Vols vs Mo common opponents

[sami]

Now that being said, I just don't think Heup's offense works against Georgia's defense. I don't know how or why exactly, and I'm sure it's got a ton to do with their talent on their defense, but it just doesn't feel like it clicks against them. Teams with worse offenses seem to be able to move the ball on them better than we do.

This is the first time Heupel will have some depth and a TE room against Georgia, so let's save the "his offense doesn't work" until it doesn't work with the entire arsenal at Josh's disposal. UGa likes to run that same 3-3-5 that NC State runs, and while before it took away our vertical game and exposed the limitations of the offense, now Josh can make them pay the same way by pounding the ball. The personnel is much better so it won't be so easy, but I think Josh is going to have some wrinkles ready for Athens.

 

[bpalmer28]

Did you forget about Oklahoma?

If you lump Oklahoma in there then you have to talk about LSU, A&M, etc. they are 3rd tier IMO

 

[OrangeEtBlanc]

Did you forget about Oklahoma?

No, I only considered the Top 6. Oklahoma will not be a factor in the SEC championship or CFP this year.

The Sooners have this gauntlet:

Tennessee, Texas (N), @Ole Miss, @Missouri, Alabama

They have an even harder road than UGA, with 5 of the current top 6. I don’t see Oklahoma or LSU being a factor, but we’ll see how things play out.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I’m guessing we’re not considering our obligatory loss to Florida? . If we beat Florida, I’ll eat dog poop out of a red solo cup and not post video or anything. Just take my word for it.

I hope Freak unilaterally changes your name to Dogpoopeater when we beat Florida, UNLESS you post video of the event. Heh.

Go Vols!

 

[adam.vol]

I'll take splitting with UGA if that means UT drops a game to them in Athens and then beats them at a neutral site for all the chips........

We could play Georgia 3 times, easily enough if neither of us loses to anyone else.

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

I’m guessing we’re not considering our obligatory loss to Florida? . If we beat Florida, I’ll eat dog poop out of a red solo cup and not post video or anything. Just take my word for it.

Just post us how you feel after you eat it! GBO

 

[OrangeEtBlanc]

If you lump Oklahoma in there then you have to talk about LSU, A&M, etc. they are 3rd tier IMO

Agreed. I would currently put the top 6 in first-tier, LSU & Oklahoma in second-tier, with A&M being in 3rd. Losing to ND only to have them lose to NIU is killer. I foresee LSU losing to South Carolina this weekend and falling out of this conversation completely. Oklahoma will join that fate when we beat them in Norman. Their schedule is too difficult the rest of the way to not have another 3-4 losses.

2-3 of the current Top 6 teams will fall to second tier as the season progresses simply because so many play each other. Ole Miss, Texas, and Mizzou have the easiest routes and don’t have to play each other. We could, theoretically, have 3 undefeated SEC teams at the end of the year. What a wild cluster that would be!

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

We ain't done any good in Knoxville against them, just saying

Most of that was coincidence. The year we had our best team under Heupel was the year we happened to play them there. The ‘21 and ‘23 teams weren’t going to hang with Jawja regardless of venue.

 

[MDsweetT]

My heart says 11-1 my brain says 9-3. As great as the outcome of the NC State game was there were some problems. Outside of the defensive performance that game looked just like most games in 2023. The offense was... lumpy. Dylan Sampson and the TE's were the heroes of the offense. How much of the passing offense was shovel passes? I was seriously worried about our Oline. They were not opening holes.. Sampson got most of his yards after contact. Nico had defenders in his face way too many times from 3-4 man rushes. The second pick was definitely NOT Nicos fault....but I would argue the first one was him feeling he had to fit one in because of the constant pressure. The defense played so well it kinda covered that up.

I think next week they work on some of those things and rest the starters and get them ready for OK. My worry is how many teams look back on this tape? Because 3-3-5 gave us fits in the passing game. They were dropping 7-8 on every passing down and Nico wasn't able to check out of those plays because its kinda hard to know who is coming and who is dropping. I was watching Aaron Murray break down the passing plays and it was kinda wild. Maybe the 3-3-5 is the kryptonite to the veer and shoot?

Definitely a unique scheme but it’s more of the drop 8. Nico’s third start and it’s not a defense you typically see too often. Good reminder that despite a mediocre passing game, we scored 44 points on offense.

I coached high school in TX and we played a 3-3-5. Whenever you have 8 defenders for 4-5 receiving threats, it can be hard to take deep shots. But you play to what the defense gives you. Our offense will get better and better. Excited for the OU game.

Venables is a great defensive mind and will throw everything at Nico. Gonna be his first road test. But I really like the makeup of this team. We got some dawgs on defense.

 

[pimo1]

Definitely a unique scheme but it’s more of the drop 8. Nico’s third start and it’s not a defense you typically see too often. Good reminder that despite a mediocre passing game, we scored 44 points on offense.

I coached high school in TX and we played a 3-3-5. Whenever you have 8 defenders for 4-5 receiving threats, it can be hard to take deep shots. But you play to what the defense gives you. Our offense will get better and better. Excited for the OU game.

