Confident Vols issue guarantee: 'We'll definitely get to a bowl game'

#1

dduncan4163

Have at it Hoss
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#1
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/t...edia-days-tennessee-vols-guarantee-bowl-game/

Hope springs eternal at SEC Media Days. That was certainly the case with Tennessee contingent Tuesday.

“Really close,” linebacker Daniel Bituli said when asked how close the Vols are to competing at a championship level.

Most would disagree. One would think that simply having a winning season and making a bowl game would be something to be proud of in 2019.

“We’ll definitely get to a bowl game,” linebacker Darrell Taylor said. “That’s not a thing.”

Actually, that would be a thing.

The Vols have missed out on a bowl trip each of their past two seasons and have missed a bowl game 5 of the past 8 seasons. Sure, the schedule is markedly easier this year, but there’s no guaranteed December trip for the Vols as they head into Jeremy Pruitt’s second season as a head coach.

As for competing at a championship level, that would certainly be a “thing.” The Vols are expected to be picked 4th or 5th in the SEC East by the media attending SEC Media Days. The official votes will be released Friday, but Taylor isn’t concerned about preseason predictions by a bunch of sportswriters.

“We won’t worry about responding,” Taylor said. “We’ll just do what we have to do to be successful every week.”

Given the rather optimistic nature of the two UT defenders on Tuesday, it was only natural to ask quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, whom everyone would expect to be a leader on the team, what he thought about Taylor’s prediction.

“No, that’s not for me,” Guarantano said. “D.T. is a little crazy. I definitely love the confidence though. I appreciate my teammate for that.”

Guarantano went on to say the usual — that he and his teammates were focused on getting better every day and not concerned about the longterm results. However, he admitted it was hard not to think about the potential the future could hold.

“Absolutely, of course,” the junior said. “You grow up thinking about SEC championships and national championships and all those types of things and those kinds of awards. It’s natural to, but we just have to focus and we know what our main goal is.”


q0eyOCa.gif
 
#2
#2
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/t...edia-days-tennessee-vols-guarantee-bowl-game/

Hope springs eternal at SEC Media Days. That was certainly the case with Tennessee contingent Tuesday.

“Really close,” linebacker Daniel Bituli said when asked how close the Vols are to competing at a championship level.

Most would disagree. One would think that simply having a winning season and making a bowl game would be something to be proud of in 2019.

“We’ll definitely get to a bowl game,” linebacker Darrell Taylor said. “That’s not a thing.”

Actually, that would be a thing.

The Vols have missed out on a bowl trip each of their past two seasons and have missed a bowl game 5 of the past 8 seasons. Sure, the schedule is markedly easier this year, but there’s no guaranteed December trip for the Vols as they head into Jeremy Pruitt’s second season as a head coach.

As for competing at a championship level, that would certainly be a “thing.” The Vols are expected to be picked 4th or 5th in the SEC East by the media attending SEC Media Days. The official votes will be released Friday, but Taylor isn’t concerned about preseason predictions by a bunch of sportswriters.

“We won’t worry about responding,” Taylor said. “We’ll just do what we have to do to be successful every week.”

Given the rather optimistic nature of the two UT defenders on Tuesday, it was only natural to ask quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, whom everyone would expect to be a leader on the team, what he thought about Taylor’s prediction.

“No, that’s not for me,” Guarantano said. “D.T. is a little crazy. I definitely love the confidence though. I appreciate my teammate for that.”

Guarantano went on to say the usual — that he and his teammates were focused on getting better every day and not concerned about the longterm results. However, he admitted it was hard not to think about the potential the future could hold.

“Absolutely, of course,” the junior said. “You grow up thinking about SEC championships and national championships and all those types of things and those kinds of awards. It’s natural to, but we just have to focus and we know what our main goal is.”


q0eyOCa.gif

Markedly easier? This year is as soft as it's been in years. They should be able to dress out some of the better guys in the intramural flag football teams to do mop up. If they don't make a bowl this year, something is very wrong.
 
#3
#3
Unfortunately I think we a par 6 win team. We may have an "easier schedule" but we were blown out in some of our games last year, failing to even be competitive. For now, we need to focus on beating South Carolina, Vandy, and Mizzou again.

I think UAB and BYU are much better than our fanbase is giving them credit for. Should we be the favorites? Possibly. But I'm sure both will be a pickem game. UAB won 11 games last year and BYU was Neither are givens and if we played both those teams last year, I would have been content with splitting.

That is given the information I have from watching last years O-Line and D-Line perform. All my concern is with the Line. Many are projecting us to be much better with two five star O-Lineman coming in, but that is still to be determined. I have to see them play a college game first. Even then, there is always the risk of injury. One injury to one of our starters and we don't have much depth up front.

There is even more concern on Defensive Line. No proven players and still waiting to hear about Aubrey Solomon. We will need multiple surprises from some unknown and inexperienced players to be a bowl team.

With that said, the performance at the Line of scrimmage could be the difference in us being a 5 win team and being an 7-8 win team. We have plenty of talent at skilled positions, but need to increase the physicality upfront.
 
#7
#7
Markedly easier? This year is as soft as it's been in years. They should be able to dress out some of the better guys in the intramural flag football teams to do mop up. If they don't make a bowl this year, something is very wrong.

