While we have a moment

#1
lawgator1

lawgator1

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#1
Not to blow off this season or minimize the rest of your games this year, but with a likely win for you this weekend over a very outmanned SC team, thought I'd take a second to ask you folks what you expect from next year's Vols. Some who post on here seem to think the team will be down talent-wise or in terms of experience in some key positions (D-line?). Others seem to welcome a change to Ainge and think that will help. Just curious as to honest predictions for next year's UT squad.

And throw on there predicitons for next year's UF-UT game. I will start on that. Based on what I see right now, I think UT would win that game, 17-7. UF will still have a good defense, but I fear that it will take at least one more year to see the offense do much. I reserve the right to change my mind come next September, but right now that's my forecast.




 
#2
#2
Way too early for game predictions for next year. One nice thing about the UF game is we get you at home and we are playing two other home games in front of you. I have always thought that UT being your 3rd game and UF being our 2nd gave you a little edge. Just going by recent history, all of our tough games (except UGA) are at home. It looks like Arian Foster might be a decent RB for us and he will probably play most of the rest of this season. I imagine that unless Ainge looks really bad he will start at QB and the lack of a QB controversy should help the receivers with timing, etc. I think we have some depth on both our lines. Basically, I think the defense will be a little worse and the offense should be considerably better. Special teams has always been a big deal for us. We need a big lift in that department if we are going to take advantage of the favorable schedule.
 
#3
#3
Expect another "QB Controversy" next year. Unless Ainge turns things completely around this season, Crompton will be given every opportunity to win that job.
 
#4
#4
Personaly, I do not care who gets the job as long as they give it to one guy and leave him alone until the season ends.
 
#5
#5
Prior to opening kickoff, Fulmer will say that he's really excited about this team and he's looking forward to something really special from them... they've got a chemistry that's really special".

Then, UT will start the season off 0-2, losing to Cal and Florida, then lose to Georgia and LSU. If UT's defense is as good as this year, they will beat Arkansas. If the D is struggling, there's another loss. The win over Alabama will be the sole saving grace in 2006.
 
#6
#6
Man, already hating on next year! :bad: I am optimisitc. Also, we play Air Force between Cal and UF. Also, Cal 'aint that good this year. They started out hot beating up on some uglies ut their season turned south when the competition improved.
 
#7
#7
Originally posted by hitandrun@Oct 27, 2005 1:26 PM
Prior to opening kickoff, Fulmer will say that he's really excited about this team and he's looking forward to something really special from them... they've got a chemistry that's really special".

Then, UT will start the season off 0-2, losing to Cal and Florida, then lose to Georgia and LSU.  If UT's defense is as good as this year, they will beat Arkansas.  If the D is struggling, there's another loss.  The win over Alabama will be the sole saving grace in 2006.
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LOL, the win over Alabama. You guys have really had enough of their rants and raves, huh? I can't say as i blame you. Very antagonistic, for the most part.
 
#8
#8
Defense:

Look at the depth. We have probably got the deepest defensive line in all of college ball. That's no brag, just look at how many guys get quality playing time. We'll not be hurting there. Where one monster like Mahelona goes off, another like Hall and McDaniel to plug in.

We have some nice depth at LB and our secondary will return intact.

I'd give our Defense a A grade for next year.

Offense:

?

Line: Smith, Ligon, and Sears will return as starters and we've got some top rated (rated being the operative word) kids who look good.

I'd give the Oline a B+ projection for next year.

Receivers. We have got as many 4 and 5 star recruits coming back as anyone in the nation. Now, will they continue to drop everything but their drawers? Who knows! Will they get serious about their position and realize that they have to spend time studying the playbooks and eliminate stupid mistakes that make the QB look like he's trying to throw the game? Who knows!

All in all, the talent is there for the WR corps to be great. Time will tell.

I'd give them a C+ projection, with an A+ potential.

RB, FB - To be honest, barring injury, I believe we'll be better off at the tailback position than we've been in a long time. Foster is going to be a stud. I believe Hardesty and Coker will come off the bench in that order and we'll be fine if the line lives up to its potential.

Fullback will be in good hands with Cory Anderson. He dropped a big one in the Bama game, but hey, wouldn't you feel better about the Gators if they'd played Bama as well as we did. We should have beaten Bama. How many times will one team drop 2 balls inside the 10, one inside the 5, in the same game. If those circumstances were repeated we'd win that game 9 out of 10. Losing that game was no more Cory's fault than Gerald's, or Lucas' or the kid who got burned on the 3rd and 8 to set up the Bama winning field goal. I said all of that to say this:

Fullback will be A+ in 06.

Quarterback: It's obviously the biggest question for the next team. It's still the biggest question for this team. All in all, if our receivers had not been so pitiful we'd probably be 5 and 1 with the loss coming to Georgia. When you hold Florida to 16, Bama to 6, and you're Tennessee, you should win both of those games with average offense. So much for average offense for Tennessee this year, huh?

