Bleacher Report Says Tennessee is 10-2 in 2015

[malinoisvol]

Probably just a different writer. I would love for the Vols to make that giant step forward but until they beat Florida about the best UT can hope for is 9-3 and a Citrus bowl.

That Da***d OBC approves. Lol

 

[thefrogjumper]

I got real news for you! In another BR article, a writer predicted the vols to win the NC, saying the vols are going to be like last years Ohio State where the year away from being great comes early.

 

[esarmstrong]

I just hope our players don't read BR.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

Not trying to sound like a smart a$$ but the OL did fine when Dobbs came in. They have run zone blocking scheme ever since Jones has set foot on campus, zone blocking doesn't fair well for a drop back passer (Worley). Its meant to open holes in the line to give the QB options if there are no open receivers in his 3-5 second read.

wut

Pretty sure Mizzou sacked us like 6 times.

 

[Special Ed]

That Da***d OBC approves.

Is that damned or something actually profane?

 

[DC_Vol]

BR is the National Enquirer of sports journalism.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

BR is the National Enquirer of sports journalism.

This post should be firmly planted at the very top of the football forum.

 

[governmentmule]

I thought that the BR was all Bammer ? they must be looking to get readers from Tennessee

 

[Eddie Vol Halen]

We should be in the hunt and in the mix for SECCG all season. This 8 - 4 ridiculousness is a Stooley hangover. This team should be hardcore this year. The Terminator, Mike DeBord, is going to sort the O-line out. That's all we need.

The only two teams that are a toss-up this year are Bama and Georgia. Georgia picks up both Bama and Barn this year and they will "Georgia" another game.

Get over the Stooley hangover. 8 - 4 is not good enough for Team 119. Our young squad will really come together, and prove more resilient, by the end of the year.

SECCG or bust for Team 119.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

We should be in the hunt and in the mix for SECCG all season. This 8 - 4 ridiculousness is a Stooley hangover. This team should be hardcore this year. The Terminator, Mike DeBord, is going to sort the O-line out. That's all we need.

The only two teams that are a toss-up this year are Bama and Georgia. Georgia picks up both Bama and Barn this year and they will "Georgia" another game.

Get over the Stooley hangover. 8 - 4 is not good enough for Team 119. Our young squad will really come together, and prove more resilient, by the end of the year.

SECCG or bust for Team 119.

Your expectations are too high and you're going to be disappointed. Sorry, but that's just the harsh truth of it.

 

[governmentmule]

Not trying to sound like a smart a$$ but the OL did fine when Dobbs came in. They have run zone blocking scheme ever since Jones has set foot on campus, zone blocking doesn't fair well for a drop back passer (Worley). Its meant to open holes in the line to give the QB options if there are no open receivers in his 3-5 second read.

the line didn't improve,Dobbs was just better at running away,Worley didn't have the speed to get away,especially after he was pounded into the ground

 

[Boca Vol]

the line didn't improve,Dobbs was just better at running away,Worley didn't have the speed to get away,especially after he was pounded into the ground

This!

 

[Volsfaninva917]

the line didn't improve,Dobbs was just better at running away,Worley didn't have the speed to get away,especially after he was pounded into the ground

When I say did better I mean they finally had a QB that fit the zone blocking system.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

wut

Pretty sure Mizzou sacked us like 6 times.

Yea with the 2 best ends in the league

 

[Catbone]

We should be in the hunt and in the mix for SECCG all season. This 8 - 4 ridiculousness is a Stooley hangover. This team should be hardcore this year. The Terminator, Mike DeBord, is going to sort the O-line out. That's all we need.

The only two teams that are a toss-up this year are Bama and Georgia. Georgia picks up both Bama and Barn this year and they will "Georgia" another game.

Get over the Stooley hangover. 8 - 4 is not good enough for Team 119. Our young squad will really come together, and prove more resilient, by the end of the year.

SECCG or bust for Team 119.

Not yet Eddie

 

[LittleVol]

Not yet Eddie

WHY?
What is there to validate this opinion?

