2016 could be Butch Jones best chance to win a National Championship

#1
VolFreakJosh

VolFreakJosh

“Don’t you put that evil on me Ricky Bobby!”
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#1
Thought I would come up with some reasons why 2016 is Butch's best chance to win a National Championship. Keep in mind, I'm not saying we will but we can.

• Key returning players: Josh Dobbs, Derek Barnett, Alvin Kamara, Jalen Hurd, Evan Berry, Jalen Reeves Maybin, & Darrin Kirkland Jr. (I did not mention Cam Sutton due to whether he's declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft or not.)

Hurd and Kamara both produced 2,265 yards and 21 touchdowns in the regular season. Probably the best RB combo in the SEC. Now it also has to do with the O-Line play as well but I expect our O-Line to be vastly improved. Tennessee could possibly have the best rushing attack in the SEC next year, possibly the best in the country.

Josh Dobbs threw for 2,125 yards and rushed for 623 yards (#1 rushing QB in the SEC) in the regular season. Now we all had our doubts including myself about Dobbs passing ability but he HAS shown flashes that he can throw the deep ball at times. It's not that he can't, he's just too inconsistent with it. Now whether you want to admit it or not, we're probably sitting at 6-6 without him right now. He may not be a great passer but he's a very dangerous runner who can cause even the best defenses problems. Adding him to the mix next year, only makes our offense more productive.

Evan Berry rushed for 804 yards. Averaged 38.3 per kick return and took 3 of them to the house in the regular season. (Leads the FBS) Speed, speed, & more speed is what this guy is all about. He's a tough competitor who can take it to the house at any moment and adding the #1 kick returner in the country to the mix next year only helps us more.

Derek Barnett had 60 tackles and averaged 9.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in the regular season. Now he didn't have as a productive season as he did in 2014 but he still shown flashes that he can still get to the QB. And for goofs, it doesn't help that Barnett gets held almost every single play and still manages to get to the QB. Adding him to the mix next year on our D-Line will help tremendously.

Jalen Reeves Maybin had 99 tackles and averaged 5.0 sacks in the regular season. Now there's been questions where he would project in the 2016 draft. Personally right now I see him as a 3rd rounder. He's a bit undersized for a linebacker but plays with a great motor. The thing I like about JRM the most is he never gives up on a play and seems to be a tackling machine despite being undersized. I do see him being back next year and if he has a productive senior year, I could see him being an early 2nd rounder, possibly a late 1st rounder. Adding him to the mix next year on our defense will help tremendously.

Darrin Kirkland Jr. had 60 tackles and averaged 5.0 tackles for loss in the regular season. He also had 1 interception vs UK. How Jumper got the starting job over this kid I'll never know but he played at a really high level for a freshman. He has great speed for a linebacker which we've really needed for some quite time now. Adding him to the mix next year on our defense will help even more.

• Favorable schedule

2016 Tennessee football schedule

Sept. 3rd vs Appalachian St.
Sept. 10th vs Virginia Tech (Neutral)
Sept. 17th vs Ohio
Sept. 24th vs Florida
Oct. 1st at Georgia
Oct. 8th at Texas A&M
Oct. 15th vs Alabama
Oct. 29th at South Carolina
Nov. 5th vs Tennessee Tech
Nov. 12th vs Kentucky
Nov. 19th vs Missouri
Nov. 26th at Vanderbilt

Florida and Alabama are probably the most two important games for Butch Jones. I would consider Florida the most important game since we should have beat them in the swamp this year but unfortunately that did not happen. A couple of breaks in the Alabama game, and we would have won in Tuscaloosa as well. We get both teams in Neyland this year and that is something Tennessee will have to take advantage of. That will be our best chance to end both losing streaks. Also keep in mind, 3 of those away games ( Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech) will have new head coaches and new staff so most likely the odds would be in our favor in those match ups. We have the talent and the key pieces to hang with any team on that schedule but it's also going to come down to coaching as well.

• Momentum win over Northwestern

A win over #13 Northwestern in the Out Back Bowl would bring incredible momentum to the team heading into next season. Expectations will be off the charts but let's take a step back. Tennessee had a lot of hype going into the 2015 season as well. 8-4 was probably the most realistic expectations from most Vol fans heading into this season. Remember, we could be sitting at 10-2 right now and had the chance to play against Bama for the SEC championship. We can hang with anyone in the country right now.

In conclusion, Tennessee will have the talent and the key pieces to beat anyone next year. Now can Butch Jones do his part as well? We'll see but there's no more excuses on why Tennessee can't be favored to win the National Championship in 2016. Go Vols!
 
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#2
#2
I do appreciate the enthusiasm for 2016. :good!: However, from this point on, every year is a potential championship year for the Vols. Reload and keep firing, baby.
 
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#3
#3
NB4

Butch Jones will never win a national championship as long as Butch Jones is head coach.
 
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#5
#5
At this point yes is the obvious answer. This will be the best team he has had any where he has been.
 
#6
#6
In the BCS era, most all of the coaches who have won a national title did it by their third or fourth year. I think Mack Brown winning it in year six at Texas is the longest amount of time taken.
 
#7
#7
That depends on this recruiting class and the next. UT needs a top flight RB (or 2) if not in the '16 class, the '17 class at the latest. Everything else needs to continue to flow.

AND... attrition has to drop to SEC average or better.

The winner of the QB battle to replace Dobbs is all but certain to be a better passer. Guarantano looks as mobile as Dobbs was in HS.

Long story short, it all depends on continuing to build.
 
#9
#9
VOLS have two outright NC (AP approved) in it's history. One of those was the 98 NC. The other one was 1951. I really cant get excited about winning another one. If I had to guess I like 2018.
 
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#10
#10
I appreciate the enthusiasm for next year, but what you need to see is are long continued recruiting classes. These elevate a team to a championship. Good coaching, good recruiting, a stellar quarterback will get us to a NC. It won't happen next year.
 
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#11
#11
VolStrom said:
I appreciate the enthusiasm for next year, but what you need to see is are long continued recruiting classes. These elevate a team to a championship. Good coaching, good recruiting, a stellar quarterback will get us to a NC. It won't happen next year.
Click to expand...

The odds that you are correct that UT will not win NC are good, but your rationale isn't on solid ground.
 
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#12
#12
I completely agree with the OP. Next year will be the most talented team we will have had in a LONG time. Most of our units should be strong. Even when you are recruiting well regularly, it is not often that you have strength in most of your units. Dobbs should continue to improve, a pair of very good backs, an OL that should be better yet, a DL with great potential, returning LBs and good special teamers. I'm not sure about our DB unit--specifically safeties, but that should be OK, too. We need to stay healthy, and we need to beat florida and bama. The potential for a /very/ good season is there.
 
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#16
#16
OldandStillaVol said:
Before we discuss National Championships, let's just start beating UF and Bama on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

Freak, can you hit the override button and allow me to post 1,000 "LIKES" for this comment please? :good!:

Beating them at a .500 clip would be good with me.
 
#19
#19
Team 120 will lack depth and experience in the secondary and o line. Their secondary scares me most bc Dobbs makes up for poor o line play and so on
 
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#21
#21
VolFreakJosh said:
Tennessee could possibly have the best rushing attack in the SEC next year, possibly the best in the country.
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I did some research. This far, we're 1st in the conference and 4th in the country when considering combined rushing yards from 1 QB and 2 RBs.

Ga. Southern - 2954 yds.
West Va. - 2603 yds.
San Diego St. - 2450 yds. (QB had a negative total)
Chain Moving Gang - 2426 yds
 
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#23
#23
armchair said:
I completely agree with the OP. Next year will be the most talented team we will have had in a LONG time. Most of our units should be strong. Even when you are recruiting well regularly, it is not often that you have strength in most of your units. Dobbs should continue to improve, a pair of very good backs, an OL that should be better yet, a DL with great potential, returning LBs and good special teamers. I'm not sure about our DB unit--specifically safeties, but that should be OK, too. We need to stay healthy, and we need to beat florida and bama. The potential for a /very/ good season is there.
Click to expand...

Still gonna be awfully young next year.
 
#25
#25
utvolpj said:
That's never really happened in UT's history
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Since you didn’t choose to qualify that remark with “modern history” or “concurrently,” I will state that Tennessee most certainly has beaten each of those programs with regularity during certain periods. Consider the following data:

Neyland’s record vs. Alabama (1926-1934, 1936-1940, and 1946-1952): 12-5-2 (2-1 vs. Wallace Wade and 6-3-1 vs. Frank Thomas. These men established Alabama’s reputation as a regional and national power. They were legitimately credited with four national championships [1925, 1926, 1930 and 1934], but Neyland held a decisive advantage of 8-4-1 over them during their tenures at Alabama).

Tennessee vs. Alabama (1948-1960): 9-1-3 (including shutout victories in 1952, 1955, ’56, and ’57). Tennessee vs Alabama 1948-1960

Tennessee vs. Alabama (1995-2006): 10-2 (including seven consecutive victories from 1995-2001). Tennessee vs Alabama 1995-2006

Tennessee vs. Florida (1916-1955): 11-1 (including ten consecutive victories from 1916-1953). Tennessee vs Florida 1916-1955
 
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