3-0 to Start the '09 season

[SWIL]

I'm normally optimistic, however, I don't think we will beat FL until Teblow is gone. Give credit were it's due- that kid is a phenomenal leader and player.

I think it will be close this time and our defense will frustrate them, but like others have said, our offense just isn't ready yet.

 

[jakez4ut]

No. And that's not what I said either. Keep it close against UF then get beat by Vandy and other teams that you should beat and you get nothing for your effort.

But if you don't think that a recruit wouldn't be more receptive to a staff that took obviously inferior talent and depth then pushed one of the most talented teams in the country than a staff that took the same situation and got trampled as expected.... I don't know how to help you. You have to have the players before you use "beating teams as a recruiting selling point" and you can't get those players until you convince them of the staff's talent.

The time between now and the next time UT goes into the UF game expected to win will be shortened if they beat them or at least play them tougher than expected this year.

No spin. NO suggestion that losing is OK or that keeping it close should be the "standard". However if UT gets blown out then media and negative recruiters will tell recruits that this staff is overpaid, overhyped, and in over their heads.

Again, if you don't see how a competitive game (if victory can't be had) is better for the rebuilding of the program than taking the beating most expect then I'm not sure how to help you.

how did that help us when we pushed LSU in the SEC title game? I mean we were only one pick 6 away from beating the eventual national champion.

was that at the top of our recruiting resume?

"we almost beat LSU last year, come play for Tennessee, where almost is pretty good".

if i remember right we lost several recruits to LSU, UNC, GA and Bama the following recruiting season.

maybe the recruiting coordinator at the time didn't get your memo on how to characterize the loss in the right light.

 

[LordVOLdemort]

I see this year as a tough one to swallow. I believe that UT will basically beat teams they should and lose to teams they should. They may upset Ole Miss but they may lose to UCLA, who knows? I would be happy with 8-4 and a music city appearence.

8-4 is the best we can hope for. There is no way we are beating FLA this year. lol. No matter how bad I want that to happen to shut up the Media but they are too good and we are trying another new system in 3 years. plus they have tebow and whatever u can say about fla u cant say about that guy, hes good, thats it. one thing is for sure though Clk wont let us lose to ucla, Losing to UCLA at USC is like losing to KY in TN. It just doesnt happen.

 

[volguy0992]

I don't think 8-4 is the best we can hope for. Thats kinda crazy to say thats the best we will do. NOw I'm not saying we will win more than that but there are some games we can definitley win. Like Ole Miss, Georgia, and Bama are all realistic chances. Ole Miss would be the worst chance out of these. I know the situation with our QB's but you guys honestly saw it last year. It doesn't matter how good you are. You don't have a QB anything can happen ex: Georgia and Bama. My money is saying we upset one or both. I doubt kiff loses to both.

 

[volstuff37641]

I see this year as a tough one to swallow. I believe that UT will basically beat teams they should and lose to teams they should. They may upset Ole Miss but they may lose to UCLA, who knows? I would be happy with 8-4 and a music city appearence.

your expectations aren't very high are they?i know we are a lot better then a music city bowl.GO VOL'Sepper::alien:

 

[Teirnon]

oh come on Gator, let us dream. next you'll tell us the easter bunny doesn't exist.:blink::blink::blink:

Shsss...There is an almighty Gator in the room! Hang your head, hold you cap in your hands and act humble. Maybe if you beg forgiveness for dreaming the impossible dream he won't HANG a 100 points on you! But DON'T you dare say UT ...might...oh my...maybe...win. Oh lord i said it i have to run to excape the wrath of Greatest team and Greatest QB in the history of the universe!

 

[UNAVol89]

i was at the Tampa/Carolina game last year where the Panthers shredded Tamp's D on the ground for over 250 yards rushing. most of which was one move, and gone in between the tackles.

