Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXVI

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#2,127
#2,127
Ziti - I hear you on pumping the breaks in that I personally don't expect an SEC championship. However, we are in a much much better position than you give us credit for., and I wouldn't be surprised by one.

While we may have a slightly less than perfect roster on paper in the areas you mentioned, we are absolutely elite in other areas. Our special teams units are arguably the best in the country. We have the best running back duo in the entire conference. Our linebackers are elite, our interior offensive line is elite, our defensive ends are elite. We have high quality and experienced depth at all of those positions. We have elite team speed overall.

We are arguably equal to or better in these areas overall than a number of teams that have played for (Oregon, Notre Dame) or won (Auburn) national titles in recent years. You don't have to be perfect on paper to win big. It helps, but it is not absolutely necessary.
 
#2,128
#2,128
Team goals are to win 11 games and the SECE. Players are all-in. It's fans that are lowering expectations. If fans expect to go 10-2 this year with this talent, what's the "realistic" expectation for next year? 9-3? 8-4?
 
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#2,129
#2,129
rocktopper16 said:
Who was a better receiver while at Tennessee

Johnathon Johnson or Von Pearson?
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Well, Von Pearson was a JUCO transfer so he only had two years as a Vol. Johnathan Johnson had four years here & didn't post too many stats.

Pearson to me was the better WR by quite a bit. He was quicker & faster. Johnson made just about all of his catches on route running. He didn't see the field as much as Pearson either.
 
#2,130
#2,130
LA Vol said:
Team goals are to win 11 games and the SECE. Players are all-in. It's fans that are lowering expectations. If fans expect to go 10-2 this year with this talent, what's the "realistic" expectation for next year? 9-3? 8-4?
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Pretty sure team goals are to win every damn game they play. The team doesn't give a flying *^%# what we think so why would anyone's expectations matter for next year.
 
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#2,133
#2,133
Catbone said:
If we go 10-2 with losses to UGA/FL and Bama/Tamu, will that be enough to get to ATL? I'm thinking yes
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Probably not.

The East champ has been 7-1 in conference the last 4 years.

So unless you have us losing to Va-Tech, it's unlikely that 10-2 is good enough.

We need to go 3-1 in that brutal 4 game stretch to win the east.
 
#2,135
#2,135
BruinVol said:
Wow.

For a program that hasn't won 10 in a long time that is harsh

Isnt the over under in vegas 9.5?
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The program hasn't had talent like this since 2001.

History should have nothing to do with expectations. It should be the talent on the field. And our talent right now says the FLOOR for expectations should be 10-2 next year.

As many have said we really just have a 4 game season.

home vs Florida
at Georgia
at A&M
home vs Alabama

2-2 is the bare minimum.

3-1 is what we need to go for our season to be a success.
 
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#2,136
#2,136
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
The program hasn't had talent like this since 2001.

History should have nothing to do with expectations. It should be the talent on the field. And our talent right now says the FLOOR for expectations should be 10-2 next year.

As many have said we really just have a 4 game season.

home vs Florida
at Georgia
at A&M
home vs Alabama

2-2 is the bare minimum.

3-1 is what we need to go for our season to be a success.
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We go 11-1 to beat those bare minimum odds. Make the SEC Championship game & then the playoffs. We finish 12-2 overall.
 
#2,137
#2,137
chavisut said:
10-2 and an SEC championship.
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Unlikely to reach the SEC title game with 2 losses in the SEC.

The last 4 SEC East champs have gone 7-1 in conference.

If we go 6-2 in conference, we'll be rooting for either Florida or Georgia to catch a second L if we beat them.

I dont want to be in that situation.

It hasn't worked out lately for the team that is rooting for other teams to lose.
 
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#2,138
#2,138
BruinVol said:
Interesting some of these opinions/expectations.

So because Bama is expected to win a natty every years does than mean that can't achieve the term "winning big"?

Seems to be a theme here that since 10 is expected it isn't winning big. Doesn't add up to me
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At Alabama anything short of a national title is a FAILURE.

And thats how it should be at Tennessee.
 
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#2,139
#2,139
Going 10-2 with a loss to either UF or UGA could keep us out of ATL, since another East team will hold the tie-breaker. To control our own destiny, we'll likely need to go 11-1.
 
#2,140
#2,140
volatil said:
App St W

Va Tech W

Ohio W

Florida W

Georgia W

A&M W

Bama ?

