Look back at Vols' opponents

[ShoalCreekVol]

Now that the regular season has wrapped up, thought I'd take a glance back at our schedule this year to see how it looks from this end.

GA ST is bowl eligible. So is BYU. UAB even went 9-3 and qualified for their conference championship game.

Chattanooga didn't do anything of note. Finished 6-6 but they are FCS.

UT only played two teams who have losing records at the end of the season. Vandy & SC. And SC did beat GA.

9 out of 11 FBS opponents ended up bowl-eligible. (By record, but of course Mizzou fraud...)

So, in retrospect, that's a pretty decent schedule right there. Better than I thought it was going to be going into the year.

 

[dduncan4163]

That's a testament to just how big this turnaround is. Pruitt has matured into a legit SEC coach and has the potential to become elite imo.

 

[rgcvols98]

But but we haven’t played anyone!

 

[ptcarter]

Let's get Georgia State in a Bowl Game.

 

[peerless98]

But but we haven’t played anyone!

We played everyone on our schedule.

 

[Hacksaw]

Now that the regular season has wrapped up, thought I'd take a glance back at our schedule this year to see how it looks from this end.

GA ST is bowl eligible. So is BYU. UAB even went 9-3 and qualified for their conference championship game.

Chattanooga didn't do anything of note. Finished 6-6 but they are FCS.

UT only played two teams who have losing records at the end of the season. Vandy & SC. And SC did beat GA.

9 out of 11 FBS opponents ended up bowl-eligible. (By record, but of course Mizzou fraud...)

So, in retrospect, that's a pretty decent schedule right there. Better than I thought it was going to be going into the year.

That's definitely the glass is half-full way to look at it.

 

[njvols]

And...by reading this comical dialog on Bama board, Bama is now very vulnerable!!!! Go get'em Vols!!! And you thought Volnation was on the edge...two losses and they're off the hinge...
JessN: Auburn wrap-up: A loss of systemic proportions

 

[XknoxvolsX]

I watched the replay of that game today. Auburn was not only up and ready for that game, they were not intimidated the least bit. Plus, they had a few lucky “breaks” in that game.

 

[MWAVolfan]

That's a testament to just how big this turnaround is. Pruitt has matured into a legit SEC coach and has the potential to become elite imo.

I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.

 

[Hank Bukowski]

Now that the regular season has wrapped up, thought I'd take a glance back at our schedule this year to see how it looks from this end.

GA ST is bowl eligible. So is BYU. UAB even went 9-3 and qualified for their conference championship game.

Chattanooga didn't do anything of note. Finished 6-6 but they are FCS.

UT only played two teams who have losing records at the end of the season. Vandy & SC. And SC did beat GA.

9 out of 11 FBS opponents ended up bowl-eligible. (By record, but of course Mizzou fraud...)

So, in retrospect, that's a pretty decent schedule right there. Better than I thought it was going to be going into the year.

Very, very proud of our boys and the turnaround. We clearly seem to be headed in the right direction. But this program has been, and will be for the foreseeable future, measured by our performance against Georgia, Florida and Alabama. We were competitive against GA and AL this year but not against FL. I think most of us would like to play them all again -- right now. Good news is that we get FL and AL at home next season. We get a few more SEC-ready Jimmies and Joes this recruiting class, especially along the line, and I like our chances against all three of those teams next season.

 

[1Big_Orange_Fan]

I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.

My gosh show some pride as a fan and enjoy the improvement we all saw. Your avi has a bag over Neyland's face and you can't accept the fact that our team didn't go 1-9. Sad.

 

[spyfish007]

Let's get Georgia State in a Bowl Game.

You joke but I would actually welcome that to make a point.

 

[JACK8254]

JP knows that the fickle,feckless ut fans ( about a third of the total) will round on him and call for his head after the next bad ( Bowl maybe) game. This is wrong, wrong , wrong. Give the man time to turn this gigantic ship around. The guys are more physical and look like the UT mashers of olden times. I dont like the way he grabs players by their jersey or face-mask. but maybe that is what is required to make them listen. Still looks bad to dads & moms of recruits though. This years team has been a miracle in the turn-around. They have won many games as the underdog. Congrats to them & JP for not giving up.

 

[JACK8254]

I would like to play the Gators again in a bowl- I THINK WE WOULD WIN ?

 

[JoAllan]

I love Tennessee, I think they made a tremendous turnaround........but Tennessee’s schedule is not “overly” tough at all.

Outside of Florida, Georgia and Bama.......there’s a bunch of 6-6 type teams and some non conference teams that Tennessee was favored against and still would be (if they played again).

However some of that simply has to do with the SEC this year. I mean one would have thought MS State would have been better, SC would have been better, Missouri would have been better......they just weren’t.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.

You're pissing in your own cornflakes here, buddy. As a Vol fan, you should be happy and not try to minimize what the team accomplished. Got to walk before you can run, and beating the teams we "should" beat is the first step. They did that in spite of the terrible start. I agree on pumping the brakes on any elite talk about Pruitt, but we did see an o-line and d-line that more than held their own against Alabama. The improvement at the LOS tells us that the development and record of this team is not smoke and mirrors like Butch's 9-4 teams. Both lines took a big step forward this season and almost all of those players will return. It's not a sure thing...but there's good reason to see the coach and the rebuild being for real this time.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.

