Let's talk about the schedule for 2019

[sechamp2012]

I think Tennessee should win at least 7 games......but the days of looking at the schedule preseason and picking sec wins are and have been over.......until the Vols prove otherwise and they have not as of yet.

This is a good statement 20 years ago you could predict pre season with very accurate results. Now transfer Portal, coaching changes, SC off season results, rules changes etc... make it hard to predict, especially for the 500% & under teams.

 

[KeyVol14]

This is more how I see our record potential:
> 9-3, 1% or less
9-3, 9-10%
8-4, 20%
7-5, 30%
6-6, 30%
5-7, 9-10%
< 5-7, 1% or less.

Call me crazy, but I'm not prepared to consider the @Mizzou game, which we have lost by a combined 66 points the last two years, anything better than a toss-up. Also, we have never beaten Muschamp, ever, until we beat him at least once, that's a toss-up at best.

Muschamp is trash we will win by 15 in neyland

 

[Deacon Blues Dawg]

With the questions mark UF has with their secondary, if UT's o-line is halfway decent and your defense shows up, y'all could easily runaway with that game. UF's defense will probably take a step back with their recent departures.

Don’t kid yourself. UF is going to be a very good football team and will vie for the SECE. I don’t think anyone on their schedule will “runaway” with them.

 

[Behr]

Muschamp is trash we will win by 15 in neyland

It's statements like this that get the LoM all riled up and firing back with stupidity.

I think he's trash too, and I think we beat him this year, but it's kinda silly to be that confident when we've never beaten him. What 6 times and two teams?

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Muschamp is trash we will win by 15 in neyland

I agree he's trash, but he's never lost to us, what does that make us?

Last year is not this year and all that, but I just don't think we automatically pencil that in as a W until we've beaten him at least once.

 

[KeyVol14]

It's statements like this that get the LoM all riled up and firing back with stupidity.

I think he's trash too, and I think we beat him this year, but it's kinda silly to be that confident when we've never beaten him. What 6 times and two teams?

Every year I say the same thing and convince myself we will finally beat him....but I expect this team to be well improved to be able to finally beat a muschamp coached team. Last year we had the game won and didn't obviously but with it being in neyland and over halfway through the season I expect the OL to be gelling by that point.

 

[Behr]

I agree he's trash, but he's never lost to us, what does that make us?

Last year is not this year and all that, but I just don't think we automatically pencil that in as a W until we've beaten him at least once.

It makes us a work in progress hampered by administration malpractice.

 

[jakez4ut]

It makes us a work in progress hampered by administration malpractice.

funny how folks have short memories about that. and just how difficult it's been to re brand the T as a result. i think that's our biggest issue right now is just fending off the negative perceptions that do still exist. we have everything else....

 

[Behr]

funny how folks have short memories about that. and just how difficult it's been to re brand the T as a result. i think that's our biggest issue right now is just fending off the negative perceptions that do still exist. we have everything else....

Lol, I don't think they have short memories, they remember how many yards Danny Wuerffel threw in the first 4:29 minutes of the 3rd quarter against us in the swamp during that rain shower...

They just think its cool to talk chit about thier team on the innerwebz.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

funny how folks have short memories about that. and just how difficult it's been to re brand the T as a result. i think that's our biggest issue right now is just fending off the negative perceptions that do still exist. we have everything else....

Yeah, we very stupidly fired our national championship winning VFL coach. We hired a con man and cheered him on the whole way until he left us in bad shape. Our options were limited at that point and haven't improved much since then, we also face an inherent disadvantage in recruiting bases against our two biggest divisional rivals, but the expectations remain high, it's a tough job. Pruitt would have to do very, very poorly for me to turn on him without him having at least 5 years to right this ship, what we need is stability more than anything. He's got a good pedigree, I think given time he'll be a good coach but we've got to give him time.

EDIT: When I counter some of you guys with the sky high expectations sometimes that's where I'm coming from. I'll be very happy if I'm wrong and you're right, but just for my personal sanity I try to keep a sober analysis of where we are year by year. That said, I expect some improvement this year. If you'll note, I acknowledge above that I think there's a 60% chance we have a winning regular season record. I think the defense will be improved also in the second year of Pruitt's 3-4. The offensive line remains very worrisome and could cripple the prospects of much of an upward swing in record if it doesn't improve. The freshmen are talented but to paraphrase the great Kevin Bacon movie Tremors "freshmen linemen aren't a plan, freshmen linemen are what you have when a plan fails".