I'd give our offense this rating, and not trying to be cute or ambivalent:

Without a big step up in receiver and QB play C-

With receivers getting serious in the off-season, as well as the rest of this season, we could be A+.

That's just how much talent we have and how far we are from reaping the benefit of it.

 
#9
#9
I think that our secondary will be good, but I worry about the D-line. Jury is still out on the offense.
 
#10
#10
If the offense can get in rhythm headed into next year, I see UT as a preseason Top 5 team.
 
#11
#11
Originally posted by hitandrun@Oct 27, 2005 1:26 PM
Prior to opening kickoff, Fulmer will say that he's really excited about this team and he's looking forward to something really special from them... they've got a chemistry that's really special".

Then, UT will start the season off 0-2, losing to Cal and Florida, then lose to Georgia and LSU.  If UT's defense is as good as this year, they will beat Arkansas.  If the D is struggling, there's another loss.  The win over Alabama will be the sole saving grace in 2006.
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Wow, I your optimism is almost overwhelming! (sarcasm off)
 
#12
#12
Originally posted by lawgator1@Oct 27, 2005 2:17 PM
If the offense can get in rhythm headed into next year, I see UT as a preseason Top 5 team.
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IF being the operative word.

With all the babbling here about firing this coach and firing that coach, I'm not the least worried with the staff.

You cannot coach focus. It was a lack of focus that caused our problems against Bama. It's a very easy thing to lose focus in a huge game like that.

People who harp about a kid dropping a ball, like there was a death in the family, have probably never played in a game or felt the pressure of carrying a football.

I agree we can be good. I also think our focus is directly tied to our off-field problems. If we can bring the kids in line to listen to our instructions about how to behave off the field, we'll have a lot better chance of getting them to listen to what we tell them about the game.

I almost dread the off-season. :p
 
#13
#13
I think we will be alright next year. We will lose some very good talent on the D Line but the Dline moves players in and out and it is my opinion that with as many So. and Jr that have had quite a bit of playing time we should be fine.

My prediction for the gator game?
Ut 42 Uf 10

But like you said I reserve the right to change my mind. LOL
 
#14
#14
I think we have a good team coming back. Im still iffy about the QB situation. Here's what we have coming back, plus we'll probably have another good recruitng class in 2006:


QB- Ainge, Crompton
TB- Foster, Hardesty, Williams, Coker, Yancey
FB- Anderson, Holbert
WR- Smith, Meachem, Briscoe
WR- Swain, Taylor
TE- Brown, Cottam, Cottam
OL- Sears, Ash
OL- Smith, Jones
C- Ligon
OL- Young, Scott
OL- Parker, Rawls


DE- Reynolds, Ayers
DT- McBride, Bolden, Mapu, Vlad Richard
DT- Harrell, McDaniel, Henderson, Richard
DE- Mitchell, Brown, Hostetter
LB- Mitchell, Mathis
LB- Mayo, E. Wilson
LB- Karl, Myers-White
CB- Wade, Fellows
CB- Johnson, Gaines
FS- Morely, Stewart
SS- Heffney, Parrish, Campbell

P- Colquitt
PK- Wilhoit

KR- Taylor
PR- Taylor



I think we still have a good squad coming back in 2006. I think we are thin at LB, and iffy at QB, and some tiny holes to fill in on O-Line. I think if we stick with one QB and ride him out, and move some guys to LB to help with depth, I think we will be a tough team. Not a national championship team by any means, but a solid squad who will be in most games. We have tons of talent up fron. Mitchell and Reynolds will be impact players by the end of their careers. The coaches are high on Ayers and Hostetter. And we get Gerald Willimas from JUCO. McDaniel, Harrell, McBride all have big game experience, HAve contributed, and have all made big plays. Bolden will emerge next season and will have a great career at UT. LB's Im a little worried. Mayo will be the most talented of the bunch. He has played well this season in a back-up role. Marvin Mitchell is a solid player, not a dominant LB, but a solid LB. Other than those 2, we look pretty inept. I think Myers-White's move was a smart one by the staff. That will bring some speed top the front 7. I think our starting 3 will be good, but after that its raw talent with no experience. The defensive backfield will be raw. I think it will be just as strong as our front 4. LB's better be a priority in this recruiting class. The kciking game comes back, and so does our returner. Lucas Taylor will be a gamebreaker eventually. I think we saw some things in him during the Bama game. I know he had the fumble but thats what you get when put a true freshman back there. He will learn and move on.


I think we ahve a team that can compete for the SEC East. UGA loses more this year than they did last year, and Florida is still a work in progress. I think the East will be very even next year comong down to the UGA-UT game winner. We start out with Cal which will let us know where we are right away. I think alot of next year will depend on changes made after this season.

