How pivotal is UK this week?

[Firebirdparts]

Football doesn't work that way. You don't just "pivot" because of somebody's delusional fairytale. You can beat Auburn and lose to Georgia State and at the end of the year, you just scratch your head.

 

[Doberman]

Sandwiched between UGA and Bama.....it’s very pivotal.

The difference being coming off of Bama with a winning record, or 3 losses in a row, and a losing record.

We don’t need 3 losses in a row. Those things tend to magnify.

 

[whodeycin85]

If we by some chance lose to KY....(which we shouldn't do) that puts a " need to win " on Aubrun or TAMU to get to 5-5. We wont beat Bama or FLA...
Anything less then 5-5 at this point you have to start asking questions about the staff and the choices they made....

 

[bigvols98]

Pretty easy answer, must win.

 

[tnutater]

I expected this last Saturday, and they were bulldozed in the 2nd half. Coaches and team leaders have to step it up. i know Trey Smith is a leader. I think Henry T is, but who else we got. We need more. Tons of seniors finally, but I don't know what they are doing to push the younger guys along.

I never believed the leadership cliché bullshoot.
If the coaches cannot " push the younger players along" a teammate sure as heck can't.
Cheerleaders are in the stands this year. RAH-RAH!!!
When asked about leaders of the team....CJP said he was.
Players look at older team members as competitors for playing time. Not as leaders.
This line is best left for the talking heads.... everyone knows they are idiots.

 

[VOL Campbell]

Ky is always a must win imo, but especially a must win after last week.

Curious, what did you have the Vols going this year? Undefeated? What exactly did you mean by last week? Did you predict us to win that game?

 

[PEPPERJAX]

4th option is funny af.

 

[VolInNorthCack]

Pivotal. You win the games you’re supposed to and do it at home. This is a game we’re supposed to win and I think we will win. Get ready for Alabama. This team has to learn to finish. They played a pretty solid half in Athens last week, capitalized on mistakes made by UGA. Made a few ourselves on the defensive side. Would like to know the adjustments, if any were made on the offensive line at half time Saturday though because they either looked lost or that defensive front Georgia had is just that good.

Bottom line, handle Kentucky like we should, get ready for Alabama to come to town and fight our arses off for 4 quarters with them. A Georgia loss Saturday to Alabama and the Vols are right back in the East picture. One loss doesn’t make the season but don’t let Georgia beat us twice.

Alabama is not beating Georgia Saturday. I don't think anybody is beating UGA this year.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I expected this last Saturday, and they were bulldozed in the 2nd half. Coaches and team leaders have to step it up. i know Trey Smith is a leader. I think Henry T is, but who else we got. We need more. Tons of seniors finally, but I don't know what they are doing to push the younger guys along.

Well we had a great leader last season in J Jennings and it took a 1-4 start for him to publicly take ownership of the leadership role. I like our team chemistry, I think we have a good foundation, starting with Trey and Henry T. I don’t know what the dynamic is with JG, but I know the guys respect him. I think we’ll see more guys emerge. I think these guys take a lot of pride in what they do together and will rebound.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Alabama is not beating Georgia Saturday. I don't think anybody is beating UGA this year.

It depends on how the game plays out. If it is a shoot out Bama has the edge. If it is a low scoring defensive type of game, then that gives UGA the advantage. Should be a hell of a game. It is also hard to pick against Saban in big games like this.

 

[LakeMaryFLVol]

Since we aren't likely to beat any of the big boys on the schedule or Florida regardless of their talent level, it's a given that we simply have to take care of the lesser teams on the schedule. Been that way for what...20 years now? We haven't been championship caliber for a long, long time. It's been about making a bowl game instead of beating teams like UGA and bama. The talent/coaching gap between us and those teams is glaring.

We haven't been championship caliber since Ainge threw the pick 6 in the 2007 SEC Championship game. Yet to recover. Rare single play that was a program shifter. Win that game . Fulmer stays longer than he did with some sort of transition plan; avoiding the wandering in the desert years

 

[VolInNorthCack]

It depends on how the game plays out. If it is a shoot out Bama has the edge. If it is a low scoring defensive type of game, then that gives UGA the advantage. Should be a hell of a game. It is also hard to pick against Saban in big games like this.

Good points. But Bama's D is porous. UGA has better skill players than Ole Miss. The only ? I have is still, can Bennett deliver the ball consistently to their playmakers and sustain drives? Tennessee's defense is better than Bama's, I have no question about that. I think UGA is better everywhere but QB and the WR's may be a wash.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Then the people chanting that will out themselves as morons.

How much comfort would you have with Pruitt as head coach going forward if he loses at home to KY this weekend, especially after they got destroyed by GA the previous week? I am not saying he should be fired, but I would question his coaching acumen going forward till he could lead TN to wins over the top tier programs in the SEC! Beating the lower and mid tier teams will not satisfy this fanbase, especially after the last 12 years of less than mediocre football we have witnessed?

