Recruiting Forum Football Talk IX

[engineerVOL]

View attachment 781733

That’s so funny..

and also pathetic lol.

 

[engineerVOL]

9-6 Vols

Same upside down as topside up.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Same upside down as topside up.

 

[Jackcrevol]

We need to run more Cover 1 Robber/Rat, man-match quarters or split-field match (all db man/safety zone concepts). Idk why we go full blown zone so often, especially on 3rd/4th down, especially, especially with a Rodney Garner DL.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Same upside down as topside up.

 

[ConwayFitty]

The SEC is a LOT better than last year for one. It was an anomoly how bad the SEC was last year. We'd have never made the playoffs in almost any other year with last year's team.

Also, Pearce ONL Mccoy make a big difference.

Big O, Elijah Simmons, Jakobe Thomas, and believe it or not... Will Brooks were all huge losses

 

[ConwayFitty]

We need to run more Cover 1 Robber/Rat, man-match quarters or split-field match (all db man/safety zone concepts). Idk why we go full blown zone so often, especially on 3rd/4th down, especially, especially with a Rodney Garner DL.

I think the idea is to keep everything in front of the defense to prevent the big shot plays. Our tackling in space has been suspect this year though and a lot of what should be short yardage plays have taken big chunks due to poor angles, trying to deliver the big hit instead of wrapping up, or over-pursuit.

 

[SagginVawls]

Well, Pate cleared things up on his show last night. Said he predicts Bama by double digits. Probably why he chose the LSU vs Vandy game instead. It would be awful nice to prove everyone wrong. I haven’t wanted a win this bad since…. Well since Georgia, but still!

 

[OGbabyaviVol]

Weather is going to impact the game Saturday and I’m not sure which side it favors. Looks like it’ll start out dry and the rain will move in towards halftime.

Need 1st quarter boys to show up and start super fast then.

 

[VolGee4]

Also the #1 team on the list by far is LSU and I only ever hear the league is slanted for Bama and/or UGA. We adding in LSU to the theory now?

2nd and 3rd are USCe and UK (glanced this time, apologies if I’m getting that wrong). Where do they fit into the corruption of who is rewarded night games?

Teams like UK are getting night slots because of SECN night game. That’s not a coveted slot. That means you aren’t a top team.

The conferences have given control to the networks because of money. The networks now have their hands in the way the conferences operate, even re-alignment. It’s all about money.

 

[Orange_Crush]

I think the idea is to keep everything in front of the defense to prevent the big shot plays. Our tackling in space has been suspect this year though and a lot of what should be short yardage plays have taken big chunks due to poor angles, trying to deliver the big hit instead of wrapping up, or over-pursuit.

If they fixed fundamentals it would fix so much. This has been so frustrating.

 

[knoxvol52]

Teams like UK are getting night slots because of SECN night game. That’s not a coveted slot. That means you aren’t a top team.

The conferences have given control to the networks because of money. The networks now have their hands in the way the conferences operate, even re-alignment. It’s all about money.

SEC Network gets the bottom of the barrel games weekly. I have watched only one game on SEC Network this season.

 

[jave36]

Big O doesn't get enough credit. Our DL was a demolition squad. They panicked the QB, forced early throws, and made things a lot easier on our back-end.

And teams like OU Bama MSU were all much worse than they are this year. Between the DL we lost and the rest of the league returning to form, it's not surprising our D looks worse than last year.

 

[rocktopper16]

And teams like OU Bama MSU were all much worse than they are this year. Between the DL we lost and the rest of the league returning to form, it's not surprising our D looks worse than last year.

Definitely think we can improve and more than likely will as the year goes on.

 

[DD4ME]

Barf

It's more aggressive looking this year. That's good right?

 

[BigSteve09]

 

[DD4ME]

Well, Pate cleared things up on his show last night. Said he predicts Bama by double digits. Probably why he chose the LSU vs Vandy game instead. It would be awful nice to prove everyone wrong. I haven’t wanted a win this bad since…. Well since Georgia, but still!

Just win.