1 game. It's 1 game easier and we're not even sure BYU will be "easy" to us.

I'm not disagreeing on we should make a bowl, we definitely should, I just think its laughable that some think this schedule is "flag football" softer. Lol.
 
#8
#8
ah, optimism is truly a great thing...to me, if we win seven games (including bowl) it's still a team and coaching staff going forward to better things in recruiting playmakers and back to competing for the SEC East....;)

GO BIG ORANGE!
 
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#9
#9
Steele has it around 7th toughest schedule, I believe, so it is markedly easier.
 
#10
#10
I live in Alabama, my Daughter attends UAB. They lost a lot but they recruited a lot of Juco players. Wont be easy!
No reason to predict games that far out, but it should be easy.

Mizzou won't be easy.
South Carolina won't be easy.
UAB should be easy...
 
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#11
#11
Steele has it around 7th toughest schedule, I believe, so it is markedly easier.

It's 1 game easier. If that's "markedly" I agree.

What was the difference in last years schedule? The year before? What about 16, or 15? Does playing Florida and Alabama at their place count for anything?

Edit : I don't mean that to come across as sarcastic as it might, I just get the feeling some are saying its such a weak schedule because they're preparing for excuses if we don't do well. I definitely think it's an easier schedule, just not THAT much easier.
 
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#12
#12
I live in Alabama, my Daughter attends UAB. They lost a lot but they recruited a lot of Juco players. Wont be easy!
Yup, unfortunately I'm down here too, il be moving back to the mountains when my son turns 18🤗

I'm in mccalla. As far as football I just cant fathom the idea that we will lose to UAB, but I can understand the apprehension.
 
#17
#17
The way the entire college football system is set up, there is a bowl game for almost every team! It's almost as if a football team has to intentionally wreck their season not to be in a bowl!
 
#18
#18
It's 1 game easier. If that's "markedly" I agree.

What was the difference in last years schedule? The year before? What about 16, or 15? Does playing Florida and Alabama at their place count for anything?

Edit : I don't mean that to come across as sarcastic as it might, I just get the feeling some are saying its such a weak schedule because they're preparing for excuses if we don't do well. I definitely think it's an easier schedule, just not THAT much easier.
no @ SECw bad azz, not named bama.
no top 10 P5 OOC game.
vandy, KY, MSU, MO all losing key cogs from last year's teams

easier. easier than it has been lately for sure. a schedule full of layups? no....
7 wins should be doable. i still do believe that aside from UF, UGA, Bama, none of the rest of the teams are appreciably "better" than us at this point. the other 6 games(GSU, UTC, and UAB should be w's) on the schedule should be very competitive ....win 4 of them.
 
#21
#21
Unfortunately I think we a par 6 win team. We may have an "easier schedule" but we were blown out in some of our games last year, failing to even be competitive. For now, we need to focus on beating South Carolina, Vandy, and Mizzou again.

I think UAB and BYU are much better than our fanbase is giving them credit for. Should we be the favorites? Possibly. But I'm sure both will be a pickem game. UAB won 11 games last year and BYU was Neither are givens and if we played both those teams last year, I would have been content with splitting.

That is given the information I have from watching last years O-Line and D-Line perform. All my concern is with the Line. Many are projecting us to be much better with two five star O-Lineman coming in, but that is still to be determined. I have to see them play a college game first. Even then, there is always the risk of injury. One injury to one of our starters and we don't have much depth up front.

There is even more concern on Defensive Line. No proven players and still waiting to hear about Aubrey Solomon. We will need multiple surprises from some unknown and inexperienced players to be a bowl team.

With that said, the performance at the Line of scrimmage could be the difference in us being a 5 win team and being an 7-8 win team. We have plenty of talent at skilled positions, but need to increase the physicality upfront.

Very will thought out and presented. But few on this site will read a "long winded" post. Besides there is not enough "orange cool aid" or on the other side of the coin, not enough "gloom and doom" to create excitement for the folks here bouts to react to.
 
#23
#23
He told Justin Rogers if UT didn’t go 9-3 this year, that he shouldn’t come.
i guess Rogers decided to skip the wait lol. i was thinking you meant he said something yesterday or in public.

i tend to take what coaches may tell recruits and what coaches say to the media with seperate grains of salt.
 
#24
#24
The way the entire college football system is set up, there is a bowl game for almost every team! It's almost as if a football team has to intentionally wreck their season not to be in a bowl!
Is there an echo in here. :)
 
#25
#25
no @ SECw bad azz, not named bama.
no top 10 P5 OOC game.
vandy, KY, MSU, MO all losing key cogs from last year's teams

easier. easier than it has been lately for sure. a schedule full of layups? no....
7 wins should be doable. i still do believe that aside from UF, UGA, Bama, none of the rest of the teams are appreciably "better" than us at this point. the other 6 games(GSU, UTC, and UAB should be w's) on the schedule should be very competitive ....win 4 of them.
Good post, I’d add BYU in there, they start 0-4 so if UT can manage a .500 record in the SEC, a good bowl awaits. SC, KY, Vandy should be 3 of them as UT has more talent yearly and should win. At least as talented as MSU, probably more talent? Mizzou is the wildcard for me.
 

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