Article - If Tennessee learns how to close big games in 2016, watch out

[NYCVol]

"We always race to proclaim a storied program "BACK," but fourth-year UT head coach Butch Jones has built, brick by brick, on it. The Vols have improved from 5-7 in 2013 to 7-6 to 9-4 to 2015.

And now, for the second straight year, a team that improved by two wins returns a vast majority of its key contributors. Tennessee is experienced, talented, and mean. The hype has shifted into fourth gear.

Typical media, right? We're all jumping the gun, racing to recapture history, right? Well ... numbers don't care about how good you were in the late-1990s, and numbers like the Vols quite a bit."

Gonna be a good year, boys and girls.

If Tennessee learns how to close big games in 2016, the hype will all pay off. That's an 'if.' - SBNation.com

 

[chattavol420]

The author should have inserted "butch jones" in place of "Tennessee". But hey, at least the article didn't imply that the fans need to learn how to win close games. A la Gary danielson...

 

[NYCVol]

The author should have inserted "butch jones" in place of "Tennessee". But hey, at least the article didn't imply that the fans need to learn how to win close games. A la Gary danielson...

Agree, and I think Butch will. The positive off-season moves are piling up. Shoop. S&C coach replaced. A Johnson situation. Less brutal fall camp so far. Several others that I can't find any fault with. All goes to the idea that he's learning and growing.

Plus, on Shoop...I think that guy is going to have positive spill-over into a lot of what the program does and how they do it. Hard to bring in an extremely sharp and thoughtful leader without picking up some good habits from him.

 

[YankeeVol]

Well Shoop certainly helps

 

[rockytop36]

if we learn to close out games watch out??.. really? everyone forgets we played with mostly fresh and soph's last year.... i would call it learning on the fly! go VOLS go!

 

[chattavol420]

Agree, and I think Butch will. The positive off-season moves are piling up. Shoop. S&C coach replaced. A Johnson situation. Less brutal fall camp so far. Several others that I can't find any fault with. All goes to the idea that he's learning and growing.

Plus, on Shoop...I think that guy is going to have positive spill-over into a lot of what the program does and how they do it. Hard to bring in an extremely sharp and thoughtful leader without picking up some good habits from him.

I totally agree. I'm as optimistic about this season as I can ever remember being

 

[YankeeVol]

I totally agree. I'm as optimistic about this season as I can ever remember being

I'm usually overly optimistic even though I try not to be

 

[photovol]

Your not going to have Tennessee to kick around anymore, Uh, oh who said that?
What was that guy's name?

 

[OrangeDog]

I totally agree. I'm as optimistic about this season as I can ever remember being

I was not OVERLY optimistic before our Championship year. We just lost Peyton and we liked Tee, but we weren't sure how it would pan out...... it worked out OK.

I was more optimistic about Peyton's senior year than the next.

 

[LakeMaryFLVol]

"Biggest question mark: Can the offense avoid absurd predictability and conservatism in tight games?"

This^

 

[SeahawkVOL94]

if we learn to close out games watch out??.. really? everyone forgets we played with mostly fresh and soph's last year.... i would call it learning on the fly! go VOLS go!

Butch?

 

[chattavol420]

Butch?

It wasn't the conservative play calling! It was all the players fault! They should've executed that run up the middle against the 18 man box.



Signed...anonymous

 

[Volnukem]

I feel like we showed we could close out games against UGA and SCAR.

 

[ALLVOL24/7/365]

I was not OVERLY optimistic before our Championship year. We just lost Peyton and we liked Tee, but we weren't sure how it would pan out...... it worked out OK.

I was more optimistic about Peyton's senior year than the next.

Make that two of us. I was in the same boat.