Grading the first years

#3
#3
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
 
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#4
#4
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though (a) Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, (b) Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
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Agree. Can only think we had more ā€œwhat could have beenā€ games...UF, PITT and even OM accounting for the A minus...still Iā€™ll take it!
 
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#5
#5
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though (a) Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, (b) Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
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One could argue, that South Carolina was worse than us roster wise coming into 2021.

Our QB situation was far better for sure
 
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#6
#6
LittleVol said:
One could argue, that South Carolina was worse than us roster wise coming into 2021.

Our QB situation was far better for sure
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I thought the prevailing argument nation-wide was that no team could have been more decimated in talent than us during the off-season, having bled something like 30 scholarship players through the transfer portal, including some of the best players on the team. And that in an off-season where NO one had to leave any of the other teams, thanks to the one-time Covid rule. Wasn't that the narrative?

I guess one could argue anything, though.

p.s. I think we only knew the QB situation was "far better" after about halfway through the season, when Hooker was coming on strong. About the time of the South Carolina (or Mizzou) game, in fact. All through the off-season, folks tended to believe the job was Harrison Bailey's to lose. Which means we had no clue. And then fall camp was in full swing, we were all pinning our hopes on Joe Milton. So, pretty much in major flux until Hendon's second or third game (which == the Vols' fourth or fifth game).
 
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#7
#7
VFL-82-JP said:
I thought the prevailing argument nation-wide was that no team could have been more decimated in talent than us during the off-season, having bled something like 30 scholarship players through the transfer portal, including some of the best players on the team. And that in an off-season where NO one had to leave any of the other teams, thanks to the one-time Covid rule. Wasn't that the narrative?

I guess one could argue anything, though.

p.s. I think we only knew the QB situation was "far better" after about halfway through the season, when Hooker was coming on strong. About the time of the South Carolina (or Mizzou) game, in fact. All through the off-season, folks tended to believe the job was Harrison Bailey's to lose. Which means we had no clue. And then fall camp was in full swing, we were all pinning our hopes on Joe Milton. So, pretty much in major flux until Hendon's second or third game (which == the Vols' fourth or fifth game).
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And you have to think that Josh gets dinged just a bit for not seeing that Hooker was the better solution than Milton. I say that knowing that there are so many variables that go into evaluating your team but I have the luxury of writing after we all saw Milton run out of bounds.
 
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#8
#8
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
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Itā€™s pretty apparent that whoever wrote this article only looked at overall record instead of context. USCjr almost lost to both ECU and Troy, they beat a UF team that had already thrown in the towel, and beat a mediocre Auburn team that trotted out their backup QB for the first time. Also, I donā€™t recall many people talking about how bad USCjrā€™s roster was before the season. They only seemed to notice that 3 weeks into the season.
 
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#9
#9
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#10
#10
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#12
#12
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
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All one has to do is look at our head to head game with Beamer's team.
 
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#13
#13
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
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I would bet that it was because they made a bowl game (they shouldn't have), beat Florida, and did so with a GA at QB. Both coaches had solid first years and there is no real difference between A and A-.
 
#15
#15
fossilfiction said:
I would bet that it was because they made a bowl game (they shouldn't have), beat Florida, and did so with a GA at QB. Both coaches had solid first years and there is no real difference between A and A-.
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UF team had already quit, AU had 5 starters out, including Nix, we scorched them head to head, they scraped by Vandy & ECU then got skunked by Clemson.

B- at best.
 
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#19
#19
Beamer did a good job, better than I expected. Getting a better grade than CJH just makes the Vols victory sweeter. Only grade that matters to me is mine,lol, and I grade CJH A+, if he had the team Butch had his first year we would have won the SEC.
 
#20
#20
Volunteer_Kirby said:
UF team had already quit, AU had 5 starters out, including Nix, we scorched them head to head, they scraped by Vandy & ECU then got skunked by Clemson.

B- at best.
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You have to admit, that is a biased take. To say that the expectation vs actual result is not as impressive for both is wearing orange shades. I would say Heupel and Beamer were on par in year one.
 
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#21
#21
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
Click to expand...

I think it is real simple why; Who beat Florida? In fact, who beat the dog 5h1t outta Florida?
 
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#22
#22
Volunteer_Kirby said:
UF team had already quit, AU had 5 starters out, including Nix, we scorched them head to head, they scraped by Vandy & ECU then got skunked by Clemson.

B- at best.
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Sports writers do not care that Florida had already quit. They will sit there and grade by remembering who lost to Florida and who beat the crap outta them. Not saying I disagree with you, just saying that is the excuse they will make for how they grade.
 
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#23
#23
TNnative said:
Sports writers do not care that Florida had already quit. They will sit there and grade by remembering who lost to Florida and who beat the crap outta them. Not saying I disagree with you, just saying that is the excuse they will make for how they grade.
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Yeah, you're probably right. Sports reporters who don't really follow the evolution of the sport over the season will not realize the Florida of September that came close to beating Bama and beat the Vols, that's nowhere near the same team as the one that choked and lost to practically everybody with a pulse in October and November.

But that's still sloppy reporting, and an error when he graded Beamer higher than Heupel. You're not arguing against my point so much as reinforcing it.

Something happened to the Florida Gators this year, a third of the way through the season. Something pretty drastic. A decent college football reporter ought to have taken note of that; it's one of the big puzzles of the year.
 
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#24
#24
VFL-82-JP said:
Mostly good write-up.

The one part that makes zero sense is that Shane Beamer was graded higher (A) than Josh Heupel (A-), even though Heupel beat Beamer head-to-head, Heupel's team ended with a better record (7-5 Vols vs. 6-6 Gamecocks), and both teams saw the same uptick year-on-year (both won 4 games more in 2021 than in 2020).

Objectively, in every measurable way, Heupel had the better first year. So why didn't he get the higher grade? Writer bias? No idea. All we know for sure is, it's an error.
Click to expand...
Huepel had a lot more talent and lost at least 2 games he should have won. Beamer had zero talent.
 
#25
#25
VFL-82-JP said:
Yeah, you're probably right. Sports reporters who don't really follow the evolution of the sport over the season will not realize the Florida of September that came close to beating Bama and beat the Vols, that's nowhere near the same team as the one that choked and lost to practically everybody with a pulse in October and November.

But that's still sloppy reporting, and an error when he graded Beamer higher than Heupel. You're not arguing against my point so much as reinforcing it.

Something happened to the Florida Gators this year, a third of the way through the season. Something pretty drastic. A decent college football reporter ought to have taken note of that; it's one of the big puzzles of the year.
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Yeah, it's sloppy. But sports reporting is generally sloppy nowadays. They are reporters, not history buffs. They live in the moment. And I have to admit, watching how South Carolina dismantled Florida? I think this guy probably look at that as the moment the dramatic stuff at Florida came to a head. He probably credits the Gamecocks as the cause. When you watch the highlights? It is hard not to give the gamecocks credit.

But here is my thoughts on why that game went that way. Marcus Satterfield is a Greenback guy. I consider his Dad a good friend. But despite that, I think I am rightfully giving Marcus credit for much of how that game went. Just about every play he called attacked the weak spots in Florida's defense. And I am saying the weak spot at that moment. A whole lot of plays went to where a player was not lined up right, or there were gassed. That was the best South Carolina's offense played the entire season. I am proud of a guy I watched grow up. He was in the moment that night.

And you know? If Heupel needs an OC, I am kinda hoping he can bring Marcus over. He is becoming a damn good OC.
 
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