In my view, we have the experience and talent in all 3 phases of the game to compete with anyone in our conference.

Compete. That's all you can ever ask for.
With all things being equal or almost equal (ie. competitive)- Why not believe your team can make it to the conference championship?

 

[Catbone]

WHY?
What is there to validate this opinion?

In my view, we have the experience and talent in all 3 phases of the game to compete with anyone in our conference.

Compete. That's all you can ever ask for.
With all things being equal or almost equal (ie. competitive)- Why not believe your team can make it to the conference championship?

Depth and OL.

 

[KBVol]

wut

Pretty sure Mizzou sacked us like 6 times.

Seriously. And for ANY team to sack an elusive QB like Dobbs, you know it was basically an unimpeded sprint for the DL to see who could get there first. Our OL, while looking better with Dobbs in last year, was just atrocious vs both Mizzou and Vandy last year.

 

[TheGrove68]

Excellent synopsis, and again do feel free to ask anything specific here and we can save you the time of sorting through VN. There is a lot of good information here, you just have to wade through a sea of rumors, negavol posts, and general idiocy.

Side note, you don't need to tell me about Memphis last year. I'm a '13 alum. I was raised on UT football with my dad, and as young as I am have been going to games since the days of Jamal Lewis, Tee Martin, and Manning of course. I did watch a lot of Memphis football though, and that BYU win was one of the best bowl games last year imo.

Then you know that Odom is good and we should solider on without much if a hiccup on defense.

One question what do you think if your new OC and the recruiting turnover and how that might relate to chemistry?

 

[TheGrove68]

I know as a fan that's what you hope for but he's taking a step up in competition. Even if the changes are no more than leadership style and playcalling, it is unlikely that there won't be any drop off at all.

It is likely that there will be at least an adjustment period following a guy who was there as long as your last DC.



That's a really tough expectation. You lost by far and away your best playmaker in Murphy. From a fairly anemic O, you lost your top 4 receivers a year after losing your top 3. It is difficult to seeing MU's O getting better while returning only one proven playmaker at a skill position and with the leading WR returning with only 5 catches.

As UT fans learned well in '13, running the ball well without legitimate threats at the WR position in the SEC is a very, very difficult proposition.

I'm pretty confident our new DC will be on par with Steck and there is a good chance he could be a upgrade. Not only is he well versed in the MU system,his reputation is that he is a great teacher and motivator.

On offense as you stated we Lost 4 stud WR and plugged those spots in with 3 no-names and got production and a All conference guy in Sasser.

Is it that big a stretch to assume with 4 returning OL,our starting QB who is mobile and our starting RB that we can't get equal production out of our returning WR? It's not like the bar is sat that high! We have several WR on the roster with more or at least equal physical ability of Sasser,Hunt or White. We also have a nice crop of TE who are athletic ball catchers watch for a increased production from that position.

Now the QB and his WR just have to develop chemistry,the OL should provide protection and the RB should pose a running threat to allow numbers couple that with Mauk ability to bail us out with his feet and yes I don't see a offensive decline.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

I think we have a good season but I lost interest in the first paragraph when he stated Blair was having an impressive spring.

The team is an evolving work in progress; you might want to check today's practice update ... :question:

 

[UGADawg4Life]

What I stated was objective numerical fact. What you stated was subjective speculation and opinion. Neither of us has any idea how injuries will turn out with Tennessee, but either way it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Other teams have injuries and other bad things happen as well....those things are all unknown and the only thing we can really do at this point is talk about where teams stand prior to any of those things happening.....and the fact is, as things stand right now, Tennessee is in as good or better position than any team in the SEC.

This from Saturday Down South:

Tennessee: The Vols haven’t played with a full deck since the bowl game and it’s beginning to affect the way Tennessee practices in terms of preparation and staying on Butch Jones’ good side.

As many as 10 potential starters are limited or have missed spring ball completely, a challenge for any coaching staff with expectations as lofty as a division title — and more — in 2015.

“How do you progress? You get repetitions in the spring,” Jones said according to The Times Free Press. “We don’t have that luxury, so every rep is critical. Every rep has to be a winning rep. Every rep has to be a quality rep.”

