If we go 8-4?

#126
#126
Dave1967 said:
So which Bowl would you rather have Tennessee go to: The Outback Bowl or the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl?
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Which one of those is the championship game? Seems a little odd that one of those would be, but what ever.

I pick whichever one is the NC game, because I don't want people to be confused when we win it.
 
#129
#129
BaldBiker said:
Which one of those is the championship game? Seems a little odd that one of those would be, but what ever.

I pick whichever one is the NC game, because I don't want people to be confused when we win it.
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UT is making progress but they're not that advanced yet
 
#130
#130
Other_Guy said:
Butch may not be the answer, but not winning 10 games next year doesn't give me any reason ti doubt Butch can win championship games. The schedule is brutal and the OL is still far from good and Dobbs must improve for this team to take that kind of leap.
I wish people would stop dogging Richt. You would kill to have his success the last several miserable years.
O wait, we did have his success, and as did kill that success. Georgia fans should be thankful they've been one of the few programs who have consistent success. Maybe watch UT go down in flames is why Richt kept his job.
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I am not saying that I would be unhappy with Butch ending up being on par with Mark Richt, but the fact is that he hasn't won a national title, and from what I can tell is unlikely to do so. Even if Butch ends up being on par with Jim Donnan, we're going to be better off than we have the last several years.

However, the O-line now has experience and an Off Season to improve their overall strength. The O-line should make a huge leap, and if they don't then there is something wrong with our coaching. Dobbs is phenomenally talented, and while his accuracy can improve, he did complete 63.3% of his passes last season. He also threw more passes down the field for big plays than some on this board give him credit for as well. Here are just a few examples of some well thrown down the field passes thrown by Dobbs this past season:

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to A. Ellis for 25 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 28 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. North for 22 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to V. Pearson for 42 yds for a 1ST down,SOUTH CAROLINA penalty, Face Mask (10 yards) (10 Yards) for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 22 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to A. Ellis for 24 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

4Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. Lane for 28 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to E. Wolf for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to J. Croom for 32 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 33 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. Lane for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 18 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to V. Pearson for 19 yds for a TD, (A. Medley KICK) - ESPN Video - ESPN

If Dobbs stays healthy there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't win or 9 or 10 games next season. Our recruiting classes now give us better talent than pretty much everyone we play with the exceptions of Georgia and Alabama. There simply aren't any more excuses.
 
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#131
#131
bhouston79 said:
I am not saying that I would be unhappy with Butch ending up being on par with Mark Richt, but the fact is that he hasn't won a national title, and from what I can tell is unlikely to do so. Even if Butch ends up being on par with Jim Donnan, we're going to be better off than we have the last several years.

However, the O-line now has experience and an Off Season to improve their overall strength. The O-line should make a huge leap, and if they don't then there is something wrong with our coaching. Dobbs is phenomenally talented, and while his accuracy can improve, he did complete 63.3% of his passes last season. He also threw more passes down the field for big plays than some on this board give him credit for as well. Here are just a few examples of some well thrown down the field passes thrown by Dobbs this past season:

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to A. Ellis for 25 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 28 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. North for 22 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to V. Pearson for 42 yds for a 1ST down,SOUTH CAROLINA penalty, Face Mask (10 yards) (10 Yards) for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 22 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to A. Ellis for 24 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

4Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. Lane for 28 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to E. Wolf for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to J. Croom for 32 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 33 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. Lane for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 18 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to V. Pearson for 19 yds for a TD, (A. Medley KICK) - ESPN Video - ESPN

If Dobbs stays healthy there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't win or 9 or 10 games next season. Our recruiting classes now give us better talent than pretty much everyone we play with the exceptions of Georgia and Alabama. There simply aren't any more excuses.
Click to expand...

Tennessee had a better recruiting class than Georgia did
 
#132
#132
bhouston79 said:
I am not saying that I would be unhappy with Butch ending up being on par with Mark Richt, but the fact is that he hasn't won a national title, and from what I can tell is unlikely to do so. Even if Butch ends up being on par with Jim Donnan, we're going to be better off than we have the last several years.

However, the O-line now has experience and an Off Season to improve their overall strength. The O-line should make a huge leap, and if they don't then there is something wrong with our coaching. Dobbs is phenomenally talented, and while his accuracy can improve, he did complete 63.3% of his passes last season. He also threw more passes down the field for big plays than some on this board give him credit for as well. Here are just a few examples of some well thrown down the field passes thrown by Dobbs this past season:

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to A. Ellis for 25 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 28 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. North for 22 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to V. Pearson for 42 yds for a 1ST down,SOUTH CAROLINA penalty, Face Mask (10 yards) (10 Yards) for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 22 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to A. Ellis for 24 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

4Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

1Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. Lane for 28 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to E. Wolf for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to J. Croom for 32 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 33 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to M. Lane for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

3Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to P. Howard for 18 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video - ESPN

2Q TENN J. Dobbs pass,to V. Pearson for 19 yds for a TD, (A. Medley KICK) - ESPN Video - ESPN

If Dobbs stays healthy there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't win or 9 or 10 games next season. Our recruiting classes now give us better talent than pretty much everyone we play with the exceptions of Georgia and Alabama. There simply aren't any more excuses.
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Hey 79, you gotta stop with that video evidence of Dobbs making all those excellent throws.....screws up the narrative of all the anti-Dobbites who claim he can't hit the broadside of a barn.
 
