Turning point in 2015 season

#26
#26
25 ring a bell ? Sums up the 2015 season according to CBJ. There ya go! No need write to a book.
 
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#27
#27
Black Diamond Vol said:
4th and 9(?) right before halftime against UGA. I was prepared to get a jump on postgame traffic if we don't convert there. But we did, and the rest (of the season) is history.
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That was my exact thought as soon as I read the title to the thread! Whatever Tennessee does love the next few years no one should ever forget that play that Pearson made right here. Without it we lose and who knows what happens from there!
 
#28
#28
livefaith said:
I went to 2 live games this year. OU & Arky. The difference in that stadium between those two games was about as divergent as you can get. The fan base had lost its energy too.
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As fans we have to be mentally tough too!!!
 
#29
#29
golf437 said:
Thanks for the laugh.
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Not sure which part you're laughing at....but just in case it's at the front-loaded vs back-loaded schedule....

2015 combined record of first 7 teams we played, including 2 final four playoff teams...70-23 (.752)...our record, 3-4

2015 combined record of last 6 teams we played, including an overrated, outmanned 10 win Northwestern team....28-45 (.383)....our record, 6-0.

We were 2-3 plays away from that not being the case last year with respect to our record being 3-4 vs the better part of our schedule. However, we didn't make those 2-3 plays, so the point about strong first half of the schedule vs weak second half of the schedule is valid.
 
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#30
#30
KBVol said:
Not sure which part you're laughing at....but just in case it's at the front-loaded vs back-loaded schedule....

2015 combined record of first 7 teams we played, including 2 final four playoff teams...70-23 (.752)...our record, 3-4

2015 combined record of last 6 teams we played, including an overrated, outmanned 10 win Northwestern team....28-45 (.383)....our record, 6-0.

We were 2-3 plays away from that not being the case last year with respect to our record being 3-4 vs the better part of our schedule. However, we didn't make those 2-3 plays, so the point about strong first half of the schedule vs weak second half of the schedule is valid.
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In our first 7 games, we outscored our opponents 237 - 173.
In our final 6 games, we outscored our oppenents 220 - 87.

Obviously the strong first half vs the weaker second half is valid. But the wins vs losses doesn't tell the full story either. This was a team (and coaching staff) learning how to win. They didn't cower when things got tough. They got the wins they were supposed to get. And ended with a successful season. And they got their much needed confidence.
 
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#32
#32
Kristy* said:
In our first 7 games, we outscored our opponents 237 - 173.
In our final 6 games, we outscored our oppenents 220 - 87.

Obviously the strong first half vs the weaker second half is valid. But the wins vs losses doesn't tell the full story either. This was a team (and coaching staff) learning how to win. They didn't cower when things got tough. They got the wins they were supposed to get. And ended with a successful season. And they got their much needed confidence.
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Which was the point of what Coach Jones was making - but some feel the need dis-credit 6 of the wins like they did not happen. Teams that win championships have to win the games they shouldn't and win ALL the games they should. And they have to believe every time they step out on the field that they can win. And they have to treat each and every opponent as a team that could beat them if they are not focused on the task at hand.

I believe it is sometimes more difficult for a team to beat someone whom they should easily beat than it is for them to rise up and challenge a team they should not beat. I hope that the football team and coaches NEVER look at the latter part of the schedule like some of the fans do. We lose any of those back end games it doesn't matter who we beat or lost to in the first 6 games.
 
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#33
#33
volfan102455 said:
Which was the point of what Coach Jones was making - but some feel the need dis-credit 6 of the wins like they did not happen. Teams that win championships have to win the games they shouldn't and win ALL the games they should. And they have to believe every time they step out on the field that they can win. And they have to treat each and every opponent as a team that could beat them if they are not focused on the task at hand.

I believe it is sometimes more difficult for a team to beat someone whom they should easily beat than it is for them to rise up and challenge a team they should not beat. I hope that the football team and coaches NEVER look at the latter part of the schedule like some of the fans do. We lose any of those back end games it doesn't matter who we beat or lost to in the first 6 games.
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Successful coaches teach their players to respect all opponents and focus on one team at a time, but with some of our opponents that's hard to do.
 