 

[jakez4ut]

Lol, I don't think they have short memories, they remember how many yards Danny Wuerffel threw in the first 4:29 minutes of the 3rd quarter against us in the swamp during that rain shower...

They just think its cool to talk chit about thier team on the innerwebz.

i remember 4th and 11 in the 1st quarter in Neyland in 96.
sigh.

ok, moving on........

 

[jakez4ut]

Yeah, we very stupidly fired our national championship winning VFL coach. We hired a con man and cheered him on the whole way until he left us in the middle of the night, drugged in the bathroom of a sleazy hotel missing a kidney. Our options were limited at that point and haven't improved much since then, we also face an inherent disadvantage in recruiting bases against our two biggest divisional rivals, but the expectations remain high, it's a tough job. Pruitt would have to do very, very poorly for me to turn on him without him having at least 5 years to right this ship, what we need is stability more than anything. He's got a good pedigree, I think given time he'll be a good coach but we've got to give him time.

pretty much agree. i'd just say that "giving time" on it's own isn't the only requisite. he needs to be a good, really good, coach too. i think he's been given every resource needed to be that.

we're not close to the point where you can call it either way.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Don’t kid yourself. UF is going to be a very good football team and will vie for the SECE. I don’t think anyone on their schedule will “runaway” with them.

What are you? Some sort of hybrid wake Forest/St. Louis / Georgia fan?

 

[sjt18]

My best guess as we sit here in May.
W
W- BYU has a lot of returning players but some key losses. They do not have great talent and have rather poor talent on their OL.
W
L- But a better chance here than most now think.
L- The talent gap is too much at this point
W- I don't think MSU is going to be very good this year. The new coach is no Mullen
L- Bama is too much at this point
W- vs UAB
In the last 4 SEC games, I'm going to say UT gets 3 of them... but I'm not sure who the loss is. I would say these teams will be pretty close in difficulty.

I would like to seen 8 wins. I think it is attainable if Pruitt is the right guy.

 

[jakez4ut]

My best guess as we sit here in May.
W
W- BYU has a lot of returning players but some key losses. They do not have great talent and have rather poor talent on their OL.
W
L- But a better chance here than most now think.
L- The talent gap is too much at this point
W- I don't think MSU is going to be very good this year. The new coach is no Mullen
L- Bama is too much at this point
W- vs UAB
In the last 4 SEC games, I'm going to say UT gets 3 of them... but I'm not sure who the loss is. I would say these teams will be pretty close in difficulty.

I would like to seen 8 wins. I think it is attainable if Pruitt is the right guy.

i think the bye before MO and Vandy may prove to be pretty valuable...........pretty much agree with the rest.

 

[Behr]

My best guess as we sit here in May.
W
W- BYU has a lot of returning players but some key losses. They do not have great talent and have rather poor talent on their OL.
W
L- But a better chance here than most now think.
L- The talent gap is too much at this point
W- I don't think MSU is going to be very good this year. The new coach is no Mullen
L- Bama is too much at this point
W- vs UAB
In the last 4 SEC games, I'm going to say UT gets 3 of them... but I'm not sure who the loss is. I would say these teams will be pretty close in difficulty.

I would like to seen 8 wins. I think it is attainable if Pruitt is the right guy.

I usually laugh whenever I see you guys make the comment "Pruitt is/isnt THE guy if.... " because there are so many different variations of possibilities that could change everything. But I agree. In my mind if he can win 8 or more Ill feel good about him being the guy. 6 or 7 and it's still up in the air with me, and it also depends which 6 or 7 and how we looked and how we lost the other 5 or 6. You know? It's just hard to for me to be absolute about it. But winning any 8 any way possible sure would go a long way with my personal approval of ole Cornbread.

