 2 weeks

 

[Golfprovol]

They likely wont make a bowl game unless they get lucky 1 of the next 2 weeks

Right, so the guy saying it was a true road test is dreaming

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

Heupel beat Florida and Bama in the same year for the second time. Recruiting continues to get better. He is doing a good job and the program is still in an upward trajectory. We don't look like clowns to the rest of college football anymore. People fear Neyland.

 

[Golfprovol]

*cough* REDSHIRT freshman buddy

*cough* how many reps did he get in his freshman year? *cough* practice reps are not the same......buddy

 

[YankeeVol]

*cough* how many reps did he get in his freshman year? *cough* practice reps are not the same......buddy

Played in 5 games to include starting the bowl game

Point still stands. He's not a TRUE freshman.

 

[Golfprovol]

Played in 5 games to include starting the bowl game

Point still stands. He's not a TRUE freshman.

A bowl game against the Iowa team that was ridiculous, anyone of us could have won that game against that anemic Iowa offense. A safety and we would have won 2-0

 

[YankeeVol]

A bowl game against the Iowa team that was ridiculous, anyone of us could have won that game against that anemic Iowa offense. A safety and we would have won 2-0

4th best scoring defense in the nation. 5th best passing. 7th best total yards.

 

[bpalmer28]

We’ve lost 1 game at home or on a neutral field the past 3 years. That’s a good baseline to build off of.

 

[Golfprovol]

4th best scoring defense in the nation. 5th best passing. 7th best total yards.

Iowa ranked 130th in scoring at 14 points per game

 

[FLVOL_79]

All of this talk about the playoffs and all, I think that we should be grateful for where our program is, and is going. After decades in the wilderness, Tennessee has retaken its seat at the table of the great football programs. We are relevant again, talked about by the media in a good way (for the most part), and even Finebaum is lauding our success. Hell, we even beat Florida and Bama in the same season. I'm hopeful that the future sees us continue to accelerate until everyone we play fears us.

4 years ago we would have been consulting the stars and a ouija board for paths to become bowl eligible.