Encouraged by his team’s effort level during the first couple practice sessions, Jones wasn’t pleased over the weekend and blasted the Vols’ offense following Saturday’s lackluster scrimmage.

“I did not like our offense’s approach,” Jones said. “I thought we were stale. I thought we had no mental effort. I thought we had no intensity about ourselves, and I think it showed. We have to get better as a football team in a hurry and I say that every time we step on the football field.”

Despite the slew of missing players on both sides of the ball, Tennessee’s coaching staff has tried to teach what remains a relatively young football team this spring with situational football. First-year coordinator Mike DeBord has mapped out his plan for the offense and over the last two weeks, has worked closely on installation and tempo with quarterback Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee’s most important player this season.

The two seem to have gelled, even if Dobbs doesn’t have his full arsenal of weapons available just yet. Tailback Jalen Hurd has watched from the sideline as four-star JUCO transfer Alvin Kamara’s made waves with an effortless transition into the offense.

 

[sjt18]

Is it that big a stretch to assume with 4 returning OL,our starting QB who is mobile and our starting RB that we can't get equal production out of our returning WR? It's not like the bar is sat that high! We have several WR on the roster with more or at least equal physical ability of Sasser,Hunt or White. We also have a nice crop of TE who are athletic ball catchers watch for a increased production from that position.

Honestly, from my experience... yes. That's a stretch. Give the coaches major credit if they even equal last year's "bad" production. TE mitigates it some but Mizzou's O seems to be pretty dependent on stretching the field vertically and horizontally. Much of that has been heavily dependent on timing and "feel" between the QB and WR's. That's already a challenge with how inconsistent your QB is.... now you have WR's with little to no experience.

Now the QB and his WR just have to develop chemistry,the OL should provide protection and the RB should pose a running threat to allow numbers couple that with Mauk ability to bail us out with his feet and yes I don't see a offensive decline.

Chemistry can only be developed so far in practice or 7 on 7. It takes live action against an opponent who does things you do not expect and, frankly, are often more athletic and talented than the DB's they face in practice.

You lost all of your WR production from a team that avg'd only 163 ypg passing vs the SEC... and you played the weakest West slate of any East team. It would have been much worse if you'd played say... Bama and Ole Miss.

In the run game, you do not appear to have anyone who can replace Murphy's production but more importantly the threat he presents to opponents with his big play ability.

Maybe Pinkel turns water into wine again... but purely from looking at the available parts... it looks like it will get worse before getting better.

One thing that could make it better would be if he went to a more reliable passer than Mauk but Pinkel's affinity for him seems to be ironclad.

 

[sjt18]

PS- Not trying to just be harsh on you but Mizzou's rise has had as much or more to do with UT and UF's simultaneous slump than with Mizzou getting appreciably better. If Mizzou is "just as good" as last year (which you believe they will be but I don't)... then they will probably fall a couple of spots. UT is getting better. Arkansas returns a lot of the pieces that made them better.

On the flip side... and under the "living a charmed existence" column... you appear to be getting MSU after they lost many of the experienced and talented players who made them a better team. While UT seems to be in a pattern of catching West teams at their peak or on the rise, Mizzou seems to be doing just the opposite.

 

[P.O.T.S. VOL]

PS- Not trying to just be harsh on you but Mizzou's rise has had as much or more to do with UT and UF's simultaneous slump than with Mizzou getting appreciably better. If Mizzou is "just as good" as last year (which you believe they will be but I don't)... then they will probably fall a couple of spots. UT is getting better. Arkansas returns a lot of the pieces that made them better.

On the flip side... and under the "living a charmed existence" column... you appear to be getting MSU after they lost many of the experienced and talented players who made them a better team. While UT seems to be in a pattern of catching West teams at their peak or on the rise, Mizzou seems to be doing just the opposite.

Well said sir! But don't forget Georgia either!

I should clarify that that was a horrendous year of injuries for georgia, with most of them happening before missouri and georgia met! They weren't particularly in a slump, but got help from all the injuries!