Still a year away

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

It seems like were always a year, or a class away.

no. the last 2 years are pretty unprecendents for Tennessee. not since the early 2000s have we had this type of talent. for once, its not delusional to expect greatness from this team. we finally have the horses to compete with the big boys.

other than for Alabama, we won't be at a significant talent disadvantage against our opponents for the first time in over a decade.

 

[EvanStalcup1990]

I will bump this post for you. Ceiling is 8 wins.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

When was the last time, when a UT QB started the season and didn't miss a single game and closed the season as a starter? Until we have quality at the QB position and a JR/SR OL, do not expect this team to pass the 8 win mark. Everyone is setting themselves up for failure and disappointment.

Hurd might be fine, but he will have to shoulder the load this year along with Karma. I don't see either two of the RBs not missing significant time time this year.

The OL will struggle but will not be noticed bc of the athletic ability of the QB.

Calm down the expectations and enjoy the season for what it is.

human beings are so different. you fear the dissapointment of failure, so you set low expectations. i fear the failure of low expectations. I'd rather set my goals sky high and then live with what happens rather than fear the worst at all times.

 

[Falcons02]

I am going to be honest here, all of these posters claiming we are going to win 9+ are ridiculous. They will be the same posters on here screaming for the coaches head when we lose. We will go 7-5 this year with a chance to win the bowl game. We are only 1 injury away (qb) from a losing season. Virtually no depth at RB, Hurd will not be able to get through the SEC grind, and Karma is not a proven commodity. Our OL will not have a dramatic improvement. I would not expect the offense to gel as much as everyone is saying. Our def will win us games this year. If we go 7-5 that means we improved. 2016 is the year UT will have to really show out.

"I promise to wear my big boy underoos and not yell and scream (excessively) at Butch (or his alter ego Nordic Butch) if the Vols do not win 10 games like I think they can."

Signed,
Falcons02 aka MattySlush aka URKillinmeSmitty

We good?

 

[ProfessorD]

8 or 9 wins this year. 2016 look out. Could see this team get to 10 wins which would just be spectacular but 8 wins for sure.

 

[volinSmyrna]

Staying healthy is crucial. Regular season, I think 7 wins is the expectation...8 wins is very doable...anything north of that give CBJ the key to the friggin city.

I'm all for eternal optimism and thinking we should win every game, but we will still be faced with our OL as our biggest weakness/question mark. You cannot win much in the SEC on a consistent basis with a questionable OLine.

2016 is the season for huge expectations!

 

[joevol33]

I'm not saying we win 10, but we win the east this year. I'll say it until proven otherwise.

 

[Doyle Hargraves]

With all the hype I am sure no one wants to hear it but we are still one year away. 7 or 8 wins is a successful season next year. 2016 will be the year we are another year older, more experienced, deeper at all positions and ready to compete. Don't get upset with 7 this year, still a process and it is working And foundation has been laid.

7 wins next season and we have serious concerns.
The time for candy coating and rainbows are over.
Put up or shut up.

 

[KingtUT]

I cant believe how many "Vol fans" lack a set of balls. Anybody fine with 7 wins needs to grow a pair. Trying this early to control the dissappointment of only winning 7 games next year is pathetic. JMO

Im a huge Butch fan and I think he's the long term answer but he doesn't get a free ride for failing to meet the realistic expectations that he's work so hard to obtain.

7 regular season wins is the absolute floor for this team and as far as im concerned, the sky is the limit.

 

[malinoisvol]

Dobbs getting hurt would be not good. If it happens, DeBord and his staff will get their ultimate test in QB development.
This is why the Bowlingreen and WCU games will be huge early on. To get a big lead so our back ups can get their feet wet early.
If we don't see back ups for the significant part of the 4th qtr of these 2 games, it could turn out to be a long nail-biter of a season.

 

[KKruzVFL]

I can't believe how many excuse makers we have in volnation. It almost sounds like we would be happy if we won 7-8 games every year. Total BS. What happens when we lose a bunch of players to graduation next year? Are we gonna say 8 games is good enough? The 2015 team should at least win 9 games this year with the schedule that we have. I wish people would stop selling this program short!Yes weve been down but we are coming back up! Lets start holding this program to the expectations that we used to have when were an dominant team in the SEC.

 

[chattaboogie]

With all the hype I am sure no one wants to hear it but we are still one year away. 7 or 8 wins is a successful season next year. 2016 will be the year we are another year older, more experienced, deeper at all positions and ready to compete. Don't get upset with 7 this year, still a process and it is working And foundation has been laid.

Do you have anything to support that? You just get on here and spit bull**** and expect people to agree? Why dont you back it up.

How many seniors will we start? How many juniors? How many overall starters do we return?What is our average recruit ranking? How is our coaching consistency? If you don't think we compete with Georgia and Florida this year then you better just follow Missouri you twad.

 

[KingtUT]

Do you have anything to support that? You just get on here and spit bull**** and expect people to agree? Why dont you back it up.

How many seniors will we start? How many juniors? How many overall starters do we return?What is our average recruit ranking? How is our coaching consistency? If you don't think we compete with Georgia and Florida this year then you better just follow Missouri you twad.

Now tell him how you really feel

 

[volinga33]

I can't believe how many excuse makers we have in volnation. It almost sounds like we would be happy if we won 7-8 games every year. Total BS. What happens when we lose a bunch of players to graduation next year? Are we gonna say 8 games is good enough? The 2015 team should at least win 9 games this year with the schedule that we have. I wish people would stop selling this program short!Yes weve been down but we are coming back up! Lets start holding this program to the expectations that we used to have when were an dominant team in the SEC.

