I smell upset

#276
#276
ChrisLeakfan4life said:
Figured i would chime in as a Gator fan

While i have not kept up with Tennessee much i have tried to keep tabs.

First off i like Lane Kiffin as a coach. He has said and done some stuff that im sure other people hate. Saying something like "we're going to win in the Swamp next year and sing rocky top" im sure got Florida motivated.

Bottom line is Kiffin has ribbed Urban Meyer and the Gators, trying to excite his own players and Vol Nation.

Tennessee has a good defense, Eric Berry is one of the best Safety's in the country along with Taylor Mays. I have a lot of respect for Eric Berry.

Likewise Florida's offense has some question marks going into next season. Im not worried about the offensive line, Matt Patchan and Carl Johnson were both highly recruited coming out of high school, as was James Wilson. I believe all three were 5* recruits and all are competing for PT.


Our O-line will be fine. The only real question mark on Florida is WR. David Nelson and Riley Cooper have made plays before but they have not played a full season as THE guys, they played in Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy's shadow. However every year since Urban Meyer has been here we had to replace guys at WR and have had other guys step up and play great. I expect our coaches to have this unit ready and competing. Aaron Hernandez is not a blocking TE, he is more athletic and can make plays.

Since the game is early in the year, i expect Tennessee to try to run the football, make Crompton or Stephens(?) become game managers. Tennessee has sustained injuries at WR so i don't expect them to try and air it out. Not sure what the story is on Bryce Brown or if he will play either.

With that said Florida has a pretty stout defense of their own. Our Front 7 is improved this year, our DT's(our weak spot last year) have made improvement. Tennessee has not been able to run the ball much in the four years Urban has taken on Tennessee.

I expect defensively the Gators try to make Tennessee beat Florida through the air, and if that happens Tennessee will be trying to throw against the best secondary in the country. This same defense slowed down Sam Bradford, Manny Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias and forced Bradford to throw 2 INT's in his worst game of 08. With all due respect to Tennessee, Crompton or Stephens are not on the level of Sam Bradford.


Upsets can happen, if Tennessee can force fumbles or turnovers by Florida they have a chance. That is what Ole Miss did, Florida was up 17-7 at the half and two fumbles inside our 30 and Ole Miss was right in it. They ran the ball on the ground with McCluster and turned Snead into a game manager(he had 99 yards passing with 5 minutes left in the game). They blitzed and got pressure on Tebow and were able to force turnovers. Florida's losses under Urban Meyer have usually happened when Florida turned the ball over.

Turnovers by the Vol defense plus a big play through the air or on the ground and the Vols can spring the upset.

If neither of which happens, i expect Florida to win by a score of around 33-10. The Gators have a talented offense and can be capable of scoring 50+ on Tennessee. However our wr unit needs to step up and show they can make the plays. If Tennessee cannot stop Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey or Emmanual Moody than the Gators can score 50 on the Vols. However i think the Gators offense will be a little sluggish out the gate just like last year.

X Factor: Brandon James, you guys have not stopped him at all and he can shorten the field for the Florida offense.

As a Raider fan i did not want to see Kiffin leave, he may be the guy for Tennessee and he may not. Right now Tennessee doesn't have the experience on offense to spring an upset without some help from Florida(i.e. turnovers).

Meyer has circled this game on his calendar, Kiffin's trash talk is posted inside the locker room and the game is at home.

This has all the makings of Georgia 08.

Lets see how the Vols do vs UCLA before we can see if Tennessee can really pull the upset. But like i said anything can happen in the SEC.
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well said. i can appreciate anyone who doesn't blindly state that one team will win.
 
#278
#278
Hmmm,new offense,Crompton at QB.I have some doubts about a upset on this game.

Isn't Florida returning all their defensive starters as well?

Never say never though.I remember not watching the Miami-Tennessee game back in 2003 cause I figured we didn't stand a chance at winning.I decided to take off and go to the mountains.When we got to a restaurant,I found out that we had won the game.

Never say never but I have my doubts.
 
#279
#279
GIVEHIM-6 said:
Hmmm,new offense,Crompton at QB.I have some doubts about a upset on this game.

Isn't Florida returning all their defensive starters as well?

Never say never though.I remember not watching the Miami-Tennessee game back in 2003 cause I figured we didn't stand a chance at winning.I decided to take off and go to the mountains.When we got to a restaurant,I found out that we had won the game.

Never say never but I have my doubts.
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Anything can happen, especially in the SEC. If Florida plays their A game it will be very hard for Tennessee to win.

Florida comes out sloppy than Tennessee can pull the upset.
 
#281
#281
I think we should worry about the games we might or might not win-UCLA, Vandy, South Carolina, Auburn....etc. We don't have the horses YET to dream about Florida and Bama. Go Vols!!!!!!!!
 
#285
#285
UGADawg4Life said:
Just judging from rosters and coaching staffs, I don't see any reason to pick UT over UGA (rather than sheer homerism), it could happen however. I don't think many outside of VolNation would agree with you though. I also don't see where the 8 wins are going to come from. Would you care to list them and give reasons for the victories?
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As bad as UT was last season, only a minor improvement would have resulted in an 8-4 season. I expect a much more improved team this season and thus results should be 8-4 or better...

1-0 Western Kentucky - do you really need a reason?
2-0 UCLA - lost in OT on the road last year, easy win at home
2-1 Florida - defending national champs on the road
3-1 Ohio - do you need a reason for this one too?
4-1 Auburn - at home, we'll get 1st downs this year
5-1 Georgia - the Vols are in the Dawgs heads
5-2 Alabama - tough loss on the road
6-2 S.Carolina - home win
7-2 Memphis - home win
7-3 Ole Miss - history says win, but Rebels tough on road
8-3 Vandy - they are still Vandy
9-3 Kentucky - won't this be 25-in-a-row

Even if the Vols lose to Georgia, they would still finish 8-4
 
#286
#286
Orange Out West said:
They needed more fuel for the fire............thanks
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Aw hell, GOOD, I hope they come out throwing punches. Myer has been there long enough now to start having a little of his whinny arse reflected in the team. Win or loose, don't ever fpr a second think that Kiff's antics have been ANYTHING but a well thought out and strategic move.
 
#287
#287
So, if a Vol fan want's to talk football on a Gator board how does he get treated. I've watched....it ain't pretty. Should'nt ya'll be "rallying the troops", heehawwing it up about the audacity of the Vols.....staying focused on all that good billboard material before our beatdown?? I mean, heck, why are you over here with all us inconsequential little "off week" fans?
I think ya'll are going to be surprised at the team you face....win or lose. I think this Vol staff is plenty wise enough to know EXACTLY how to give their team the best shot possible at winning this game, no matter the outcome. And I also think, that beneath the tough shell, Florida (everybody from the fans to the coaches to the players) is going to be one of three ways after CLK's (with the help of some other very experienced and wise coaching minds) plan went into action. Either they will look past the VOLS with over confidence, be distracted by emotion and make some poor choices, OR, very secretly, be a little bit nervous and trepedacious. That's the reason why, win or loose this year, CLK/staff/team are going to ultimately be NIGHTMARES for the rest of the SEC.
 
#288
#288
Wow. Optimistic much? What is it with some UT fans painting Kiffin and staff as evil super geniuses and everyone else in the league as chopped liver?
 
#289
#289
AFL2008 said:
Wow. Optimistic much? What is it with some UT fans painting Kiffin and staff as evil super geniuses and everyone else in the league as chopped liver?
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You haven't been paying attention have you? It's the other way around troll. It's US, that isn't the chopped liver, sir.

Come Saturday, all the talk stops and it gets settled on the field. I'm confident that UT is the most misunderstood, under-appreciated team in the SEC. That's just where we want to be.
 
#290
#290
AFL2008 said:
Wow. Optimistic much? What is it with some UT fans painting Kiffin and staff as evil super geniuses and everyone else in the league as chopped liver?
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I'm optimistic because of the route Hamilton and Kiffin took. Kiffin didn't look for a Saban or Meyer type of salary... but he did look to pay his top assistants very well.

He may flop in the SEC but NO college DC has the credentials of Monte Kiffin. You can keep denying it all you want... but is there another who's attained his level of success?

Orgeron's success in recruiting and putting guys in the league is well documented. Is there another RB coach in the SEC whose record lines up with Gran's? I really don't think so.

Cheney has NFL experience and brought offense to the Big 10 a few years back.

It isn't that the rest of the staffs in the SEC are "chopped liver" but that UT spent the $$$ to get a quality staff rather than throwing $4 million at a HC with the others making something under $500k... It is called multiplied effort.

On a sidenote: If this proves successful for UT then I expect to see a salary cap imposed by the NCAA and an end to HC's making outrageous salaries because the next logical step is for schools that can afford it to pay HC's outrageously and pay the staffs well.
 
#291
#291
The Tennessee team might be underrated, but the coaches have gotten so much hype that they are clearly the most overrated coaches in the country right now.

Florida might be the most overrated team, but they certainly have some of the most underrated assistants.
 
#292
#292
AFL2008 said:
The Tennessee team might be underrated, but the coaches have gotten so much hype that they are clearly the most overrated coaches in the country right now.
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How so? Hype? The ONLY thing they report is our secondary violations. Thats hype? Every rival in the SEC thinks they're going hang 70 on us this year. Thats hype?

You're not well informed, are you? Now that its game time, I DO expect to start seeing rivals try to start walking back some of their comments. Afterall, one bad season doesn't make us the chumps of the SEC; prior to that we pretty much owned everyone other than UF. Hell, UGA still has nightmares about us - and trust me, deep down inside, they aren't excited about coming to Knoxville this year.
 
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#293
#293
AFL2008 said:
The Tennessee team might be underrated, but the coaches have gotten so much hype that they are clearly the most overrated coaches in the country right now.

Florida might be the most overrated team, but they certainly have some of the most underrated assistants.
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I hate the swamp lizards..but.. Charlie Strong is a great coach. Just as responsible as UM for their success. IMO
 
#294
#294
notaguru2 said:
Hear me out. Florida is riding high right now. They're openly suggesting they'll hang 60+ points on UT. Indirectly, they're equating UT as their WKU. Here's how they lose:

Confidence is great, over-confidence is not. Tennesse has confidence at the moment. Florida is over-confident. When you're over-confident, you attempt passes you wouldn't normally try. You protect the ball less than you normally would because you don't respect your opponent. You go for ball-strips instead of making sound tackles. You go for ill-advised INTs instead of making sound tackles. You try to exact a score, rather than win the game. Follow me?

The atmosphere is ripe for Florida to commit some of these very mistakes. Granted, the Vols have to play perfect ball and catch Florida in the mindset that I've just described. If Tennessee goes to the swamp and executes Kiffin's game plan, we may very well be "singing Rocky-Top all night long".

Tennessee 24 Florida 21
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Brother .. your getting me excited! I hope your prediction comes true.. I will be leaping and screaming ... you might hear me. :clapping:
 
#295
#295
AFL2008 said:
The Tennessee team might be underrated, but the coaches have gotten so much hype that they are clearly the most overrated coaches in the country right now.

Florida might be the most overrated team, but they certainly have some of the most underrated assistants.
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Out of curiosity, which other team boards do you spend this much time on?
 
#296
#296
I hate the Gators, but respect Tebow.
No upset while he is there, maybe next year.
Maybe in a few years we won't call it an upset
How getting that Monkey off our back like we did Alabama years back.

GO VOLS
 
#297
#297
vollygirl said:
Out of curiosity, which other team boards do you spend this much time on?
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Tigerdroppings is fun. I stay away from the bulldog board. They won't even attempt civil conversation. Warchant is also fun. The ESPN main boards have been really boring lately.

And I don't spend a lot of time here. I more like mosey through really quick and mosey back out again. I have a lot of internet to cover here during the work day.

:pirate:
 
#298
#298
AFL2008 said:
Tigerdroppings is fun. I stay away from the bulldog board. They won't even attempt civil conversation. Warchant is also fun. The ESPN main boards have been really boring lately.

And I don't spend a lot of time here. I more like mosey through really quick and mosey back out again. I have a lot of internet to cover here during the work day.

:pirate:
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Smack talk is part of the fun. In my office the SEC is very well represented. Our lone gator fan is a Tebow fan (not sure who she'll pull for once he's gone, lol.) We have a total blast during football season. And the off season this year has been insane. Thanks for answering the question.
 
#299
#299
AFL2008 said:
The Tennessee team might be underrated, but the coaches have gotten so much hype that they are clearly the most overrated coaches in the country right now.
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How so? Their resumes are what they are.

But as someone else stated, the staff is being downplayed if anything by the media outside of Knoxville.

Florida might be the most overrated team, but they certainly have some of the most underrated assistants.
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Outside of Charlie Strong, who on that staff has a resume comparable to Orgeron, Monte, Gran, etc?

BTW, I despise the Gators but really don't believe they are overrated. There are probably 6 teams or so who have a great shot at the BCS CG and UF is one of them.

If I were a Gator fan, and believe me I choked a little writing that, my main concerns would be replacing Harvin's production and to a slightly lesser degree Murphy's. I would wonder who could step out of the shadows into the #1 receiver role and if UF can finally have a real RB threat.

Only Hernandez returns after averaging more than about 1 catch per game. Harvin was the guy who showed up in the run game against better teams. The YPC for the others was to varying degrees inflated by performances against lesser teams.

There could be a slight concern with OL depth and the loss of some experience but no alot.

Don't get me wrong. With the talent UF has I wouldn't be losing sleep over any of this... just the few things I'd think about.
 
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