Finishing 8-4, 2nd in East (season reflection)

[skasper06]

UGA is currently in second place in the east behind UF with a 5-3 SEC record. Tennessee is in third place with a 4-3 SEC record and a likely win against Vandy next week. Since UGA has finished their SEC play, if we beat Vandy we will be 5-3 in the SEC with the tiebreaker over the Bulldogs.

So how do we feel about finishing the season 8-4 and second in the east? I think there were obviously some frustrating losses...in fact all of them were a little frustrating considering we had a 4th quarter lead in all of them. Buy as a whole I do see progress. If we win our bowl game that would be a two-win improvement on last season. And finishing 9-4 could put us just inside the top 25 to end the year if we beat a good team in yhe bowl.

I think injuries have been hurtful, especially Maggitt. Considering the depth we have at a few positions right now I can't complain too much about an 8-4 season and second in the east though.

What say you Vol Nation?

 

[eskimovol]

I'm good with it, that's what I was predicting before the season and its definitely progress.

 

[Boca Vol]

I think we'll look back on this season with mixed emotions. Clearly the Vols are getting better...BUT it was there for the taking. No use crying over spilled milk. Win out and gear up for '16.

 

[99gator]

If you block out everything on the outside and look at Tennessee and Tennessee only....the season was successful with obvious improvements in many aspects of the game.

In addition, you'd have to be blind to not see a higher caliber athlete at virtually every position across the board compared to a couple of years ago.

So, the ship is sailing in the right direction and all signs point to the ship continuing to head in the right direction.

When you look at the rest of college football, the season is somewhat disappointing because I believe Tennessee is a better football team than its final record. It's a team that is better than the bowl berth that they will earn.

 

[fade route]

If we finish 9-4 with a bowl win, it will be hard to complain about much. The wins are/will be increasing with each year - 5,7, and 9 which is ultimately what we all want. I do have concerns about our offense over the long haul and coaching decisions. It just looks hard to see us getting over the UF and Bama humps as long as Butch is at the helm.

 

[hudsonriot89]

I think we'll look back on this season with mixed emotions. Clearly the Vols are getting better...BUT it was there for the taking. No use crying over spilled milk. Win out and gear up for '16.

Spot on.

 

[ajvol01]

If we finish 9-4 with a bowl win, it will be hard to complain about much. The wins are/will be increasing with each year - 5,7, and 9 which is ultimately what we all want. I do have concerns about our offense over the long haul and coaching decisions. It just looks hard to see us getting over the UF and Bama humps as long as Butch is at the helm.

The OL is the problem. 2012 recruiting class (zero OL) is still a huge disadvantage this team has to overcome.

 

[champyvol]

UGA is currently in second place in the east behind UF with a 5-3 SEC record. Tennessee is in third place with a 4-3 SEC record and a likely win against Vandy next week. Since UGA has finished their SEC play, if we beat Vandy we will be 5-3 in the SEC with the tiebreaker over the Bulldogs.

So how do we feel about finishing the season 8-4 and second in the east? I think there were obviously some frustrating losses...in fact all of them were a little frustrating considering we had a 4th quarter lead in all of them. Buy as a whole I do see progress. If we win our bowl game that would be a two-win improvement on last season. And finishing 9-4 could put us just inside the top 25 to end the year if we beat a good team in yhe bowl.

I think injuries have been hurtful, especially Maggitt. Considering the depth we have at a few positions right now I can't complain too much about an 8-4 season and second in the east though.

What say you Vol Nation?

season could have been great. instead it has been a average year. major problem debord being the OC. don't think we will get over the hump with such a bad play caller. look for 8-4 or 7-5 again next year with much of the same.

 

[ajvol01]

season could have been great. instead it has been a average year. major problem debord being the OC. don't think we will get over the hump with such a bad play caller. look for 8-4 or 7-5 again next year with much of the same.

Average compared to what?

Since 2008 we've averaged exactly 6.5 wins.

 

[triad280]

By winning out, CBJ will have increased the number of wins by 2 every year he has been here. No one should complain about that. When he was hired, if someone had told you by year 3,UT would be sitting at 9 wins, everyone on this board would've taken that in a heartbeat considering what we looked like as a team when he took over... Sure this year could've been a lot better,and hopefully the coaches and players have learned from their mistakes to make next year a special one. We have found we can play with anyone, and more importantly, the team knows it

 

[top5vols]

season could have been great. instead it has been a average year. major problem debord being the OC. don't think we will get over the hump with such a bad play caller. look for 8-4 or 7-5 again next year with much of the same.

9-3 minimum record.

 

[Remy]

UGA is currently in second place in the east behind UF with a 5-3 SEC record. Tennessee is in third place with a 4-3 SEC record and a likely win against Vandy next week. Since UGA has finished their SEC play, if we beat Vandy we will be 5-3 in the SEC with the tiebreaker over the Bulldogs.

So how do we feel about finishing the season 8-4 and second in the east? I think there were obviously some frustrating losses...in fact all of them were a little frustrating considering we had a 4th quarter lead in all of them. Buy as a whole I do see progress. If we win our bowl game that would be a two-win improvement on last season. And finishing 9-4 could put us just inside the top 25 to end the year if we beat a good team in yhe bowl.

I think injuries have been hurtful, especially Maggitt. Considering the depth we have at a few positions right now I can't complain too much about an 8-4 season and second in the east though.

What say you Vol Nation?