Monte preaches speed, which is fine, i don't have any issue with that and he has had defenses which were very good against the run, but those were highlighted by defenses with run stopping DT's and LB's. he's always had speed in the def backfeild and off the edges of the front seven.

i look at us in the middle of our 4-3, and knowing some of our depth issues, and a power run team that can power run will give us fits. we'll have to bring help to stop it in some cases i believe. likewise, i think teams that try to go over or around our defense will have problems.

Monte's defense is designed to give up 250+ yards, but it's also designed to create turnovers with a good pass rush and great coverage.

 

[sjt18]

how did that help us when we pushed LSU in the SEC title game? I mean we were only one pick 6 away from beating the eventual national champion.

was that at the top of our recruiting resume?

"we almost beat LSU last year, come play for Tennessee, where almost is pretty good".

if i remember right we lost several recruits to LSU, UNC, GA and Bama the following recruiting season.

maybe the recruiting coordinator at the time didn't get your memo on how to characterize the loss in the right light.

Are you seriously trying to compare those two situations? What happened following that game? Half the staff left and the Vols went nuts with off the field problems... resulting in KNS sport editor calling for Fulmer's head along with the criticism he got from all the sports media.

Even less that, Fulmer was in no position to sell that point. He'd lost the coaches who made it happen and his futility against UF is long and well documented... especially without a coach named either Cutcliffe or Zook.

But you're probably right.... It would be much easier to sign a kid telling him "Don't worry about us getting blown out by UF... we might manage to keep it close if you're here":banghead2:

 

[sjt18]

it's exactly what you said. and you keep saying it.

you're simply building a moral victory out of something that doesnt' exist.

You're right Jake. It will make the staff look better and recruits want to come to UT more if UF wins 60-0. No worries... a coach that gets outclassed like that is just as good as one that outcoaches a more talented teamand keeps the game competitive... especially one that's made a point to show very public bravado. It isn't important at all to show that the coaches are able to take this team and be competitive after UT got manhandled by UF for the past two years.

 

[sjt18]

no, you're suggesting that if we only lose by 10 instead of 40, that somehow improves our chances at recruiting the same plalyers Florida and the like is recruiting.

yeah, what was i thinking.

Yes it does... Doesn't mean they'll get them but if they can imply that they outcoached Meyer then hit the "we'll give you your best shot at the NFL pitch... or the "we're just a few players like you away from winning those games" pitch... then the chances improve significantly."

The LAST thing they want is the appearance that there's not only a talent gap but a coaching gap between UT and UF. "No better than Fulmer..." is too easy to say by opposing recruiters.

let me put it this way, do you think florida walks in to a prospects living room and the first thing they will say is "hey, we beat Tennessee by 40 this year".

no, they show them rings and heismen trophy winners.

Yes... they probably do make a point of telling kids how dominant they are against the SEC and especially UGA and UT which were the others in the "Big 3".

Yes. If they are going head to head with UT then they won't want to bring up a game closer than it should have been but WILL bring it up if they dominated.

the out come of that game will have very little impact on whether or not a recruit comes to Tennessee or not. it will have an even more miniscule affect on whether or not a recruit goes to Florida.

Yeah because kids really don't care which coaching end of a 60-0 equation they play for.

Be honest with yourself and put yourself in a recruits shoes... If UT loses by less than a TD wouldn't that make the coaches look stronger in your eyes than if they lost 60-0? I know for a fact that I would.

 

[jakez4ut]

Yes it does... Doesn't mean they'll get them but if they can imply that they outcoached Meyer then hit the "we'll give you your best shot at the NFL pitch... or the "we're just a few players like you away from winning those games" pitch... then the chances improve significantly."

The LAST thing they want is the appearance that there's not only a talent gap but a coaching gap between UT and UF. "No better than Fulmer..." is too easy to say by opposing recruiters.

Yes... they probably do make a point of telling kids how dominant they are against the SEC and especially UGA and UT which were the others in the "Big 3".

Yes. If they are going head to head with UT then they won't want to bring up a game closer than it should have been but WILL bring it up if they dominated.
Yeah because kids really don't care which coaching end of a 60-0 equation they play for.