 

[tnutater]

Good points. But Bama's D is porous. UGA has better skill players than Ole Miss. The only ? I have is still, can Bennett deliver the ball consistently to their playmakers and sustain drives? Tennessee's defense is better than Bama's, I have no question about that. I think UGA is better everywhere but QB and the WR's may be a wash.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Waddle say hello.

 

[FLVOL_79]

We should curb stomp Ky the way Ga did us last week.
Our Jimmies and Joes are better than Kentucky's.
The Bulldog's talent is among the top handful in the country.
The Vols are not even close.
I am amused by the orange goggled fan's reaction to the loss.
Recliner coaches are so much fun.

What about our Jamari's and Deondre's?

 

[Volsfaninva917]

When you're the head coach at UT, you do not lose to UK especially at home

 

[tnutater]

It depends on how the game plays out. If it is a shoot out Bama has the edge. If it is a low scoring defensive type of game, then that gives UGA the advantage. Should be a hell of a game. It is also hard to pick against Saban in big games like this.

Kirby is Nicky's bit&^.

 

[bigorangepoppa]

I think Deandre Johnson being disqualified for the hit on Bennett changed the complexion of the game for Tennessee. A Freshman, as talented as they may be, doesn't have the luxury of an upperclassman who has more time in the system. Also, does anyone think the targeting call was BS considering the hit JG took against Missouri that was overturned as targeting? I also think any talk of firing Pruitt is not the right approach at this point. We had a chance against Georgia, something we haven't had in several years. Just try to remember the press conference when Pruitt was hired. Fulmer asked for the fans to have patience because he knew where the program was at was not gonna be a 2 or 3 year turn around.

 

[FLVOL_79]

And hire who?
UT does not do coaching searches very well.
Soon, lol.

A coaching search to end 2020 would be the icing on the feces cake that is/was 2020!!!

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

And hire who?
UT does not do coaching searches very well.
Soon, lol.

I have suggested that if Pruitt doesnt work out then Tennessee should fold its football program and invest all that money into the Mens and Womens BBall programs, LOL

 

[preacherwebb]

The thread title does not say "must win" ... it says "pivotal" ...

That said, every game is must win. The only way this game is pivotal, is if we lose.

 

[preacherwebb]

I think Deandre Johnson being disqualified for the hit on Bennett changed the complexion of the game for Tennessee. A Freshman, as talented as they may be, doesn't have the luxury of an upperclassman who has more time in the system. Also, does anyone think the targeting call was BS considering the hit JG took against Missouri that was overturned as targeting? I also think any talk of firing Pruitt is not the right approach at this point. We had a chance against Georgia, something we haven't had in several years. Just try to remember the press conference when Pruitt was hired. Fulmer asked for the fans to have patience because he knew where the program was at was not gonna be a 2 or 3 year turn around.

The hit happened in the 1st half against UGA, so he's available for the UK game ... I'm like 99.999% sure.
Edit: my bad ... went back and reread your post ... never mind me everyone. Carry on.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

How much comfort would you have with Pruitt as head coach going forward if he loses at home to KY this weekend, especially after they got destroyed by GA the previous week? I am not saying he should be fired, but I would question his coaching acumen going forward till he could lead TN to wins over the top tier programs in the SEC! Beating the lower and mid tier teams will not satisfy this fanbase, especially after the last 12 years of less than mediocre football we have witnessed?

I already have built in confidence in Pruitt. I would be pissed if we lost, but that doesn’t mean I would want him to be fired . He’s an actual football coach, something we haven’t had here in a long time. Running off a guy isn’t my MO. The revolving door approach hasn’t worked and I don’t think it would begin to unless you hire a home run. I think Pruitt is building this the right way. These guys play for him and believe in themselves. It’s taken a lot to get back to that point. I think It would be a terrible mistake for that to be torn down just because #Voltwitter would get upset or a bunch of people on here think they know more than our staff.

 

[ClockworkOrange]

Archimedes has got this one circled.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

I already have built in confidence in Pruitt. I would be pissed if we lost, but that doesn’t mean I would want him to be fired . He’s an actual football coach, something we haven’t had here in a long time. Running off a guy isn’t my MO. The revolving door approach hasn’t worked and I don’t think it would begin to unless you hire a home run. I think Pruitt is building this the right way. These guys play for him and believe in themselves. It’s taken a lot to get back to that point. I think It would be a terrible mistake for that to be torn down just because #Voltwitter would get upset or a bunch of people on here think they know more than our staff.

I agree, the coaching carousel that has plagued UT football has done nothing good for the program.....but people are sick of having a football team that cannot compete with the elite of the SEC