How would a loss this Saturday affect the program?

[EricberryFAN]

Yes, all those recruits are thinking, "if they can't beat Vandy there is no hope". Wait, didn't Ole Miss just lose to Vandy and their recruiting class is ranked pretty high. No one decommitted.

If you don't think it would affect kids that we lose to a school like Vandy then you don't know much.

Losing hurts in not just the fact that it's Vandy but we don't make a bowl. It would hurt. Would it make a kid decommit? Who knows? Is it going to persuade a kid that is 50/50? I don't think so.

 

[volgrad500]

Showing what a true horses ass you are, calling some kids chicken poop, if I was a recruits parent, I would take a dim view of comments such as yours.

A dim view you say!

 

[LosingFaithVol]

First time head coach will make rookie mistakes. Jesus it seems some of you expected a whole lot more. Whatever.

Shouldn't fans expect more from a person handed the keys to a storied football program?

 

[Mightyvol]

I don't think is matters. UT isn't a very good football team because of the players, not coaching. CJP is installing system and a new culture. These players don't mind losing but I think when CJP has his guys, they will absolutely hate to lose. Gonna take some time.

 

[sechamp2012]

You are correct I forgot about Georgia don’t know how and they Mizzou and Bama have done it back to back. This Missouri series thing is killing me.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Shouldn't fans expect more from a person handed the keys to a storied football program?

What more should be expected? The guy accomplished something that hasnt been done at TN since 1998. Also, when was the last time we beat a ranked SECW team on the road AND a top 12 team in the same season?

Kiffin, Dooley, Butch, all losers, so given what we know about our administration, what more did you expect?

 

[coachmilo13]

Showing what a true horses ass you are, calling some kids chicken poop, if I was a recruits parent, I would take a dim view of comments such as yours.

Sorry, I did not mean to offend anyone. I was referring to the state of the program when Pruitt took over and not the individual young men playing the game.

 

[onevol74]

Wow! A bit dramatic for my taste. One win or loss is not going to do anything to this program. A win won't mean we are back and a loss won't mean we are dead for years to come. A win we go bowling and a loss we probably don't. The extra practice and exposure would be great. But, if we don't reach that it is not the end of the world. Sheesh! Sometimes this place is insane.

Talk about drama all you want but when your team can’t block or tackle in the 11th game of the season progress is not evident and this team is not getting better.

 

[JCHateSteve]

It will make things awful on here until at least until signing day.

 

[Volfreak1964]

It would make me hate my Lawyer! He's a candy fan

 

[Alex10]

Yet another example of our dumb fan base. SMH.

Listen man I fall somewhere in the middle with all this, but I gotta say just my observation, usually the guy in the room calling everyone who doesn’t agree with his point of view a dumb ass, well he’s the dumbass... at the very least you come off like a complete tool. If your tired of hearing the opposite of your opinion perhaps you should quit stirring **** up every other post and then complaining that people aren’t responding in the manner you see fit. Jesus dude grow the **** up.

 

[alaVOL]

Losing to Vandy for 5th time in last 7 games would absolutely suck. Winning will give us more hope to predict 10 wins and SEC East winners next year. Otherwise we'll just say if JP doesn't win 8 next year.....

 

[onevol74]

You would be wrong. Vandy does not have better overall talent than we do.

Vandy has an experienced QB and our defense has been very poor against them.

 

[Bucket18]

It means major work still needed to change the culture In Knoxville

 

[Slydell]

You don't lose to Kentucky or Vanderbilt or you lose fans and questions should be asked.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

You don't lose to Kentucky or Vanderbilt or you lose fans and questions should be asked.

So questions should have been asked about Neyland, Fulmer, Majors, Mullen, Richt and Herman? Got it.

 

[Slydell]

So questions should have been asked about Neyland, Fulmer, Majors, Mullen, Richt and Herman? Got it.

So, you're saying Fulmer was owned by them? We're talking fairly recent history here. Not ancient history. And, yes, questions were desperately needed to be asked during the Majors reign.

 

[Tourney3p0]

Losing to Vandy for 5th time in last 7 games would absolutely suck. Winning will give us more hope to predict 10 wins and SEC East winners next year. Otherwise we'll just say if JP doesn't win 8 next year.....

Next year everyone is going to be saying "Improvement! Vols are back, baby!" if we go 7-5 and beat Idaho in the Toilet Bowl next year. Expectations are extremely low for most of the fan base now. It's just how it is. Meanwhile Florida is 8-3 this year so it'll be a quality win when we only lose by 13 next year.

Just look at it. 7 pages of people pretending this is the standard pace of improvement for what we'd like to think is a top tier program.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

So, you're saying Fulmer was owned by them? We're talking fairly recent history here. Not ancient history. And, yes, questions were desperately needed to be asked during the Majors reign.

The time frames are irrelevant. The fact is Neyland, Fulmer and Majors lost to Vandy. Yet virtually no Vol fan even thinks about thoses losses. So no questions should be asked during Neyland or Fulmers reign?

Also, no Fulmer wasnt owned by Vandy. If Pruitt loses to them he wouldnt be owned by them either. Also consider that none of our previous coaches walked into a situation even close to what Pruitt did.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Next year everyone is going to be saying "Improvement! Vols are back, baby!" if we go 7-5 and beat Idaho in the Toilet Bowl next year. Expectations are extremely low for most of the fan base now. It's just how it is.

Whats wrong with being excited about a 7-5 record?

 

[Tourney3p0]

Whats wrong with being excited about a 7-5 record?

What's right about it for any team that isn't named Vandy?

 

[Mccage]

I think it will cause us fans terrible turmoil. We are already in for another 6 or 7 win season if a miracle happens next season. A loss to Vanderbilt will make Pruitt look bad.

I'm going to try and catch some smallmouth in the mourning do you think the water is to cold to throw a jerk bait?

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

What's right about it for any team that isn't named Vandy?

So going 7-5 with a bowl win for us, esoecially given how we have been in the past decade, is a bad thing?

 

[Tourney3p0]

So going 7-5 with a bowl win for us, esoecially given how we have been in the past decade, is a bad thing?

For us? No, not at all.

For a program that likes to pretend they're relevant? Yes, absolutely. Did you not even read what I wrote?

Half the thread is just saying "Naw, losing to Vandy for most of the decade isn't that bad. We're still on the upswing. Recruits and coaching and last year and what not. In 3 years we'll probably win.". Anyone who reads that objectively is going to laugh, and rightfully so.

 

[VolFanInHawaii]

In theory, being bowl eligible a year after the worst season in program history would provide Pruitt with extra time to work with the players, and a bit more exposure for potential recruits. Playing in a bowl always looks a whole lot better and more promising than not playing in a bowl.