Folks just need to settle down

[VFL-82-JP]

We're a good team. Not yet a championship team, but a good team. Making our way there. We have a great coach. We have a great staff. We have great lads. All regardless of what some are screaming on these boards.

To respond thread title by thread title:

Josh Heupel: 2-6 Vs. UF/Bama/UGA

No one in their right mind gives Josh any grief for the 2021 season. He did solid just getting us to a bowl after the post-Pruitt mass exodus.

So call it 2-3 instead, with a chance in a few weeks of getting to 3-3. Not likely, but possible.

Let that sink in: a chance to be 3-3 against our three top competitors. We've come a long way from the Dark Ages.

This is what happens when you stick with bad Qbs—Guarantano part 2

As far as I can remember, Guarantano never won the Orange Bowl for the Vols. He certainly wasn't part of an 11-2 season, or even--as this season is bound to be, if not better--an 8-4 result.

It's a ludicrous comparison.

Shouldn’t the special teams coach be getting criticized?

This is the mind set of part of our fan base: we exist to criticize our coaches. Not support them, not wish them the best, but wait for any mistake so we can belittle them.

Learn how to fan, fans.

Even SEC Shorts knows Alabama officiating is corrupt lol

Well, that's true. Totally true. This one gets a pass, it's on the money. Good job, Gandalf!

~ ~ ~

That's enough for this round.

We just need to settle in and realize, even with a very good team, things don't always go our way. There will be CHAMPIONSHIP seasons when everything doesn't go our way.

Go Vols!

 

[Carl Pickens]

Don’t tell me to settle down! I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore!

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I'd call it 2-4 against UF/BAMA/UGA. 2021 UF was 6-7 and 2-6 in the SEC. Not really a fearsome opponent.

 

[volfan102455]

I'll settle down for everything but what I saw from the refs in the second half. I'm not into trashing the team I saw on Saturday - they were out there giving their all to win that game.

The first half showed what we could be. The second half showed a team that was still trying really hard to win when most of the fans had resigned themselves to losing the game.

Sadly, the only way we have a chance with Bama and UGA is for us to be undefeated when we play them, otherwise we have to beat them and the "rules of the SEC" that says the teams with the best chance to be in the CPF should not be allowed to lose a game.

That said everyone needs to KEEP THEIR TICKETS to UGA and show up and be Neyland Loud. The refs can't control the noise and make us shut up and I know the noise at Neyland can be disruptive. We need to loud and angry.

 

[volfan102455]

And aren't we still operating at a shortage in scholarships or is that over?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I'd call it 2-4 against UF/BAMA/UGA. 2021 UF was 6-7 and 2-6 in the SEC. Not really a fearsome opponent.

Be fair. Pruitt went 3-7 in 2020. Then left. Then 35--think about that, thirty-five--of our roster left after him. Often the most talented in many of the positions. Leaving us only about 50-odd of the second and third and fourth string of the team that had just gone 3-7.

And you're complaining that we lost to anyone with a pulse just 7 months later? Heck, at the time most of us found iit inspirational that we BEAT 7 of those 2021 foes.

Go Vols!

 

[volfan102455]

Be fair. Pruitt went 3-7 in 2020. Then left. Then 35--think about that, thirty-five--of our roster left after him. Often the most talented in many of the positions.

And you're complaining that we lost to ANYONE with a pulse just 7 months later? It's awesome that we BEAT 7 of those 2021 foes.

Go Vols!

Yes. And we are still reeling somewhat from all that. But some folks either expect miracles or like the coaching carousel.

 

[vol94]

And aren't we still operating at a shortage in scholarships or is that over?

Yes. I think TN will be short two recruits per year for a few yrs to meet the NC2A punishment.

 

[NetworkVol]

Vacated all wins from 19/20 seasons. Pretty much all of our talent transferred. CJH year 2 has us ranked #1 for a week in 2022. This year we go 5-1 in back to back seasons, first time since 2008 Fulmer days. Completely dominated Alabama for the first half of that game. That hasn't happened in what,16 years? We're good. These ups and downs are a lot more up.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Yes. And we are still reeling somewhat from all that. But some folks either expect miracles or like the coaching carousel.

The thing that gets fans are the flashes of Brilliance we see and expect that to continue. (see the bama first half, The SC game, A&M)

 

[Putbacks]

 

[sami]

You learn pretty quickly on here to breeze past certain posts and to avoid certain threads altogether. There are a lot of 'fans' who take this far too seriously, and worse yet personally, as if some affront has been done to them when the UT football team fails to live up to their lofty expectations. I wonder if their own lives are held to such rigorous standards.

Where this program is in what is actually year 2 1/2 for Heupel is pretty much miraculous, as he inherited a dumpster fire program that was staring at years of mediocrity in the best case and elevated it to national prominence again - not yet an annual national championship contender, but well above the radar and recruiting the type of players and depth that will get us to that level.

We were treated to a season for the ages last year way ahead of schedule, and it unfortunately led a lot of people to expect that anything less from that point on would be a failure, as if the previous decade and a half of misery never happened. Some people, sadly for them, are just incapable of enjoying the ride, even with the inevitable ups and downs.

 

[Rocky Top T]

And aren't we still operating at a shortage in scholarships or is that over?

Not over yet. Got about 10 more to go

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Be fair. Pruitt went 3-7 in 2020. Then left. Then 35--think about that, thirty-five--of our roster left after him. Often the most talented in many of the positions. Leaving us only about 50-odd of the second and third and fourth string of the team that had just gone 3-7.

And you're complaining that we lost to anyone with a pulse just 7 months later? Heck, at the time most of us found iit inspirational that we BEAT 7 of those 2021 foes.

Go Vols!

