Can the Vols be relevant while Saban is at the helm in Alabama?

#26
#26
OnlyGodForgives said:
When he retires Tennessee will immediately leapfrog the other 7 or 8 (on average) teams in the league that outrecruit the Vols and establish a dominance heretofore never seen in nature. Why? Because all of those Bama recruits have been itching to come to Knoxville all these years. but for Saban's congenial attitude towards them.
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You forgot blue font right?
 
#28
#28
rjd970 said:
We are one of only two conference teams that have to play Bama and UGA every year. Winning championships ain’t happening any time soon, if ever, as long as Saban is there. Even 10 win seasons would be rare because it would require being flawless on the other 10 games.

We are at best a perennial 9 win team until there is some sort of power shift in the SEC.
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Until 2 years ago playing UGA wasn't a problem most years. We can win the East, and many years Bama trips up and doesn't win the West, so SEC titles are certainly possible.
 
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#33
#33
peddi631 said:
I think yes we can win with the right coach and It is looking like we have our man. I've never been one to run from an opponent and I hope we continue the game with Alabama.
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I was with you until you say "it's looking like we have our man"

Did those 5 wins make that kind of impression on you? Did the blowout losses not even register?

Anyone who saw this season and says for certain Pruitt is the man to turn this team around are no different than the idiots posting "inside info" and hoping they are correct so they can get some VN cred.

I hope CJP is the guy. I have zero faith he will be. As a matter of fact I would put money on him being fired after season 3 before I would put money on us winning 8 games in season 3.
 
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#34
#34
GetYouSomeofThat said:
I was with you until you say "it's looking like we have our man"

Did those 5 wins make that kind of impression on you? Did the blowout losses not even register?

Anyone who saw this season and says for certain Pruitt is the man to turn this team around are no different than the idiots posting "inside info" and hoping they are correct so they can get some VN cred.

I hope CJP is the guy. I have zero faith he will be. As a matter of fact I would put money on him being fired after season 3 before I would put money on us winning 8 games in season 3.
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I’m probably 50/50 on year 3 myself
 
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#35
#35
Bama has completely sucked the life out of college football. Its ri-damn-diculous how dominant they are. The only other dynasty that's even been comparable in recent years has been UConn Women's Basketball.
 
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#36
#36
Sure they can. They can't recruit midpack or bottom third of the league. Georgia has went bonehead twice or they'd have a win maybe two over Bama. It's about the Jimmy's and Joe's.
 
#37
#37
I'm with the guys who brought up Vanderbilt.

This program is still barely relevant in it's own state right now. 5 out of the top 25 recruits in the state are committed to UT right now.

Thinking about beating Alabama is a pipe dream. Miracles can happen but predicting them is near impossible.
 
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#40
#40
rjd970 said:
We are one of only two conference teams that have to play Bama and UGA every year. Winning championships ain’t happening any time soon, if ever, as long as Saban is there. Even 10 win seasons would be rare because it would require being flawless on the other 10 games.

We are at best a perennial 9 win team until there is some sort of power shift in the SEC.
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To play devil’s advocate, why can’t Tennessee be the power shift?
 
#41
#41
volfannbama said:
Number of times losing to Alabama (with Saban as HC) has stopped Tennessee from going to the SECCG = 0
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This is the thing.

Alabama isn’t even the issue right now. Bowl eligibility has been a 10 year struggle.

The whole discussion of championships is pointless until Tennessee can at least restore order with Vandy
 
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#44
#44
ETV said:
Saban isn't the only one. Georgia with KS there will continue to improve and will continuously be the team to beat in the east. Then there's Florida. We'llbe lucky to be competitive for 3rd or 4th in our divison.
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I'm afraid you're right. Even if Pruitt turns it around, I'm afraid we're destined to be the "Wisconsin" of the SEC.
 
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#45
#45
ETV said:
Saban isn't the only one. Georgia with KS there will continue to improve and will continuously be the team to beat in the east. Then there's Florida. We'llbe lucky to be competitive for 3rd or 4th in our divison.
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The mentality has to change. You have to flip the script.

Instead of we have to play Florida, Georgia, etc., it should be that they have to play us.
 
#46
#46
99gator said:
The mentality has to change. You have to flip the script.

Instead of we have to play Florida, Georgia, etc., it should be that they have to play us.
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UT has to win those games first for the mentality to change.
 
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#47
#47
99gator said:
To play devil’s advocate, why can’t Tennessee be the power shift?
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UT could be that I guess. Again, we play UGA and Bama every year and both are loaded. With the exception of maybe a AU or UF upset, Bama/UGA is your championship game going forward.

I think it would take UGA falling moreso than UT taking it. Definitely true with Bama, they are going nowhere as long as Saban is there. UT will get better, but 9 wins with the occasional 10 win season is the ceiling.

I also forgot to add that we basically have a built in loss to UF too. It just happens, for whatever reason. This 10-win season with occasional division championships isn’t happening unless 1-2 of the top programs falls off the map it gets sanctioned or whatever. Nothing in the conference seems to “cycles” anymore, at least not at the top.
 
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#48
#48
99gator said:
This is the thing.

Alabama isn’t even the issue right now. Bowl eligibility has been a 10 year struggle.

The whole discussion of championships is pointless until Tennessee can at least restore order with Vandy
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The whole discussion of championships and restoring order against vandy is pointless until the UT administration is dedicated to winning
 
#49
#49
gr82batnvol said:
Personally, I think the day Saban retires is when the Vols will have a chance to once again be relevant in SEC play. His recruiting year after year, and his production on the football field is very hard to overcome. The more I think about it, I’m glad Georgia lost. They need to lose momentum in recruiting. Alabama may indeed be on top for another 5-10 years but once Saban leaves, they won’t have the same kind of dominant success. Not that I think Smartt is in the same league, but we don’t need a young Saban disciple creating his own legacy just because he’s the student of one of the best coaches in the game today (unless it’s Pruitt at UT) but I just don’t see that happening with either team. At some point, the Saban bubble is going to burst.
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Too bad Pruitt will take over from saban
 
#50
#50
99gator said:
To play devil’s advocate, why can’t Tennessee be the power shift?
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Because we have developed a loser mentality.

Think about it. We have a coach that the fanbases allows to use talent as an excuse to not compete with vandy, many even defend it.
 
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