Tennessee is a strange case this year.
We have a ton of talented veterans. That have lost some games, but still have a good amount of experience.
We have a few bright spots on both sides of the ball.
Chandler
Callaway
Bituli
Warrior can play for any team in College football.
And we have all 4 with some other talented guys....
I think this is a 9 win team with the bowl game included
i posted someting in the RF on this topic earlier.
i dont' think last year's roster was a 4-8 team. really don't.
it's not like last season didn't have it's fair share of outside influences that helped dictate the final result.
but. it did happen, and as much as last year's result may be an outlier, i think it's fair to say that having an exact opposite result this season, with all the "new" and the many "unknowns" we have going in, the schedule etc.... that it would also be considered an outlie to see us go to the other end of the spectrum at 8-4 or 9-3.
i think you break this season down like this....the first 4 games are extremely important to how the season ends up. there's nothing about anyone picking UF or WVU beating TN that says a single thing about how GOOD either of those teams are, as much as it is just expecting TN to be bad, and we should lose.
so if we're a tad better than we think, those games are probably more winnable than most think. maybe you get out of there 3-1.
the last 4 games are made a lot harder because the 4 we play right before it. but go 3-1 on the last 4 and you get to a bowl.
win any of the games in that middle 4, and i say throw a party.