Respectfully, Pump the Brakes

#1

Nocleats

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#1
All in for CJP and what looks like a top shelf SEC staff,
I'm excited for Tennessee Footballs' future!
HOWEVER;
1. We have seen this roster on the field,
2. There is no 2nd team depth at a majority of positions particularly on Defense .
3. There is a lack of speed, particularly quickness, all over the field to opponents. Just watch the films.
4. Injuries, Injuries, and more injuries.. So many key players with major injuries. How well will they heal?
5. New Coaches, Totally New Systems! There will be a learning curve. Expect pretty basic simple early on.

Recruiting will help, but to depend on 17 and 18 year old true freshmen to stand toe to toe in the SEC is a stretch. Some do it but MOST cant. Its gonna take 2 or 3 years.

Look to KS at UGA for hope, but remember he inherited a 9 win team loaded with good/great soph and rs freshmen. Not a team that just finished the worst season in their history.. Big Difference
 
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#2
#2
Pretty sure most on here realize that, I expect significant improvement and to be competing in the east within two years..
 
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#4
#4
Pretty sure most on here realize that, I expect significant improvement and to be competing in the east within two years..

hope your right, I see more like three.. He will have a very young team in 2 years it appears.
 
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#9
#9
One thing I’ve keep reading about CJP is that he simplifies defenses. He wants them to move fast and not think. That is why you see immediate gains wherever he becomes DC. Not saying we will get overtly dominate teams right away but we should see improvement. Now offense is something else
 
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#10
#10
I think there should be a major investigation. It seems that Tennessee is this weird black hole of mature players in the fact that once they reach their junior year, according to some posters, they go away. We’ve had a young team for 15 years. What happens to the juniors and seniors? Should we mention this to someone?
 
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#11
#11
I honestly think 8-4 is our ceiling.

Yes, I’ve been negative and somewhat concerned over this hire but Pruitt has done all the right things so far that can make any Vol fan feel confident heading into next season. He’s proven me wrong.

I don’t think anyone is expecting an National Title. Just being competive and winning the games you’re supposed to win would be enough to satisfy our fans.
 
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#12
#12
Press conference winners

Lane Kiffin- so different than Phil, he's got swag!

Dooley-so different than Kiffin, he's a southern, talks like us! Hope UGA doesn't hire him away!!

Butch- so different than Dooley, he's polished! Very inspiring!

Pruitt- so different than Butch. He's southern and he's all business! No coach speak!!

I'm not anti-JP, it's just funny to see the same overly optimistic stuff every time. I'm hoping he's our best hire since Phil
 
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#14
#14
All in for CJP and what looks like a top shelf SEC staff,
I'm excited for Tennessee Footballs' future!
HOWEVER;
1. We have seen this roster on the field,
2. There is no 2nd team depth at a majority of positions particularly on Defense .
3. There is a lack of speed, particularly quickness, all over the field to opponents. Just watch the films.
4. Injuries, Injuries, and more injuries.. So many key players with major injuries. How well will they heal?
5. New Coaches, Totally New Systems! There will be a learning curve. Expect pretty basic simple early on.

Recruiting will help, but to depend on 17 and 18 year old true freshmen to stand toe to toe in the SEC is a stretch. Some do it but MOST cant. Its gonna take 2 or 3 years.

Look to KS at UGA for hope, but remember he inherited a 9 win team loaded with good/great soph and rs freshmen. Not a team that just finished the worst season in their history.. Big Difference

You forgot toughness, both physical & mental.

Good post in regard to us needing patience
 
#15
#15
If you look at the 2018 prediction thread you'll see the brakes have been pumped. Most expect/hope for 6-6 or 7-5. That was actually very possible this year with slightly different results against UF, KY and SC.
 
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#17
#17
Press conference winners

Lane Kiffin- so different than Phil, he's got swag!

Dooley-so different than Kiffin, he's a southern, talks like us! Hope UGA doesn't hire him away!!

Butch- so different than Dooley, he's polished! Very inspiring!

Pruitt- so different than Butch. He's southern and he's all business! No coach speak!!

I'm not anti-JP, it's just funny to see the same overly optimistic stuff every time. I'm hoping he's our best hire since Phil

Backup QB syndrome.
 
#18
#18
I expect a 7-5 type season. There will be learning curves. However, there is some good talent on this team in skill positions and in the defensive backfield. This staff will actually develop our players. If Pruitt is a good head coach he will BEAT UF next year. They’re coming off just as bad of a season. It won’t make or break him, but it will be a game to watch.
 
#19
#19
Sept. 1 -- vs. West Virginia (Charlotte) L
Sept. 8 -- ETSU W
Sept. 15 -- UTEP W
Sept. 22 -- FLORIDA W
Sept. 29 -- at Georgia L
Oct. 6 -- Open Date
Oct. 13 -- at Auburn L
Oct. 20 -- ALABAMA L
Oct. 27 -- at South Carolina L
Nov. 3 -- CHARLOTTE W
Nov. 10 -- KENTUCKY W
Nov. 17 -- MISSOURI W
Nov. 24 -- at Vanderbilt W

I see a 7-5 season, after February signing day that could improve, we'll see.
 
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#20
#20
Three coaching failures preceded this one.

It's terrible that this new coach couldn't be a sure thing, a certainty hire.

Another probability hire who may or may not succeed.
 
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#21
#21
well, believe we know that this is a new beginning, so step lightly...hope for the best...be prepared for the worst...and,

PS. good news...we have a coach...:)

GO VOLS!
 
#22
#22
Well hell, we cannot hate coaches that sucked here or support the one we hired can we? I understand what everybody is saying, but I think you have to realize that we still have a talented team. Plus they are not idiots either, they knew Butch was gone and if everything is true about him then they probably did not even want to play for him. We just need our players to be properly developed and put into a scheme that fits our roster's strengths.

Kiffin energized the fanbase and actually had an exciting first year. But Dooley and Butch were hires that I never got behind, even though I supported them while at Tennessee. Dooley was riding the coattails of his dad and did not seem to know a lick about football. It was more like he wanted to give history lessons. Butch was just an excuse and cliche generating machine. Again, most of the time he opened his mouth you questioned if he knew anything about football. Neither Dooley nor Butch had established a pedigree of winning at a high level before being at hired at Tennessee.

Pruitt has won every where he has been, and while he was not the head coach, he knows exactly what a national championship team looks like. He knows what it takes to win at the highest level in the SEC, something Dooley and Butch did not. He will demand that same excellence at Tennessee. He is already building a staff that is better than anything Dooley or Butch assembled. Lastly, at his press conference he hit most of the things we have been begging for over the past few years. He talked about toughness, wanting to win EVERY game, having the talent to compete (not that we're young and it's year 0 crap), fitting the scheme to our players, development, recruiting, and so much more. It was just clear to me, in my opinion, that we finally had a football guy.

I also believe everybody has been pretty realistic with Coach Pruitt. 8-4 would be an amazing season for him, but 7-5/6-6 should be very doable.
 
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#23
#23
Just 3 acceptable loses in year 1 otherwise just more of the same. Folks are much smarter and less forgiving. The old brick by brick or best described as year by year then boom want work. Arm chair coaches and ball scrubbers want find it easy recruiting sheep.
 

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