Venables is a great defensive mind and will throw everything at Nico. Gonna be his first road test. But I really like the makeup of this team. We got some dawgs on defense.

Didn't Venables run a 3-3-5/3-5-3 at some point? For those that don't know 335 and 353 are basically the same base defense.. 3 down linemen 3 linebackers 3 high safeties and those last 2 can be linebackers or safeties or some hybrid. It's what really separates a 3-3-5 from a 4-2-5 like we run. In a 4-2-5 you have a hybrid linebacker dlineman (leo) and a hybrid Safety/linebacker (star) Its basically how to run a 3-3-5 without getting the ball run down your throat. Less flexible (personnel and alignment wise) than a 33 but more flexible than a 34 or 43

 

[DaddyChad]

UGA defense is certainly great. But under Dabo, Clemson traditionally has been great offensively against even the best defenses. That just isn't the case anymore. I mean this is roughly the same offense that we held to 14 points 18 months ago. Clemson isn't replenishing the cupboard like it used to. I'm not knocking UGA's defense. It's just a fact that this isn't the same Clemson offense we are used to seeing under Dabo.

And I am not saying UGA has a mediocre offense or anything. They have a great OL, a stable of RBs, and a seasoned QB who fits their offense well. That alone makes them a very good offense. But unlike previous years, I just think they lack the elite playmakers that had the ability to take over games. Those type of players allowed them to keep up with teams like Bama and Ohio State whenever they got down by 14+ points. I am not seeing that sort of player for UGA this year.

Dabo is Fulmer with a few more seasons of success. Hasn’t evolved, too lazy and complacent to evolve. He’s getting out worked on the recruiting trail and beaten down on NIL as well while his conference shrinks into obscurity

 

[bpalmer28]

Agreed. I would currently put the top 6 in first-tier, LSU & Oklahoma in second-tier, with A&M being in 3rd. Losing to ND only to have them lose to NIU is killer. I foresee LSU losing to South Carolina this weekend and falling out of this conversation completely. Oklahoma will join that fate when we beat them in Norman. Their schedule is too difficult the rest of the way to not have another 3-4 losses.

2-3 of the current Top 6 teams will fall to second tier as the season progresses simply because so many play each other. Ole Miss, Texas, and Mizzou have the easiest routes and don’t have to play each other. We could, theoretically, have 3 undefeated SEC teams at the end of the year. What a wild cluster that would be!

I've got UGA and Texas in tier one. Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Missouri in tier two. Tier three would be Oklahoma, LSU, and A&M. Everyone else below that is jumbled up.

 

[pimo1]

I’ll keep my opinion of your brain to myself

But seriously I also wasn’t thrilled with the offense.

Its not full on BVS but.. I try to be a realist.

For the last 25+ years every single year we lose at least 2 games we have no business losing. We have 1 game on our schedule that no one in their right mind has us as the favorite in (UGA). Without a ton of more information, anyone predicting otherwise on that is smoking some good stuff. We have in addition games against Florida and Alabama. Bama is arguably a tossup at this point from the most optimistic perspective. Florida is a team that has in the last 2 decades proven they are gonna bring their a game against us even on their worst years. In fact most of our wins the last 2 decades versus Florida have come on years they were the better team not their super down ones. The last time we beat an unranked Florida team was 1971. Another weird random fact.. We haven't beaten Florida when we were ranked lower than 14 since 1955. Then you have the other 4 teams we definitely shouldn't lose to....Kentucky, Vandy, Arkansas, Miss State. those are the teams I'm worried about. if we lost to say UGA and Bama meh...it would suck but we'd still be legit playoff contenders. We take an L to one of those and even if we make the playoffs we are like a 10-12 seed.

 

[Rocky Top T]

Most of that was coincidence. The year we had our best team under Heupel was the year we happened to play them there. The ‘21 and ‘23 teams weren’t going to hang with Jawja regardless of venue.

I agree with that. Still don't think we beat them this year, really hope I'm wrong

 

[wmcovol]

If Ga goes 16-0 this year with that schedule, I’ll tip my hat to them and declare they are the best college team I’ve seen in my 60 yrs watching college football.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

If Ga goes 16-0 this year with that schedule, I’ll tip my hat to them and declare they are the best college team I’ve seen in my 60 yrs watching college football.

You know how when you're 7 years old seeing your mom and dad kiss just gives you the willies?

Yeah, that post gave me the same creepy feeling. Stop that! lol

Go Vols!

 

[NetworkVol]

Its not full on BVS but.. I try to be a realist.

For the last 25+ years every single year we lose at least 2 games we have no business losing. We have 1 game on our schedule that no one in their right mind has us as the favorite in (UGA). Without a ton of more information, anyone predicting otherwise on that is smoking some good stuff. We have in addition games against Florida and Alabama. Bama is arguably a tossup at this point from the most optimistic perspective. Florida is a team that has in the last 2 decades proven they are gonna bring their a game against us even on their worst years. In fact most of our wins the last 2 decades versus Florida have come on years they were the better team not their super down ones. The last time we beat an unranked Florida team was 1971. Another weird random fact.. We haven't beaten Florida when we were ranked lower than 14 since 1955. Then you have the other 4 teams we definitely shouldn't lose to....Kentucky, Vandy, Arkansas, Miss State. those are the teams I'm worried about. if we lost to say UGA and Bama meh...it would suck but we'd still be legit playoff contenders. We take an L to one of those and even if we make the playoffs we are like a 10-12 seed.