 

[jakez4ut]

I usually laugh whenever I see you guys make the comment "Pruitt is/isnt THE guy if.... " because there are so many different variations of possibilities that could change everything. But I agree. In my mind if he can win 8 or more Ill feel good about him being the guy. 6 or 7 and it's still up in the air with me, and it also depends which 6 or 7 and how we looked and how we lost the other 5 or 6. You know? It's just hard to for me to be absolute about it. But winning any 8 any way possible sure would go a long way with my personal approval of ole Cornbread.

agree, especially on the 6 or 7 win results' thoughts. face value is one thing. at some point, the how comes in to play.

like how we beat App freaking state or N texas or Umass. winning is fun and all...........but....well, there was a "but"...........lol.

 

[Jaws]

With the questions mark UF has with their secondary, if UT's o-line is halfway decent and your defense shows up, y'all could easily runaway with that game. UF's defense will probably take a step back with their recent departures.

What question marks does UF have in their secondary, other than which of the 5 guys vying for safety will start? You’ve got CJ Henderson, all-everything future 1st rounder at one CB spot. You’ve got Marco Wilson, who was as good if not better than Henderson before his injury coming back at the other CB spot. You’ve got Trey Dean who started every game after the Wilson injury last year (11 games) at NB. You’ve got backups at CB who have played a lot of football plus promising Freshman Kair Elam coming in. At safety, you’ve got a bunch of guys with a ton of playing time coming back; Brad Stewart, Jawan Taylor, Sean Davis, Donovan Stiner and newcomer Huggins coming on.

Florida’s defense has talent and depth and experience at every level. Shuler, Zuniga, Campbell, Greenard on the DL/DE. David Reese, Houston and Miller at LB, and the next superstar of UF’s defense Amari Burney moving from safety to LB as well.

There’s a reason Florida will be ranked in the top 7-8 to start the season, and it’s not because “they will probably take a step back.”

 

[Behr]

agree, especially on the 6 or 7 win results' thoughts. face value is one thing. at some point, the how comes in to play.

like how we beat App freaking state or N texas or Umass. winning is fun and all...........but....well, there was a "but"...........lol.

Yea, I've said it since the end of last year, I can handle a loss or two that we really shouldn't lose, as long as we looked good in those loses and all the other games too.

I mean, if we do what we should against those first 3 games, me and everyone else will be saying "let's see how we look against the gators".

If it's a repeat of last year or even close.... a win against Vandy and a bowl game ain't gonna give me the warm and fuzzies. To be honest, I'm not sure what would have to happen, this year, to make me feel better after something like that. Because you know we're more than likely looking at beat downs by Bama and Georgia anyway, so beating the rest would be even more important and I just don't how much it would help... .. AND then theres KB. Lol.

 

[KBVol]

Muschamp is trash we will win by 15 in neyland

He’s 6-0 vs Tennessee as a head coach at two different programs.

 

[jakez4ut]

Yea, I've said it since the end if last year, I can handle a loss or two that we really shouldn't lose, as long as we looked good in those loses and all the other games too.

I mean, if we do what we should invest those first 3 games, me and everyone else will be saying "let's see how we look against the gators".

If it's a repeat of last year or even close.... a win against Vandy and a bowl game ain't gonna give me the warm and fuzzies. To be honest, I'm not sure what would have to happen, this year, to make me feel better after something like that. Because you know we're more than likely looking at beat downs by Bama and Georgia anyway, so beating the rest would be even more important and I just don't how much it would help... .. AND then theres KB. Lol.

i think that's the main issue is the margin of error seems to be so small. you already go in with for sure losses.....that's not something WE think TN should ever have to do. but that's where we are.

and if you already KNOW you have L's on the schedule, it makes you question, then, where are the for sure W's?

and lately, that's only been in the cupcake portion of the non conference.

"we're not in Kansas anymore", doesn't really even come close to describing our reality, with what we THINK it should be.

then trying to factor in predictions with all the "new" we have in the program is making it.......frustrating.

all that said, our measuring stick games, right now, are not GA and Bama. it's USCe, Vand, MO, MSU, KY, BYU and to a lesser degree, FL. that's the group where i think we kinda have to measure progress from a win/loss standpoint. it wont' matter to look good and lose to most of, if not any of, those teams. look good and lose to GA and Bama.......fine, whatever.

bottom line...we're 3-2 for sure right now. need to find a way to win 4 or 5 of the rest....we'll discuss the "how" as it happens....lol....but it'll be important too.

