Nonconference schedule analysis: SEC

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

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#1
TENNESSEE

Toughest: Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 28-30), at Wichita State (Dec. 14)
Next toughest: at Xavier (Nov. 12), NC State (Dec. 18), Virginia (Dec. 30)
The rest: USC Upstate (Nov. 16), The Citadel (Nov. 18), Tennessee State (Nov. 22), Tennessee Tech (Dec. 7), Morehead State (Dec. 23), Tusculum (Jan. 4)

Toughness scale (1-10): 8 -- Cuonzo Martin will guide one of the league’s -- and nation’s -- sleepers in 2013-14. Yes, the Vols could contend for the SEC title. But a win over something called Tusculum in early January won’t prove much. Ditto for matchups against The Citadel and USC Upstate. But the Vols could meet Kansas in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game. To get there, however, they’ll have to go through UTEP and then they’ll have to beat either Xavier or fellow sleeper Iowa. They’ll also travel to Xavier prior to the tournament. And it’s never easy to get a win over the Musketeers in Cincy. Virginia is stacked. And a road game against a Wichita State squad seeking revenge from a loss in Knoxville last season will be a major challenge for Martin’s program.
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SEC nonconference schedule analysis - ESPN
 
#7
#7
11-2/12-1 in OOC is what I'm thinking. I think NC State will surprise a lot and will look like a good win for us coming close to Tourney time.
 
#9
#9
NC State last year was just over hyped, they'll be more challenging than the bottom half of the SEC. I don't think 8 is a fair rating, but hey I'm not getting paid for this. I'd say a solid 6/7.
 
#10
#10
bleedingTNorange said:
11-2/10-3 is what I'm thinking...

I agree about Nc state
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Could see that. I think I predicted 26-4 for the season so that's why I only say one OOC loss, but def could see 10-3. If its against the right teams ill be happy. I'm ready for the season to start.
 
#13
#13
bleedingTNorange said:
So all the whining about are schedule was just that, whining?
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As I recall, most was not critical of the non conference schedule. Most were critical about the toughest games being on the road. After Virginia, the season ticket holders will have to wait until January in order to see some decent basketball.
 
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#14
#14
johnnybravo said:
As I recall, most was not critical of the non conference schedule. Most were critical about the toughest games being on the road. After Virginia, the season ticket holders will have to wait until January in order to see some decent basketball.
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I get that, but when you look at the big picture I think it's hard to he overly upset with the home slate. The AD and basketball staff thought they had a home/home with Michigan State locked up, this would've brought them to Knoxville this year. Martin also thought that Tennessee would be playing in the Big 12/SEC challenge this year, which likeky would've paired Tennessee with another good team at TBA. You also had Memphis and Tennessee ADs talking to try and renew the basketball series. It's very possible that they thought there was a chance the series would continue.

However, the Michigan State deal fell through at the last minute, Slive decided not to involve us in the Big 12/SEC challenge, and the Memphis talks are still ongoing. By the time the news of both was dropped, it's a little late to go out and be able to find some marquee teams wiling to come to Knoxville. If you add Michigan and Oklahoma State to our home schedule, and Memphis on the road all of a sudden it becomes one of the best OOC schedules in the country.
 
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#15
#15
bleedingTNorange said:
I get that, but when you look at the big picture I think it's hard to he overly upset with the home slate. The AD and basketball staff thought they had a home/home with Michigan State locked up, this would've brought them to Knoxville this year. Martin also thought that Tennessee would be playing in the Big 12/SEC challenge this year, which likeky would've paired Tennessee with another good team at TBA. You also had Memphis and Tennessee ADs talking to try and renew the basketball series. It's very possible that they thought there was a chance the series would continue.

However, the Michigan State deal fell through at the last minute, Slive decided not to involve us in the Big 12/SEC challenge, and the Memphis talks are still ongoing. By the time the news of both was dropped, it's a little late to go out and be able to find some marquee teams wiling to come to Knoxville. If you add Michigan and Oklahoma State to our home schedule, and Memphis on the road all of a sudden it becomes one of the best OOC schedules in the country.
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Since option A, B, C, and D failed, then that leaves a less than appealing home schedule. The individuals that pay for the season tickets definitely have the right to be critical.
 
#16
#16
johnnybravo said:
Since option A, B, C, and D failed, then that leaves a less than appealing home schedule. The individuals that pay for the season tickets definitely have the right to be critical.
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If people want to form an uneducated opinion that's their choice. The home OOC slate has been very strong both of Martin's first 2 years. It was on track to be even stronger this year before a deal fell apart and Slive screwed us over.

If this becomes a trend and the home slate is constantly underwhelming then ill sympathize with the high spending season ticket holders. However, 1 year every once in awhile isn't gonna cause me to lose much sleep.
 
#17
#17
johnnybravo said:
Since option A, B, C, and D failed, then that leaves a less than appealing home schedule. The individuals that pay for the season tickets definitely have the right to be critical.
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This schedule is way better than last years.
 
#18
#18
johnnybravo said:
Since option A, B, C, and D failed, then that leaves a less than appealing home schedule. The individuals that pay for the season tickets definitely have the right to be critical.
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Man, I understand the disappointment with this year's schedule, but just suck it up, go to the games, and cheer on the Vols.
 
#19
#19
Or better yet, give the tickets of the unentertaining games you don't want to go to a fellow volnation poster.

aka: Me
 
#20
#20
Chris4Vols22 said:
Man, I understand the disappointment with this year's schedule, but just suck it up, go to the games, and cheer on the Vols.
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I do that any and every year. Just sayin though, the year we don't have KY in TBA is not the year that we shouldn't have a big ticket replacement to appease the people paying the bills.
 
#23
#23
GoobieVol said:
I think your record is stuck bro. :)
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Some people just don't get it.

The staff wasn't gonna schedule 10 marquee home games, they had Virginia and NC State lined up, and thought they had Michigan State and a big12 team lined up. Add that to 3 tough opponents in the B4A, @Xavier, @Wichita State, and the possibility of @Memphis and you've got a daunting OOC schedule.

That's 10 games against likely tourney teams non conference, that's about as hard of an OOC slate as you'll find any team in the country play. Unfortunately the Memphis, Michigan State and Big12 games didn't pan out and 2/3 of those were at home. Therefore not only did our OOC schedule take a hit, but our home schedule took a major hit.

I'm not gonna whine about our home slate when the staff tried to put together a helluva home schedule for the fans. It's not their fault that Slive screwed us or that Michigan State apparently backed out last minute. As I mentioned, if this was a trend I would have some sympathy, but Martin has had very good home games each of his first two years, and was trying to have an even better one this year.
 
#25
#25
bleedingTNorange said:
Some people just don't get it.

The staff wasn't gonna schedule 10 marquee home games, they had Virginia and NC State lined up, and thought they had Michigan State and a big12 team lined up. Add that to 3 tough opponents in the B4A, @Xavier, @Wichita State, and the possibility of @Memphis and you've got a daunting OOC schedule.

That's 10 games against likely tourney teams non conference, that's about as hard of an OOC slate as you'll find any team in the country play. Unfortunately the Memphis, Michigan State and Big12 games didn't pan out and 2/3 of those were at home. Therefore not only did our OOC schedule take a hit, but our home schedule took a major hit.

I'm not gonna whine about our home slate when the staff tried to put together a helluva home schedule for the fans. It's not their fault that Slive screwed us or that Michigan State apparently backed out last minute. As I mentioned, if this was a trend I would have some sympathy, but Martin has had very good home games each of his first two years, and was trying to have an even better one this year.
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But instead could possibly go down in UT history as the worst home schedule ever.
 
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