Expectations for Pruitt's 2nd year

#26
#26
8 wins and I will be happy with the progress. Also, I don't want to see UT get blown out by any team; otherwise, I will be disappointed. My BVS has me on guard.
If we do not get blown out by anyone, then we are headed in the right direction even if we only win 7 games. It will be hard though. Both UGA and Bama are natty contenders & UF could quite possibly when the east if the ball bounces their way this year.
 
#28
#28
Look at and categorize the schedule:

Gimmies: Georgia St, UTC
Should win: BYU, UAB
Toss ups (50/50): Miss St, South Carolina, at Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Will likely be underdog, but still a chance of winning: Missouri
Assumed losses: at Florida, Georgia, at Alabama

If you handle all the gimmies/should wins and split the toss ups, that's 6 wins. 7 wins is possible, and 8 would be a really great season. The floor is theoretically 4, IMO, and would be a miserable season.

It's so hard to categorize these before the season starts. It is entirely possible that the Vandy game, for instance, ends up being a "should win" by the back end of the season if Vandy really has struggled, is dealing with injuries, etc. Before the Kentucky game last year, I would have put that in the "assumed loss" category but we ended up winning. Same with Auburn. I would have put Florida in the "toss up" category but we got smoked.

Assuming the gimmies/should win games are handled, the season will be determined by how we do in the toss up games.
 
#29
#29
Put me down for 9, possibly 10 wins this year. The only loss I see is Bama. We may beat UGA, although they have the talent, the in game coaching may be their Achilles heel.
 
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#31
#31
We will bury the usual suspects and Florida will be a hard fought game, could go either way. We always play GA tough, who knows. Bama probably a loss this year on the road.
Or in the words of kesling a hard fart game
 
#35
#35
If we do not get blown out by anyone, then we are headed in the right direction even if we only win 7 games. It will be hard though. Both UGA and Bama are natty contenders & UF could quite possibly when the east if the ball bounces their way this year.

I'm still stuck in the 90's expectations. 10 wins minimum but I get it. 7 wins would be ok without any blowouts. I would also like to win a slug fest with any of the big boys. I'm prepared to be let down again but I will always have that little bit of hope.
 
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#37
#37
Not counting vacated games, Saban went 2 and 6 in SEC play during his first year. He was 8 and 0 in his second year.

Part of me wants to keep my expectations low so I won't be disappointed but I'm also expecting a second year surge.

We need to beat at least one of FLA, ALA or UGA and combine that with 3 wins against Vandy, KY and USCjr. That will get us bowl eligible with a couple of wins over non conference teams and I'd be satisfied that the season was a success if that all happens. That's what I expect. Am I expecting to much too soon?

What's your expectations?

While Pruitt may end up being as good as Saban, the fact that Saban went 8-0 2nd year is apples and oranges. Saban had been a head coach for a number of years before BAMA job. Pruitt is a work in progress. I do think we have the right coach.
 
#38
#38
Not counting vacated games, Saban went 2 and 6 in SEC play during his first year. He was 8 and 0 in his second year.

Part of me wants to keep my expectations low so I won't be disappointed but I'm also expecting a second year surge.

We need to beat at least one of FLA, ALA or UGA and combine that with 3 wins against Vandy, KY and USCjr. That will get us bowl eligible with a couple of wins over non conference teams and I'd be satisfied that the season was a success if that all happens. That's what I expect. Am I expecting to much too soon?

What's your expectations?

1. Saban loses a National Championship because he lost CJP
2. UT is in SEC Shape; size, strength and weight
3. No one knows what this team can do, this team doesn't resemble last year's team.
4. They could actually lose only two games, but we just don't know, but trying to take my orange glasses off, this team can play toe to toe with everyone............yes, everyone.
5. Barring injuries............10-2 (with Orange Glasses) 8-4 without.

Go Big Orange!
 
#39
#39
Vandy, Mizzou, and State are all breaking in new QBs, Carolina is at home. UK is still UK.

We return the vast majority of our team from last year. This team has had a full offseason under Fitz.. weve upgraded the coaching staff. Dooley and Butch days are gone.

No reason to not get 7, and 8 is not out of the question. Would love to see an upset of UF or UGA, but not betting on it this year.
 
#41
#41
Not counting vacated games, Saban went 2 and 6 in SEC play during his first year. He was 8 and 0 in his second year.