This^and nobody wants to listen to me.

 

[Other_Guy]

I watched the replay of that game today. Auburn was not only up and ready for that game, they were not intimidated the least bit. Plus, they had a few lucky “breaks” in that game.

It's freaking Auburn. That's all they know.

 

[Other_Guy]

Vol fans in 2018: Gotta be better than these bottom dweller teams! I just wanna see a competitive game against good teams!
Also Vol fans in 2019: All we beat is bottom dweller teams! Gotta actually beat a good team, not just be competitive! Why are you celebrating?!?

 

[graffj]

You're pissing in your own cornflakes here, buddy. As a Vol fan, you should be happy and not try to minimize what the team accomplished. Got to walk before you can run, and beating the teams we "should" beat is the first step. They did that in spite of the terrible start. I agree on pumping the brakes on any elite talk about Pruitt, but we did see an o-line and d-line that more than held their own against Alabama. The improvement at the LOS tells us that the development and record of this team is not smoke and mirrors like Butch's 9-4 teams. Both lines took a big step forward this season and almost all of those players will return. It's not a sure thing...but there's good reason to see the coach and the rebuild being for real this time.

In my opinion I thought there was more taken developed in one year of Pruitt than developed in all of butches years altogether. And that team could of Easley pointed fingers and blamed each other , divided and the season could have fell apart . Props for Pruitt . For keeping them together . And to keep playing together for each other and ended up with one more win than most people thought our record was going to be .... Is nothing else that should give us some hope going forward

 

[graffj]

Vol fans in 2018: Gotta be better than these bottom dweller teams! I just wanna see a competitive game against good teams!
Also Vol fans in 2019: All we beat is bottom dweller teams! Gotta actually beat a good team, not just be competitive! Why are you celebrating?!?

I laughed ..... We should be happy with how this season ended , let's get behind this team , and help them finish this thing out with one more win !!! Go Vols .

 

[Raebo]

I am generally pleased with the last half of the season. It leaves me hopeful for the future. After the start of the season, I definitely was not hopeful. It is still early but right now I feel like Pruitt is a good coach. He certainly has worked hard trying to get a good staff and working with the players and recruiting. Next couple years will be key.

 

[utvols74]

Now that the regular season has wrapped up, thought I'd take a glance back at our schedule this year to see how it looks from this end.

GA ST is bowl eligible. So is BYU. UAB even went 9-3 and qualified for their conference championship game.

Chattanooga didn't do anything of note. Finished 6-6 but they are FCS.

UT only played two teams who have losing records at the end of the season. Vandy & SC. And SC did beat GA.

9 out of 11 FBS opponents ended up bowl-eligible. (By record, but of course Mizzou fraud...)

So, in retrospect, that's a pretty decent schedule right there. Better than I thought it was going to be going into the year.

And they were a play or two away from going 9-3. Of course, there would still be the "legions of the miserables" that would complain.

 

[Behr]

This^and nobody wants to listen to me.

Lol, I read that like it was in Shirley Temples little puffed up lips voice. Nobody wants to listen to you or your 5-6 other usernames because you're a troll. I believe, but not positive, you're a gator troll, but whatever, you're a troll. But don't feel alone, no one wants to listen to MWA either.

Both of you have an opinion and troll or not you're entitled to one. Everyone else is entitled to one also, and if you're gonna crap all over everything you should be prepared for insults and stop crying about it.

We did better than you two want everyone to believe, but we're not "back" yet. I think most people know where we really are, but are enjoying the moment. Many of us said we wanted to see some improvement, see some fight in the team and go to a bowl. We did all three. Still got a lot a work to do, but it seems we're headed in the right direction.

Alabama fans are probably ready to divorce their sisters and commit suicide today. I know, you wish we had just lost our second game and a shot at the playoffs, me too. Point is, it will never be perfect, never and I guarantee Alabama fans feel 10 times worse than you do right now. Hopefully we'll get to that point again but until then, I'll enjoy every moment I can.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not suggesting you or anyone else enjoy the ride or the moment too, I don't care. In fact, I hope you continue to hate everything about Tennessee football until we win a NC. And even then I hope Pruitt says something in the PC that pisses you off and makes you hate him even more.

Tl;Dr;tifwiw;dgaf;jmho

 

[Hacksaw]

I laughed ..... We should be happy with how this season ended , let's get behind this team , and help them finish this thing out with one more win !!! Go Vols .

Absolutely! Keep supporting the team and hope for the best. But this is a message board and not everyone is going to see things the same way. I don't want to hear fans being negative just for the sake of being negative. But I also don't think we should knock fans for stating facts -- even ones we might not want to think about.

For instance, it's a fact that our 7 wins this season (that everyone is so happy -- I'd say relieved -- about) came against teams with a combined losing record. And that's ignoring the loss to Georgia State. Knowing that, it's understandable that some fans would respond "negatively" to what they see as an unwarranted level of satisfaction on the part of their fellow fans. Don't you think?

It's like someone getting a lottery ticket as a gift and acting like they just struck it rich. We still have to finish scratching that sucker before we'll know if we should really be excited.