Someone make me feel optimistic about Team 121.

[RollerVol]

we gonna be good...short and sweet...

GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KBVol]

Aside from our athletes we play in the weaker half of the SEC. Every other team can fall under question and has weaknesses in the East. Every team is very beatable.

With the Florida streak being broken that could be a very positive when it comes to our rivalry with them.

Butch Jones has never lost a head to head vs Kirby Smart.

LSU is going to be a giant flop next year.

We have 5 automatic wins on the schedule. It would be much more systematically improbable for us to lose the majority of those remaining.

An 8-10 win team simply playing the numbers and probabilities is much more likely to happen than a 5-6 win season.

With all due respect, who are the 5 automatic wins on the schedule? I only see what I think are 3, and I'm honestly not certain about all of those....Indiana State, UMass and Southern Miss. Is Ky an automatic win?....sure should be, but after last year, hard to label any SEC game as automatic. Vandy has beaten us 3 of the last 5 and Jones has never beaten a team coached by Muschamp....0-3.

 

[Iam4utalways]

It is prefectly logical to believe a first year starter will not play to the level of a four year starter. Thats why people like Lamar Jackson win the Heisman, because its rare. Maybe one of them suprises us and plays to Dobbs level, but thats exactly what it will be, a suprise.

Why would it be a surprise for highly rated players to excel in a system that is built for and around them?

 

[volfannbama]

Why would it be a surprise for highly rated players to excel in a system that is built for and around them?

Excel to what standard? An 8-4 season led by a first year qb would probably mean the QB play excelled. It would be a complete suprise to any logical person if this team was lead by a first year qb to any sort of real championship level.

You can act like your over optimism is reality and makes you a better fan or something, but we both know im right. The only difference is ill admit it.

 

[BaldBiker]

I think the debate is that QD and JG are going to need some help from teammates if they are going to come close to that level of production.

The question is, will that help be there?

I absolutely agree there. I just don't think the worry is going to be as much offensively as it it defensively.

Are there questions on offense? Sure. How is a new QB going to perform is the big question, but that is the case on any team with a new QB. WR's..I think we'll be fine there. Even with young receivers, we have a good group. John Kelly has proven himself at RB. He averaged 6.5 yds per carry last year and 5.9 per carry over two years with limited playing time in year one. The question there is the #2 RB, but I think we should be ok there. O-line will be Junior and Senior heavy this year, they should be one of the most if not the most experienced O-line in the SEC this year. Does that mean they'll be good. Hopefully, but a lot of that will depend on injuries.

Defense is where our QB is going to need the most help IMO. The defense cannot put our QB in situations like they did Dobbs and the offense last year. That is where experience will come into play for a QB. The defense has to perform better this year. Butch has made the offseason moves to hopefully remedy that...time will tell I guess.

 

[BeardedVol]

Why would it be a surprise for highly rated players to excel in a system that is built for and around them?

New OC with no experience as an OC
New OL coach with no P5 expereience
An exceptionally poor performing Oline returning
The fact that CBJ's offensive scheme was bailed out by Dobbs' legs the last two seasons

There's plenty of reason to be apprehensive about expectations going into 2017. Talent hasn't been the issue the last 4 seasons, it's been coaching and player development that have caused us the most issues.

 

[KBVol]

If they are an unknown, why automatically expect them to fail. Maybe they can be successful. I like their chances.

Nobody says they'll "fail", just that to expect them to step in and not miss a beat and even be a stronger, more productive qb than the senior/2 year starter that just put up 40 touchdowns last year is somewhat unrealistic.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Excel to what standard? An 8-4 season led by a first year qb would probably mean the QB play excelled. It would be a complete suprise to any logical person if this team was lead by a first year qb to any sort of real championship level.

You can act like your over optimism is reality and makes you a better fan or something, but we both know im right. The only difference is ill admit it.

I disagree that it would be a surprise.

Better fan? What's that about?

Just because you are willing to admit your opinion is right doesn't make it right.

 

[KBVol]

New OC with no experience as an OC
New OL coach with no P5 expereience
An exceptionally poor performing Oline returning
The fact that CBJ's offensive scheme was bailed out by Dobbs' legs the last two seasons

There's plenty of reason to be apprehensive about expectations going into 2017. Talent hasn't been the issue the last 4 seasons, it's been coaching and player development that have caused us the most issues.

And you didn't even touch on the historically bad defense that was pretty much responsible for the poor season in 2016. That has to be fixed and it'll be quite the task to get it turned around.

 

[BeardedVol]

And you didn't even touch on the historically bad defense that was pretty much responsible for the poor season in 2016. That has to be fixed and it'll be quite the task to get it turned around.

Well, my hopes, and these are hopes, are that it can't be worse than what we saw at the end of last season. If the defense were to continue downwards giving up 600+yards to teams in the beginning of the season then Shoop would need to be relieved before season end.

I think Warren and Hoke were pretty solid hires, and unless Shoop is the problem, then I think defensively we should see improvement.

 

[joevol320]

All things you listed are certainly concerns. However, in hindsight, it looks like a lot of the issues last year were chemistry among players and coaches. Hopefully most of if not all of that is cleaned up now.....Hurd is long gone, Kongbo seems to be in line and Shoop has new D coaches to work with.

We return a lot of talented players, many with a lot of experience. Plenty of holes to be sure, but you never know who steps up and fills what we thought were voids.

I'm certainly not predicting any type of championship this year, no way to do that at this point. But I also don't think the sky is falling. If the intangibles fall into place this year, who knows.

i was listening to Dave Hooker on Chattanooga's sport talk show. he said that as good as Burnett was, he was not gap disciplined and a lot of run were through the gap he was supposed to cover. he was told this by some NFL scouts. i thought it eye opening to hear him explain it.

i don't think it will be as bad as some people believe.

