Tennessee 16.5 point underdogs to Florida

#4
#4
I see it way different. One of our strengths will be our WRs and TEs, their big weakness on D is their secondary who has lost significant numbers since last year, because of this, if we can run the ball any at all we'll have chances in the pass game. Our biggest question mark on D is our DL who will be matched up with their biggest weakness on offense in their inexperienced line. If we can force them into predictable passing plays by limiting the run I like our chances vs Franks. They will likely be beaten up a bit as well as they have a tough schedule early. I'm not sold on Franks and believe we'll have a chance for the upset at the swamp.
 
#5
#5
Crazy how both UT and UF won 4 games in 2017 and the game in 2017 was tied with 10 seconds to go and now the spread is 3 scores...
I can honestly see it being a 3 score loss for UT, but can also see it coming down to the wire and UT pulling it out. I guess they are coming off a 10 win season if you include the bowl game, and we are coming off...well see vandy game
 
#9
#9
Crazy how both UT and UF won 4 games in 2017 and the game in 2017 was tied with 10 seconds to go and now the spread is 3 scores...

Yeah, but what happened in 2018?
College football can be crazy. We don't know how these teams are going to look and perform by the time the game rolls around so if the odds makers now say 16.5, so be it. First game hasn't even been played yet so that number will probably change.
 
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#14
#14
Until the Vols prove otherwise, they're the team in 2018 that lost to UF 47 to 21 and lost to Vandy 38 to 13. That's what everyone making predictions (and not wearing orange) remembers of the last time our guys faced those two teams.

Our Vols have got a lot of "proving" to do before anyone takes them seriously. That's the sad reality. UT doesn't strike fear in either of those teams.
 
#17
#17
So if you had $10,000 to put down right now, you putting it on UT -7.5 over vandy, or Florida -16.5 over UT?

Gun to my head, I don’t think the Gators cover that right now. We played our worst game of the year against Florida last year from a complete execution standpoint. We failed in just about every aspect of the game. I don’t think that happens this year. Yeah they were better, but we absolutely killed ourselves.

I’m pretty sure Shy Tuttle was the only one who showed up that night.
 
#23
#23
I see it way different. One of our strengths will be our WRs and TEs, their big weakness on D is their secondary who has lost significant numbers since last year, because of this, if we can run the ball any at all we'll have chances in the pass game. Our biggest question mark on D is our DL who will be matched up with their biggest weakness on offense in their inexperienced line. If we can force them into predictable passing plays by limiting the run I like our chances vs Franks. They will likely be beaten up a bit as well as they have a tough schedule early. I'm not sold on Franks and believe we'll have a chance for the upset at the swamp.

Florida’s “big weakness” on D is NOT the secondary. UF returns 4 of their 5 starters in the secondary from 2018; CJ Henderson and Marco Wilson at CB, and they return four different guys at Safety who all started at some point during the year and all played extensively; Brad Stewart, Jawan Taylor, Shawn Davis and Donovan Stiner. The only significant loss was Star Chauncey Gardner Johnson but he’s replaced by Trey Dean, a guy who started 10 games at CB last year. They also have Amari Burney who played extensively at Star last year but was moved to LB this year, he can slide back to Star if necessary. So UF has 8 guys who have played a ton of SEC football in the secondary. Behind them are 3 true freshmen. UF has a storied history of true freshmen balling-out in the secondary including Trey Dean last year and CJ and Marco the year before. The Secondary will be a strength, although some of the projected depth has thinned-out with the injury to McWilliams and Huggins getting booted off the team.

You were right about UF’s biggest question mark being the o-line. Mullen feels very good about the starting 5, but he’ll get nervous if anyone goes down.

Regarding UF being “beaten up,” UF has a bye week after Miami which will help recoup everyone from what will definitely be a physical game v Miami. But frankly, it’s football, UT has just as much a chance of being “beaten up” as UF does.

You should have seen enough of Franks last year to know that he has made tremendous strides at QB under Mullen. Underestimate him if you like, but he’s poised for a huge year from everything I’m hearing.
 
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#24
#24
16.5 on the spread is meaningless right now because so much can change. Significant injuries for either team (let’s pray this one doesn’t happen either way), one team or both could lose a game, even in wins one or both could look awful v inferior competition, one team could look unbeatable and blast their way to the game with massive blowouts, etc. All these scenarios will change the outlook on the spread.
 
#25
#25
Granted last year has really no bearing on anything that could happen this year, after watching that game last year I’d say this is reasonable. Not sold on us being 7.5 point favorites over Vandy right now either. It’s still a ways off, will definitely change. But right now I’m not even mad about that and would say that’s probably about right. After the BYU game I’d be a little more willing to make that bet.
 

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