That is nauseating

 

[Mccage]

We tend to play them better in Athens than we do at home. I think their adorable little stadium just doesn't scare us.

Now that being said, I just don't think Heup's offense works against Georgia's defense. I don't know how or why exactly, and I'm sure it's got a ton to do with their talent on their defense, but it just doesn't feel like it clicks against them. Teams with worse offenses seem to be able to move the ball on them better than we do.

We hadn’t run the ball against them. Large disparity in talent and depth. Guess what….we catching up!

 

[LAVol1]

We tend to play them better in Athens than we do at home. I think their adorable little stadium just doesn't scare us.

Now that being said, I just don't think Heup's offense works against Georgia's defense. I don't know how or why exactly, and I'm sure it's got a ton to do with their talent on their defense, but it just doesn't feel like it clicks against them. Teams with worse offenses seem to be able to move the ball on them better than we do.

The offense is different this year. 3 TE scoring threats. And, by the time we get to UGA on the schedule, Nico will be nearing his peak. For the first time in over 20 years, we have a defense that can match up with UGA's offensive talent. My main concern is injuries to the OL and secondary. If we stay healthy there, the game will come down to turnovers. It will be the biggest game of the year in college football.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Texas is gonna roll UGA this year. I predict Texas wins by 2 TDs.

For all the players Michigan lost, they still returned most of a pretty dominant defense, including Mason Graham who is widely considered a top 5 overall talent, and Kenneth Grant who is also a projected 1dt round pick. And yet Texas handled Michigan's defense with ease.

Why? Because TX smacked Michigan? lol. UGA would have beaten Michigan last year by 17+. Did you see what Clemson just did to App State? And don’t start with the on it’s just App State. They are a quality program and Clemson dismantled them.

TX won’t come within 14 points of UGA.

 

[Orange Navy]

I've been wanting to post this. Seems like a good thread. It's fun to watch all those other games and try to figure out the implications on Tennessee's playoff chances...
But the reality is this:
10-2 WE'RE IN!
9-3 WE'RE OUT
I went all the way back to 2016 and looked at the final regular season rankings for each season. The playoff cut line (11th place) always falls in the middle of the
10-2 Power 5 teams. The only exception is 2022 when a 9-3 LSU team was ranked 11th.
So it is extremely unlikely that any 9-3 team will get in.
And given the current love that the SEC is being shown in the rankings (and strength of schedule), it is practically a given that a 10-2 SEC Team will get in.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

The offense is different this year. 3 TE scoring threats. And, by the time we get to UGA on the schedule, Nico will be nearing his peak. For the first time in over 20 years, we have a defense that can match up with UGA's offensive talent. My main concern is injuries to the OL and secondary. If we stay healthy there, the game will come down to turnovers. It will be the biggest game of the year in college football.

Our strength is the run game. Yes we have a really good passing game but for us to have success, we have to run the ball for a lot of yards. We won’t be able to line up and run for 200 against UGA. They have way too much elite depth.

We just aren’t there yet. I will be surprised in we stay within 17 of UGA. It is what it is.

 

[Carp]

Why? Because TX smacked Michigan? lol. UGA would have beaten Michigan last year by 17+. Did you see what Clemson just did to App State? And don’t start with the on it’s just App State. They are a quality program and Clemson dismantled them.

TX won’t come within 14 points of UGA.

App State is not a quality team. Clemson will probably lose 2-3 more games this year in the ACC.

 

[LAVol1]

Our strength is the run game. Yes we have a really good passing game but for us to have success, we have to run the ball for a lot of yards. We won’t be able to line up and run for 200 against UGA. They have way too much elite depth.

We just aren’t there yet. I will be surprised in we stay within 17 of UGA. It is what it is.

Do you think UGA's D-line is better than the Vols D-line? I don't think they are. If the Vols O-line remains intact, the Vols will rush for more yards than UGA. The game will hinge on how our secondary progresses up to the UGA game.

 

[chuckiepoo]

I've been wanting to post this. Seems like a good thread. It's fun to watch all those other games and try to figure out the implications on Tennessee's playoff chances...
But the reality is this:
10-2 WE'RE IN!
9-3 WE'RE OUT
I went all the way back to 2016 and looked at the final regular season rankings for each season. The playoff cut line (11th place) always falls in the middle of the
10-2 Power 5 teams. The only exception is 2022 when a 9-3 LSU team was ranked 11th.
So it is extremely unlikely that any 9-3 team will get in.
And given the current love that the SEC is being shown in the rankings (and strength of schedule), it is practically a given that a 10-2 SEC Team will get in.

Two