2020 Win/Loss Prediction

[Ratvol]

I’m going with 9-3 if we don’t have a viable starter at QB.
10-2 if JG or HB shines....

GO VOLS

 

[Catbone]

Harder schedule next year. 8-4

 

[white65]

I don't think JG fit the bill. I think HB will.

HB will take over as starting QB after week 6.

Not 6 games, his 6th week on campus.

 

[zooguy]

7-5/8-4.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

This Year's 7-5 team will be an improvement over 2019's squad with a high ceiling of 10+ wins for 2021...

Please explain why SC beats us.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I expect Florida to be much better than OU

Defensively absolutely. Offensively? Not close.

 

[08Vol]

Ahhh I see I was under the impression he would be a true freshman.

I wish he was. He didn’t play much this year in relief, hopefully due to him not looking as good as expected. We will be his first real test, wish it was in Neyland

 

[go hokies]

vols need to improve their 100th ranked offense to improve their 7-5 regular season record.

 

[Volfan574]

If we beat Oklahoma I predict with the confidence we will have we also beat Florida and go 10-2.

 

[MemphisVol77]

I think Emmitt Gooden coming back healthy along with everyone else on the line getting another full year of coaching and strength and conditioning, we will see a vast improvement from this season. Darell Taylor is leaving. With that being said, I think we have players like Roman Harrison and others who are absolute savages. Darell got so close to the QB with no avail so many times this year. Next year, It wont just be one player getting close, it will be a HOST OF VOLUNTEERS meeting the QB or RB in the backfield. We have some dudes coming in the 2020 class that play with bad intentions like Tennessee defenses we all remember. The D Line will also free up elite level LB's like Henry T to flow freely to make a play instead of having to shed an extra block or chip. If Q Crouch starts playing instinctive football next year our LB's will be fun to watch fly around the field as Wilson, Raynoch, Eddie Moore, Burnett, Mayo, Simon, and many other that I have not mentioned used to do. With the loss of Nigel, I am so excited to see our safety play. Tank McCollough will be a force and if Flowers gets healthy and continues to improve, I expect a lot of big time plays and momentum changing hits to occur in EVERY game next year. I have full faith in Bryce Thompson's ability to lock down the #1 receiver on the opposing team and feel comfortable with Alontae or George covering the other wide out. Shamburger is my question mark. He did great things occasionally this year but found himself out of place more often then not. I think that the coaching staff has faith in Shamburger and hopefully the light turns on this year with him as well. In all, I am excited to watch this defense play next year. We have depth and we have a lot of guys with a savage mentality on the field. Pruitt is bringing in the type of kids that want to absolutely bury you on every play and has no fear of anyone they face. I would love anyone's feedback on my brief assesment. Everyone is excited about our O Line as I am too, but I am a defense loving fan. GO VOLS!

That's one of the best outlooks and write ups I've seen about our Defense on the forums so far.

Darell Taylor could take over games at times but he also hugely benefited from our system. I think we'll be able to not only absorb the loss of Taylor, Bituli, & Warrior; but improve for allot of the reasons you mentioned. As sjt18 has pointed out many times, we finished near the SEC lead in team sacks. We weren't dependant on one man or position to create our pass rush. With Gooden back and Elijah Simmons gaining from a full year in the S&C program hopefully they both contribute heavily in the 2 deep.
I'd love to see E. Simmons become a damned if you do, damned if you don't conundrum at NT on passing downs. Double team him & create a miss match on the edge/picking up the blitz. Block him one-on-one and he's almost assured to collapse the pocket, bullrushing the QB.

Hopefully with our two incoming freshman RB's bringing the size Pruitt likes Q. Crouch will be utilized solely at LB, his preferred position. If he still contributes as a goal line RB it won't bother me though. I'm thinking J. Banks is back and locks down an OLB spot. I'd love to see J. Banks get a full spring & fall camp getting LB reps if he's paid his dues and readmitted, which seems likely. Let's not forget JJ Peterson either. He steadily progressed and got reps in the 2-deep last season.