I was an 8-4 guy before the season. Thought we had good shot at being better after the 1st game, but it didn't happen. When we beat Vandy & go 8-4 I will not complain, it just means we are where I thought we'd be.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

So how do we feel about finishing the season 8-4 and second in the east? I think there were obviously some frustrating losses...in fact all of them were a little frustrating considering we had a 4th quarter lead in all of them.

Skasper, we didn't have a 4th Qtr lead against Arkansas. Tied at halftime, they got the lead early in the 3rd Qtr, and never gave it up.

And our 4th Qtr "lead" against Bama was a whole 1 point, for about 4 minutes. Most of the second half, they led us.

The "blown 14-point lead" theme, true of Oklahoma and Florida, shouldn't be extended to paint all four of our losses. Those other two losses were different than the first two.

But to your main point, I agree. Nothing wrong with an 8-4 season. Coming into the fall, VN collectively figured anything between 8-4 and 10-2 was the reasonable range of expectations. We hit the low end of that rather than the high end, and could have been higher (that's the frustrating part for many), but 8-4 is still in that range.

So, good...with some consternation at what could've been. Ready to cap it with a nice bowl victory.

Go Vols!

 

[FEARinSEC]

season could have been great. instead it has been a average year. major problem debord being the OC. don't think we will get over the hump with such a bad play caller. look for 8-4 or 7-5 again next year with much of the same.

LOL, Miss Cleo, could you please tell me the next winning lottery numbers?

 

[champyvol]

Average compared to what?

Since 2008 we've averaged exactly 6.5 wins.

sounds average to me. a year that the sec east is down we go 8-4. no big wins and 2 big games flushed down the toilet by our great OC. sounds like Tennessee football to me. average, sounds right. a win more I would have said it was a good season. 2 wins more would have made it great. the way we lost the games make it just a average year.

 

[ajvol01]

Skasper, we didn't have a 4th Qtr lead against Arkansas. Tied at halftime, they got the lead early in the 3rd Qtr, and never gave it up.

And our 4th Qtr "lead" against Bama was a whole 1 point, for about 4 minutes. Most of the second half, they led us.

The "blown 14-point lead" theme, true of Oklahoma and Florida, shouldn't be extended to paint all four of our losses. Those other two losses were different than the first two.

But to your main point, I agree. Nothing wrong with an 8-4 season. Coming into the fall, VN collectively figured anything between 8-4 and 10-2 was the reasonable range of expectations. We hit the low end of that rather than the high end, and could have been higher (that's the frustrating part for many), but 8-4 is still in that range.

So, good...with some consternation at what could've been. Ready to cap it with a nice bowl victory.

Go Vols!

Good post

 

[champyvol]

LOL, Miss Cleo, could you please tell me the next winning lottery numbers?

well lets see can't throw the ball. same QB next year, same OC. same results seem about right.

 

[ajvol01]

sounds average to me. a year that the sec east is down we go 8-4. no big wins and 2 big games flushed down the toilet by our great OC. sounds like Tennessee football to me. average, sounds right. a win more I would have said it was a good season. 2 wins more would have made it great. the way we lost the games make it just a average year.

Yet, you don't acknowledge we only lost 1 game in SEC East play?

Which games did Debord flush?

I can't tell what you're blaming him for.

 

[champyvol]

Yet, you don't acknowledge we only lost 1 game in SEC East play?

Which games did Debord flush?

I can't tell what you're blaming him for.

the UF and OU games were on debord and jones. we should have won both. went conservative and hoped our D could hold on. you did watch the games didn't you. that was my take. run, run, run, punt.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

the UF and OU games were on debord and jones. we should have won both. went conservative and hoped our D could hold on. you did watch the games didn't you. that was my take. run, run, run, punt.

Except the "run run run punt" complaint is generally not true.

Think there was one offensive series in each of those two games that followed that formula. One. All the other offensive drives were a mix of downfield passes, screens, draws, read options, and designed runs.

Now, add in some of our wins (including last night) and this argument becomes more valid. But that wasn't the problem in our losses to Oklahoma and Florida.

 

[vol-un-tear]

We haven't beaten Georgia since 2009 and we were 0-3vs Missouri. Regardless of their situation great wins! We have to get over the hump and beat Florida or we will always be second. Go Vols!!

 

[champyvol]

Except the "run run run punt" complaint is generally not true.

Think there was one offensive series in each of those two games that followed that formula. One. All the other offensive drives were a mix of downfield passes, screens, draws, read options, and designed runs.

Now, add in some of our wins (including last night) and this argument becomes more valid. But that wasn't the problem in our losses to Oklahoma and Florida.

I disagree I don't remember on either of the last drives where we just need a first down or a couple that we threw down field. I do remember a couple of conservative screen passes. in the UF game I don't even remember that.

 

[DaphneVol1]

Assuming we take care of business by beating vandy.. 8-4 shows good improvement. There are games we should have won. The GA game was one we could have easily lost though. . So i will take the good with the bad. Hope we continue to improve next year.

 

[ajvol01]

the UF and OU games were on debord and jones. we should have won both. went conservative and hoped our D could hold on. you did watch the games didn't you. that was my take. run, run, run, punt.

The defense has to share the blame for UF.

4th and 14 should never turn into a 60+ yard TD.

 

[orangeluvr]

Given the trials and tribulations of recent years 8-4 is acceptable for this season. Winning games vs. top 25 teams is the goal moving forward. :yes: