Are We Improving Under Butch?

[JFreak]

Yeah, no market for intelligent LBs that run sub 4.5 40s in the NFL.

I believe Elliott has expressed an interest in coaching when his time is up here. He will not pursue a career in the NFL.

 

[For_The_W]

lets use common sense here....... We have gotten better every year the man has been here. End of discussion.

 

[volfannbama]

Tennessee has obviously improved.

My guess is this is the ceiling though. I don't think next year's roster is better than this one.

And other teams in the East will begin to crawl out of the abyss

Why is it a forgone conclusion that Tennessee wilk get worse next year and every other team in the SECE wi get better?

 

[VolFanInHawaii]

Are you telling me the Doolster would have won as many games with as many injuries and as many players quitting? Give me a break.

 

[Nuctech777]

That's crap. You're trying to spin things to look like UT has played well all season but just got some bad breaks in 3 games. All of the following games were extremely poorly played by UT, yet we squeaked by with unbelievably ugly wins against inferior teams:

Appalachian State
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Missouri

This team is badly coached and completely unprepared EVERY week no matter who the opponent is.

63-37 is not squeaking by so that one needs to come off the list. Ohio could be added in its place though.

 

[jakez4ut]

2013 5-7 with 8th toughest schedule
2014 7-6 with 5th toughest schedule
2015 9-4 with 3rd toughest schedule
2016 8-3 with 3rd toughest schedule

Recruiting rankings

2011 14th
2012 20th
2013 24th

2014 7th
2015 4th
2016 14th
2017 10th

Last year: second in the east
This year: second in the east

the short answer is yes. we are improving. even in finishing 2nd in the east in back to back years is an "improvement".

the results are better today than they were before he got here.

but what are we comparing it to? Dooley? i'd hope he could improve over that. but is that the only goal...be better than dooley?

the problem is not with the result of the season. the problem is what the result isn't.

this can still be a good year. beat Vandy, possibly go to the Sugar Bowl and maybe get some revenge on OU? 10 wins.

i would be happy with that result. as any TN fan probably would be.

but it's gonna suck out loud seeing FL take the field in 2 weeks, knowing we, for the 2nd year in a row, had the East in our sights and pissed it away.

 

[SaintLouisVol]

. . . it's gonna suck out loud seeing FL take the field in 2 weeks, knowing we, for the 2nd year in a row, had the East in our sights and pissed it away.

Yes, I wanted the Vols to win the East. If you get to the game, there's always a chance, right? But, it's hard to imagine that they would have had that much of one. If the gators do get ran out of the stadium, it's going to be hard to be that disappointed.

Not because I couldn't stomach watching the Vols get run over again, but because I just don't see much value in winning the east if you don't win the SEC CG. It doesn't mean a whole lot, IMO.

 

[jakez4ut]

Yes, I wanted the Vols to win the East. If you get to the game, there's always a chance, right? But, it's hard to imagine that they would have had that much of one. If the gators do get ran out of the stadium, it's going to be hard to be that disappointed.

Not because I couldn't stomach watching the Vols get run over again, but because I just don't see much value in winning the east if you don't win the SEC CG. It doesn't mean a whole lot, IMO.

it's tangible. that's what it is. no one expected TN to win the conf when they picked us to win the East, self included.

it's also a bit of a referendum on the state of the program where you can't win this division with the most talented team in the division because for some reason we can't beat USCe coming off a bye. the East is garbage this year. there's just no reason we should have lost it, especially having beaten FL and GA.

you do all that good work beating FL and GA, split that 4 game stretch like many if not most, people thought was a realistic goal....only to crap the bed.

that's the problem. the crapping of the bed, and while the short answer to the question is "yes".....the fine print shows there's more to the story.

it just seems that with Butch there's always if's and buts.....

winning 8 or 9 games in the SEC is good. so don't misunderstand. but you simply can't look at what this season, and last season for that matter, had presented to us, and not go back and look at the things that prevented it from being more.

and i'm not convinced we beat Vandy Saturday night.

i can definitely see a scenario where after losing the East, and having the big Sr. Day....we come out flat, just like the SC game. and they're physical enough to present a bad match up for our defense, and keep the ball out of Dobbs's hands.

i said it after the bama game, that this game was the most difficult one left. i've seen nothing that changes that.

 

[SaintLouisVol]

. . . and i'm not convinced we beat Vandy Saturday night.

i can definitely see a scenario where after losing the East, and having the big Sr. Day....we come out flat, just like the SC game. and they're physical enough to present a bad match up for our defense, and keep the ball out of Dobbs's hands.

i said it after the bama game, that this game was the most difficult one left. i've seen nothing that changes that.

I agree. Add in that VU needs the "W" to make a bowl. They have something to play for other than beating Tennessee, which is always something to play for.

Vanderbilt has played hard all year, and we should expect the same. If bad UT shows up, they'll get beat.

 

[SGMVols]

Ole Miss this year = Tennessee next year.

This year is Peak Butch Jones.

 

[MWAVolfan]

I guess I'm not included in your definition of the fan base. Have people here actually said they hate the search worse than losing? Because that seems like a ridiculous assumption to make.

Part of firing a coach because you think we might do poorly in the future (which by definition is not a certainty), is being certain your replacement will do better. If you're paying a $10 million dollar buyout and firing a guy for what looks to be the best season in ten years, you damn well better be bringing in a certain winner. If there are no certain winners... well you do the math.

With a lame duck AD and a winning record, Butch isn't going anywhere. And that fact is what makes people even more riled up and upset.

The fact is that the current leadership in Knoxville can't be trusted with a coaching search. We need new leadership which will happen. Fans should just be patient and be content with verbally abusing CBJ for now.

 

[jakez4ut]

Ole Miss this year = Tennessee next year.

This year is Peak Butch Jones.

there's some valid comparisons to make that could make that the case.

the single biggest difference though is...we play in the East, which is worth at least 3-4 wins. throw in 2 cupcake non conf, and we'll be bowl eligible next year.

as it stands right now, not knowing anything about who will or won't be here, for us or our opponents, no spring or summer etc...

i'd say we have 6 sure wins, 2 should win, 2 toss ups and 2 sure losses.

MO, KY, Vandy, So Miss, Umass and INd St.

2 should win...USCe/GT

2 toss ups...FL/GA

2 losses...LSU/Bama

i'd say the ceiling next year is 9 wins. most likely 8. wouldn't be surprised it was 7.