Big Gucci Sosa
Sniper Gang.
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What record does TN need in 2019 for you guys to feel like we've turned the corner and are on the right track? I'm thinking 8-4 with a bowl win to 9-4 would really start recruiting momentum.
I say the defense will be humming this season. When you have a solid defense you tend to find yourself in some ball games. That's when Pruitt will either come into his own or try again next year.
Taylor was a totally different animal after the Georgia game. We have young kids to play with on those frequent blitzes Pruitt likes to call. No more Baylen Buchanan trying to sack the QB. Bituli was a completely different linebacker year 2 in Shoop's system. He should play much faster this season. We good back deep, we have bodies up front news flash KP, Shy and Johnson were just bodies. Gooden flashed much more frequently than any of those guys. Testament to Rocker's coaching ability if anything for turning those guys respectable. Last year everyone panicked about the d-line, this year we panic over replacing the pedestrian players..Given our DL turnover, I would be absolutely shocked if our defense is all that good. With our more mature secondary, I'll be happy with holding serve. It is our offense that I expect a nice step forward from.
Doesn't matter imo. CBJ improved each year and it was just a red herring. Need to see marked improvement in s&c, schemes, discipline, recruiting...for the next 3 years. Then I'll believe a LONG-TERM corner has truly been turned. Otherwise it's just a blip.
Given our DL turnover, I would be absolutely shocked if our defense is all that good. With our more mature secondary, I'll be happy with holding serve. It is our offense that I expect a nice step forward from.
Over the last few years, I have attempted to move beyond the too-simple “returning starters” figure to measure experience.
We use the best tools we have, even if they’re not that great. We try to derive value from offensive line starts because it’s the only individual measure of offensive linemen that we have. You can’t get much from “he’s been one of Team A’s five preferred linemen 16 times since he started school here.”It’s the same with returning starters. We use it because it exists. It is fine as a really quick snapshot, but we know that one team’s six returning offensive starters aren’t another’s. What about go-to guys? Returning backups? And quarterbacks are worth more than other starters, right?
In 2016, I began using a returning production figure based on what seems to best correlate with year-to-year performance. With what is now a few years’ worth of data, let’s take a look at some updated correlations.
How returning production in four offensive stats correlates with changes in Offensive S&P+ ratings:
Returning experience on the offensive line doesn’t have nearly the statistical impact that we expect. But with more data in the bank — and a new set of tweaks to S&P+ that I’ve been unveiling at Football Study Hall — we can see there’s a little correlation.
The higher the number, the more likely returning production in these areas is to coincide with strong offense:
- Receiving yards correlation: 0.324
- Passing yards correlation: 0.234
- Rushing yards correlation: 0.168
- Offensive line starts correlation: 0.153
With more data, the offensive line correlations have begun to grow stronger, which makes sense, but the conclusion remains: continuity in the passing game matters a hell of a lot, and continuity in the run game doesn’t have as strong an impact.
Correlation between defensive stats and changes in Defensive S&P+:
On defense, where returning production appears to matter more in general, the correlations are both stronger and more diverse. Since teams use different numbers of defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs, I look at both unit-specific categories and those for defense as a whole.
- Defensive back tackles correlation: 0.404
- Defensive back passes defensed correlation: 0.377
- Overall tackles correlation: 0.325
- Overall passes defensed correlation: 0.324
- Defensive back tackles for loss correlation: 0.299
- Overall tackles for loss correlation: 0.269
- Linebacker tackles for loss correlation: 0.250
- Linebacker tackles correlation: 0.250
- Linebacker passes defensed correlation: 0.228
That’s right, the correlations for defensive back tackles and passes defensed is stronger than the correlations for overall tackles.
The strongest correlations on the defensive line, by the way: 0.154 for tackles, 0.119 for tackles for loss. Continuity in the trenches does not appear to be worth what we tend to think it’s worth. But continuity in the passing game, on both sides of the ball, means a ton.
One more takeaway: tackles for loss are important, but the ability to get hands on passes might be harder to replicate than any other.

Hey just saw this. He’s about the same. Several recent falls. Broke his ankle. What’s worse than Alzheimer’s? Someone with Alzheimer’s and walking with use of a walker. Or should I say using a walker as a weapon???@volatil how's pops?
Taylor was a totally different animal after the Georgia game. We have young kids to play with on those frequent blitzes Pruitt likes to call. No more Baylen Buchanan trying to sack the QB. Bituli was a completely different linebacker year 2 in Shoop's system. He should play much faster this season. We good back deep, we have bodies up front news flash KP, Shy and Johnson were just bodies. Gooden flashed much more frequently than any of those guys. Testament to Rocker's coaching ability if anything for turning those guys respectable. Last year everyone panicked about the d-line, this year we panic over replacing the pedestrian players..
Let's hope Bill Connelly's statistical analysis on the correlations of the different aspects of our defense holds up for us this year.
2019 CFB returning production, ranked a better way
Edit: Since the emphasis in Bill's approach on defense is with our defensive backs here is a snap shot of what we have:
View attachment 204605
The best day of UT football in...15 years? Great comeback. I was on 247 that day and just kept telling everyone to stick with the team and cheer hard AF if they were at the game. We were gaining yards and moving the ball, just making small mistakes and turnovers in the first half. I could tell we were way more in the game than the score indicated, just like uga 2015/16. The 2nd half was cathartic as hell, especially after 2015. I was rolling around on the floor like a maniac all 2nd half.
How did you all experience this game?
Replacing our best run D in a decade, but aight...believe some JUCO guys are gonna replace a line of 4th year seniors. I pray they do, but this sounds like a lot of the blind optimism we've leaned on the last 10-15 years as we've continued to tred water.
Glad he is still aware of the Vols. Sounds like he still recognizes you. That's at least a positive.Hey just saw this. He’s about the same. Several recent falls. Broke his ankle. What’s worse than Alzheimer’s? Someone with Alzheimer’s and walking with use of a walker. Or should I say using a walker as a weapon???
He asks me every time I talk to him if “that new guy is going to win or not”. Not sure if he’s talking about Pruitt or Butch or Doug Dickey
How’s your mom? I know what you are going through. It’s tough.Glad he is still aware of the Vols. Sounds like he still recognizes you. That's at least a positive.
It's a terrible thing to have to literally watch your parent regress back into childhood and infancy.
Mom can't remember she ate immediately after we've eaten. She can't remember anything 2 minutes removed from it. Her short term is completely gone. She can't sit still. If she's out she wants to go home. The minute she walks in the door of her house, she wants to know where they're going. She absolutely wears my dad out. My dad gets relief by taking her to daycare three days a week.How’s your mom? I know what you are going through. It’s tough.
You know how it is. They latch on to one thing and focus completely on that subject. For him it’s UT. Say something bad about Fulmer, I dare you. He can’t remember if he’s eaten and will ask 10 times but by God he can remember 152-52. Sure he gets confused about the circumstances and thinks Trump fired him but still.