All in all our Defense has made steady incremental steps from atrocious in 2017 to mediocre in 2018 with occasional flashes of good. This season the Defense started out mediocre due primarily to assignment and alignment issues. By the midpoint of the season they were playing good and got down right stingy a good bit during the back half of the year.

By all indications we should be able to pick up right where we left off next year. We start out replacing 3major Defensive contributors but that's nowhere near the amount of first time starters we started off 2019 breaking in and we have allot more depth. I think we'll have a stingy top 15-20 defense that sets us up for an 8-4 season regardless of how our Offense looks with the QB & WR uncertainties.

What I'd like to see and what you alluded to is our Defense continuing to improve to the point of becoming elite and down right nasty. I think Pruitt did an admirable job completing the roster flip (Ignont & a few others) and finally has the players he wants to constantly play aggressive with an attacking Defense.

If our Offense is improved at QB and new WR's emerge or the Defense progresses ahead of schedule, lookout. This could be a 10 win season.

 

[bpalmer28]

It's fair to say this staff should never finish worst than 7-5 from here on out, and that assumes we have a tough non-conference opponent AND a tough SECW opponent to go with Bama. This year our SECW opponent is Arkansas... the worst team in the conference, so 8-4 should be the floor. There's no longer an excuse for losing to South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, etc.

It's definitely possible we upset Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia or Florida to get to 9-3 or maybe even 10-2 (depending on how OU and UGA replace their QBs) but it's also possible we lose to someone we shouldn't... so I'm expecting an 8-4 season but think there's a realistic chance we do better.

 

[lukeneyland]

If we can get decent qb play and OU's defense doesn't drastically improve then they will be very beatable. I'm not saying I think we should be favorites or that Pruitt should catch hell if we lose but I honestly believe that we have a better than decent shot at them

 

[RockyTop140]

QB play makes or breaks next season. It’s gonna be frustrating to watch next season if the qb play is bad again

 

[sjt18]

Tennessee can win 9 games with average quarterback play this season

OK. Tell me who the QB starter is and I'll make a win prediction.

If someone beats JG out then UT has a shot at having one guy give them good production and leadership for the whole season. I can see a 9 or 10 win team with an outside shot at 11. I think UT will be very good on the line of scrimmage and solid in the defensive back 7.

I believe this next season comes down entirely to point production. I think UT will be a middling rushing team between 5th and 9th after finishing 12th this year. That will not be enough to carry the team. UT needs very good QB play. The Vols need to score more than 30 ppg IMO to get to 8 wins. Over 35 IMO keeps them on the field with just about anyone.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

9-3

 

[Sub Par SUPERSTAR]

I think y'all might actually go down there and surprise Oklahoma, that's one I've got on my early huge upset list.

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

OK. Tell me who the QB starter is and I'll make a win prediction.

If someone beats JG out then UT has a shot at having one guy give them good production and leadership for the whole season. I can see a 9 or 10 win team with an outside shot at 11. I think UT will be very good on the line of scrimmage and solid in the defensive back 7.

I believe this next season comes down entirely to point production. I think UT will be a middling rushing team between 5th and 9th after finishing 12th this year. That will not be enough to carry the team. UT needs very good QB play. The Vols need to score more than 30 ppg IMO to get to 8 wins. Over 35 IMO keeps them on the field with just about anyone.

Tennessee's offensive line will be one of the best in the SEC and that will help the running game a hell of a lot

 

[GrizzlyVol]

Predict the Vols win/loss record for the 2020 regular season.

2020 TENNESSEE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

• Sept. 5 — Charlotte
• Sept. 12 — at Oklahoma
• Sept. 19 — Furman
• Sept. 26 — Florida
• Oct. 3 — Missouri
• Oct. 10 — at South Carolina
• Oct. 24 — Alabama
• Oct. 31 — at Arkansas
• Nov. 7 – Kentucky
• Nov. 14 — at Georgia
• Nov. 21 — Troy
• Nov. 28 — at Vanderbilt

My opinion
Charlotte W
Oklahoma L
Furman W
Florida L
Mizzou W
USCjr W
Bama L
Arkansas W
Kentucky W
Georgia W
Troy W
Vandy W

 

[sjt18]

Tennessee's offensive line will be one of the best in the SEC and that will help the running game a hell of a lot

I have questions about the talent of the guys running behind that OL.

