Recruiting Forum Football Talk IV

[BigOrange15]

Think you've nailed UT's strategy-- and the expectation that fans will be proud to support the teams and happy that the decade of instability is over.

I think thats okay in the short term but I do wonder how long that will be sustainable before this fan base starts wanting more (and rightfully so imo). That is where my concern is, with the long term plan.

 

[jave36]

Do not disappoint me.

I never have a high expectations for book adaptations. It should be easy, but too many egos in Hollywood think they can improve on the story.

 

[volbeast33]

Speaking of debates:

All in the Family is the greatest sitcom ever. The GOAT.

Married with children, imo.

 

[Jackcrevol]

The epitaph being written on here of Barnes demise is way too premature IMO.

A casual perusal through the W/L records of past FF participants should remind folks not to rush to judgment in January.

We will see if he can regain the trust of this team and build an offensive identity. The time required will be measured in years, not days.

I'm all for the turnaround but after a $5 per raise and two solid rakrooting classes, I expected better. We are slow, sloppy, and outtalented by nearly 1/3 of SEC teams. Inexcusable for that price tag.

 

[Cosmo Kramer]

My wife's nickname is "Getback." Every time she starts to leave the kitchen, I yell "get back!"

I think you are confused. It’s because she yells “get back!” when you try to get Frisky.

 

[Jackcrevol]

I never have a high expectations for book adaptations. It should be easy, but too many egos in Hollywood think they can improve on the story.

No way this can equal for better the trilogy. No way. Isnt possible.

The real life characters in the movie left it all on the field.

Pretty sure Viggo slept in bed with Anduril.

 

[Batman1948]

So what's the speculation on why kids are transferring from Georgia? Playing time? For example Mims, I know he isn't in yet but if rumors prove true why would he leave? He buried that far down the chart?

They're being recruited over and they see the handwriting on the wall. These guys just want to see the field during their career. This is gonna be the norm going forward.

 

[UTProf]

Someone mentioned this crew yesterday

I'm confused by that play. It looks like a TD to me and is called a TD. He lands out of bounds but it looked like he was inbounds when he started the throw and when he released it. Are folks mad that the refs didn't let an error get compounded by allowing an accidental whistle to nullify an otherwise legit TD or am I missing something altogether?

 

[engineerVOL]

So ready for the Brady era to be over.

Me too. But it sort of feels like the Roethlisbergers, Brees, Mannings, Bradys, et. al. of the world are dinosaurs. The 20-year starting QB stalwarts. I know those guys are HOFers but just do not see QBs. sticking around that long anymore.

 

[logginlarry]

The recent portaling was due to post-season exit interviews. Players with academic concerns and those who haven't locked down a position or are reluctant to try something else have been encouraged to consider their options. Some that were expected to leave left. Others will go through winter workouts and spring practice and see where things stand after spring ball. We need several more to leave. UT tends to be conservative with roster management, unless it's academic or conduct violations. Several UT sports could benefit from churning the roster to upgrade with transfers at key positions.

Love your information. Very level-headed and logical. Thanks for your insights.

 

[peaygolf]

Speaking of debates:

All in the Family is the greatest sitcom ever. The GOAT.

Definitely top 10

 

[butchna]

I'm confused by that play. It looks like a TD to me and is called a TD. He lands out of bounds but it looked like he was inbounds when he started the throw and when he released it. Are folks mad that the refs didn't let an error get compounded by allowing an accidental whistle to nullify an otherwise legit TD or am I missing something altogether?

You pretty much nailed it. Must’ve been other iffy moments in the game. The crux of the issue is basically everyone heard the errant whistle BEFORE the catch. Then the refs claim it happened after Boyd caught it. Kinda making it up as they go along.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

I think thats okay in the short term but I do wonder how long that will be sustainable before this fan base starts wanting more (and rightfully so imo). That is where my concern is, with the long term plan.

Just look at basketball, what they're trying to do with football is what Barnes has done with basketball. It took 7 years there.

 

[VolNRaleighNC]

I think you are confused. It’s because she yells “get back!” when you try to get Frisky.

If we go by that logic then my nickname is “Not Tonight”

 

[BigOrangeFanatic]

Everything should be better but RT. Hopefully we find someone serviceable there. We return everyone else.

they're gonna have improve quite a bit. Also need depth. An injury or 2 and we're screwed.

 

[Rishvol]

I'm confused by that play. It looks like a TD to me and is called a TD. He lands out of bounds but it looked like he was inbounds when he started the throw and when he released it. Are folks mad that the refs didn't let an error get compounded by allowing an accidental whistle to nullify an otherwise legit TD or am I missing something altogether?

Rules say accidental whistle means the play needs to be ran again

 

[Batman1948]

If defense upgrades to an F-150 or Silverado, then we will win big time! 15-0

I just can’t seem to get upset or excited by this transfer portal. All the portal players listed here have not been really impressive imo. My biggest fear of the portal players are that they are quitting on their previous team and will quit on us too. I have had enough scholarship quitter players to last a lifetime. I feel differently about graduate transfers.

I want to see what happens, but just cannot wring my hands and get all worried.

All of the Tennessee portal entrants have been pruitt players unless I am mistaken…

Doc,
I doubt if we'll ever know who put these guys in the portal---the coaches or the players. The thing that gets overlooked is the loss of their scholarship when the player puts his name in the portal. I'm sure every player understands this, so I tend to believe that most of these departures are driven by the staff.
From a parent perspective, would you want your kid to lose his scholarship because he was unhappy with playing time?