Im not too old to remember when 8 wins was a bad year for us. The difference in the teams post 05 and pre 05 is that the good fulmer teams believed that they would win every game. I think CBJ will get our boys believing and playing with confidence. We have the right personnel in place to contend for the east this year. I think we are at least on par with UGA and better than everybody else. We get UGA at home and we win.

 

[chargervol]

I still say that many of the toss up games will be so close, a simple bounce of the ball or bad call could decide the outcome.

Improvement (or lack of) will be easy to see during the season. That is how any team and staff should be judged. If calls/breaks going our way in one game, means the difference in 7 wins or 8 wins... and anyone bases the entire season or staff off of that, then that's just absurd.

With that said, it works both ways. If we catch the breaks in 2 games (9 wins), proclaiming we are back because we overachieved by 3 points, is just as ludicrous.

 

[Deputy Fife]

With all the hype I am sure no one wants to hear it but we are still one year away. 7 or 8 wins is a successful season next year. 2016 will be the year we are another year older, more experienced, deeper at all positions and ready to compete. Don't get upset with 7 this year, still a process and it is working And foundation has been laid.

I agree, we just have to keep the faith and support our millionaire VFL coaches above all. We'll eat that carrot in due time; Butch works in mysterious ways.

 

[Titan&Volfan4life]

Most people say they expect this or that but don't give reasons for what they expect.

Last season I said I expected 6 regular season Wins but that we would be lucky to get there since we had to replace both lines.

We got that luck, won 6 and then got the bowl game Win for the gravy on top.

Next season I EXPECT 8 regular seasons Wins and back to a better bowl game.

The only reason I expect 8 RS Wins is because I expect our D line rotation to be a beast, get lots more pressure on the QB, more sacks and INT's.

Better D means our O won't be under so much pressure to score so much to still get the Wins.

Here's where we MIGHT get more Wins but are still huge question marks...

1...O line must improve quite a bit and true freshmen hardly ever help there but it's possible.

2...Dobbs must improve his passing, especially his long passes to help open up our running and short passing games.

3...WR's must learn how to better attack the ball, position their bodies and take the ball away from DB's more.

4...All our major players MUST stay healthy, We can't afford to lose as many key players like we did last season if we want 8 or more regular season Wins.

We could get more than 8 regular season Wins but we'll need a lot of luck and the ball to bounce our way several times and for lots more players to take a huge step up this next season.

If we beat Oklahomo then we go into the swamp and Win against floriDUHHH then the confidence level will be through the roof and anything is possible after that as long as we stay healthy.

#BrickbyBrick...VFL...GBO!!!

 

[OrngeChkrboardVFL]

If we beat OU:
11- 3, we lose to Bama twice and Arky once but win the bowl. We will beat USC, UGA, UF, Mizzou and OU.

If we lose to OU:
8 - 5, we lose to Bama, UGA, UF, Arky, OU but win another decent bowl.

We need to win that OU game to set up the season. Either way, no chance we only get 7 or less. I'm going to bookmark this to bring it up to all the negavols at the end of the season.

 

[RollerVol]

With all the hype I am sure no one wants to hear it but we are still one year away. 7 or 8 wins is a successful season next year. 2016 will be the year we are another year older, more experienced, deeper at all positions and ready to compete. Don't get upset with 7 this year, still a process and it is working And foundation has been laid.

LALALALALALALADON'TWANNAHEARITLALALALALA DON'TWANNAHEARITLALALALALALALALALALA :no:hmy:

GO VOLS!

 

[orangeluvr]

Mediocrity is not acceptable. :no:

 

[IluvdoubleD's]

I'm going 9-10 wins and I'm usually one high or so.

 

[VolsnRavens]

Man, I love the off season. Thread after thread and page after page of bullcrap. No offense to anyone here (and we know no one gets easily offended on VN lol). So, for me... as of now, we are undefeated for 2015. So I'm going with that, Go my undefeated Vols!!!!

 

[WillisWG]

8 wins is not asking for too much for a program that has stockpiled 3 consecutive top 10 recruiting classes. 7 wins and I will start to question whether Butch has what it takes.

Stockpiled? Just to be clear there is 1 top 10 class on the Hill with another coming in. Our 2013 class was ranked 13th in the SEC. So come this fall the bulk of our talent will be SO/FR.

 

[Eddie Vol Halen]

With all the hype I am sure no one wants to hear it but we are still one year away. 7 or 8 wins is a successful season next year. 2016 will be the year we are another year older, more experienced, deeper at all positions and ready to compete. Don't get upset with 7 this year, still a process and it is working And foundation has been laid.

Butch has to establish he is a Championship-level coach this year.

He has 18 returning starters with all SEC calibre performers at skill positions and on defense.

He has as favourable a schedule as he can have.

He has had three years (Saban went undefeated in Year 2).

He has gone all-in with Mike DeBord essentially saying that this team only needs to stay-the-course.

Butch has spent Sunday to Friday putting in place all the bricks he needs. Now, can he build the house on Saturdays?

We will lose two SEC games. That's fine (so long as one of those losses is not Florida or Vandy). Seven wins will be a massive underachievement for a true Championship level coach.

We DO lose production in 2016; Butch needs to prove he's the total package seven days a week in 2015.

The time to win is now.

 

[KBVol]

Do you have anything to support that? You just get on here and spit bull**** and expect people to agree? Why dont you back it up.

How many seniors will we start? How many juniors? How many overall starters do we return?What is our average recruit ranking? How is our coaching consistency? If you don't think we compete with Georgia and Florida this year then you better just follow Missouri you twad.

Now, was that necessary?