Recruiting Forum Football Talk IX

[Dadof2Vols]

Should that be discussed in middle of the season? We just lost, on the road to a playoff team. Was it pretty? No.

It aint like we lost to Kentucky, Missouri, or Candy.

UT Lost to the two teams that people said they had no chance to beat before the season began and

UT had Georgia beat and missed the FG

Alabama had the one play put game out of reach.

So why melt down when it was expected. Sad we had a chance but for those melting down they were the same ones saying we would not even have a chance in those games So I really aren’t worried about their meltdowns.

 

[VolGee4]

You cant stop tempo, that’s when our offense is at its best-when we are going warp speed. Last year I think our offense wasnt as good because we didnt run the tempo, and on Saturday we didnt run tempo as much which is part of the reason why our offense struggled

We didn’t run tempo last year because our coaches needed to help our QB assess the defense.

 

[VolNash17]

A lot of people seem to forget the 10 years before him or what he came in to. A chance at 10-2? I’ll enjoy every minute of it.

I think many are misconstruing the point. That guy isn’t saying he doesn’t enjoy 10-2 compared to the nonsense and total dumbasses before but the fact is Tennessee is consistently undisciplined home and road wise. Tennessee consistently has road issues in big time moments and recruiting development issues at certain position groups/coordinators that have repeated themselves season after season. That’s all the Rocky top guy is saying. He isn’t saying fire Heupel. But Heupel probably needs to upgrade his help around him to reach the next level in truly competing for National Championships and even SEC Championships. All of those reasons are why Tennessee is consistently behind the usuals in hype/rankings year after year. Coach Heupel is going to have to beef up the assistants and take the next step. Sanctions are gone time to compete

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

1. Not all of this is false. I agree that, at some point soon, Heup is going to have to demand more out of his assistants or make some tough decisions. Also, Heup has got to re-adjust his approach to match his current squad. This isn’t a “lean on the defense” team the way it has been the last two years.

2. However. here is the list of “championship” head coaches currently employed in college jobs:
- Kirby Smart
- Ryan Day
- Dabo Swinney

That’s the list. Everyone else is in the same boat as Heup, including the guy we just lost to. Bama fans said this same stuff about DeBoer when they looked like absolute garbage against, what has turned out to be, a pretty bad FSU squad. Now they’re a national title favorite.

This is the new reality of college football. Sometimes you’re gonna look bad because rosters are thinner, rosters are closer in talent level across the league, and it’s hard to play A-level games week-in and week-out. And I think it’s going to be the case, going forward, that “championship teams” grow throughout the season and get hot at the right time, instead of dominating from start to finish, the way it used to be.

I agree. It took Dabo going from Steele to Venables to win a title. I think a couple of changes to Josh staff and bringing in another Golesh style play caller would bring Josh over the top. He can’t call plays and try to manage the clock well when he is involved with calling the next play. Shoot I think he could turn it over to Littrell and he is an analyst right now learning the offense and installing some of his own ideas.

 

[knoxvol52]

Tillman is the closest thing to an average player that we have on the offensive side right now. Wright has been a healthy scratch with the Dolphins. Sampson has been getting playing time but looks worse than Judkins in games and it hasn’t been close so far.

Here are the complaints against our guys:

WRs have a limited route tree and aren’t really beating coverage as much as they are schemed open.

RBs run against a lite box and we don’t have an intricate rushing attack.

QBs rely heavily on pre snap reads and don’t have many difficult throws.

I love our offense but it will continue to be used against us on the trail until we starting putting a few elite guys in the league.

Our ex players going to league and saying "we never ran routes like these at Tennessee" doesn't help either. Cough cough. Hyatt and Thornton..

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

UT Lost to the two teams that people said they had no chance to beat before the season began and

UT had Georgia beat and missed the FG

Alabama had the one play put game out of reach.

So why melt down when it was expected. Sad we had a chance but for those melting down they were the same ones saying we would not even have a chance in those games So I really aren’t worried about their meltdowns.

Who did? The talking heads of football who create narratives? That’s how they get away with cheating and bad officiating because they say “hey we told you these teams were good and these teams weren’t.” I would never say any game is a loss with Heupel. If our offense is clicking, we can beat anyone. Even with a mediocre defense.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

Would you consider this season a success if we finished 9-3, missed the playoffs, but beat a team like Illinois in a bowl game to finish with 10 wins on the year?

You'd have to, right?

 

[Jimmy Football]

Our ex players going to league and saying "we never ran routes like these at Tennessee" doesn't help either. Cough cough. Hyatt and Thornton..

Agreed. One of the longest tenured wide receivers in NFL history was Irving Fryar, and he played in an option offense at f’ing Nebraska!

Instead of complaining that Heup didn’t run an NFL route tree, how about be appreciative that Heup got you enough exposure and acclaim to get drafted, and go put in the work to learn and thrive in an NFL system?

 

[VolNRaleighNC]

Would you consider this season a success if we finished 9-3, missed the playoffs, but beat a team like Illinois in a bowl game to finish with 10 wins on the year?

You'd have to, right?

Begrudgingly, yes. A disappointing success though because I know the opportunities were there for an even better year but we pissed our own pants when we were in those moments, both players and coaches.

10 wins/Bowl win would be the only goal met.

Do we want more? Absolutely!

 

[Wickman]

Would you consider this season a success if we finished 9-3, missed the playoffs, but beat a team like Illinois in a bowl game to finish with 10 wins on the year?

You'd have to, right?

Based off circumstances, it would be a success. Based off what kept us from being 11-1 or 10-2, it’s somewhat disappointing.

