I see it the same way and the more I see, the better it looks. It doesn't seem like such a stretch to see Tennessee with the current staff and roster go toe to toe with anybody. I don't mean I "expect" any certain number, but it wouldn't shock me to see the team more than ready to play football by September. Every season there is a team predicted by smug pencil-necked experts to finish under an imaginary ceiling of wins made out of limits that... the team surpasses that season by winning more games than the soothsayers said they could. Does it go the other way where heavy favorites get knocked by teams who make the most of what they've got when they take their shot? Yes. Of course, we obviously know that kind of upset happens practically every season,
....
Agreed! Coach Mathews on the show this morning said he wouldn't be surprised if another spot opened before December and signing day. In the first few minutes he said the number for the 2019 class is 21 (or 4 more for 2019's class with 17 already committed) and explained how he arrived at that number. We've got some serious talent at every position and I think this season will be a lot of fun!
Hope certainly springs eternal in the summer. I really need to go back and read my posts from February thru April to re-ground my expectations. I started thinking 6-6 (3 cupcakes, Kentucky/Vandy, and one of UF/USC/Mizz). Then it became the first five, plus definitely Florida, and maybe Mizzou.
Since the last few games of last year (+ Currie refusing to rip the band-aid off and letting the fanbase twist in the wind)-- so through December?? Our team was beat tf down. There was a complete vacuum of leadership, and that's one thing that starts at the top.. it's much more difficult to harvest when we're getting our asses beat every Saturday and coaching is AWOL.
Now that we have expertise, structure, support, discipline, and most importantly vision and direction, I think things will click earlier in the season rather than later. All we need is one player at each position group to step up and that level will thrive with competition (that's gonna be what I'll be looking out for).
So now I'm up to definitely ETSU, UTEP, Florida, Charlotte, Mizzou, Kentucky, and Vandy, plus maybe we shock WVU and/or Auburn and not getting blown out by UGA/Bama.
Camp hasn't started yet. We're still a whole month from kickoff.
And I'm thinking 9 is within the realm of possibility.
Whew
What a season we're about to have, boys. What were those Spring predictions again?