Tony Barnhart picks Vols to beat Florida

[AM64]

I've felt like we had a better team than Florida for the last 5 years. I'll have to see it to believe it.

You have to keep in mind that BJ was trying to play bush league football in the SEC. Not a recipe for success; without Dobbs' improvisation, BJ would have been a flop from day one.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

I agree with him except I think we squeak by SCAR also.

 

[gunner]

BOT, I can't buy that, man. He's an okay coach. If he were our coach, with the record he has compiled, we'd be screaming for his head.

He went 28-21 at Florida (17-15 SEC). Never won a thing. Not the conference, not the division. Oh, he did win one bowl game.

He has gone 15-11 (8-8 SEC) so far at USCe. His best year was 9-4 (heck, Butch did that. Twice). Hasn't won anything yet.

Two of his six seasons as head coach, he has had losing records (6-7 one year, 4-8 another).

He's not a great coach. All evidence is, he's mediocre. He's okay. And will likely never achieve even as much as Spurrier and Holtz were able to, before him. And neither of them ever won the conference there.

So, yeah. Not worried about Muschamp, post-Butch.

Agreed.

 

[HoptownVol]

I've had UF marked as a W since Pruitt hired his staff. The Gators won't be overmatched, but they won't know what hits them either.

 

[BowlBrother85]

And they have a new coaching staff too. And they hired the coach that gets the most out of his quarterbacks. This won’t be the same stagnant Florida offense we’ve had the luxury of playing the past few years. I’ll be surprised if we keep it within 2 scores. I’m not trying to be negative, I’m just being realistic.

LOL! You will be surprised if we keep it close with a team we are playing at home who won 4 games last season and needed a hail mary on the last play to win? In our last 4 games with Florida, last years 6 point win is the only game they won by more than 1 point. You are being negative. The talent level is still even.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Many on here wont admit that Muschamp is actually a good coach. They pretend like he is some second rate scrub. Its laughable. I hate him, but the guy is a good coach.

He is an average coach with an average record. You are probably giving too much weight to his success against Tennessee when he was up against the Lloyd and Harry of the coaching world.

Muschamp at Florida was: 28-21 overall and 17-15 in the SEC

Muschamp at South Carolina so far is: 15-11 overall and 8-8 in the SEC

That is 43-32 overall and 25-23 in the SEC.

In his 6 seasons as a head coach in the SEC, Muschamp has only clearly exceeded expectations twice: 2012 at Florida and 2017 at South Carolina. Not terrible; just average.

 

[VolinMC]

I don't think it really matters who coaches either team in this rivalry. Just look at what's happened since '92,yes we won a few but how many have they won even with bad coaches.

 

[BowlBrother85]

I don't think it really matters who coaches either team in this rivalry. Just look at what's happened since '92,yes we won a few but how many have they won even with bad coaches.

Once again, someone is acting like past history has influence on future games. Georgia hasn't been anymore successful vs Florida since 1990 than Tennessee has - does that mean Georgia won't kick Florida's butt in 2018? Of course not.... and hell yes, it matters who the coaches of the respective teams are in any series. Tennessee was 14-10 vs Alabama in between Bryant's last season and Saban's first season (1983-2006). In Bear Bryant's last 12 seasons at Alabama and Saban's 11 seasons at Alabama? Tennessee was 1-22.

 

[VolinMC]

Once again, someone is acting like past history has influence on future games. Georgia hasn't been anymore successful vs Florida since 1990 than Tennessee has - does that mean Georgia won't kick Florida's butt in 2018? Of course not.... and hell yes, it matters who the coaches of the respective teams are in any series. Tennessee was 14-10 vs Alabama in between Bryant's last season and Saban's first season (1983-2006). In Bear Bryant's last 12 seasons at Alabama and Saban's 11 seasons at Alabama? Tennessee was 1-22.

You say past history doesn't matter but your post above mine you talk about past history. Funny how that works.
Yes I gave a little hyperbole about coaches not mattering. You brought up past history with Bama for your argument there also.
Look,you think what you want to and I will think what I want. I have seen losses to Florida about every way imaginable no matter who was coaching either team.

 

[BowlBrother85]

You say past history doesn't matter but your post above mine you talk about past history. Funny how that works.
Yes I gave a little hyperbole about coaches not mattering. You brought up past history with Bama for your argument there also.
Look,you think what you want to and I will think what I want. I have seen losses to Florida about every way imaginable no matter who was coaching either team.

The post above yours was discussing Muschamp's record. In the part in bold? Georgia fans can say the same thing... Georgia is also 7-21 vs Florida since 1990 and yet that won't have any impact on their game in 2018. Georgia will blow them off the field.

 

[McDad]

Once again, someone is acting like past history has influence on future games. Georgia hasn't been anymore successful vs Florida since 1990 than Tennessee has - does that mean Georgia won't kick Florida's butt in 2018? Of course not.... and hell yes, it matters who the coaches of the respective teams are in any series. Tennessee was 14-10 vs Alabama in between Bryant's last season and Saban's first season (1983-2006). In Bear Bryant's last 12 seasons at Alabama and Saban's 11 seasons at Alabama? Tennessee was 1-22.

You're right. Each year the game is a stand alone event independent of previous year's games.
However, since graduating high school i have heard the reasoning why we beat UF that season. It's happened 7 times.
I have learned to completely discount all arguments pointing to a victory.

