Backing In? Nah. Winning? Not Unfathomable.

#1
VFL-82-JP

VFL-82-JP

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#1
So we have to win out. And LSU has to put Florida in a shallow grave.

Both of those requirements are entirely realistic. Things could go a different way, sure, but it's not unreasonable to consider the possibility.

And then the Vols are in Atlanta in December.

So do we have any chance at all there? Will we have just "backed in" to a butt-whoopin'?

No, and maybe not.

No, we won't have "backed in." I'm gonna show you "backing in," and it looks quite a bit worse than our possible path to Atlanta.

As for losing, chances are good we might. Then again, there's historical precedent for the 5-3 underdog winning that game.

How about a little SEC CG history?

~ ~ ~​

In the 24 years of the SEC CG, four teams have gotten to Atlanta with 5 or fewer conference wins:

'93 Alabama -- officially 0-8 in the SEC that year, because all their wins were vacated by the Antonio Langham cheating scandal. And it's not like their on-field performance was hugely better; they went 5-2-1 before the cheating caught up with them. Not only that, but they didn't even win their division. Auburn did, but was barred from the post-season for its own cheating scandal. So Bama took their place in Atlanta. If ever a team "backed in" to the SEC CG, '93 Bama was it. HOW'D THEY DO IN ATLANTA? Lost to Florida, 28-13.

'01 LSU -- Went 5-3 in the SEC that year under 2nd-year coach Nick Saban, but redeemed themselves by beating our beloved Vols. HOW'D THEY DO IN ATLANTA? Sadly they won, 31-20.

'02 Arkansas -- Went 5-3 in the SEC, but got into the CG because Bama was (once again) banned from the post-season for cheating. So Arky got there by winning a tie-breaker. HOW'D THEY DO IN ATLANTA? Lost to Georgia, 30-3.

'10 South Carolina -- Went 5-3 in the SEC. And won the East, because all the other teams went 4-4 (FL) or worse (everyone else). Ouch. This is, by the way, the worst season in history for West-versus-East imbalance...at least, so far. Anyway, USCe was the best of the worst, and repped the East in Atlanta. HOW'D THEY DO? Lost to Auburn by the largest margin of victory in the history of the SEC CG, 56-17.

~ ~ ~​

So there you have it.

Could the Vols be the 5th team in the history of the SEC CG to get there with 5 conference wins? Perhaps, time will tell.

Could we be the 2nd in history to actually win it? Maybe not, but stranger things have happened. Have hope, lads, and work hard for it!

One thing is for sure, though. If we can get there, we're not even close to the most egregious case of "backing in"; that dubious distinction belongs to '93 Bama by a wide margin. And our hopes of pulling the upset have historic precedence, ironically, from the '01 CG in which the underdog beat us.

Here's hoping we win out and make a little history of the good kind.

Go Vols!
 
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#2
#2
Winning the east and getting to Atlanta is better than not even getting a chance at upsetting the West in the SECCG. No matter how ugly it was getting there. Winning is winning, IMO. Go Vols!
 
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#4
#4
it aint backing in, we lost a silly game to SC, at that point in the season it seemed even worse, then we saw what we knew already play out on TV, FLA has no offense.....Del Rio is a bum.....

If we beat Kentucky and have beaten Fla, they were the teams in front of us, how is that backing in.....
Now we may need a lil help from SC or LSU but Fla needed a lil help frrm Bama and Texas AM to be in front of us....
go Vols..
 
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#6
#6
Maybe it isn't "backing in" but I certainly don't feel like we deserve to be there regardless of whether or not Florida loses to LSU or not. To me, the problem lies with how Butch will spin this. There are clear problems with this team and with his coaching philosophy.

In my opinion, "backing in" to Atlanta just gives Butch an entire off-season to dodge the tough questions and to use the whole SEC East champions as talking points as to how what he is doing is working. Just more "trust the process" talk from Butch. Some changes need to be made to the staff, such as a new OC, possible new OL coach, and a true QB coach. Giving Butch any reason at all to stay stagnant in the long run is concerning.

Of course I want to see us make it to Atlanta (feel like I need to make this clear before "nega-vol" pops up), but I also want us to have long-term success and win the SEC Championship game. I don't think anyone in the SEC can beat Alabama this year. And making it to the ATL just to get beat down and have Butch coachspeak all off-season is not appealing.
 
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#7
#7
i'm not going to turn down a trip to ATL.

but losing to USCe takes some of the luster off the feeling of "winning" it. especially considering we have 3 conf games left, and i'm not convinced we're going to win out...but we do still have to play....so we got that going for us.

i won't be surprised one bit if LSU beat FL....FL right now looks like just another East team. heck, i wouldn't be totally surprised if USCe pulled another upset.

somebody's gotta "win" it...might as well be us.

but i don't think we have a shot in hades of beating Alabama in that game. nor does any other East team.
 
