how you could tell it's over walking out of Neyland tonight

#1

DD4ME

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#1
No one had anything to say. Ramps were completely quiet. No cussing. No we'll get em next year. Nada. Zilch. There was more joking about how crappy we are than anger. The legions of the miserable have been demoralized past grumbling.

It's over. The team played exceptional against OK and UF and those were body blows but both those teams are good. Losing to a team with less talent and who had already lost to Toledo is the true signal it's over. Not sure what analytics say about apathy but I bet it's spelled in red ink.
 
#3
#3
An apathetic fanbase is almost always a sign of a coach not getting it done. If the writing on the wall wasn't clear to everyone before, it should be now.

OU was when I started questioning Butch
UF was when I jumped off the Butch train
Now after Arky I want him gone ASAP.
 
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#4
#4
My sister and I actually walked right in front of Smokey who appeared to be dragging his walker behind him coming up Tee Martin drive. We left with 7+ minutes on the clock and so was Smokey if that tells you anything.
 
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#6
#6
No point getting mad about things. Might as well stay calm about it, the coaching staff certainly thinks things are ok and headed in the right direction. So I'm just matching their emotional intensity. I was hacked off about OU and UF but honestly I already had a bad feeling at 17-0 for OU and worse after our last TD in the swamp. This week I knew we'd lose so it didn't upset me.
 
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#7
#7
An apathetic fanbase is almost always a sign of a coach not getting it done. If the writing on the wall wasn't clear to everyone before, it should be now.

OU was when I started questioning Butch
UF was when I jumped off the Butch train
Now after Arky I want him gone ASAP.

Being fair OU and UF look good. Maybe those loses although ridiculous in nature are explainable but Arkansas. Not even.
 
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#8
#8
You are right there were no talk at all hardly. I heard a couple of people already trying to sell their Georgia tickets but no cussing or yelling just plain weird how quiet everything was.
 
#9
#9
Ok and Fla losses were just too much to overcome. It will take some time for players and fans to get past those 2 games.
 
#12
#12
There were points during the game where it sounded more like a mausoleum than a stadium. Which is fitting I guess since our hopes for a decent season were being interred.

Everyone has just had enough of being embarrassed. They aren't going to emotionally invest themselves when there is no hope of a pay-off.
 
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#14
#14
There were points during the game where it sounded more like a mausoleum than a stadium. Which is fitting I guess since our hopes for a decent season were being interred.

Everyone has just had enough of being embarrassed. They aren't going to emotionally invest themselves when there is no hope of a pay-off.

I had more success sitting down on 3rd down for what than standing. I was like 0-4 standing. meh I tried.
 
#16
#16
OP is exactly right. It was quieter than a morgue leaving the stadium.

Coach talked about watching body language to see if any players had quit -- if that's the signal, I saw 100,000 fans who've all but quit as they drug their rain soaked ponchos behind them and heads down.

I remember the year Coach Majors started the year by losing 5 in a row. Radio DJs were sitting on billboards until we won a game. He didn't just start every press conference with "again Bob, we...." He fired his legendary defensive coordinator and promoted the running back coach who completely changed the entire scheme. They lost one more game all year (5-6). Drastic times call for drastic measures. We need changes on the Hill. For starters, we need a different offensive scheme and maybe Debord can cobble that together. Scoring one TD against this team is beyond weak
 
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#18
#18
I just want to say, I'm a Razorback fan and I understand your pain. Media tries to hype us up as similar programs. Don't put much stock in losing to a team that lost to Toledo. The Ark players haven't played well at that Little Rock stadium in years and there's rumors about them intentionally playing flat there for political reasons (not going there). Texas Tech almost beat #3TCU, and the Aggies have looked good all year and that was an OT game.

What I see right now is a Vol program who was competitive and coulda shoulda beat a Florida team who just blew out Ole Miss, who two weeks prior went in to Alabama and handled them fairly easily. So Bama blows out Georgia today, so you can see a trifecta of games where you know you're right there in the thick of it.

The wins will come. This is a very very good Vol team and very good staff. Butch Jones is the man. This staff isn't perfect and they'll make some mistakes. But they'll learn. But they are going to win and win big very soon
 
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#20
#20
No one had anything to say. Ramps were completely quiet. No cussing. No we'll get em next year. Nada. Zilch. There was more joking about how crappy we are than anger. The legions of the miserable have been demoralized past grumbling.

