Is Barnes too tough on his players?

We are right where we should be. Mostella seems like he's responding well. Barnes and the first year players have been here for just a few months. I am willing to let the season unfold. So far, we have been right about where we should be and that is a good thing.

I think all this talk about Barnes coaching style is overreacting.

I have plenty of questions about Rick Barnes. I have my doubts about him but we can't over analyze every word a coach says.

I agree
 
I would give the OOC slate a C, if they lose to TCU that's probably moved to a D. I had hoped for a better OOC record, but I think we can be honest and say some teams we played are better than some thought. Nobody was talking about GW being a likely NCAAT team preseason, Butler has proven to be a top 20 team, and Gonzaga appears to have righted that ship and is headed back towards a top 25 ranking. The worst loss is obviously Nebraska, that's a game that's very disappointing, and probably the one you'd most like to have back. However Tennessee did take care of the cupcakes which past coaches haven't always done, see Austin Peay knocking off the Vols at TBA just a few years back.

Fact is the Vols didn't make things easy on themselves headed into conference play, but they also didn't make them impossible either. Sitting at 7-5, for the sake of argument let's say they beat TCU to finish 8-5 OOC, rpiforecast has 18-13 as a RPI in the 50's which would at least make things interesting, so that's obviously 10-8 in conference play. That won't be easy to do, but also not impossible, that's about the ceiling for this team, will the floor being about 7-11 IMO, so a finish somewhere around 15-16/18-13 seems most likely at this point which falls into most people's predictions range.

I said before the TSU game the next 6 could decide which way this season goes, TSU/@Auburn/Florida/A&M/@UGA/@MSU...Vols are picked to go 2-4, if they can go 3-3 or even 4-2 in that stretch that would make things a bit interesting and possibly give the Vols some confidence. You have to hope that players, particularly seniors have some pride in being unbeaten at home, and come out with some confidence and swag against UF.


GBO
 
I would give the OOC slate a C, if they lose to TCU that's probably moved to a D. I had hoped for a better OOC record, but I think we can be honest and say some teams we played are better than some thought. Nobody was talking about GW being a likely NCAAT team preseason, Butler has proven to be a top 20 team, and Gonzaga appears to have righted that ship and is headed back towards a top 25 ranking. The worst loss is obviously Nebraska, that's a game that's very disappointing, and probably the one you'd most like to have back. However Tennessee did take care of the cupcakes which past coaches haven't always done, see Austin Peay knocking off the Vols at TBA just a few years back.

Fact is the Vols didn't make things easy on themselves headed into conference play, but they also didn't make them impossible either. Sitting at 7-5, for the sake of argument let's say they beat TCU to finish 8-5 OOC, rpiforecast has 18-13 as a RPI in the 50's which would at least make things interesting, so that's obviously 10-8 in conference play. That won't be easy to do, but also not impossible, that's about the ceiling for this team, will the floor being about 7-11 IMO, so a finish somewhere around 15-16/18-13 seems most likely at this point which falls into most people's predictions range.

I said before the TSU game the next 6 could decide which way this season goes, TSU/@Auburn/Florida/A&M/@UGA/@MSU...Vols are picked to go 2-4, if they can go 3-3 or even 4-2 in that stretch that would make things a bit interesting and possibly give the Vols some confidence. You have to hope that players, particularly seniors have some pride in being unbeaten at home, and come out with some confidence and swag against UF.


GBO

Good post

Only real disagreement is this team floor isn't 7-11 in the league IMO

Much worse could happen.

I really think we are going to be an underdog in 15 or more games in the league
 
Looks like most were predicting 9-4 in the OOC games. If we beat TCU, that would make us 8-5. Not exactly "significantly worse".
 
The majority of fans predicted 7,8, or 9 wins in football. Most predicted 8. Vegas had the total at 7.5

So yes a pretty good indocator

What did Vegas have the Baller Vols predicted at? All computer predictors I saw had them at 13 or 14 wins overall, which is what they're on pace for.
 
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Good post

Only real disagreement is this team floor isn't 7-11 in the league IMO

Much worse could happen.

I really think we are going to be an underdog in 15 or more games in the league

Well RPI forecast has us favored in 7 league games currently, and less than a 1 point dog in 3 other games, fwiw.
 
Too bad the Nebraska and George W games didn't happen on opposite days... might have won both if Nebraska was the opener.
 
What 7 games and does that take into account home court?

I am talking about vegas lines

They use Jeff Sagarin's predictor:

Favored:
@ Mississippi State
@ TCU
vs. Auburn
@ Missouri
vs. LSU
vs. Akansas
vs. Ole Miss

Swing Games(less than 1 point dogs):
@ Auburn
@ Alabama

Underdogs:
vs. Florida
vs. A&M
@ Georgia
vs. Vandy
vs. South Carolina
vs. Kentucky
@ Arkansas
@ Kentucky
@ South Carolina
@ Vandy
 
Well media and coaches also picked us to finish 11th or 12th, which would be right around that 13/14 win mark overall also, so I'm guessing if you could find a Vegas number it would be similar.

BTO there were very very few 13 win predictions sir.

You can keep dropping that number all season long but it isn't going to make this team Match the expectations

Since when does sec predictions have anything to do with an overall record in terms of 13-14 wins
 
Last edited:
They use Jeff Sagarin's predictor:

Favored:
@ Mississippi State
@ TCU
vs. Auburn
@ Missouri
vs. LSU
vs. Akansas
vs. Ole Miss

Swing Games(less than 1 point dogs):
@ Auburn
@ Alabama

Underdogs:
vs. Florida
vs. A&M
@ Georgia
vs. Vandy
vs. South Carolina
vs. Kentucky
@ Arkansas
@ Kentucky
@ South Carolina
@ Vandy
Thanks

Will be shocked if we are favored by more than 5 times the rest of the year. The 4 homes games likely all IMO if that
 
Agreed the only bad loss is Nebraska.

Problem is we have zero good wins

None of this matters.... We all knew going into the season that we are behind the eight ball talent wise compared to the rest of the league...the thing that is important is that at the end of ur three that he looks like he has the makings of a solid stable program with potential for greatness.
 
Well media and coaches also picked us to finish 11th or 12th, which would be right around that 13/14 win mark overall also, so I'm guessing if you could find a Vegas number it would be similar.

How are those connected? Last season one of the teams in 11th/12th finished with 17 wins. A few years ago a team finished 11/12 with 18 wins.

USCjr will probably be a good example of that this season. Might only get 6 or 7 SEC wins and still have 18 wins.
 
How are those connected? Last season one of the teams in 11th/12th finished with 17 wins. A few years ago a team finished 11/12 with 18 wins.

USCjr will probably be a good example of that this season. Might only get 6 or 7 SEC wins and still have 18 wins.

They aren't connected. BTO is just doing his best twist to convince himself the expectations are going to be met this year for this team
 
They aren't connected. BTO is just doing his best twist to convince himself the expectations are going to be met this year for this team

The only thing that matters is making the tourney.... Chances are we will miss it for the fourth time in five years
 
BTO there were very very few 13 win predictions sir.

You can keep dropping that number all season long but it isn't going to make this team Match the expectations

Since when does sec predictions have anything to do with an overall record in terms of 13-14 wins

I'm telling you what multiple computer models predicted us at, why should those be thrown out but your Vegas lines be considered, is there any real reason other than your agenda here?

Well, since the SEC expanded to 14 teams what's the average record of the teams that finished 11-14? I don't know the number, but I'm gonna guess it's around 13-15 wins, doubtful a team with 20 wins finishes 11-14, no?
 
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