How do you guys feel about the bowl game?

#201
#201
I’m looking at it as a jump start on next season. Plus it gives the youngsters several more practices and live game reps which should pay dividends next year.
 
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#202
#202
I am glad the team is being rewarded with a good bowl game. As a fan, I am happy to get that old familiar post season feeling. The team is playing for respect. That is important, and I hope they get it.
 
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#203
#203
I’m excited some of our young guys are getting upgraded roles. I obviously want to win, but I want this to be their coming out party too. A good start by Nico and the Gand really gives confidence and momentum to next season.
 
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#204
#204
Depends how many opt outs we have. If we have over 10 opt outs who were starters then we will lose. Only a few then we win it’s that simple.
 
#205
#205
I'm surprised that bowl games are still around, frankly. You have to be a die-hard college football fan to watch any bowl games
other than the one your team is playing in. Most are not interesting or compelling in the least, and many are not especially well-attended. Obviously, the networks make a bit of money off of them, although the ratings for the vast majority have to be bad, and the host city gets a financial fillip from the visiting fans, but otherwise they're blah. I'll watch the Vols and, maybe, one or two of the playoff games, and that's it.
 
#206
#206
Now with Nico starting, new running back with Small opting out....new names in the secondary, I'm looking forward to the game. To include the WR group. Interested in seeing who and what's there for next year. Good time for these young guys to show up and show out. Don't really care that much about a win - too many changes in play. Plan to just enjoy one last game for awhile.
 
#207
#207
Pink Locker Room said:
Under two weeks until the game. How do you Vols feel about the Citrus Bowl game at this point?

Tenn has taken a decent roster hit from the portal, especially in the secondary.

Iowa on the other hand has been basically untouched to this point by portal madness and none of the defensive players who are sure-fire NFL picks have opted out for Iowa either.

Still feel that your speed will be too much for Iowa and win the day for UT?
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I view bowl games as a big joke... a money maker for ESPN. Back in the day, it was an "award" and vacation for a great season... witness the vols circa 1939 that went unscored upon and lost in the Rose Bowl. They loved the train ride and the photos with movie stars! The polls (UPI, AP, Litkenhouse, ets, cidn't take bowls into account because of this)... then back when I was a kid, I remember when UT made it to the Bluebonnet Bowl against Perdue.. that was a huge huge deal... there were only circa 12 bowls then, and it was a big accomplishment to get there in Johnny's 2nd year!

Now, unless it's a playoff game, they don't mean squat... back to the days of train rides because you have teams that are 5-7 and players opting out of non playoff bowls, coaches changing, etc.

I think bowls are meaningless at this point. Not even a reward. Want to spend a few days in Shreveport or Birmingham? Not me.
 
#208
#208
preacherrandy said:
I respectfully disagree with your assessment. I think the old adage "Iron sharpens iron" may be cliche but there is truth in it. Nico would never become a great player if he only played against weak opponents. He will make mistakes as all young guys do but if he is as smart as we all believe that he is, those are learning moments. Remember a guy named Peyton, he wasn't lightening in a bottle either.
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You are talking about something entirely different than I am. I'm all for Nico and thiink he has a great future. But as for this one game, UT's chances of winning dropped considerably when Joe opted out and Nico was installed as the started. This game will be a great learning experience for Nico but the mistakes he will make could very well cost the Vols the game.

It's not just him tho:
--Wright and Small opting out is another huge blow. They could help Nico see blitzes and they are much better blockers than Sampson
--The OL that ended the year is not great. Great is needed against Iowa's front 7
--While I will not miss the DBs that departed, having this many new guys playing pretty much guarantees some catastrophic busts on the backend
--Iowa's special teams are very good and UT's special teams pretty much have one mistake per game that costs 30 yds in field position or worse.
 
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#210
#210
Backwards K said:
You are talking about something entirely different than I am. I'm all for Nico and thiink he has a great future. But as for this one game, UT's chances of winning dropped considerably when Joe opted out and Nico was installed as the started. This game will be a great learning experience for Nico but the mistakes he will make could very well cost the Vols the game.

It's not just him tho:
--Wright and Small opting out is another huge blow. They could help Nico see blitzes and they are much better blockers than Sampson
--The OL that ended the year is not great. Great is needed against Iowa's front 7
--While I will not miss the DBs that departed, having this many new guys playing pretty much guarantees some catastrophic busts on the backend
--Iowa's special teams are very good and UT's special teams pretty much have one mistake per game that costs 30 yds in field position or worse.
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Is Dee Williams playing in the bowl game?

Advantage: UT on special teams if DW is playing.

Agree with the rest of your points.

This will be an entertaining game and great learning experience for new personnel.

Go Vols! jdh
 
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#212
#212
temptn said:
I have been watching some of the bowl games and they have been pretty fun to watch so far.
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I enjoy the bowl season very much. Try to watch as many as I can. I do hate that many players have no loyalty to their schools and their teammates and opt out of the games. If Injuries are this big of a fear, then why do they not opt out as soon as their team gets 2 losses and are eliminated from the play offs.
 
