Bama wasn't a Litmus test

[photovol]

Seeing the talent disparity with Bama play itself out on the field made me really start paying attention to recruiting a couple of months earlier than I normally would. Last year a lot of experts were telling us that 2016 was a class for filling needs and 2017 would be a big haul for elite talent due to a bumper crop of elite instate prospects. Now I see how few of those elite instate guys are committed to the Vols and I'm starting to worry about the future. We should have a top 5 class this year.

Do you have any idea of how hard is is to land a top 5 class, it doesn't happen very often for UT or many other SEC schools

 

[Burger]

The problem is we'll never be that good under Butch Jones.

 

[Orangedogsrule]

Who the frik expected 50-10!

I did. Told my wife after the injury report on the radio pre game. I lost count above 9 as I was driving. Got home and said this is gonna be a blow out. They could hang half a hundred on us.

Alabama IS just THAT stacked with Sunday starters. Think about it this way. How would a beat up, injury riddled South Carolina or Mizzou do against a reasonably healthy Tennessee?. We love it when we go out and "Hang Half a Hundred" on other teams. Well, it was done to us. Done when we are a historically beat up and injury riddled team. And done by a team that based on what I saw, playing as they did against us, is far and away the best team in America. No.1 for many reasons.

 

[Orangedogsrule]

The problem is we'll never be that good under Butch Jones.

We could be. But we'll never be "that good" under ANY head coach, and I mean ANY. We'll always be playing for the SEC East crown, and rarely winning the SEC CG. Tennessee HAS TO raise the salaries of ALL it's coaching staff to levels that allow the AD to actually assemble "The best staff in America" like Jones wanted when he got here. It's got to be so attractive that any OC, DC, line, or position coach, anywhere, at any level college or not already locked in at pro, will not find an offer from Tennessee easy to turn down. Look at Alabama's salaries across the board compared to ours. The best recruits want to be "coached up" by the best. It's not just the HC.
A HC surrounded by top tier staff gets it done. We've got everything else to offer. To compete with Alabama, and now A&M, we've GOT TO rise to the level of the existing bar as related to staff under the HC.

 

[JC61]

Meh...with a full squad I still think this game is much, much closer....but, if and buts...

UA will lose a game this year....they played their best game of the year last weekend....our VOLS were decimated by injuries, which had an imapct most of you don't want to acknowledge. Our lads were on the bad end of a full blown a$$whoppin', but...

We'll see what happens against TAMU or LSU....their offense isn't really that good against a solid, full strenght defense with LBs who have lateral speed. Take away Hurts' running ability and they will be average....he's not a good passer....sounds a bit like our VOLS. I'd also look out for AU...they're getting hot.

Now their D is most likely the best in CFB right now...interested to see if they can hold up when the O fails.

 

[JustFunnN'Orange]

Bama is the best team money can buy, for years!

 

[VolunteerTitan3]

The Crimson Tide is the closest thing Alabama is ever going to get to an NFL team so that's where they focus their spending. It's worked pretty good so far.