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#8
#8
VersaceButch said:
Maybe it isn't "backing in" but I certainly don't feel like we deserve to be there regardless of whether or not Florida loses to LSU or not. To me, the problem lies with how Butch will spin this. There are clear problems with this team and with his coaching philosophy.

In my opinion, "backing in" to Atlanta just gives Butch an entire off-season to dodge the tough questions and to use the whole SEC East champions as talking points as to how what he is doing is working. Just more "trust the process" talk from Butch. Some changes need to be made to the staff, such as a new OC, possible new OL coach, and a true QB coach. Giving Butch any reason at all to stay stagnant in the long run is concerning.

Of course I want to see us make it to Atlanta (feel like I need to make this clear before "nega-vol" pops up), but I also want us to have long-term success and win the SEC Championship game. I don't think anyone in the SEC can beat Alabama this year. And making it to the ATL just to get beat down and have Butch coachspeak all off-season is not appealing.
Click to expand...

100% truth right here. Jones is fools gold.
 
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#9
#9
I always hate the "backing in" argument. If you boil it down, what that basically means is, you won the division with a loss in your division,which happens frequently. Did Bama back in when they lost to LSU in the regular season, and then went on to win the Nattie?
 
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#10
#10
VolDaddy87 said:
Winning the east and getting to Atlanta is better than not even getting a chance at upsetting the West in the SECCG. No matter how ugly it was getting there. Winning is winning, IMO. Go Vols!
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This!!!! :good!:

Never understood the logic behind hoping we don't go to the SECCG!
 
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#12
#12
I don't make excuse's for our football team i know every team get's player's hurt i understand that but as a fan of 48 year's i have never seen a team lose so many key player's in the last 2 year even our back up's are getting hurt we are down to third stringer's somehow we win out and got to Atlanta then this has been a good season even if Bama beat's our ear's off they should with there talent only 1 team in the country would have a shot at them and that is Louisville, so our goal was to win the East so that is still there. GO VOLS BUCK BAMA, just hope Texas back's up a truck up with 15 to 20 million for a 10 year contract and hope little saint nick jump in the back and haul azz to Texas.
 
#13
#13
jakez4ut said:
i'm not going to turn down a trip to ATL.

but losing to USCe takes some of the luster off the feeling of "winning" it. especially considering we have 3 conf games left, and i'm not convinced we're going to win out...but we do still have to play....so we got that going for us.

i won't be surprised one bit if LSU beat FL....FL right now looks like just another East team. heck, i wouldn't be totally surprised if USCe pulled another upset.

somebody's gotta "win" it...might as well be us.

but i don't think we have a shot in hades of beating Alabama in that game. nor does any other East team.
Click to expand...

Pretty spot on from top to bottom.
 
#14
#14
VersaceButch said:
Maybe it isn't "backing in" but I certainly don't feel like we deserve to be there regardless of whether or not Florida loses to LSU or not. To me, the problem lies with how Butch will spin this. There are clear problems with this team and with his coaching philosophy.

In my opinion, "backing in" to Atlanta just gives Butch an entire off-season to dodge the tough questions and to use the whole SEC East champions as talking points as to how what he is doing is working. Just more "trust the process" talk from Butch. Some changes need to be made to the staff, such as a new OC, possible new OL coach, and a true QB coach. Giving Butch any reason at all to stay stagnant in the long run is concerning.

Of course I want to see us make it to Atlanta (feel like I need to make this clear before "nega-vol" pops up), but I also want us to have long-term success and win the SEC Championship game. I don't think anyone in the SEC can beat Alabama this year. And making it to the ATL just to get beat down and have Butch coachspeak all off-season is not appealing.
Click to expand...

You make valid points, Versace. But you also make the assumption that Butch won't look to improve the program through significant change just because we got to Atlanta.

I don't make that assumption. I think the USCe game hit him just as hard as it did us fans or the players, and that he's already got some ideas for things he needs to change in the off-season. I think he's got those plans already on paper, and is refining them as he gets time, even while staying focused on going 1-0 for each of the next three weeks.

It's what I would do. Focus on the present, but keep tab of things you need to fix when the off-season comes around.

Trip to Atlanta between the Vandy game and whatever bowl we go to or not, I don't think he loses that impetus. I don't think it magically erases his observations and concerns from how we played much of this year, the cardiac kid slow starts, and the meltdowns vs Bama and USCe.

I think he's a bit brighter than that, to be lured entirely away by a single extra game.

He's not looking to lose in the future; he's looking to win. And he's certainly not lazy; dude works hella hard.

So the only question is, is he bright enough to figure out what changes to make and then implement them?

I suspect he is. Time will tell. Atlanta won't cost us that, win or lose.
 
