247Sports predicts final record for all 14 SEC teams in 2021

[Rooster1]

Heck with all we've lost, new coaching staff, etc, I'd be happy with 6-6. Not optimal, but Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Bama, and Ole Miss should all be ahead of us given they all don't have a coach in the first year at a new team. South Carolina and Pitt are both going to be competitive games, but I think we should win both games.

Main things are can we get improved quarterback play from someone on the roster, and can the defense put it all together.

Not sure what that means, but a depleted defensive roster playing in a system that puts maximum stress on the defense and playing under new coaches in a new system probably does not equate to "putting it all together".

 

[Rooster1]

That wouldn't have us at the overall 6-6 record that he is predicting though.

He's stating that we could end up 6-6, with a better than 2-6 record, which means we drop Pitt, and pick up a another SEC win to go 3-5 in the SEC.

Beating South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt, would not be "great improvement" over 2020 where we beat, South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.

Beating UK on their field would be an improvement after the azzwhippin they put on Pruitt & Co. in Knoxville last year.

 

[BeardedVol]

Beating UK on their field would be an improvement after the azzwhippin they put on Pruitt & Co. in Knoxville last year.

Winning all of our OOC games, and getting to .500 in the SEC would be an improvement on last year.

Anything less would either be 'par for the course' or worse.

 

[sjt18]

That wouldn't have us at the overall 6-6 record that he is predicting though.

He's stating that we could end up 6-6, with a better than 2-6 record, which means we drop Pitt, and pick up a another SEC win to go 3-5 in the SEC.

Beating South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt, would not be "great improvement" over 2020 where we beat, South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.

Good post.

I will be pretty disappointed if UT does not beat Pitt. From a talent stand point, they are no better than a middling ACC team... and the ACC is EXTREMELY top heavy with only a couple of truly credible programs.

So for me, that puts UT at 4-0 OOC. So your point about 2-6 in the SEC is dead on. The only caveat I might offer is if it were a 1st year similar to Saban's at Bama. He went 7-6 and had a ridiculously bad loss to ULM. A lot of his problems were due to purging some bad eggs from the roster. BUT... none of his losses were by more than a TD. They were competitive in every game and smacked UT's last East winning team around pretty bad.

I'm not wishing for losses but if Heupel finished 6-6 with no loss by more than 7 points then I might feel better about the future than if he wins 8 and gets blown out by Bama, UGA, and UF in similar fashion to what we've seen recently.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Pruitt went 3-7 with an all SEC schedule.

If Huepel goes 6-6, 2-6 in the SEC, how is that "great progress"?

What do you believe the actual record WILL be and what do you believe a successful season for CJH SHOULD be?

 

[Rooster1]

Winning all of our OOC games, and getting to .500 in the SEC would be an improvement on last year.

Anything less would either be 'par for the course' or worse.

You are saying that improvement can only be measured in W-L record, and it's true to some that is all that counts. It is possible however to be a much improved team in spite of not improving the W-L record in any given season., in particular for a first year staff. In general everyone agrees with your premise of course.

 

[BeardedVol]

What do you believe the actual record WILL be and what do you believe a successful season for CJH SHOULD be?

I don't generally make pre-season predictions. The only games I'd say we have zero business losing are Bowling Green, TN Tech, and South Alabama as we outclass them in every way possible. We should also beat South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, with their first time head coaches in their first years, given the level of talent that they have available on those teams. I wouldn't try to make a prediction on the rest of the games until I've seen UT's performance on the field.

I'd say for me those 5 games are the bare minimum expectation for Heupel in his first season, but I wouldn't categorize getting to those 5 wins as an improvement from 2020.

 

[Jaws]

Doesn't sound like you're making an argument for Mullen beating him next year either. Your argument so far is that Saban is all but unbeatable, but UF will have weapons that no one has seen yet.

I wouldn’t predict a win over Bama, no. I also wouldn’t predict an uncompetitive Bama blowout win either.

At this point, I’m good with Mullen beating the Georgia’s, Tennessee’s, FSU’s etc on a regular basis. The wins over Bama will come.

I will say the Bama game in the Swamp is a huge opportunity for Mullen and Florida and I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida wins.

 

[BeardedVol]

You are saying that improvement can only be measured in W-L record, and it's true to some that is all that counts. It is possible however to be a much improved team in spite of not improving the W-L record in any given season., in particular for a first year staff. In general everyone agrees with your premise of course.

The poster I was originally responding to, made the statement that getting to 6-6 was a "great improvement" over 2020; I disagreed.

I think it's possible to show overall improvement, and still have a 6-6 record, but ultimately, Heupel isn't going to be judged on whether nor not he almost got more wins, but rather, actually winning.

He's going to get plenty or time, but if going into year five, we're still losing to Florida/Georgia/Alabama every season, but we are only losing by 7-17 points instead of 17-35, then I think even the most optimistic would struggle to consider that scenario true "improvement" at that point.

At some point 'improvement' has to manifest additional wins to still be considered improvement.

 

[calban]

I was thinking 7 or 8 depending on what we do with Pitt. I'd accept 6-6 but I think they'll do better if the new guy can find a smidge of defense. Offense will be fine.

 

[Devo182]

You are saying that improvement can only be measured in W-L record, and it's true to some that is all that counts. It is possible however to be a much improved team in spite of not improving the W-L record in any given season., in particular for a first year staff. In general everyone agrees with your premise of course.

Certainly true. W-L record is a very black and white way to see things, when things such as scoring margin say a lot too. Which is why 10-2 Northwestern with a mere +4 ppg margin was once an 8 pt underdog to us 8-4 Vols with a +15 ppg margin.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Hugh Freeze could easily go 9-3 with our 2021 roster and schedule.

 

[FBtime]

That wouldn't have us at the overall 6-6 record that he is predicting though.

He's stating that we could end up 6-6, with a better than 2-6 record, which means we drop Pitt, and pick up a another SEC win to go 3-5 in the SEC.

Beating South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt, would not be "great improvement" over 2020 where we beat, South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.

and as you yourself just pointed out, he is correct. It's logical to believe we could go 7-5 4-4 (losing to Pitt early). A great improvement? No but a definite positive first year for a new coach with a lot of lost transfers.

 

[BeardedVol]

and as you yourself just pointed out, he is correct. It's logical to believe we could go 7-5 4-4 (losing to Pitt early). A great improvement? No but a definite positive first year for a new coach with a lot of lost transfers.

So if he doubles last year win total its not great progress??

That was the original post I was responding to. Doubling our 2020 win total, is a 6-6 record. Unless you feel like we are losing to South Alabama, TN Tech, or Bowling Green, the only option for a 6-6 record id 3-1 OOC with a Loss to Pitt, and 3-5 SEC record, or 4-0 in OOC wins with a 2-6 SEC record.

Neither scenario is an improvement over the 2020 record that saw us go 3-7 with an entirely SEC schedule.

 

[FBtime]

That was the original post I was responding to. Doubling our 2020 win total, is a 6-6 record. Unless you feel like we are losing to South Alabama, TN Tech, or Bowling Green, the only option for a 6-6 record id 3-1 OOC with a Loss to Pitt, and 3-5 SEC record, or 4-0 in OOC wins with a 2-6 SEC record.

Neither scenario is an improvement over the 2020 record that saw us go 3-7 with an entirely SEC schedule.

No I agree that 6-6 (2-6) is definitely not a huge improvement but neither is it a step back and with a new coaching staff and a ton of transfers that in an of itself is a positive.

 

[rocytop2624]

11-point and 14-point leads are NOT huge leads, especially this day and age and especially with a Florida-type offense. You’re stuck in Tennessee offense, where 11 points is insurmountable.

One more minute on the clock and your mantra would be about how Bama “shoulda won that game” and “Bama was really a better team.”

1 more minute. I know it, you know it, Nick Saban knows it.

You hate Florida more than you love Tennessee. You need to come to grips with that and figure out how to bear that cross.

You need to find a gator board.

 

[Rooster1]

Hugh Freeze could easily go 9-3 with our 2021 roster and schedule.

No he couldn't and even if he did pull it off it would not be done "easily". Hugh needs to worry about the Coastal Carolina's of the world these days, you forget outside of catching Bama a few times he struggled every year against many other teams, even with all the cheating he did in recruiting.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

No he couldn't and even if he did pull it off it would not be done "easily". Hugh needs to worry about the Coastal Carolina's of the world these days, you forget outside of catching Bama a few times he struggled every year against many other teams, even with all the cheating he did in recruiting.

best comparative analysis we get this season is the common opponent of Ole Miss. if i had to bet on who will give Lane a better game, my money would be on the flames.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Hugh Freeze could easily go 9-3 with our 2021 roster and schedule.

no he couldn't

 

[Rickyvol77]

That was the original post I was responding to. Doubling our 2020 win total, is a 6-6 record. Unless you feel like we are losing to South Alabama, TN Tech, or Bowling Green, the only option for a 6-6 record id 3-1 OOC with a Loss to Pitt, and 3-5 SEC record, or 4-0 in OOC wins with a 2-6 SEC record.

Neither scenario is an improvement over the 2020 record that saw us go 3-7 with an entirely SEC schedule.

Regardless of what you think about the all SEC schedule point (which i get), a 7-5 record or better IS an improvement. We were going to a bowl last year as well, so 6-6 is about the same IMO, HOWEVER Pruitt had a deeper roster and the 24 transfers and NCAA investigation IS a difficult thing for a new HC to deal with no matter who it is.

 

[BeardedVol]

Regardless of what you think about the all SEC schedule point (which i get), a 7-5 record or better IS an improvement. We were going to a bowl last year as well, so 6-6 is about the same IMO, HOWEVER Pruitt had a deeper roster and the 24 transfers and NCAA investigation IS a difficult thing for a new HC to deal with no matter who it is.

Only if you equate OOC wins over teams like South Alabama and TN Tech, with those over Florida, Missouri, or any other SEC team.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

no he couldn't

You could be right, he might go 10-2.

 

[vettefool]

Only if you equate OOC wins over teams like South Alabama and TN Tech, with those over Florida, Missouri, or any other SEC team.

Heck we lost to bloody Ga. State. Got beat like a dog by Kentucky. We have lost several games to Vandy over the last several years. Been drug around by bama, georgia, and gators. 6 wins and somewhat competitive against the big 3 would be a big improvement. Very worried about our defense holding up. Not getting blown out by those guys and ole miss. And Missouri and Ky would make me feel a little encouraged. Wish I were more optimistic but I’m not.

 

[jackaro]

Oh that’s right, I forgot you, and many others here, are completely in awe/fear of Georgia.

I’m not.

You’ll see again this season.

You have to respect Georgia's roster, even if you do not respect the head coach. UT had a good run in the 1990's with insane talent and mediocre coaching. Think of this scenario: Georgia pulls off a couple of very close, almost miracle, wins in the regular season to go undefeated. One of those wins they would have lost if the opposing center had not stepped on the quaterbacks foot, causing him to stumble and fumble the ball. When Georia gets to the playoff game maybe the team they are playing will be on their third string quaterback. Crazy things like that can happen. Anyway, my point is that you can never count out a team as talented as the 1998 Vols 2021 Georgia Bulldogs no matter how mediocre their head coach is.

 

[lifeisdeep]

Hugh Freeze could easily go 9-3 with our 2021 roster and schedule.

But we don't have him because our administration and boosters are execrable, self-righteous buffoons who should be locked up for their criminally negligent handling of this football program.