 

[VolinMC]

The post above yours was discussing Muschamp's record. In the part in bold? Georgia fans can say the same thing... Georgia is also 7-21 vs Florida since 1990 and yet that won't have any impact on their game in 2018. Georgia will blow them off the field.

But can they really? Show me where they fumble the ball countless times at home in the rain,lose on a no td catch by Florida at home,lose on a last second hail Mary to Florida,the backup quarterback comes in and plays lights out a few times to beat them,etc. I may be wrong but I haven't seen that happen to Georgia. Also,if history doesn't matter it shouldn't matter for other teams,not just UT-Fla.
The Florida series is like no other I've seen.
Yes,like another poster said,each season or game does stand on its own but history is not on our side imho.
I'll just agree to disagree.

 

[99gator]

Once again, someone is acting like past history has influence on future games. Georgia hasn't been anymore successful vs Florida since 1990 than Tennessee has - does that mean Georgia won't kick Florida's butt in 2018? Of course not.... and hell yes, it matters who the coaches of the respective teams are in any series. Tennessee was 14-10 vs Alabama in between Bryant's last season and Saban's first season (1983-2006). In Bear Bryant's last 12 seasons at Alabama and Saban's 11 seasons at Alabama? Tennessee was 1-22.

Kind of backs up the point doesn’t it?

Heads, Bama has a great coach and bama wins.
Tails, Bama doesn’t have a great coach and it’s still a struggle.

Heads, Florida has Spurrier and Meyer and are 14-4.
Tails, Florida has a coach they fire and are 7-3

 

[mrmax86]

Yes, but all other things being equal except climate - heat and humidity, FL will always have the edge on conditioning when playing early season games - especially if the game is played at FL.

This has probably already been said, but the 2016 win over Florida was the hottest football game I've ever been to (except maybe vs Wyoming at the Coliseum in '02), so I don't know if this argument holds water. We literally out-gassed them at the end of that game.

 

[99gator]

This has probably already been said, but the 2016 win over Florida was the hottest football game I've ever been to (except maybe vs Wyoming at the Coliseum in '02), so I don't know how this argument holds water. We literally out-gassed them at the end of that game.

The factor that’s obvious, but people want to forget, is that Tennessee has struggled against everyone recently.

The opponent has been irrelevant.

I don’t believe in Florida voodoo either. At the same time, it can’t be ignored that when Tennessee has been good, Florida was better and when Florida was bad, Tennessee has been worse

 

[BowlBrother85]

Kind of backs up the point doesn’t it?

Heads, Bama has a great coach and bama wins.
Tails, Bama doesn’t have a great coach and it’s still a struggle.

Heads, Florida has Spurrier and Meyer and are 14-4.
Tails, Florida has a coach they fire and are 7-3

I don't know if I would go that far... Tennessee was 10-2 vs Alabama between 1995-2006. Depends on how bad Alabama's coach is. Mike DuBose and Mike Shula bad and we don't struggle.

 

[99gator]

I don't know if I would go that far... Tennessee was 10-2 vs Alabama between 1995-2006. Depends on how bad Alabama's coach is. Mike DuBose and Mike Shula bad and we don't struggle.

So, Alabama has to have a really, really bad coach.

That’s not very reassuring

 

[BowlBrother85]

The factor that’s obvious, but people want to forget, is that Tennessee has struggled against everyone recently.

The opponent has been irrelevant.

I don’t believe in Florida voodoo either. At the same time, it can’t be ignored that when Tennessee has been good, Florida was better and when Florida was bad, Tennessee has been worse

And it shouldn't be ignored that both teams were good between 1998-2001 and it was 2-2 and those were 4 great games that could have each gone the other way. It's fair to say that Tennessee has needed to be at least a 9 win team to beat Florida - anything less than that and Tennessee takes the L.

But of course, that is the past and has no bearing on future games.

 

[zeppelin128]

Many good points about the past not mattering in the present, but I can't shake the battered Vol syndrome. We are 7-22 against Florida since I've been alive. And many of those losses have been voodoo fueled weirdness. I hope it changes, but I'm doubtful. The curse is real.

 

[99gator]

And it shouldn't be ignored that both teams were good between 1998-2001 and it was 2-2 and those were 4 great games that could have each gone the other way. It's fair to say that Tennessee has needed to be at least a 9 win team to beat Florida - anything less than that and Tennessee takes the L.

But of course, that is the past and has no bearing on future games.

Both teams weren’t good from 1990-1997?

 

[VolinMC]

Once we start a streak of more than 2 wins in a row I may change my my mind. At least with other teams we have done that before.

 

[RollerVol]

Ok, Tony (secret Vol fan), thanks for the heads up...:salute:

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[VOLFan65]

Beat who we should always beat, go 1-1 in the SEC tossups, get to a bowl game. I'll take it for year one.

The great thing is that Even if that happens, Pruitt wont accept that. Butch did. Great to have a coach with high expectations again.

 

[zeppelin128]

The great thing is that Even if that happens, Pruitt wont accept that. Butch did. Great to have a coach with high expectations again.

Agreed. Contend every season for the East should be our goal every year.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

And it shouldn't be ignored that both teams were good between 1998-2001 and it was 2-2 and those were 4 great games that could have each gone the other way. It's fair to say that Tennessee has needed to be at least a 9 win team to beat Florida - anything less than that and Tennessee takes the L.

But of course, that is the past and has no bearing on future games.

Both teams were Top 5 during those years, so going 2-2 was an accomplishment.