9-2 see you in Tampa.
 
#15
#15
we have talent. if the coaches use the talent then 10-1. if the dont use the talent then 7-4.
 
#16
#16
Originally posted by QBvol7@Oct 27, 2005 3:24 PM
I think we have a good team coming back. Im still iffy about the QB situation. Here's what we have coming back, plus we'll probably have another good recruitng class in 2006:
QB- Ainge, Crompton
TB- Foster, Hardesty, Williams, Coker, Yancey
FB- Anderson, Holbert
WR- Smith, Meachem, Briscoe
WR- Swain, Taylor
TE- Brown, Cottam, Cottam
OL- Sears, Ash
OL- Smith, Jones
C- Ligon
OL- Young, Scott
OL- Parker, Rawls
DE- Reynolds, Ayers
DT- McBride, Bolden, Mapu, Vlad Richard
DT- Harrell, McDaniel, Henderson, Richard
DE- Mitchell, Brown, Hostetter
LB- Mitchell, Mathis
LB- Mayo, E. Wilson
LB- Karl, Myers-White
CB- Wade, Fellows
CB- Johnson, Gaines
FS- Morely, Stewart
SS- Heffney, Parrish, Campbell

P- Colquitt
PK- Wilhoit

KR- Taylor
PR- Taylor
I think we still have a good squad coming back in 2006. I think we are thin at LB, and iffy at QB, and some tiny holes to fill in on O-Line. I think if we stick with one QB and ride him out, and move some guys to LB to help with depth, I think we will be a tough team. Not a national championship team by any means, but a solid squad who will be in most games. We have tons of talent up fron. Mitchell and Reynolds will be impact players by the end of their careers. The coaches are high on Ayers and Hostetter. And we get Gerald Willimas from JUCO. McDaniel, Harrell, McBride all have big game experience, HAve contributed, and have all made big plays. Bolden will emerge next season and will have a great career at UT. LB's Im a little worried. Mayo will be the most talented of the bunch. He has played well this season in a back-up role. Marvin Mitchell is a solid player, not a dominant LB, but a solid LB. Other than those 2, we look pretty inept. I think Myers-White's move was a smart one by the staff. That will bring some speed top the front 7. I think our starting 3 will be good, but after that its raw talent with no experience. The defensive backfield will be raw. I think it will be just as strong as our front 4. LB's better be a priority in this recruiting class. The kciking game comes back, and so does our returner. Lucas Taylor will be a gamebreaker eventually. I think we saw some things in him during the Bama game. I know he had the fumble but thats what you get when put a true freshman back there. He will learn and move on.
I think we ahve a team that can compete for the SEC East. UGA loses more this year than they did last year, and Florida is still a work in progress. I think the East will be very even next year comong down to the UGA-UT game winner. We start out with Cal which will let us know where we are right away. I think alot of next year will depend on changes made after this season.

9-2 see you in Tampa.
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I'm sorry, but your reply did not contain enough fact. (sarcasm on).

The legendary Bruce Wilkinson needs more cowbell. I need more fact. (sarcasm still on).

Nice post, QBvol. You clearly know your team very, very well. You ought to take over for Bobby Bowden at FSU. His weekly call-in show is so funny because he can never remember his players' names, though he can remember odd facts about them. Typical Bowden while watching film of play on the show: "There's old Number 47 from Belle Glade making a hard hit. His momma made me sweet potatoes."

I'm not kidding.
 
#17
#17
Originally posted by lawgator1@Oct 27, 2005 4:05 PM
I'm sorry, but your reply did not contain enough fact.  (sarcasm on).

The legendary Bruce Wilkinson needs more cowbell.  I need more fact. (sarcasm still on).

Nice post, QBvol.  You clearly know your team very, very well.  You ought to take over for Bobby Bowden at FSU.  His weekly call-in show is so funny because he can never remember his players' names, though he can remember odd facts about them.  Typical Bowden while watching film of play on the show: "There's old Number 47 from Belle Glade making a hard hit.  His momma made me sweet potatoes."

I'm not kidding.
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Deggummit and gosh darnit. I forgot that kids name.
 
#18
#18
Originally posted by lawgator1@Oct 27, 2005 4:05 PM
I'm sorry, but your reply did not contain enough fact.  (sarcasm on).

The legendary Bruce Wilkinson needs more cowbell.  I need more fact. (sarcasm still on).

Nice post, QBvol.  You clearly know your team very, very well.  You ought to take over for Bobby Bowden at FSU.  His weekly call-in show is so funny because he can never remember his players' names, though he can remember odd facts about them.  Typical Bowden while watching film of play on the show: "There's old Number 47 from Belle Glade making a hard hit.  His momma made me sweet potatoes."

I'm not kidding.
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Awe, give the old fart a break. He's like, what, 82 :blink: just wait until you're 82. Or 74, or whatever .. I can't remember.
 
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