 

[rikberry31]

It’s the pick six from the worst play call I’ve ever seen. Hell running a FB dive and let that being your last play woulda been better

There are times when a coach has to have big balls, this play was one of them. It was one of two things on that play, straight up jam it down their throat or be tricksy and leak the tight end. I was screaming at the tv, " run the damn ball." Instead we got cute and fricked up the ball game. I agree with Heup almost all the time but not there.

 

[rikberry31]

Hope it’s true and hope Tony got a fat raise out of it. He should be the highest paid coach in college baseball.

He already is.

 

[Garren04]

Would you consider this season a success if we finished 9-3, missed the playoffs, but beat a team like Illinois in a bowl game to finish with 10 wins on the year?

You'd have to, right?

That's tough considering the chance you had against Georgia. I have seen some people questioning Heupel even as far as saying he's not the guy. Who else is out there? One poster brought up there are only 3 active championship coaches. The question will be does he have the guts to make staff changes. The thing that did bother me Saturday was the refusal to stick to the run and Georgia did the same thing vs Bama and it got them beat too. If Bishop gets 6-8 more carries I bet we win they could not stop it and my bama buddies even admitted it. I think there's a great chance we win out fwiw...

 

[knoxvol52]

He already is.

2nd highest. Jay Johnson makes $50k more a year...

 

[SagginVawls]

Our dumba$$ fans are gonna end up ruining this for all of us.

 

[Jimmy Football]

Our dumba$$ fans are gonna end up ruining this for all of us.

A lot of them will snap back to reality when Heup is connected to several of these upcoming coaching searches. Whether or not it should be, this has become a raise/extension year for the good coaches across the sport.

 

[Govolsman98]

Would you consider this season a success if we finished 9-3, missed the playoffs, but beat a team like Illinois in a bowl game to finish with 10 wins on the year?

You'd have to, right?

I would. Having another 10 win season would be very nice

 

[MoCo_Vol]

From 2008 to 2020... 0 10 win seasons, 2 9 win (under Butch)

2021-2024 Heupel has already had 2 10 win seasons and a 9 win...

In 3 of his 4 complete seasons he reached the height of Vols football post Fulmer...


I'm saying this with my full chest, any one that says he should be fired.

 

[rikberry31]

Yea I don't know if his lack of confidence in the DC is the reason or not. I think he just sucks in clock management. We had the same clock issues against Arkansas last year with an elite defense.

If I had to give an excuse I would assume since he is so involved in the playcalling aspect of those 2 minute offensive possessions, he is having a difficult time of multitasking his HC responsibilities of managing the clock.

The clock was not mismanaged. All we had to do is run the damn ball and the it would have either been perfect or we end the half down eight, I believe it would have been the former. Our online handled them all night.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I also think for where we were, and where college sports are now. Especially the SEC...

until we're consistently recruiting top 5 classes.... every season we win 8+ games is a big time success to me.

 

[volbeast33]

Would you consider this season a success if we finished 9-3, missed the playoffs, but beat a team like Illinois in a bowl game to finish with 10 wins on the year?

You'd have to, right?

My standards for success is to make the playoffs. 10 wins wouldn’t be a failure so I am not sure what term could be used for good season but disappointing.

 

[Butch Jones]

1. Not all of this is false. I agree that, at some point soon, Heup is going to have to demand more out of his assistants or make some tough decisions. Also, Heup has got to re-adjust his approach to match his current squad. This isn’t a “lean on the defense” team the way it has been the last two years.

2. However. here is the list of “championship” head coaches currently employed in college jobs:
- Kirby Smart
- Ryan Day
- Dabo Swinney

That’s the list. Everyone else is in the same boat as Heup, including the guy we just lost to. Bama fans said this same stuff about DeBoer when they looked like absolute garbage against, what has turned out to be, a pretty bad FSU squad. Now they’re a national title favorite.

This is the new reality of college football. Sometimes you’re gonna look bad because rosters are thinner, rosters are closer in talent level across the league, and it’s hard to play A-level games week-in and week-out. And I think it’s going to be the case, going forward, that “championship teams” grow throughout the season and get hot at the right time, instead of dominating from start to finish, the way it used to be.

Clemson fans aren’t even so happy with Dabo right now. He felt that pressure and was lashing out in post game interviews. Ohio State fans wanted to fire Ryan Day last year bc he can’t beat Michigan. He probably would have been fired had he not won the national championship as crazy as that sounds.

 

[knoxvol52]

Clemson fans aren’t even so happy with Dabo right now. He felt that pressure and was lashing out in post game interviews. Ohio State fans wanted to fire Ryan Day last year bc he can’t beat Michigan. He probably would have been fired had he not won the national championship as crazy as that sounds.

Saying this nicely but there's a lot of IDIOTIC sports fans in this World... Patience is a virtue in life but when it comes to Sports it seems Patience is the forgotten .

 

[Butch Jones]

From 2008 to 2020... 0 10 win seasons, 2 9 win (under Butch)

2021-2024 Heupel has already had 2 10 win seasons and a 9 win...

In 3 of his 4 complete seasons he reached the height of Vols football post Fulmer...


I'm saying this with my full chest, any one that says he should be fired.

Saying Heup should be fired is about as bad as OSU fans wanting Ryan Day gone last year. Not worth entertaining. It’s certainly fair to criticize where applicable though.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Who did? The talking heads of football who create narratives? That’s how they get away with cheating and bad officiating because they say “hey we told you these teams were good and these teams weren’t.” I would never say any game is a loss with Heupel. If our offense is clicking, we can beat anyone. Even with a mediocre defense.

Sorry, should have clarified.

I was talking about the same VN “Fans” melting down are the same ones saying 8-4 would be a good season this year and Bama and Alabama was going to be brutal.

Was not even talking about media talking idiots.