It's over. The team played exceptional against OK and UF and those were body blows but both those teams are good. Losing to a team with less talent and who had already lost to Toledo is the true signal it's over. Not sure what analytics say about apathy but I bet it's spelled in red ink.

I think you are totally right. Regardless of which side you are on about Butch Jones, whether you are the most optimistic person ever, or you want him fired this instant, the situation is getting pretty bad.

What I mean by "the situation" should be obvious to anyone who attended the game in person. The feeling of "we will give up this lead", "we are going to lose this game", and "Here we go again" is quite literally palpable in the air of Neyland stadium. It's as if everyone is just waiting on the worst to happen before it inevitably does.
 
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#21
#21
I just want to say, I'm a Razorback fan and I understand your pain. Media tries to hype us up as similar programs. Don't put much stock in losing to a team that lost to Toledo. The Ark players haven't played well at that Little Rock stadium in years and there's rumors about them intentionally playing flat there for political reasons (not going there). Texas Tech almost beat #3TCU, and the Aggies have looked good all year and that was an OT game.

What I see right now is a Vol program who was competitive and coulda shoulda beat a Florida team who just blew out Ole Miss, who two weeks prior went in to Alabama and handled them fairly easily. So Bama blows out Georgia today, so you can see a trifecta of games where you know you're right there in the thick of it.

The wins will come. This is a very very good Vol team and very good staff. Butch Jones is the man. This staff isn't perfect and they'll make some mistakes. But they'll learn. But they are going to win and win big very soon

After this post, you could not have picked a better name. Congrats on the win.
 
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#22
#22
I just want to say, I'm a Razorback fan and I understand your pain. Media tries to hype us up as similar programs. Don't put much stock in losing to a team that lost to Toledo. The Ark players haven't played well at that Little Rock stadium in years and there's rumors about them intentionally playing flat there for political reasons (not going there). Texas Tech almost beat #3TCU, and the Aggies have looked good all year and that was an OT game.

What I see right now is a Vol program who was competitive and coulda shoulda beat a Florida team who just blew out Ole Miss, who two weeks prior went in to Alabama and handled them fairly easily. So Bama blows out Georgia today, so you can see a trifecta of games where you know you're right there in the thick of it.

The wins will come. This is a very very good Vol team and very good staff. Butch Jones is the man. This staff isn't perfect and they'll make some mistakes. But they'll learn. But they are going to win and win big very soon


Been hearing this for years. What makes it worse is fans of other teams are coming in to reassure the Vol fan base. Thanks for the support but we've been waiting for "next year" way too long
 
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#23
#23
My parents never missed a game during the Bill Battle and Johnny Majors years, and they said it was never this bad. Ever. Tonight felt like a turning point.
 
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#24
#24
My parents never missed a game during the Bill Battle and Johnny Majors years, and they said it was never this bad. Ever. Tonight felt like a turning point.

We're they drunk or asleep during the Dooley years? Surely your not saying this is as bad as Tennessee's been becAuse I'm more than certain we were in much bigger trouble 4 years ago.
 
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#25
#25
OP is exactly right. It was quieter than a morgue leaving the stadium.

Coach talked about watching body language to see if any players had quit -- if that's the signal, I saw 100,000 fans who've all but quit as they drug their rain soaked ponchos behind them and heads down.

I remember the year Coach Majors started the year by losing 5 in a row. Radio DJs were sitting on billboards until we won a game. He didn't just start every press conference with "again Bob, we...." He fired his legendary defensive coordinator and promoted the running back coach who completely changed the entire scheme. They lost one more game all year (5-6). Drastic times call for drastic measures. We need changes on the Hill. For starters, we need a different offensive scheme and maybe Debord can cobble that together. Scoring one TD against this team is beyond weak

Yes. Either an option run game with Hurd, Kamara and Dobbs on the field together as much as possible, (like Georgia Tech running a read option), or just put Dormady in a scheme like they ran tonight.

Pass with the better passer or run with the better runner.

"Square peg, round hole" shouldn't be an epiphany for a coaching staff.
 
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