Joe Vols
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"No chance," is what you'll hear most people say when you ask them if Tennessee might upset number 3 Ole Miss this Saturday on their home field. After all, Ole Miss is bigger, faster, more athletic, more physical, and is more experienced.
Right?
Not so fast my friend. While the latter might be true, they are more experienced, the rest of it is up for debate. The Vols are deep at wide receiver, plus their secondary and defensive front are much improved. Ole Miss has an outstanding defensive end, and a big sure handed receiver, however; Tennessee can answer that call with proven play-makers of its own on both sides of the ball.
Everyone knows that Ole Miss is sure to throw the kitchen sink at the Vol's offense, giving Worley little to no time to make a read and get rid of the ball. The good/ bad news is that Worley should know by now how to handle pressure as this is anything but new to him this season. And then there's this, Ole miss will limit severely, if not totally stifle Tennessee's ability to run the ball, but again this is nothing new to this Vol's team either.
So with the obvious advantages of one of the nation's best defenses going up against what is rated as one of the nation's most dismal offenses, is there any chance of a victory for the Tennessee Vols this Saturday?
I must answer with an emphatic yes.
There are 2 blaring differences between the 2 teams this year so far. Their records, and their level of competition. The talent edge outside of the O line, and possibly the QB (up for debate considering the duress Worley has had to endure this season) is basically a stalemate. So realistically the only advantage Ole Miss has in talent, in my opinion, is the O line, and this is more of an experience issue than a talent issue.
So why does UT have any hope in this game? We have played the tougher schedule so far, and despite our record we have competed well. I don't expect anything any different from this team this weekend in that regard. What we are more likely to see from this Vol team is improvements in all phases of the game.
Our team, and our QB have seen it all before. Loud crowds, hostile environment, ferocious pass rush, and underdog status. These players have proven one thing so far, that they can play with the best, under the worst conditions. We know they're going come out fighting, so there's only one thing left for them to prove. That they can come out on the winning end of a hard fought game.
So the Vols have no chance according to most, but I'm willing to bet every Vol playing expects to win. So we should expect another slugfest the SEC has become famous for over the years. This time don't be surprised if Tennessee not only covers the spread, but also comes out on top against the No. 3 team in the country.
If this happens the rest of the country will see an upset, but I won't. We match up better against Ole Miss than we did against Florida. Florida is bigger, faster, and more athletic than Ole Miss; they just aren't coached as well.
Right?
Not so fast my friend. While the latter might be true, they are more experienced, the rest of it is up for debate. The Vols are deep at wide receiver, plus their secondary and defensive front are much improved. Ole Miss has an outstanding defensive end, and a big sure handed receiver, however; Tennessee can answer that call with proven play-makers of its own on both sides of the ball.
Everyone knows that Ole Miss is sure to throw the kitchen sink at the Vol's offense, giving Worley little to no time to make a read and get rid of the ball. The good/ bad news is that Worley should know by now how to handle pressure as this is anything but new to him this season. And then there's this, Ole miss will limit severely, if not totally stifle Tennessee's ability to run the ball, but again this is nothing new to this Vol's team either.
So with the obvious advantages of one of the nation's best defenses going up against what is rated as one of the nation's most dismal offenses, is there any chance of a victory for the Tennessee Vols this Saturday?
I must answer with an emphatic yes.
There are 2 blaring differences between the 2 teams this year so far. Their records, and their level of competition. The talent edge outside of the O line, and possibly the QB (up for debate considering the duress Worley has had to endure this season) is basically a stalemate. So realistically the only advantage Ole Miss has in talent, in my opinion, is the O line, and this is more of an experience issue than a talent issue.
So why does UT have any hope in this game? We have played the tougher schedule so far, and despite our record we have competed well. I don't expect anything any different from this team this weekend in that regard. What we are more likely to see from this Vol team is improvements in all phases of the game.
Our team, and our QB have seen it all before. Loud crowds, hostile environment, ferocious pass rush, and underdog status. These players have proven one thing so far, that they can play with the best, under the worst conditions. We know they're going come out fighting, so there's only one thing left for them to prove. That they can come out on the winning end of a hard fought game.
So the Vols have no chance according to most, but I'm willing to bet every Vol playing expects to win. So we should expect another slugfest the SEC has become famous for over the years. This time don't be surprised if Tennessee not only covers the spread, but also comes out on top against the No. 3 team in the country.
If this happens the rest of the country will see an upset, but I won't. We match up better against Ole Miss than we did against Florida. Florida is bigger, faster, and more athletic than Ole Miss; they just aren't coached as well.
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