First 4 games in hindsight

#1

pimo1

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#1
App State is currently 3-2 with losses to us and Miami...

Va. tech is ranked 25 with us their lone loss.

Ohio is 3-2 they lost ot Texas state but beat Kansas so theres that.

Florida is ranked 19 with us their lone loss

Georgia is still somehow ranked after 2 straight losses. So We have beaten 3 ranked teams and have 2 games against top 10 teams coming up...

Looking at it all our SoS is looking good. With best case for us being Florida wins out and we split with Bama Texas tech.

More realistic we lose the next 2 unless something seriously changes with our first half play. There is no way we beat either of those 2 teams.in that case we need Georgia to beat Florida (after seeing Eason play I think that is a realistic expectation).

The painful thing is seeing this team going back watching all the games and there is only one thing holding us back from being an elite team. First half execution. As disappointing as the O-line has been even in spite of them execution in the first half has been our biggest flaw. Not playcalling. Playcalling has been excellent on both sides of the ball and second half adjustments have been miraculous especially with the injuries we have had to absorb.

I honestly think Barnett is the best of our top 4 defenders but the other 3 are the most important because the drop-off after them is so steep especially in the case of Cam. I have been very impressed with McDowell, Berry and jumper stepping in at linebacker. Losing Quarte Sapp also hurt badly.If we cna somehow split these 2 games or at least keep them both respectable I do not feel like anyone else on our schedule has a chance at a win. Come SECcG we should have 2 if not all 3 guys back and I think we win that game.

So from that what I have learned from this season is that

1. Shoop was an awesome hire.
2. Debord and Dobbs get way too much flak for their playcalling and accuracy respectively.
3 if this team keeps growing it is gonna be a beast at the end of the season.
4. Next years team only has to find 2 things ot be serious Natl title contenders.QB and better O-line play.

Defensively I think honestly next year we are better than this. Not because we have guys better than Sutton Barnett and JRM but because the guys behind them are developing to the point we will be better overall.

Offensively I think by next year the problems on the line will be addressed and the biggest holes to fill on that side of the ball are gonna be Dobbs and the tight ends. RB I think we will be fine WR we have so much promise its crazy and the line will have enough experience and devlopment next year for there to be no excuses.


At the current rate I don't see both Kamara leaving Hurd will get a second round grade at the rate he is going, which is like any other position getting a first round grade. You have to be an extremely special back to get a first round grade and though he is the perfect NFL type back (Jamal Lewis type) he is not AP/Gurley range. Unless a couple teams need RB's really bad and start a run mid first round I don't think a single back goes before pick 25 this year. A healthy Chubb would have been the only candidate for early first round.That being said them not going pro if they get second round (or even early third) grades would be a bad business decision.
 
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#2
#2
App State is currently 3-2 with losses to us and Miami...

Va. tech is ranked 25 with us their lone loss.

Ohio is 3-2 they lost ot Texas state but beat Kansas so theres that.

Florida is ranked 19 with us their lone loss

Georgia is still somehow ranked after 2 straight losses. So We have beaten 3 ranked teams and have 2 games against top 10 teams coming up...

Looking at it all our SoS is looking good. With best case for us being Florida wins out and we split with Bama Texas tech.

More realistic we lose the next 2 unless something seriously changes with our first half play. There is no way we beat either of those 2 teams.in that case we need Georgia to beat Florida (after seeing Eason play I think that is a realistic expectation).

The painful thing is seeing this team going back watching all the games and there is only one thing holding us back from being an elite team. First half execution. As disappointing as the O-line has been even in spite of them execution in the first half has been our biggest flaw. Not playcalling. Playcalling has been excellent on both sides of the ball and second half adjustments have been miraculous especially with the injuries we have had to absorb.

I honestly think Barnett is the best of our top 4 defenders but the other 3 are the most important because the drop-off after them is so steep especially in the case of Cam. I have been very impressed with McDowell, Berry and jumper stepping in at linebacker. Losing Quarte Sapp also hurt badly.If we cna somehow split these 2 games or at least keep them both respectable I do not feel like anyone else on our schedule has a chance at a win. Come SECcG we should have 2 if not all 3 guys back and I think we win that game.

So from that what I have learned from this season is that

1. Shoop was an awesome hire.
2. Debord and Dobbs get way too much flak for their playcalling and accuracy respectively.
3 if this team keeps growing it is gonna be a beast at the end of the season.
4. Next years team only has to find 2 things ot be serious Natl title contenders.QB and better O-line play.

Defensively I think honestly next year we are better than this. Not because we have guys better than Sutton Barnett and JRM but because the guys behind them are developing to the point we will be better overall.

Offensively I think by next year the problems on the line will be addressed and the biggest holes to fill on that side of the ball are gonna be Dobbs and the tight ends. RB I think we will be fine WR we have so much promise its crazy and the line will have enough experience and devlopment next year for there to be no excuses.


At the current rate I don't see both Kamara leaving Hurd will get a second round grade at the rate he is going, which is like any other position getting a first round grade. You have to be an extremely special back to get a first round grade and though he is the perfect NFL type back (Jamal Lewis type) he is not AP/Gurley range. Unless a couple teams need RB's really bad and start a run mid first round I don't think a single back goes before pick 25 this year. A healthy Chubb would have been the only candidate for early first round.That being said them not going pro if they get second round (or even early third) grades would be a bad business decision.
No chance of a split with Alabama and Texas Tech. I guarantee that.
 
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#3
#3
I agree the most likely scenario is we lose to A&M and Bama. In that case, we need Florida to lose to Georgia, LSU or Arkansas.
Reality is anything can happen. We drop a game we shouldn't late in the season or we win out and go get a Natty. Whatever happens, I'll be all VOL for the ride.

My little VOL heart will be shattered if Florida wins out and we drop these next two.
 
#4
#4
Our first 7 games are all against teams that were in bowl games last Dec-Jan. But so were we. Just sayin'.

GBO.
 
#9
#9
No chance of a split with Alabama and Texas Tech. I guarantee that.
I think there is a decent chance we split the chances we win both is what I would find unlikely. Unless like mentioned we get the first half execution fixed. If we could play for 4 quarters how we play after halftime especially in the 4th quarter there is not a team in the country I fear. As we are now there are about 5 teams I fear and 2 are in the next weeks (Syracuse, Ohio State and Louisville are the others)
 
#11
#11
I don't see why everyone assumes we will lose the next 2 games or that "best case scenario" is a split. Best case scenario is 7-0 when we hit the bye week and we can absolutely do it. If we cut down on the mistakes and put together a better first half, we can beat anybody. We're growing and getting better as a team and putting together a couple of complete games the next couple of weeks is not that much of a stretch. We're playing winning football right now and the team believes they can win even in bad situations. Other teams don't have our heart and competitiveness. I believe we have a great chance at winning these next two. It's going to be fun to watch!
 
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#12
#12
Exactly! Last year we proved we could play with anyone in the country - and had late leads against 2 play off teams. This year we are winning the 4th quarter and winning those type games

Win or lose, I'm still confident we have chances to beat both Texas A&M and Bama going into the games
 
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