#34
#34
Kristy* said:
In our first 7 games, we outscored our opponents 237 - 173.
In our final 6 games, we outscored our oppenents 220 - 87.

Obviously the strong first half vs the weaker second half is valid. But the wins vs losses doesn't tell the full story either. This was a team (and coaching staff) learning how to win. They didn't cower when things got tough. They got the wins they were supposed to get. And ended with a successful season. And they got their much needed confidence.
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Score differential 1st 7 games, +64 (which included being +74 vs the two easiest teams, BGSU and WCar, which is to be expected, makes sense).

Last 6, the differential jumped to +133. There are certainly different ways to look at it, different ways to cut the stats. Bottom line, when we played the best teams on our schedule, no matter when the games were played, we were 1-4.

I agree wholeheartedly with the majority of your last paragraph Kristy, and have kinda said as much in previous posts in an attempt to be accurately fair and balanced. I'm honestly in no way trying to be negative, just wanted to more accurately define what happened last year than just say "we struggled a little early on, hit our stride, learned to win and started hammering people late in the season". I think there was more to it and the easiest part of our schedule coming late was a big part of it.

Bottom line, if team 120 is gonna reach its goals and full potential, it has to beat its biggest rivals consistently, flip the 1-4 from last year, to 3-2, 4-1 or, God-willing, even 5-0 in 2016.
 
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#35
#35
To me the Alabama game was the turning point. They lost but they knew at that point they were probably the second best team in the SEC . Kerbyson said after that game that the wouldn't lose again and they didn't...
 
#36
#36
KBVol said:
Score differential 1st 7 games, +64 (which included being +74 vs the two easiest teams, BGSU and WCar, which is to be expected, makes sense).

Last 6, the differential jumped to +133. There are certainly different ways to look at it, different ways to cut the stats. Bottom line, when we played the best teams on our schedule, no matter when the games were played, we were 1-4.

I agree wholeheartedly with the majority of your last paragraph Kristy, and have kinda said as much in previous posts in an attempt to be accurately fair and balanced. I'm honestly in no way trying to be negative, just wanted to more accurately define what happened last year than just say "we struggled a little early on, hit our stride, learned to win and started hammering people late in the season". I think there was more to it and the easiest part of our schedule coming late was a big part of it.

Bottom line, if team 120 is gonna reach its goals and full potential, it has to beat its biggest rivals consistently, flip the 1-4 from last year, to 3-2, 4-1 or, God-willing, even 5-0 in 2016.
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Yeah, I think we're mostly on the same page. The only difference is (I think), looking at the wins/losses, we beat the easier teams and lost to the tougher teams - yes. But looking at how we played every team (generally), we beat the teams would should have by an appropriate margin while hanging with the best teams. The points tell the story more than the records. Mainly what I'm saying is, we didn't lose to those teams because they were so much better than our "easier" opponents or than we were for that matter. We held leads and were competitive in those games because we were almost "there."

I agree somewhat that the wins came because the easier part of the schedule came. But confidence and team chemistry played a big part too. Do you think that if the schedule were played in reverse, we would have had the same results? Obviously there is no way to know, but I think our team would have pulled out more wins. JMO
 
#38
#38
4th and 9 against Georgia and it's not close.

This board would have compared his record to Dooley and concluded there was no difference. There would have been threads discussing his firing and his replacement.

If anyone wants to deny that, go ahead. But, you know it's true.

That play was not just the turning point of that game, but quite possibly the Tennessee football program and the career of Butch Jones.
 
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#39
#39
99gator said:
4th and 9 against Georgia and it's not close.

This board would have compared his record to Dooley and concluded there was no difference. There would have been threads discussing his firing and his replacement.

If anyone wants to deny that, go ahead. But, you know it's true.