 

[Orangeburst]

Barf

Shrinkage. Our Defense was in the pool.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Why?...why should he get paid to do nothing...IF...he was cleared to play? This is bullcrap...nobody is owed something for nothing.

I don't think, or at least I hope that doesn't happen...I'd rather him just never get cleared to play than deal with that mess.

He didn't even get injured on the field or while doing team stuff for craps sake from what I understand.

Why do we owe him for nothing..IF?

I get where you're coming from. But to be fair...McGill, he is doing something. Still attending meetings, rehab, film study, practice, classes, travelling with the team and completing appearances related to his NIL agreement. He's just not been able to play on the field yet, and to be honest I still think people were being far too optimistic to think he'd be back from an ACL tear this fast anyway.

 

[DD4ME]

I have a theory that to be elite you don't have to do everything amazing, but you have to be elite in some critical areas. Those areas can differ team to team.

We are not great on total defense or passing defense, but we are elite in sacks and forced turnovers.

We are not elite in our running or offensive turnovers, but we are elite in passing, total offense and scoring.

We aren't elite at holding onto a lead, but we've been elite at overcoming mistakes and being in every game. We should be undefeated if Gilbert had his grapes that night.

I say that to say we genuinely do have the weapons to beat anyone anywhere. We also have weaknesses that could lead to our defeat, but they are fairly strategically oriented for us to overcome with our strengths.

To me each team has an identity that resonates with a maxim. I think for this team that maxim is:

Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way—SCORE

This team is one of the best UT teams i have seen in this single area. We just HAVE to do it complimentary. If we do that we win.

Not just Bama, but the whole damn thing.

 

[Orange.]

Pate should tell the truth. His prediction is based on corrupt Birmingham officiating but he’s not honest enough to say. Everyone remembers how crookedly our last game at Bama was called, most of all the oddsmakers.

 

[LotteryPick]

View attachment 781732

He needs to do better. That’s his job.

This 2025 defense is riddled with GREAT individual performances. As a unit, it’s disconnected. Communication? Lbs and safeties are the ones who fit it all. I assume our defense is no different. I’m not football smart enough to know if McCoy’s absence is causing us to run more zone than last year. My suspicion is yes. I HATE coaching turnovers so I don’t think he warrants getting let go, but we need some drastic improvement next year*

*We are what we are this year

It’s always going to be tough to field an elite defense when the offense is predicated on speed and explosive plays.

They were aided last year given the offense was not fast or explosive.

I’m interested to see what they look like if/when McCoy comes back, but Teldander/Turrentine are going to be a problem regardless. They need multiple difference makers at LB and safety and they’ve never had that.

 

[BigSteve09]

I get where you're coming from. But to be fair...McGill, he is doing something. Still attending meetings, rehab, film study, practice, classes, travelling with the team and completing appearances related to his NIL agreement. He's just not been able to play on the field yet, and to be honest I still think people were being far too optimistic to think he'd be back from an ACL tear this fast anyway.

If he still goes first round, that's a lot of publicity and marketing that he's still providing for the university anyway.

We would pay to have 1 (or multiple) 1st round picks for all the social posts, media conversation, recruiting rep that it would buy us.

It's not the way we'd want to be paying for him. Obviously everyone wants him on the field. He probably wants to be on the field. He tore his ACL 9 months ago. Guys that come back in less than a year, just as good as they were before, are such an insanely small percentage. He's rehabbing on an appropriate schedule. Hubbs said that he hasn't had a practice with the team yet. He's at practice, but he's not in pads running around with everyone. He missed spring camp, summer workouts, fall camp. Even if he is cleared, he's miles behind. It's just unrealistic.

The next best thing is having him go in the 1st and we still get to brag about it. That's still money well spent. Maybe not the way we would have wanted it to happen, but that's still valuable to the program.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Big O, Elijah Simmons, Jakobe Thomas, and believe it or not... Will Brooks were all huge losses

Omarr Norman-Lott
Jayson Jenkins
Christian Harrison
Christian Charles
Jordan Matthews

We lost a lot off what's arguably been the best defensive year we've seen.

 

[UTSuave’]

@peaygolf @Tennessee Golfer