#214
#214
I feel the same about the bowl game as I feel about every other non-cupcake game….. to whit….
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#215
#215
plumbervol said:
I dont blame Milton for opting out, everybody is opting out and it will not help his chance of getting drafted or the round he might get picked. You never know how it will go and who might want you. .........I still have my boycott the Titans tee shirt because they went with Levis instead of drafting Hooker and we all see how that turned out. If he looks good at pro days he might creep up.
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So far. The book isn't out on Levis yet, and he's still getting by on purely athletic talent. If he's playing well at this time next season then the Titans might have something.
 
#216
#216
Can’t wait any competitor wants to win. Some couch potatoes say these games aren’t important but for Tennessee fans and the players on the field they want to do good and win. It is very important, but even more important is this gives our youth a time to shine and get their feet wet and see the areas to improve on. I am excited and I am sure coach Heupel and staff and players are as well. GBO
 
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#217
#217
Backwards K said:
You are talking about something entirely different than I am. I'm all for Nico and thiink he has a great future. But as for this one game, UT's chances of winning dropped considerably when Joe opted out and Nico was installed as the started. This game will be a great learning experience for Nico but the mistakes he will make could very well cost the Vols the game.

It's not just him tho:
--Wright and Small opting out is another huge blow. They could help Nico see blitzes and they are much better blockers than Sampson
--The OL that ended the year is not great. Great is needed against Iowa's front 7
--While I will not miss the DBs that departed, having this many new guys playing pretty much guarantees some catastrophic busts on the backend
--Iowa's special teams are very good and UT's special teams pretty much have one mistake per game that costs 30 yds in field position or worse.
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I think we'll see a worse performance from UT overall than we expected when they first announced this game.

I don't know what to expect from Nico though I think he'll be decent, but I can't say he would perform as well as Milton.

Sampson has a tendency to dance in the backfield won't help against a defense you must get north and south on. Seldon has 51 yards the entire year.

Watch the cushion our db's give to Iowa receivers to keep from making big mistakes. I think Iowa will have several trick plays for the inexperience.

If we win it will be because our WR were able to make enough plays and didn't have the usual 4-5 drops per game and our front seven on defense played stout for 4 quarters.
 
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#218
#218
Regarding the idea of bowl games being referred to as 'meaningless' given all the transfers and opt-outs and the 'natty or bust' emphasis of so many fans today, I don't think any game where kids are wearing the orange and white and busting their asses to win a game can be called meaningless.

But at the same time, attaching great importance to winning games that so often don't feature nearly the same team we watched all season makes no sense. I don't believe these games should count on a team's W-L, but as a final game for many who will never wear a uniform again and a glimpse of the future, they can be a fun diversion as long as they are seen in that way.

Regarding Nico, why does it have to be boom or bust, where the results will be dissected here and given way too much importance? He's playing his first game with a patchwork OL, backup RB's, and a sketchy WR room, and against a pretty good defense - can't we just enjoy the glimpses of what is to come without all the pearl clutching of what the result might mean for the future? Maybe that's asking too much of VolNation.
 
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#219
#219
For all who think this is some kind of preview for what Nico will do next season, remember Joe's bowl performance last season.
 
#220
#220
papatomany said:
For all who think this is some kind of preview for what Nico will do next season, remember Joe's bowl performance last season.
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They are 2 different people. Conversely if he struggles some will say he isn’t good. Many fans today quite frankly kneejerk from one extreme to the other. I expect Nico will play well and show flashes and he may struggle some too. Some folks want instant gratification these days, football is often ugly because there are 11 on the other side. People expecting flawless football rarely find it. It takes a lot to bring it all together. GBO
 
#221
#221
Woodlawn VOL said:
They are 2 different people. Conversely if he struggles some will say he isn’t good. Many fans today quite frankly kneejerk from one extreme to the other. I expect Nico will play well and show flashes and he may struggle some too. Some folks want instant gratification these days, football is often ugly because there are 11 on the other side. People expecting flawless football rarely find it. It takes a lot to bring it all together. GBO
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I expect Nico to be fine next year. Just saying that the bowl game is no more predictive than the spring game.
 
#222
#222
papatomany said:
For all who think this is some kind of preview for what Nico will do next season, remember Joe's bowl performance last season.
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And that turned out to be pretty indicative of how Joe played this season. Especially when you consider the WR corps was not as good this year, especially after the injuries to 2 of the 3 top WRs. The OL was beat up towards the end of the year and the coaches relied more on the running game. Joe also had some injury problems throughout the year that he didn't use as an excuse.

Joe Milton was a good QB at UT. He was not Hendon Hooker but he was not asked to be Hendon Hooker. He is arguably the 3rd best QB in the post Fulmer era. Should be rememberd fondly by UT fans for his leadership and attitude. Not a big fan of skipping out on his team for the bowl game but if he heard 1/2 of what the uneducated portion of the fan base has been saying about him, I can uderstand his decision a little better.
 
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#223
#223
I took a break from everything until game week after the season to give myself a de-stresser. What am I missing with the RB situation? I keep reading we are without them.
 
#225
#225
papatomany said:
For all who think this is some kind of preview for what Nico will do next season, remember Joe's bowl performance last season.
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Joe had years of college experience. Nico has months. Apple/oranges.
 
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