Part of me wants to keep my expectations low so I won't be disappointed but I'm also expecting a second year surge.

We need to beat at least one of FLA, ALA or UGA and combine that with 3 wins against Vandy, KY and USCjr. That will get us bowl eligible with a couple of wins over non conference teams and I'd be satisfied that the season was a success if that all happens. That's what I expect. Am I expecting to much too soon?

What's your expectations?

If we have some injuries to key players, the ball bounces our opponents' way, and other types of bad luck, I think 6-6 is the absolute floor. If the opposite holds true, we don't have any or many key injuries, the ball bounces our way for a change, and lady luck smiles on us...........10-2 is the ceiling, though I hate conceding defeat to any team. If I had to bet a month's pay on the exact regular season schedule, I'd go with 8-4.
 
#44
#44
Not counting vacated games, Saban went 2 and 6 in SEC play during his first year. He was 8 and 0 in his second year.

Part of me wants to keep my expectations low so I won't be disappointed but I'm also expecting a second year surge.

We need to beat at least one of FLA, ALA or UGA and combine that with 3 wins against Vandy, KY and USCjr. That will get us bowl eligible with a couple of wins over non conference teams and I'd be satisfied that the season was a success if that all happens. That's what I expect. Am I expecting to much too soon?

What's your expectations?

Why would anyone start a thread comparing Saban to JP? When Saban coached his first game at Bama, he had already coached 133 games including a NC. Last years game was JPs first game.
 
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#45
#45
1. Saban loses a National Championship because he lost CJP
2. UT is in SEC Shape; size, strength and weight
3. No one knows what this team can do, this team doesn't resemble last year's team.
4. They could actually lose only two games, but we just don't know, but trying to take my orange glasses off, this team can play toe to toe with everyone............yes, everyone.
5. Barring injuries............10-2 (with Orange Glasses) 8-4 without.

Go Big Orange!

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#46
#46
While Pruitt may end up being as good as Saban, the fact that Saban went 8-0 2nd year is apples and oranges. Saban had been a head coach for a number of years before BAMA job. Pruitt is a work in progress. I do think we have the right coach.
That 2008 Alabama team was also way more talented and had way less prior attrition than Pruitt's current Tennessee team. Bama actually finished 10-2 and #8 in the country just a couple years before Saban got there, and those kids were seniors in Saban's second year. They formed the core of that team that almost won the SEC/played for a title.
 
#47
#47
Shortly after I moved to the area, Kesling, Who was the channel 10 Sports Anchor at the time, started doing his thing on TV. He started out with "And the Vols lost a hard fart - ball game to Alabama this afternoon". To his credit, he just had the very slightest hesitation after the word fart, then he just kept going as if nothing happened. I know I would have cracked up.
 
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#48
#48
Not counting vacated games, Saban went 2 and 6 in SEC play during his first year. He was 8 and 0 in his second year.

What's your expectations?

Not counting vacated games, Bama was 4-4 in SEC play in 2007. They lost 2 nonconference games. One to FSU and this doozy.....

Rolled.png
 
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#49
#49
Not counting vacated games, Saban went 2 and 6 in SEC play during his first year. He was 8 and 0 in his second year.

Part of me wants to keep my expectations low so I won't be disappointed but I'm also expecting a second year surge.

We need to beat at least one of FLA, ALA or UGA and combine that with 3 wins against Vandy, KY and USCjr. That will get us bowl eligible with a couple of wins over non conference teams and I'd be satisfied that the season was a success if that all happens. That's what I expect. Am I expecting to much too soon?

What's your expectations?
Definitely we need to beat USC/VANDY/KY/MIZZOU I think we beat another team we're not supposed to beat this year as well. That is my expectation.
 
#50
#50
The 2019 Vols will not be skunked by anybody. They will score in every game. They will play to win every second that's on the clock. There will be no quit in any of them. They will play to win against every opponent. This includes Bama. They will give their all for Tennessee. We will be proud of our team, proud of our university, proud to wear orange & white. GBO.

Agreed. And if we do all that -- and Pruitt truly is THE ONE -- then we should win at least 9 games. That would include any combination of regular and postseason games. If Butch could win 9 games twice (and we all know he was absolutely awful), then 9 wins for Pruitt in Year Two should be no problem. IMO, 7-8 wins would just be an incremental step in the right direction and not necessarily anything to get excited about.
 
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