OrangeFrog
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along with a new never having taken an SEC snap QB and a D that has yet to stop anybody of consequence in years including a Worley led 118? Dawgs have lots of problems this year, it may take all of us to get behind Richt so they keep him by seasons end.The team with the new QB that plays us in Neyland Stadium and faces a tougher SEC West opponent? I don't see it.
I think we have a chance to be great but a key injury or two could set us back
No, Not yet.
I think Mizzou and Georgia are co-favorites. Mizzou because somehow they seem to have done it 2 years in a row and Georgia because they have the best/deepest roster.
We should be a dark horse and at least in the conversation which we haven't been in the past few years.
Even when UT dominated the series for years, Vandy found ways to "get up" and keep games close. I wouldn't worry about that this fall however.
The guys who hurt UT most from Mizzou's DL are gone now. UT's OL should improve even if it is no more than natural maturation from one season to the next when EVERYONE returns minus one player. I personally believe it is going to improve considerably more than that.
Can you maybe define being taken to the woodshed? UT lost to MU by 8. They lost on some big, Hail Mary types of plays to players who are no longer on their roster and who will be replaced with a group whose leader returns with 5 career receptions.
Yeah? Everyone lost good players... but UT lost fewer of its best players than most. AJ will be replaced this fall by a very good player. And with the development of the other returning players and additions... the Vol D will be less of a one man wrecking crew. Returning 19 of the 22 players in your defensive two deep is a coach's dream... not a nightmare. It only gets better when you look at the young returnees and new players that are ready to make contributions.
Thomas didn't play well last year. He's a good looking prospect but the OL is by no stretch dependent on him. Again, returning your whole OL roster minus one player with an extra year of conditioning and possibly the addition of Richmond as a Fr... is a DREAM, not a nightmare. They're talented, deep, developed, experienced... if the coaching and playcalling are good then they should be good.
UT will have one of the 3 most talented teams in the East. Teams 4-7 aren't all that close in terms of pure, raw "talent". UF is roughly equal to UT in overall talent and just went through a coaching change. UGA is more talented but break in a new QB while losing 3 of their top 4 WR's. They lose their top two LB's and top two DL's... plus they have Richt.
I don't know if Jones and UT can take advantage but the door is standing wide open waiting for them to walk through it.
Agreed.Consider:
- We return the most starters in the SEC (18), and have had the best recruiting classes in the SEC East over the past two years.
The mobile backups are all true freshmen. So this is actually a point of relative weakness, should Dobbs get hurt. Let's hope he doesn't.Consider:
- We have the best QB in the SEC East (Dobbs), and more mobile backups who fit our offense (Dormady, Jennings & Jones) than we've ever had since Butch took over.
Agreed.Consider:
- We have the best and deepest WR corp in the SEC East (North, Pearson, Howard, Malone, Smith, Croom, and Williams).
Agreed. But it takes two RBs to play a full game these days, as they rotate out to stay fresh ... if one of these fellows goes down with injury, we're gonna see a significantly less capable backup fill in while the starter is healing.Consider:
- We have two NFL-caliber RBs for the first time since the late 90s.
I wouldn't call Blair blue-chip, at this point. Let's see how his development plays out. We're all hopeful that the OLine gels and becomes, if not a strength, at least not a weakness in 2015. It's not yet a done deal.Consider:
- We're returning almost all of our offensive linemen from last year while adding several blue-chip tackles (Blair, Richmond, and Jones).
This is the rare case where I'm going to say you didn't even give our boys enough credit...they're even better than you say, once you add the DTs in!Consider:
- We probably have the best defensive line in the entire SEC, especially for rushing the passer (Barnett, Maggitt, Weatherd, and Phillips)
Yes...some of it is growing into the job, but good chance we'll get there on time. A lot keys on who picks up the MLB "defensive QB" duties, and how well.Consider:
- We have more speed and depth at linebacker than we've had in years.
Agreed.Consider:
- We probably have the best and most-experienced secondary in the SEC East, which was already among the best 3rd down defenses in the nation last year.
Agreed.Consider:
- We have talent (Medley) and speed (Berry, Sutton) on special teams.
Agreed, though can't wait to see how CMD calls a game.Consider:
- We've probably upgraded at offensive coordinator (Debord for Bajakian) while managing to maintain the chemistry and continuity of our coaching staff.
Talent, largely agree (though Florida is our rough equal). Experience, roughly agree, it's complicated, but with so many starters back, you could make a good case for it. Coaching continuity, agreed we're at least as good as any team in the East, which is a remarkable thing to be able to say when we just replaced our OC.Consider:
- We indisputably have more returning talent, experience, and coaching continuity than Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky and Vanderbilt this year.
Agreed.Consider:
- We host Georgia and their inexperienced QB early in the season, and their SEC West opponents (Alabama and Auburn) are tougher than ours (Alabama and Arkansas).
It is and I believe they will take advantage. We still have players that lost to GA. twice in heartbreaking defeats (especially Pig Howard). TN has GA at home this year and everyone on team 119 will be fired and ready to go. I for one expect to be in Atlanta for the SECCG. I believe team 119 has the opportunity to be Auburn of 2 years ago. Can't wait to get the season going.
Eric Sallee, the lead SEC writer for Bleacher Report, just predicted yesterday that Tennessee will go 10-2 this year and win the SEC East. Although Butch Jones keeps trying to temper expectations and a not-insignificant number of fans here on Volnation think we're still "one year away" and would be "fine" with just 7 wins, why shouldn't we be favored in the SEC East this year? Consider:
- We return the most starters in the SEC (18), and have had the best recruiting classes in the SEC East over the past two years.
- We have the best QB in the SEC East (Dobbs), and more mobile backups who fit our offense (Dormady, Jennings & Jones) than we've ever had since Butch took over.
- We have the best and deepest WR corp in the SEC East (North, Pearson, Howard, Malone, Smith, Croom, and Williams).
- We have two NFL-caliber RBs for the first time since the late 90s.
- We're returning almost all of our offensive linemen from last year while adding several blue-chip tackles (Blair, Richmond, and Jones).
- We probably have the best defensive line in the entire SEC, especially for rushing the passer (Barnett, Maggitt, Weatherd, and Phillips)
- We have more speed and depth at linebacker than we've had in years.
- We probably have the best and most-experienced secondary in the SEC East, which was already among the best 3rd down defenses in the nation last year.
- We have talent (Medley) and speed (Berry, Sutton) on special teams.
- We've probably upgraded at offensive coordinator (Debord for Bajakian) while managing to maintain the chemistry and continuity of our coaching staff.
- We indisputably have more returning talent, experience, and coaching continuity than Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky and Vanderbilt this year.
- We host Georgia and their inexperienced QB early in the season, and their SEC West opponents (Alabama and Auburn) are tougher than ours (Alabama and Arkansas).
Regardless of what our overall record might be (anywhere from 11-1 to 8-4), why shouldn't we be favored to win the SEC East this year?