An Ugly List

#26
#26
Of course anything can happen, but all the fans on here proclaiming "we have the talent" are seriously misjudging the situation, IMHO. I hope the players can be coached up and be competitive, but I have pretty low expectations for this season, and probably next as well. The schedule is more favorable, so TN should pick up at least a couple of additional wins, but I don't think that makes this team "better" than last season's. Key games telling the tale will be SC and KY, IMHO.
The team immediately got better with the departure of JG.
 
#27
#27
I disagree. JH likes to use multiple backs. Go back and look at his tenure at UCF. You are going to see 2, possibly 3 players in that 500-700 yard range. 2018 was the only year they had a 1000 rusher.

I misunderstood...I was thinking total yards. I think both Gray and Chandler are candidates to go over 1000 in total yards, but I think both will split carries and that may make it hard to rush for at least a 1000. Jmo
 
#29
#29
College football transfer rankings: These 10 will make the most impact on their new teams in 2021

Over at CBS sports, they got a list up of the most impactful transfers. Let's just say a few are from UT and a few are to our opponents in the SEC.

I don't have high hopes for this season. But maybe Heupel can bring us into a new era of mediocrity.

Hey, all that talk about family and brothers, etc., for each of them is just a rehearsed statement. If they want to leave, ok, that is your right. I think the real Vols stayed and want to play in the O&W. Let see if any of these young men break into the starting lineup and if so...good for them.


Go Vols! Hoosiers "This is your team"
 
#30
#30
Of course anything can happen, but all the fans on here proclaiming "we have the talent" are seriously misjudging the situation, IMHO. I hope the players can be coached up and be competitive, but I have pretty low expectations for this season, and probably next as well. The schedule is more favorable, so TN should pick up at least a couple of additional wins, but I don't think that makes this team "better" than last season's. Key games telling the tale will be SC and KY, IMHO.

So many of the "no talent" group seem to think that because Kentucky, S Carolina and Mizzou arenun the same conference as Bama, UGa and LSU their talent level is equal.

News flash; it isnt...and we dont only play those uber talented teams.

While there will be learning curves on both sides of the ball to overcome we have a couple of easy games along with a winnable games to begin the season. If this staff is as good as i hope they are that early schedule will provide them with enough feedback to prepare for the SEC games that our talent will be comparable.


Bama, UGA and Fla are long shots at winning..the rest are winnable.
 
#33
#33
"Eric Gray and Ty Chandler will get at least 1000 yards in those offenses. "

While I hated to see both of them go, Chandler will need 334 carries to reach 1,000 yards. Either that, or they will have to grease his jersey before every game.
 
#34
#34
A lot of it is unproven but we do have talent. Not 12-0 or even 9-3 talent but we have enough to get bowl eligible. Especially considering the soft schedule this year.
Bowl eligible this year will make me happy. I guess my goal for the year would be to play well, but not necessarily win, a low level bowl-game.
 
#35
#35
Henry T, as much as I loved him, just didn’t live up to the hype last year. He didn’t seem to improve much at all. And crouch, frankly, was just not good. Should have stuck to RB. He was grossly underwhelming while here

We had talent, Pruitt was just an abysmal HC and nobody developed to their potential. We had an alarming number of busts during his tenure. Guys that could and should have been special, never were.
 
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#36
#36
Ima break down some logic for you guys as to why I feel we have enough talent to compete at a 9 win level…

Let’s start with CJH literally has scored points at an elite level far above any UT coach ever scored. Why would that stop when he gets to the best program he has ever been at with the best recourses and his hand picked offensive staff that has been together for years and has true chemistry and trust… Pruitt was not a bad football coach he was a terrible head coach and leader but pure coach Pruitt was not bad… our players know how to practice and play football they just did not having a coaching staff with trust that allowed them to play winning football…
Agree mostly with the rest of your post but the difference is that CJH hasn't be the HC of an SEC program facing other SEC programs. It is a legitimate argument that his success at Mizzou came more against the weakest teams and much less against the stronger teams. There was a 200 ypg spread in total O in 2017 between the FBS teams on their schedule with winning records and those with losing records.