 

[Jack Burton]

Think you've nailed UT's strategy-- and the expectation that fans will be proud to support the teams and happy that the decade of instability is over.

Stability is great and necessary but our ceiling is so much higher than that. I hope the leadership ultimately realizes this.

 

[UTProf]

I read an article that recruits think we have the most dedicated and craziest fans--- meant it in a good way, apparently.

I said when it happened that anyone who thought the OM game was anything but a positive for us in recruits' minds was crazy and/or had forgotten what it was like to be young. There was a reason Heupel was positively giddy regarding the fans post-game. Folks let themselves get wound up by media and rival fans reactions without realizing those wild ass fans are exactly what every player wants at their backs. Several of our own players alluded to that in their farewell statements and statements at the time. We gave them a reason to play for us - the fans - that day.

 

[jbr82]

Still not sold on the Lady Vols. I have to give them credit for what they've accomplished. I just don't see them sustaining. They absolutely have no offensive identity. Their defense is stout though.

On the men's side they seem broken. They seem to be going through the motions. I have little confidence they'll turn it around. I see a bubble team and if they do get in, a first round loss. They have zero inside game and are a below average shooting team.

I'm not calling for Barnes job. I have zero confidence we can do any better. As I've mentioned before, the top three teams in the conference are coached by proven cheaters. I don't think the UT administration is dedicated enough to winning to swim in the same waters as these teams. They're content to have average teams and remain "amateur" status. Even with NIL they seem to be satisfied with trying to play the game the way is was meant to be played rather than exploit the opportunity as the big boys have. I think it's no coincidence when it comes to the fall off in recruiting and NIL. By his own words, Coach Barnes seems in denial about what's happening in saying that he doesn't believe that the players will get what they're being promised. He doesn't seem to want to play that game.

Given all that, I have lowered my expectations for all UT sports. In order to be competitive at the highest levels you have to be dedicated to it. I just don't have the feeling that UT has a desire to do what it takes to compete at that level. JMO.

If so that would lower my desire to care and watch them. If the administration don’t care why should I?

 

[VolNash17]

Think you've nailed UT's strategy-- and the expectation that fans will be proud to support the teams and happy that the decade of instability is over.

Lol so Tennessee wants to be mediocre? Jesus Christ. If they think fans would love to go 7-6, 8-5 with blowouts to Bammer, Georgia and Florida for the next 25 years they are mistaken with their “expectation”. Tennessee’s goal should be to kick everyone’s behind no matter what sport it is. Frustrating.

 

[jakez4ut]

In College basketball, you can only have 13 players scholarship. UT signed 8 scholarship players last year so that's well over half of our players in their first year on campus. This was always gonna be a rebuilding year and this team doesn't have any chemistry. Barnes will figure it out though. We only have room for 1 scholarship for next year and that went to BJ. We're kinda in a pickle with our numbers and we can blame that on portal defections last year.

yeah, but i think with JJJ, Fulky and Vescovi, the chemistry issue would have been mitigated, and it would have more of an add in talent with Kennedy Chandler, and a developed Nkmowa....pcs on the bench with Powell and a couple of the other freshmen.

anyway, it hasn't panned out like that. it is what it is, but, again there is still time for it work out.

in cbb, it's really not how you start, it's how you finish. so let's see how we do......story could be totally different in a month.

 

[peaygolf]

Lol so Tennessee wants to be mediocre? Jesus Christ. If they think fans would love to go 7-6, 8-5 with blowouts to Bammer, Georgia and Florida for the next 25 years they are mistaken with their “expectation”. Tennessee’s goal should be to kick everyone’s behind no matter what sport it is. Frustrating.

Take a look at the Fall standings for the NCAA Director’s Cup

 

[LA Vol]

How long will that last though? Are teams that are middle of the pack going to be easy to root for forever? Are fans going to continue over the long haul to settle for average teams? One thing that has kept the fan base engaged was hope. If the standards are lowered to being satisfied with average teams, that hope is pretty much out the window. I know if that's the goal, I'll be nothing more than a fan that observes from a far.

That's an interesting strategy. It will be very cool to watch how that transpires over the next few years.

I've said multiple times that fans have a lessor amount of influence than ever before. With the huge amount of TV revenue, the UTAD is more beholden to the conference and the flat screen. Everyone was pumped at the huge TV money that was/is coming, me included. Little did we know that we were rooting on our replacement.

IDK how long it'll last. A while. FWIW, UT does research on this, and there are a lot of fans who're tired of the instability. The university is tired of being embarrassed. And there is a very strong leadership push for strengthening academics. All of which folds into "the right way" position as a foundation for rebuilding UT sports.

It's true that TV dollars are program drivers. It's also true that UT needs facility upgrades beyond the master plan and has been slow-- very slow, in some cases-- to execute. And UT has higher academic aspirations than some schools. Lot of competition for slices of a bigger pie. But UT does want to compete-- hence, the Spyre partnership to pool funding and broker deals across UT sports. It's better on multiple levels for this to be handled through a collective external to UT. And having Spyre affiliate with Opendorse is better, as well.

Recruiting and staffing-- that's where UT can fast-track. It's up to the coaches to be more aggressive within the expectations UT has created. IMO, that's where some programs can rise above while others may be more conservative. We'll see.

 

[jbr82]

Nope. We want championships

That should be the goal starting at the very top.