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#15
#15
and it is "backing in". sorry, i'll be that guy. as 82 showed, 3 loss SEC teams don't typically make the SEC CG, so it's not common, and generally takes others around you s**ting the bed, which appears to be in the process of happening with FL, KY and us...right now it seems to be who can lose the least....

i mean it's still possible for a 4 loss East team to get in if things fell a certain way.

i think you just have to chock it up to the fact the East is not very good, and somoene is going to go this year.

so, might as well be us...i don't want to be the team that COULDN'T win this division, this year....if that make sense.
 
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#16
#16
I don't want another ass kicking by Alabama. Hoping Florida wins out.....

And it will make our fraud of a Head Coach look bad.
 
#17
#17
VFL-82-JP said:
You make valid points, Versace. But you also make the assumption that Butch won't look to improve the program through significant change just because we got to Atlanta.

I don't make that assumption. I think the USCe game hit him just as hard as it did us fans or the players, and that he's already got some ideas for things he needs to change in the off-season. I think he's got those plans already on paper, and is refining them as he gets time, even while staying focused on going 1-0 for each of the next three weeks.

It's what I would do. Focus on the present, but keep tab of things you need to fix when the off-season comes around.

Trip to Atlanta between the Vandy game and whatever bowl we go to or not, I don't think he loses that impetus. I don't think it magically erases his observations and concerns from how we played much of this year, the cardiac kid slow starts, and the meltdowns vs Bama and USCe.

I think he's a bit brighter than that, to be lured entirely away by a single extra game.

He's not looking to lose in the future; he's looking to win. And he's certainly not lazy; dude works hella hard.

So the only question is, is he bright enough to figure out what changes to make and then implement them?

I suspect he is. Time will tell. Atlanta won't cost us that, win or lose.
Click to expand...
agreed. regardless of how this season goes, this is the question that has to be answered.
 
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#18
#18
VersaceButch said:
Maybe it isn't "backing in" but I certainly don't feel like we deserve to be there regardless of whether or not Florida loses to LSU or not. To me, the problem lies with how Butch will spin this. There are clear problems with this team and with his coaching philosophy.
Click to expand...

If we win out then we would be 5-1 against East opponents, including UF, with the 1 loss on the road against SC. So I disagree. I think we would deserve it more than any other East team.

In my opinion, "backing in" to Atlanta just gives Butch an entire off-season to dodge the tough questions and to use the whole SEC East champions as talking points as to how what he is doing is working. Just more "trust the process" talk from Butch. Some changes need to be made to the staff, such as a new OC, possible new OL coach, and a true QB coach. Giving Butch any reason at all to stay stagnant in the long run is concerning.
Click to expand...

Butch hasn't sat on his hands the last 2 seasons, but rather has changed both his OC and DC the last 2 seasons, so I think you are selling him short.

Of course I want to see us make it to Atlanta (feel like I need to make this clear before "nega-vol" pops up), but I also want us to have long-term success and win the SEC Championship game. I don't think anyone in the SEC can beat Alabama this year. And making it to the ATL just to get beat down and have Butch coachspeak all off-season is not appealing.
Click to expand...

The prospect of a beat down is never appealing, but I would rather take another beatdown from Bama in Atlanta than a loss to UK, Mizzou, or Vandy, which is likely the only thing that will keep us out of Atlanta since I fully expect UF to lose at least one more SEC game.
 
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#20
#20
I seriously doubt that floriDUHHHH could get a win over aTm with Knight at 100% like he was against us.

Nobody in the East has a chance at beating alaBubba.

Nobody in the SEC has as many injuries on their D as we have, not even close.

If we WIN out and WIN the SEC East Championship then our beat up, battered and bruised kids earned it!

We still have work to do and games to WIN so I'll keep supporting my beloved Vols and see how the rest of this season plays out.

Our kids deserve to go to HOTlanta and play in the SECCG if they can finish the job.

WIN out boys!!!

VFL...GBO!!!
 
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#22
#22
jakez4ut said:
i'm not going to turn down a trip to ATL.

but losing to USCe takes some of the luster off the feeling of "winning" it. especially considering we have 3 conf games left, and i'm not convinced we're going to win out...but we do still have to play....so we got that going for us.

i won't be surprised one bit if LSU beat FL....FL right now looks like just another East team. heck, i wouldn't be totally surprised if USCe pulled another upset.

somebody's gotta "win" it...might as well be us.

but i don't think we have a shot in hades of beating Alabama in that game. nor does any other East team.
Click to expand...


Agree...or west team for that matter
 
#23
#23
We discussed this a few days ago and realized UT had only won the East twice, 1998 and 2004. Every other year we "backed in"
 
#25
#25
I'm of the opinion that the term "Backed in" is bogus. Did Florida "Back in" last year? No, they won the games they needed to get in, and we lost the games we needed to not get in. It's a B.S. term. If you get to Atlanta, you WON THE EAST. Period.
 
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