You also cannot ignore that much of his success at UCF came against weak teams. The counter to that is that UCF reached a peak under Frost and Heupel but has been very inconsistent over the years. They are not necessarily a "strong" program with a long history of strong rosters.


The simple truth is that you can spin his resume positive or negative. But the thing that matters now is that he's UT's HC with an opportunity. He doesn't have enough of a history to accurately predict success or failure. That said, if he's a 50/50 prospect as a coach then I would place his prospects for success at UT around 20% because of the situation he inherited. If he pulls it together and wins... then get ready to name streets after him.
 
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#38
#38
I don’t care if the ACC was good or not last year. UNC had two guys get over 1100 yards rushing last year and almost had two get 1000 yards in 2019. We haven’t had a 1000 yard rusher since Jalen Hurd in 2015.
So competition does not matter? My point is that Chandler's chances of success are increased due to lower competition.

They mostly ran over an ACC schedule last year that did not include Clemson. TAM stuffed their running game in their bowl matchup. UVa and ND also held them to under 3 ypc.

I'm not taking anything away from them. You play the team in front of you. But he will see a significant drop in average defender quality playing in the ACC.
 
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#39
#39
Agree mostly with the rest of your post but the difference is that CJH hasn't be the HC of an SEC program facing other SEC programs. It is a legitimate argument that his success at Mizzou came more against the weakest teams and much less against the stronger teams. There was a 200 ypg spread in total O in 2017 between the FBS teams on their schedule with winning records and those with losing records.

You also cannot ignore that much of his success at UCF came against weak teams. The counter to that is that UCF reached a peak under Frost and Heupel but has been very inconsistent over the years. They are not necessarily a "strong" program with a long history of strong rosters.


The simple truth is that you can spin his resume positive or negative. But the thing that matters now is that he's UT's HC with an opportunity. He doesn't have enough of a history to accurately predict success or failure. That said, if he's a 50/50 prospect as a coach then I would place his prospects for success at UT around 20% because of the situation he inherited. If he pulls it together and wins... then get ready to name streets after him.
True my argument was more about us having enough talent to win 9 games and how that our talent will finally be coached up on offense with a specific game plan and proven successful system…
 
#41
#41
I really don't get the hype for To'o To'o. Bama returns a ton at LB and I'm not convinced he starts. At best, he's currently a situational run stuffing guy.

I really don't get the hype for To'o To'o. Bama returns a ton at LB and I'm not convinced he starts. At best, he's currently a situational run stuffing guy.
One issue is that he's had really poor coaching. His position coach was a glorified recruiting coordinator/ grad asst type
 
#45
#45
As already mentioed by another poster, I think our true talent level will be known by contrast to UK, MIzzou, and SC. October will be telling.

We open the season with cupcakes- call it a long fall camp. Even if we win convincingly it won’t impress anyone.

October - USCe and Missouri will be our barometer in the east. Ole Miss will be our cross-division barometer.
 
#46
#46
And where did MOST of the transfers go, it sure wasn't Power 5 teams. Yes some went to Power 5 schools but most went to lesser schools.
 
#50
#50
So many of the "no talent" group seem to think that because Kentucky, S Carolina and Mizzou arenun the same conference as Bama, UGa and LSU their talent level is equal.

News flash; it isnt...and we dont only play those uber talented teams.

While there will be learning curves on both sides of the ball to overcome we have a couple of easy games along with a winnable games to begin the season. If this staff is as good as i hope they are that early schedule will provide them with enough feedback to prepare for the SEC games that our talent will be comparable.


Bama, UGA and Fla are long shots at winning..the rest are winnable.
The schedule couldn't lay out much better. BGSU provides an opportunity to make mistakes and still have success. Pitt will offer a bigger challenge and an opportunity to see how much improvement was made. TTU makes a great opportunity to correct those mistakes before getting UF.

There are 3 games between UF and Bama then two weeks including a bye between Bama and UGA. Even the difficult games are spread out reasonably well.
 

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