 

[Iam4utalways]

New OC with no experience as an OC
New OL coach with no P5 expereience
An exceptionally poor performing Oline returning
The fact that CBJ's offensive scheme was bailed out by Dobbs' legs the last two seasons

There's plenty of reason to be apprehensive about expectations going into 2017. Talent hasn't been the issue the last 4 seasons, it's been coaching and player development that have caused us the most issues.

Due to the talent, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic as well.

 

[volfannbama]

I disagree that it would be a surprise.

Better fan? What's that about?

Just because you are willing to admit your opinion is right doesn't make it right.

Ok

 

[peppervol]

I just don't see it.
In 1998, nobody saw it after all those losses and the exchange of an HoF QB for a newbie.

Blowout losses to Vanderbilt and Alabama. 3 in a row for Bama.
19-14 wudden a blowout in 15'. Vandy will be routed in 17'.

Bad secondary play. We lose our best cover guy.
Our entire Dbackfield get new improved coaching and another year of S&C and maturity. Our only loss was injured much of 16'.

Bad O line play, they all return this year.
Sans injuries, and more S&C, and more unity makes this one of the team strengths in 17'.

Lose both top DE's that accounted for 19 sacks.
Replaced with good, more matured, and experience players. We'll be plenty good at that position.

Lose best Wideout.
Four FR get Sophomore bump, and solid quality of others make this a strong group from WRU.

Freshman QB.
Seasoned Junior QB, at worst, with similar reps as our last NC winner at position.

This all points to a down year, even more so than 2016.
All this, plus a strong running game, major coaching upgrades, HUNGER and ANGER, experience at LB, strong depth at DT, and even better S/T has this looking like Title Run season my friend!

Hope that helps.

Great post, lf. Damn man, you've got me more anxious than ever to get the Fall '17 season here. I agree with every excellent point you made and thanks, my friend....

 

[BeardedVol]

Due to the talent, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic as well.

That's the point, lack of talent hasn't been an issue, lack of coaching ability and player development has been.

I have hopes that the new coaching hires, even the ones that I think were poor choices, can make a difference, but CBJ has still in charge, and we've seen coaching changes under him before have little or no effect on how effective his system is on game day.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Nobody says they'll "fail", just that to expect them to step in and not miss a beat and even be a stronger, more productive qb than the senior/2 year starter that just put up 40 touchdowns last year is somewhat unrealistic.

Fail to put up Dobbs like #s.

Maybe 121 will handle the expectations better than 120.

 

[Iam4utalways]

That's the point, lack of talent hasn't been an issue, lack of coaching ability and player development has been.

I have hopes that the new coaching hires, even the ones that I think were poor choices, can make a difference, but CBJ has still in charge, and we've seen coaching changes under him before have little or no effect on how effective his system is on game day.

Each year we have been missing pieces, I'm with you, maybe this will be the year they can put them all together.

 

[#1ManningFan]

2017 will be another 6 pack bowl appearance against a west division Big 10 team. We will wipe the floor with them and start the process all over again for another 2018 rerun.

 

[BaldBiker]

Nobody says they'll "fail", just that to expect them to step in and not miss a beat and even be a stronger, more productive qb than the senior/2 year starter that just put up 40 touchdowns last year is somewhat unrealistic.

We failed to put 30 points or more on the board 4 times last year. App State, Ohio, Bama and USCe. Dobbs played a role in those games too. Not dismissing these games...but Dobbs was the QB in all those games and didn't produce the way he should have either. Three of those games, there is no excuse for.

Aside from those 4 games, we put enough points on the board that we could have afforded to have had 1,2 and sometimes 3 or more TD's and still won the games offensively...IF the defense had done their part.

Taking those 4 games out of the scenario, we averaged 48 pts a game for the other 9 games. There is plenty of room for less QB production next year...IF the defense does their job.

JMO of course

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

At least you got the CoL part, cause the rest is bs

I think the CoL part is bs too.

 

[photovol]

Is the only positive, the fact that team 121 has no hype?

Still too early to tell, but team 121 won't scare many teams, or will they?

 

[BeardedVol]

We failed to put 30 points or more on the board 4 times last year. App State, Ohio, Bama and USCe. Dobbs played a role in those games too. Not dismissing these games...but Dobbs was the QB in all those games and didn't produce the way he should have either. Three of those games, there is no excuse for.

Aside from those 4 games, we put enough points on the board that we could have afforded to have had 1,2 and sometimes 3 or more TD's and still won the games offensively...IF the defense had done their part.

Taking those 4 games out of the scenario, we averaged 48 pts a game for the other 9 games. There is plenty of room for less QB production next year...IF the defense does their job.

JMO of course

In every one of the games that we scored 30 or more points, except for TA&M, Dobbs had 1 or more rushing TD, which in several of those, was the difference between winning and losing the game.

Acting like you could just plug any QB on the roster into the same 2016 team and get the same outcome is ridiculous. The CBJ's offense didn't work in 2016 without Dobbs saving plays, and running for more TDs than any of the RBs on the roster.

 

[KBVol]

Well, my hopes, and these are hopes, are that it can't be worse than what we saw at the end of last season. If the defense were to continue downwards giving up 600+yards to teams in the beginning of the season then Shoop would need to be relieved before season end.

I think Warren and Hoke were pretty solid hires, and unless Shoop is the problem, then I think defensively we should see improvement.

I'm with you Beard. Surely to GOD Shoop's defense improves this year, nowhere to go but up, that's for sure.

 

[millst987]

This staff is better and may not blow some games for us this year? However, Butch is still driving the bus. That thought scares me in close SEC games...

 

[AlumniChase]

I got nuthin'.

It's going to be bad fellas.