Be honest with yourself and put yourself in a recruits shoes... If UT loses by less than a TD wouldn't that make the coaches look stronger in your eyes than if they lost 60-0? I know for a fact that I would.

for all your rhertoric about how losing a "close one" would be good, please, explain again how this staff got the likes of Brown, Richardson, teague, janzen, oku etc.....on such short notice? we've only lost to Florida 4 years straight, and twice badly in a row.

yet they still turned in a top 10 class.

what they did this year in 8 weeks defies logic i guess.

 

[sjt18]

for all your rhertoric about how losing a "close one" would be good, please, explain again how this staff got the likes of Brown, Richardson, teague, janzen, oku etc.....on such short notice? we've only lost to Florida 4 years straight, and twice badly in a row.

Because they convinced those kids that they (the coaches) could compete with and beat the top teams and that they could get them to the NFL. What do you think CLK's prodding of Meyer was all about?

I didn't say "losing a close one would be good". I said barring a victory it would put them in a much better position to recruit a team that CAN beat UF than if Kiffin comes out of that game looking like a joke. He basically called Meyer out... more than once. If he gets blown out by Meyer then he comes out with the media affirming he's the idiot many have portrayed him as already.

yet they still turned in a top 10 class.

what they did this year in 8 weeks defies logic i guess.

No it doesn't... but the situation isn't static. It is dynamic and always changing. As many have said, winning will solve alot of things. But losing and looking bad doing it will create a whole new set of problems. There are already enough questions that can be asked concerning the staff and their ability to get the job done. They don't want to add the proof of a major UF blow out to them.

 

[armchairvol]

I'm not sure we could beat florida even if we were loaded with talent--and we aren't. Having Tebow back helps them tremendously--and while our DBs ought to be able to slow down their passing game, they use a lot of misdirection and ball fakes and trickery and then execute very well. Also, I don't think UT's LBs will be very good this year. That is why florida has dominated the series for years--they always (going back to Spurrier) have our defense on its heels, because we don't know what's coming, and their defense plays on their toes, because they are seldom surprised by what UT does on offense. They will have a good defense, probably--and will play the run, daring Crompton to beat them. If florida plays a poor game, we might have a chance, but my sense is that Kiffin will not have a happy time in Gainesville. I think he will eventually get the Vols in a position to challenge florida--unlike Fulmer, he doesn't pee in his pants at the mere thought of the playing the gators--but I don't think it will happen this year.

 

[WhiZ]

Only way we could beat Florida (realistically) this year is if (2) things happen:

1. Whomever ends up at quaterback, doesn't turn the ball over and is a good game manager. They don't have to throw 3 TDs, just no fumbles or INTS. See Kerry Collins of the Tennessee Titans as an example.

2. The Defense wins the game for us. Unless our running game just dominates FLA's defense, we'll need our defense to pull it out.

 

[Trojan Warrior]

I see this year as a tough one to swallow. I believe that UT will basically beat teams they should and lose to teams they should. They may upset Ole Miss but they may lose to UCLA, who knows? I would be happy with 8-4 and a music city appearence.

No way, UT loses to ucla. Kiffin, Kiffin, and Orgeron will not allow that to happen...simply as a way of saying thanks to Pete Carroll. I'm still trying to figure out how in the hell you guys lost that game last year.

Fight On, and beat the bRuins!

 

[Georgia Boy]

As much as anyone hates the Gators in here; Florida is bringing back all 11 of their defensive starters from last year. Their offense will already be a task for us to stop, they're going to run the score up on us whether or not you wanna hear that.

Your defense is good. Your offense can only improve. How long you can keep your offense on the field will determine if they run the score up or not. I don't think their offense will be anywhere near as good without Harvin or Murphy. I think it will be closer than what y'all are thinking. I'll be watching with great interest. Hunker Down Big Orange!!!!