 

[Tin Man]

Ladies and gents, boys and girls, it's time to end Muschamp's streak against the Vols. Pruitt should do it.

 

[Atlanta917]

What question marks does UF have in their secondary, other than which of the 5 guys vying for safety will start? You’ve got CJ Henderson, all-everything future 1st rounder at one CB spot. You’ve got Marco Wilson, who was as good if not better than Henderson before his injury coming back at the other CB spot. You’ve got Trey Dean who started every game after the Wilson injury last year (11 games) at NB. You’ve got backups at CB who have played a lot of football plus promising Freshman Kair Elam coming in. At safety, you’ve got a bunch of guys with a ton of playing time coming back; Brad Stewart, Jawan Taylor, Sean Davis, Donovan Stiner and newcomer Huggins coming on.

Florida’s defense has talent and depth and experience at every level. Shuler, Zuniga, Campbell, Greenard on the DL/DE. David Reese, Houston and Miller at LB, and the next superstar of UF’s defense Amari Burney moving from safety to LB as well.

There’s a reason Florida will be ranked in the top 7-8 to start the season, and it’s not because “they will probably take a step back.”

Are those talented backups the ones Fromm shredded? If Steele was getting first team reps then CJ Henderson being "all-everything future 1st rounder" is hyperbole or Marco Wilson isn't as good or better than him. Also, what's better than "all-everything future 1st rounder" anyway? Seems like that's about as high as it gets. Imo a new secondary will be tough to break-in with all the d-line production UF lost.

 

[Jaws]

If Steele was getting first team reps then CJ Henderson being "all-everything future 1st rounder" is hyperbole or Marco Wilson isn't as good or better than him. Also, what's better than "all-everything future 1st rounder" anyway? Seems like that's about as high as it gets. Imo a new secondary will be tough to break-in with all the d-line production UF lost.

You really have no grasp at all on UF’s returning talent. The secondary is not “new.” Chris Steele was getting reps because Marco Wilson didn’t participate in the spring. Why would he? He’s a proven player coming off an injury. Also, Trey Dean was getting reps at NB. That left opportunity for Steele and others to get CB reps during the spring. Regarding Henderson, Mel Kiper has him at #8 overall on his 2020 big board. Arguably, Wilson outplayed him during their Freshman year. Both were Freshman All-SEC. Wilson led the team in pass break-ups, ahead of Henderson and third overall in the SEC, as a TRUE Freshman. He also had the 3rd most PBU’s in the nation for a Freshman. Wilson was also a solid tackler, recording 34 tackles to Henderson’s 22. So that’s why I say Wilson was as good, maybe better than Henderson after their freshman seasons. So UF has three all-SEC CB’s; Hendu, Wilson and Trey Dean. Most teams would be thrilled with that.

You also took a shot at UF’s d-line saying something about “all the production they lost.” They lost Jachai Polite, that’s about it. Florida has a Jachai Polite or two every year. On the d-line, UF returns Jabari Zuniga (10 tfl and 6 sacks), Adam Shuler (played outstanding football last year), Kyree Campbell (tons of experience, dominant at times), Slaton/Conliffe/Dunlap/Ancrum/Carter all return and all have high-level experience. If that wasn’t enough, they added transfer Jonathan Greenard who had 16 tfl and 7 sacks at Louisville in his last season played. This is the same defensive line that stuffed UGA on 7 straight goal line plays last year. Same dudes.

Don’t take my word for it, pick up the magazines. Athlon, Lindsey, all those types rank UF’s d-line as among the top in the country.

 

[VolinMC]

agree, especially on the 6 or 7 win results' thoughts. face value is one thing. at some point, the how comes in to play.

like how we beat App freaking state or N texas or Umass. winning is fun and all...........but....well, there was a "but"...........lol.

While what you said is true, I agree with most of what you said,,,,I'm to the point of just win more than we lose this year to build at least a little momentum.
I dont care if its 2-0 or 99-98,if we have 50 yards of offense or 1000 yards of offense. We just gotta get back on the winning track mentally. Just get the 6 or 7 wins this year at least and build on that.