Alabama and Georgia I'll give you, but Florida was really bad in 2021. We had no business losing 38-14 or whatever to them. Their only other conference win was Vanderbilt. We had alot of guys leave but we also brought alot of guys in that year. I'm bullish on Heupel long term but honestly we haven't been outmatched athletically by Florida at any point in his tenure.

 

[CAVPUT]

At my age, I'm most always settled down. Still, I'll agree with you on most points. One bone of contention is the coaching staff. I'm not sold on the OC and DB coach....and to a lesser extent the DC. I think Heupel is still in a learning curve in this league, and we were flatly out coached on Saturday. I can understand an aggressive approach, but given the play calls and our lack of success plus he continues to pull that trigger only to dry fire, it's starting to give me a Hal Mumme vibe. Not a great feeling especially with UK at Lexington next up this weekend.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

We're a good team. Not yet a championship team, but a good team. Making our way there. We have a great coach. We have a great staff. We have great lads. All regardless of what some are screaming on these boards.

To respond thread title by thread title:

Josh Heupel: 2-6 Vs. UF/Bama/UGA

Noone in their right mind give Josh any grief for the 2021 season. He done solid just getting us to a bowl after the post-Pruitt mass exodus.

So call it 2-3 instead, with a chance in a few weeks of getting to 3-3. Not likely, but possible.

Let that sink in: a chance to be 3-3 against our three top competitors. We've come a long way from the Dark Ages.

This is what happens when you stick with bad Qbs—Guarantano part 2

As far as I can remember, Guarantano never won the Orange Bowl for the Vols. He certainly wasn't part of an 11-2 season, or even--as this season is bound to be, if not better--an 8-4 result.

It's a ludicrous comparison.

Shouldn’t the special teams coach be getting criticized?

This is the mind set of part of our fan base: we exist to criticize our coaches. Not support them, not wish them the best, but wait for any mistake so we can belittle them.

Learn how to fan, fans.

Even SEC Shorts knows Alabama officiating is corrupt lol

Well, that's true. Totally true. This one gets a pass, it's on the money. Good job, Gandalf!

~ ~ ~

That's enough for this round.

We just need to settle in and realize, even with a very good team, things don't always go our way. There will be CHAMPIONSHIP seasons when everything doesn't go our way.

Go Vols!

Good post

 

[volfan4evr]

I sadly believe that a number of posters on here are not Vol fans. Just like to stir the pot IMO.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Alabama and Georgia I'll give you, but Florida was really bad in 2021. We had no business losing 38-14 or whatever to them. Their only other conference win was Vanderbilt. We had alot of guys leave but we also brought alot of guys in that year. I'm bullish on Heupel long term but honestly we haven't been outmatched athletically by Florida at any point in his tenure.

EDIT: I see what you meant now. Florida only beat one other SEC team, Vandy. True, but they did also beat Florida State.

So they kinda sucked. By all rights, given what we'd just been through, we should have sucked even worse. And yet we had a better SEC record than them. Lost to them head to head, but did better than them overall. With a roster full of holes, a brand new coaching staff, and a program in peril from the NCAA.

Meh, you see it your way, I'll see it mine. I'm not going to hold ANYTHING about 2021 against Josh & Crew.

Go Vols!

 

[NeverWe'llSever]

Just beat Kentucky and Mizzou and you’re going to finish 9-3 at the very least. That’s the expectation, for me.

Bama, Florida, UGA as losses, I can understand. You have equal or worse talent than those teams. You already beat A&M, who has more talent than you. That’s a nice win.

Losses to Kentucky or Mizzou are hard to swallow for me because you definitely have the talent edge over both and they are 2 of the least intimidating road environments in the SEC. A loss to Kentucky is especially bad. Any loss to Kentucky is unacceptable.

 

[temptn]

If you're only going be satisfied if we win the National Championship, then you are going be disappointed 99% of the time.

 

[Toucan Sam]

This team can still win nine games and ten with a bowl victory.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

EDIT: I see what you meant now. Florida only beat one other SEC team, Vandy. True, but they did also beat Florida State.

So they kinda sucked. By all rights, given what we'd just been through, we should have sucked even worse. And yet we had a better SEC record than them. Lost to them head to head, but did better than them overall. With a roster full of holes, a brand new coaching staff, and a program in peril from the NCAA.

Meh, you see it your way, I'll see it mine. I'm not going to hold ANYTHING about 2021 against Josh & Crew.

Go Vols!

I didn't go after him about 2021, I just don’t subscribe to the idea that we were overmatched by UF that year (Florida State was 5-7 in 2021 btw). I agree Alabama & Georgia certainly were pass worthy that year though considering they were the CFP finalists.

 

[65YearsAVol]

Ima juss settle down.

 

[Nationdom]

I would say it’s very likely that we beat UGA because we just don’t lose at Neyland anymore. Those days are over.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I didn't go after him about 2021, I just don’t subscribe to the idea that we were overmatched by UF that year (Florida State was 5-7 in 2021 btw). I agree Alabama & Georgia certainly were pass worthy that year though considering they were the CFP finalists.

Oh! So you give passes when our opponents are in the national title game. I see.

So that means we're not 2-6 or 2-3 since Heupel came aboard. We're 2-1*, waiting to see how his third season plays out! Nice!



* In Heupel's first year, Bama and UGa were in the title game, but Florida wasn't. That made us 0-1 to that point.
In his second season, UGa was in the NC. But the wins against Bama and Florida are to our credit. Improving us to 2-1.
And we can't yet know which 2023 games might count against us, because we don't yet know who will make the playoffs.
If you really want, we could say Florida 2023 definitely will not make the playoffs. So we're probably 2-2.

Heh.