 

[sjt18]

To win, UT must get turnovers, avoid turning it over, and win both LOS's. The marginally good news is that the lines are probably UT's best match ups. UT's DL in Monte's scheme could have some success disrupting UF's PA and run game. The spread is just the shot gun minus those. UT's OL is a question mark but UF is still searching for DT's... If they've really improved then that could be a positive.

The odds are very long but no less possible than Ole Miss last year.

The Dawg fan is right about UF's O not being as good... at least early on... but the drop off won't be that much.

 

[justingroves]

To win, UT must get turnovers, avoid turning it over, and win both LOS's.

UT's DL in Monte's scheme could have some success disrupting UF's PA and run game.

This is universal.

I am much more worried about Bama's style of offense going against Tennessee than Florida

 

[sjt18]

This is universal.

I am much more worried about Bama's style of offense going against Tennessee than Florida

Maybe I wasn't clear then. I think UT will have to consistently run when they choose to and get 3 seconds in the pocket when they choose to.

Under that standard, UT didn't win the LOS in very many games in 07.

The DL needs to get penetration and pressure the passer with the 4 down guys... something they haven't done well in quite awhile.

I agree that Bama's style is more of a problem for CMK's philosophy... which isn't that much different than Chavis' in many ways. Hopefully he'll do it better and call a better game.

 

[justingroves]

Maybe I wasn't clear then. I think UT will have to consistently run when they choose to and get 3 seconds in the pocket when they choose to.

Under that standard, UT didn't win the LOS in very many games in 07.
The DL needs to get penetration and pressure the passer with the 4 down guys... something they haven't done well in quite awhile.

I agree that Bama's style is more of a problem for CMK's philosophy... which isn't that much different than Chavis' in many ways. Hopefully he'll do it better and call a better game.

I agree 100%

 

[Admiral Scot]

WTF?! Is everyone HIGH in K-town? We will win FOUR games the entire year, could ya'll plz. stop fooling yourselves and be realistic? Lane Kitten has never won anywhere, why is he gonna start now in the hardest Div. in the hardest Conf. in college football? Your pissing me off.

 

[TravisHenryCBlockedMe]

We arent going to beat Florida. People saying that they'll miss Harvin so much...they have plenty of experience playing without Harvin, they have plenty of athletes ready to fill help fill his stats. They beat Alabama last year without Harvin. I think we'll need to score 30 to beat them, and I dont see how we're going to do that against a defense that returns all starters while we have no qb, no true #1 receiver, and our running backs are either injury-prone (Hardesty) or inexperienced (everyone else). Plus, dont forget this is in the Swamp and the Gators will have plenty of incentive to kick our tails. The media is going to remind them about all that Kiffin has said every day, every month until the game is played.

The talent gap is just too wide right now. In a year or two, we'll be able to compete on a more even playing field. The only way we win this year is if we get some turnovers, Berry scores a td, and Tebow has a bad game. That is asking for a lot.

 

[rjd970]

The talent gap is just too wide right now. In a year or two, we'll be able to compete on a more even playing field. The only way we win this year is if we get some turnovers, Berry scores a td, and Tebow has a bad game. That is asking for a lot.

Realistically, I don't think we have much of a shot at winning.

As to the bolded part, last year's team did two of those three. I don't think it is THAT much of a long shot.

 

[rjd970]

Here is what I think about the first 3 games if we start out:

0-3: The heat will be turned up pretty quick on Kiffin. There will be much second guessing and all the nay sayers in the media will have a field day.

1-2: Pretty medicore. There will be a debate about giving him time to get the personal to fit his system vs. Kiffin simply isn't head coaching material.

2-1: We are on the right track. Kiffin is showing that he can turn the program around....especially if the Florida game is at least close. If it is a total blowout, there will be much chin scratching in Knoxville about what kind of change this is really going to turn out to be.

3-0: It is going to take nothing less than a miracle, but if achieved, the sky is the limit and a shot at a conference title will be a legitimate possibility...maybe even a BCS bowl. There will be total meltdown in Gainsville.

 

[bigorange114]

If we start 3-0 I'm booking my trip to LA.