Honest Predictions for 2018

[Bearkat_Vol]

6-6, bowl eligible, finish 7-6 with a bowl win and have nice momentum heading into year 2 for Pruitt. I think UT upsets someone during that “hell stretch,” I can’t see them losing 5 in a row. I’m picking an upset against Auburn.

WVU - Loss
ETSU- Win
UTEP - Win
UF - Loss
UGA - Loss
AUB - Win
Bama - Loss
USCe - Loss
Charlotte- Win
UK - Win
Mizzou - Loss
Vandy - Win

Congrats to Jaws for giving predictions that were to closest to reality.

 

[Jaws]

Congrats to Jaws for giving predictions that were to closest to reality.

Thank you... I got every single game right except Vandy. I gotta admit, that’s pretty damn good.

 

[Jaws]

This guy knows his stuff.

 

[ProudVOLfan]

Thank you... I got every single game right except Vandy. I gotta admit, that’s pretty damn good.

 

[Jaws]

View attachment 178061

It ain’t easy being this right all the time.

 

[Rifleman]

What are your honest expectations for 2018? My best guess is we'll just miss a bowl. Close loss to Florida as usual, and revenge against UK, and a blowout of Vandy to go 2-6 in conference. I also think we play a good game at Auburn coming off the bye week.

Predictions___________Actual Difference (Total)

UT 21 WVU 31_______UT 14 WVU 40 -11
UT 70 ETSU 0_________UT 59 ETSU 3 -14 (-25)
UT 38 UTEP 3_________UT 24 UTEP 0 -11 (-36)
UT 21 UF 22__________UT21 UF 47 -25 (-61)
UT 6 UGA 30_________UT 12 UGA 38 -2 (-63)
UT 13 AU 17_________UT 30 AU 24 (-53)
UT 10 BAMA 34______UT 21 BAMA 58 (-66)
UT 24 USC 28________UT 24 USC 27 (-67)
UT 45 Charl 20_______UT 14 Charl 3 (-81)
UT 30 UK 28 ________UT 24 UK 7 (-66)
UT 23 Mizz 30______UT 17 MIZZ 50 (-92)
UT 48 Vandy 3______UT 13 Vandy 38 (-136)

Florida, USC, Kentucky and Mizzou will be the nail-biter games decided by a few key plays. As I look at it more, I think the schedule really works against us, but maybe we can get one more of those and get to a bowl.

Looks like I was too optimistic before the season. I did predict 5-7 but our scoring differential was 136 points more to the wrong direction.

Offensive line never recovered from losing Kennedy, and Trey Smith wasn't really himself even when he was in there.

In retrospect, the South Carolina game was the key for getting to a bowl.

My takeaways for the year:

* OL still a monumental concern
* Recruiting swagger wasn't helped by the nose dive we took in the last two games
* Florida way ahead of us on the rebuilding front
* Muschamp still has our number-next year we'll get him in Neyland
* Vandy, Mizzou, Kentucky are losing key players for next year and are must wins in 2019
* 8 or 9 wins next year should be expected next year

 

[landscapingvol]

Unfortunately, next year we may improve in terms of performances during games but I don't think our record will very much.

 

[Rifleman]

Unfortunately, next year we may improve in terms of performances during games but I don't think our record will very much.

We play BYU in Neyland, then we have 3 cream puffs.

I think we play Ole Miss in Neyland, along with home games against Georgia, Vandy, and South Carolina.

Road games at Bama, Florida, Kentucky and Mizzou.

5 wins with that schedule would have Pruitt on the hottest of hot seats after year two. I think we'll be in the 7-9 win range if we can get an actual FBS-quality offensive line put together.