That play was not just the turning point of that game, but quite possibly the Tennessee football program and the career of Butch Jones.
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Those threads are started after EVERY loss. But yeah, very, very pivotal play!
 
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#40
#40
99gator said:
4th and 9 against Georgia and it's not close.

This board would have compared his record to Dooley and concluded there was no difference. There would have been threads discussing his firing and his replacement.

If anyone wants to deny that, go ahead. But, you know it's true.

That play was not just the turning point of that game, but quite possibly the Tennessee football program and the career of Butch Jones.
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You are assuming that if that play was not successful that the Vols would have lost the game. Maybe that would have been the case, but maybe not. We will never know.

There is no doubt that the Georgia game is where Team 119 grew up and the fans became re-energized.

The fans in that stadium were ready to give up on the team when Georgia took that 21 point lead - I think we all should be glad that the team and the coaches did not give up on each other or we ALL would not be looking forward to what may turn into one of the most exciting years in Tennessee football in a long time.
 
#41
#41
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember the weekend of the Arky game also being the weekend when all those rumors were swirling about Butch punching KK. If I'm remembering right, that would have given that weekend added importance in terms of team chemistry going forward, hence why Butch felt the team meeting that Sunday was the turning point of the season.
 
#44
#44
UTVolinExile said:
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember the weekend of the Arky game also being the weekend when all those rumors were swirling about Butch punching KK. If I'm remembering right, that would have given that weekend added importance in terms of team chemistry going forward, hence why Butch felt the team meeting that Sunday was the turning point of the season.
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KK? You mean Mack Crowder?
 
#46
#46
Now Team 120 has confidence, focus and their swag back.

They know damn well that they could have and should have gotten the WIN against floriDUHHH, Oklahoma and alaBummer.

Against Arky they just were flat, lacked spirit, motivation and just didn't come to play.

Just 1 good D play against Ok, Fla and Ala and we would have Won those games.

3 bad D plays lost us those 3 games because those 3 teams wouldn't have scored the winning points.

Our guys know all of this for a fact and they're hungry now like they've never been before.

JRM and Sutton came back because they know and believe that Team 120 is a SEC Championship team and maybe a National Championship team...They KNOW it!

The blowout in Tampa convinced them beyond any doubt.

Our great Freshman class will now be Juniors and they've been through hell already and they've grown up right in front of our eyes.

The Georgia game taught them to get totally focused, execute and never give up.

Our boys have transformed into very tough, strong, determined men and they are ready to prove how good they are to the entire world.

They believe and so do I!

Building a Champion WIN by WIN...VFL...GBO!!!
 
#48
#48
SayNoToJorts said:
If we didn't convert that 4th there is a decent chance our season becomes unraveled and Jones switches places with Richt
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That is a great point, and I also agree that if that kid from Georgia doesn't drop that td pass it is a lot tougher, but we don't even get to that point in the game without the 4th and 9. In the end, the tougher team mentally won the game, and Tennessee proved it the rest of the year. I was real proud of the workman like effort they gave against a motivated MO team on a cold night, and Tennessee just never gave them anything to be excited about!
 
#49
#49
LA vol7 said:
That is a great point, and I also agree that if that kid from Georgia doesn't drop that td pass it is a lot tougher, but we don't even get to that point in the game without the 4th and 9. In the end, the tougher team mentally won the game, and Tennessee proved it the rest of the year. I was real proud of the workman like effort they gave against a motivated MO team on a cold night, and Tennessee just never gave them anything to be excited about!
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in fairness, it was exactly those kinds of things that had either not happened for us, or had happened against us, that led us to where we were.

so i'm totally fine with opponents WR dropping TD's and while i'd prefer not to get in to 4th and 9's in the 1st half that are "must haves".....they made a play when they had to.

Brian Randolph made a HUGE play to seal the game.

these are the kinds of things they will have to do many times over next season if they're going to have the kind of season we want them to have. they can't just show up and think it's just going to happen.

if the opportunity to make a play presents itself...MAKE IT!!! and take the opponents bad luck in stride....
 
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