South Carolina W

Tennessee Tech W

Ky W

Missouri W

Vandy W


I get it. Until we beat Florida some of y'all refuse to count that as a win.

A&M is in turmoil

We have so much to prove against UGA for recruiting purposes.

No way. I said it NONE! No way we lose 3/4 of those games in that stretch. If we do, he will be forever known as Lyle to me.

10 wins SHOULD be the expectations.
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Agree 100%.

The only game in doubt should be Alabama.

We should beat Florida, Georgia, and A&M. The idea we can afford a L to any of them is laughable.

This team has the talent to go 11-1 with relative ease.
 
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#2,142
#2,142
Vols4us said:
I'm trying to understand how they can win less than 10 games with that schedule, how they finished last season, all the starters coming back, increased depth at every position, and Bob Shoop. C'mon, gang, you leave Jumper at home and replace Jancek with Shoop - that's two more wins last season, much less this season.

10 meets expectations. 11+ is winning big. That's where it all points.
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No.

10 is the bare minimum.

It keeps Butch Jones is the good graces of Vols fans.

11-1 is the reasonable expectation.

12 wins or an SEC title is winning big.
 
#2,144
#2,144
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
Exactly.

That's why I dont think 10-2 is the expectation.

That's the FLOOR.
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I agree with your post pretty much. I say 11-1 or even 12-0 is what we as fans should be shooting for in 2016. That mean SEC title game & a shot at a national championship. No doubt that would keep Butch around for quite a long time moving forward.
 
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#2,145
#2,145
vol2002 said:
If you put much weight in these kinds of analyses, according to the 247 composite, Bama, TAMU, UF and UGA have all on average recruited better than us the last four years and thus according to that measure are all technically more talented than us. With that said, we have a bunch of three stars playing like 4 and 5 stars and more experience than any of them. I don't take that stretch lightly at all - all four of those games will be very tough. But I think we at least go 2-2.
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Not really.

Almost all of our players are mostly from 2 classes. 2014 and 2015. Both top 5 classes. And both super large. 30 man classes each. Even with all the transfers both classes have landed us 10+ starters/good reserves each.

You can only play 22 players.

I'll take our top 22 over everyone else in the SEC. 247 composite or not.
 
#2,146
#2,146
BigZiti09 said:
The thought of 10-2 excites me. The thought of it being realistic that we could do more excites me as well.

People expecting 12-0 or expecting an SEC championship are setting themselves up to be disappointed.

I look at our roster and I see about 4 areas of concern. Defensive tackle depth. Solidifying the OT position. Passing game. Defensive back.

So those areas concern me. Hopefully we can answer those questions this season. Reality is that we have areas that aren't SEC championship caliber yet. I think some in here confuse me pointing this out as being a Debbie downer. I'm not. I'm just pumping the brakes while others are looking for plane tickets to watch us in a 4 team playoff.
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You do know it took 2 epic collapses for us to fall short of 10-2 last year.

And that was while playing a harder schedule with younger less experienced players.

You're not being honest with yourself. 10-2 should not excite anyone. That is the bare minimum. Just like 8-4 was the bare minimum last year.

11-1 should be the expectation.

10-2 is not good enough this year.
 
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#2,147
#2,147
LA Vol said:
Team goals are to win 11 games and the SECE. Players are all-in. It's fans that are lowering expectations. If fans expect to go 10-2 this year with this talent, what's the "realistic" expectation for next year? 9-3? 8-4?
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Exactly.

These worry warts don't get it that this is our best chance to win the SEC in the foreseeable future.

It's highly unlikely we'll have this much talent and experience on the field ever again. As many have noted we're past the stage of playing true freshmen. So it's unlikely we'll have juniors and seniors with as much experience as the juniors and seniors on the team this year.
 
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#2,148
#2,148
This team should have went 11-1 last year. They blew UF, OU, and Arky. If you want to be really critical...they should of went 12-0 but I'm not gonna consider the Bama game to be blown. They fought really hard that game. Bama was just better that day. The other losses though we were far and away the better team.

If they don't win 10 games this year it will be a travesty. Anything less than 10 wins is a failure this year...and Butch's seat will start to get hotter next year.
 
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#2,149
#2,149
As much as I love reading that is gonna be '98 all over again, +3, I have to ask... How many "#1 in the state" recruits are we in for this year?
 
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