Gray has to get bigger and stronger to be effective against most SEC D's. I like Chandler but he lost a half step when he gained weight. I appreciate Jordan but he's never really had the speed needed to be more than a role player. I don't think either of the 2020 guys are ready to play as Fr.

 

[FLVOL_79]

9-3..they beat someone they shouldn't otherwise 8-5 is 100% doable with competent QB play.

 

[Matt2496]

7-5

I don't have faith in Pruitt yet, and QB is a giant unknown at this point.

 

[LWSVOL]

Predict the Vols win/loss record for the 2020 regular season.

2020 TENNESSEE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

• Sept. 5 — Charlotte
• Sept. 12 — at Oklahoma
• Sept. 19 — Furman
• Sept. 26 — Florida
• Oct. 3 — Missouri
• Oct. 10 — at South Carolina
• Oct. 24 — Alabama
• Oct. 31 — at Arkansas
• Nov. 7 – Kentucky
• Nov. 14 — at Georgia
• Nov. 21 — Troy
• Nov. 28 — at Vanderbilt

8-4. If they miss 8 wins the only possible issue (outside of health issues) will be inconsistent QB play.. all other positions good enough to get to 8

 

[EastTNVol6240]

• Sept. 5 — Charlotte W
• Sept. 12 — at Oklahoma L
• Sept. 19 — Furman W
• Sept. 26 — Florida L
• Oct. 3 — Missouri W
• Oct. 10 — at South Carolina L
• Oct. 24 — Alabama L
• Oct. 31 — at Arkansas W
• Nov. 7 – Kentucky W
• Nov. 14 — at Georgia L
• Nov. 21 — Troy W
• Nov. 28 — at Vanderbilt W

7-5, and competitive in all games. Nashville/Music City Bowl. 2019 edition did not have a complete game of excellence - 2020 will have 5 games of complete quality play.

Did you pull the trigger yet? Surely we beat SC. I think we split with FL/GA. 8 is feasible. Maybe another if we have a decent QB.

 

[Only_1_OK]

They’re going to have a true freshman QB. And its early in the season

Not entirely true.

Of the two playable QBs still on the roster (not scout team QBs) one is a red shirt freshman (Tanner Mordecai) and the other (Spencer Rattler) is a true freshman this year. So they'll have two and one year respectively working with Coach Riley. Rattler could even take a red shirt this year if he wanted to maintain a year of eligibility. We also have a recruit coming in that's pretty highly rated (4 star) that will probably back them up.

 

[Only_1_OK]

I wish he was. He didn’t play much this year in relief, hopefully due to him not looking as good as expected. We will be his first real test, wish it was in Neyland

I personally think Coach Riley was keeping both him and Mordecai in his back pocket in case all hell broke loose and gave them both a year to mature and get used to a faster pace than high school. Let's face facts here, Hurts didn't fit the OU offense we've seen since Lincoln came to town (not a gunslinger) but he managed to win despite not being a great passer. Good enough to win, not really a great QB in the grand scheme of things. They created enough wrinkles in the passing game to allow him a lot of latitude to gain yards with his feet. Which he did very well. But he's not ever going to be remembered as a "great" Oklahoma quarterback.

Enter two QBs who very well could pose the deep threat in 2020. OU gets a minimum of 2 years of starting from Mordecai or 3 years of starting with Rattler. I mean, Rattler could be a 4 year starter if they give him a red shirt for this year which he's eligible for.

Coach Riley did the smart thing by not sending out his young quarterbacks and giving himself a one and two years to work them into the system. Kind of like he did with Kyler Murray when Baker Mayfield was here.