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#133
#133
1985Vols said:
Whoa Nellie! We go from 5-7 to 7-6 and you expect to win 10 games all of a sudden? With the schedule we have there are at least 4 games that we could easily be underdogs in ( Oklahoma, Georgia, Bama and Arkansas), 3 toss up games (Mizzou, FL and SC) with minimal injuries I could see us winning maybe 9 games but we are 1 injury away (Josh Dobbs) from being a .500 team. I say let's be satisfied with 8 wins this year and knock the door down in 2016 with 10 wins
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Yes, I do expect us to make that kind of a leap. We've made bigger leaps than that in the past. In 1989, we went from a 5-6 team to an 11-1 team that won an SEC championship. If Reggie Cobb hadn't have gotten suspended the week for the Bama game, we probably win the national title that year. More recently in 2006, we went from a 5-6 team to a 9-4 team that was a couple of plays and an injury to Eric Ainge away from perhaps playing for a national title. After all, that year we almost beat the national champion Florida Gators, and we would have won the game but for a horrible roughing the passes call that resulted in a 14 point swing in favor of the Gators.

At some point we have to start exceeding expectations rather than simply meeting expectations. If we merely meet expectations, we will never get back to winning championships.
 
#136
#136
KBVol said:
Close to 10 wins in 2014? No offense train, but I didn't see it that way at all. Through 8 games we were 3-5. Among those losses was a 24 drubbing at Oklahoma, a 31 point beat down at OleMiss and 2 TD loss vs Bama in which were losing 27-0 at one point. As great as the SCar comeback win was, that was a 50/50 game at best that required 2 tds in 4 plus minutes and an overtime. Then mix in an embarrassing squeaker at Vandy and one could easily say that not only were we light years away from 10 wins, we were fortunate to get to 6.

8 regular season wins this year, imo, with the schedule we have, would be the appropriate expectation and a good year. Anything less a disappointment, anything more a great year.
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We lost to UGA, UF and Mizzou By a combined 12 points. With the amount of freshman we played, injuries and the OL struggles, that's quite an accomplishment. To me that holds a lot more weight than any squeaker game. I just think this team will be much better than last year. If I am wrong then so be it.
 
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#137
#137
KBVol said:
Close to 10 wins in 2014? No offense train, but I didn't see it that way at all. Through 8 games we were 3-5. Among those losses was a 24 drubbing at Oklahoma, a 31 point beat down at OleMiss and 2 TD loss vs Bama in which were losing 27-0 at one point. As great as the SCar comeback win was, that was a 50/50 game at best that required 2 tds in 4 plus minutes and an overtime. Then mix in an embarrassing squeaker at Vandy and one could easily say that not only were we light years away from 10 wins, we were fortunate to get to 6.

8 regular season wins this year, imo, with the schedule we have, would be the appropriate expectation and a good year. Anything less a disappointment, anything more a great year.
Click to expand...

My line of thinking as well.
 
#139
#139
8-4 with a loss to Oklahoma could still win the East if we beat UGA. I expect UGA to lose to Auburn and Alabama.
 
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#141
#141
omghulkhands said:
I personally think 8-4 would be awesome and anything better is just icing on the cake.
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I'm doing cartwheels over 8-4 next year. And any logical fan should do the same. 8-4 is several good wins, including some good home wins, and a very good bowl game. Not to mention a high SEC ranking, potentially an East title.
 
#144
#144
8 wins...that is the mark...nothing less will do and anything more and Butch will become a very hot commodity...there is no way that 8 wins could not make everyone happy...lets say we lose to Oklahoma, Florida, UGA, and Bama....that means we beat Spurrier 3 times in a row...break the Mizzou streak...and beat Arkansas back into oblivion..not to mention laughing at Vandy still...then say you beat any of those first four and trade a loss somewhere else, I think any Vol fan would about do that in a heartbeat...throw in one more top 5-10 recruiting class and 2016 and beyond is looking like some late 90's football...cmon 8 wins...thats all we need!!!
 
#145
#145
bhouston79 said:
Even if Butch ends up being on par with Jim Donnan, we're going to be better off than we have the last several years.
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I agree with most of your post, but this line really caught my attention. Jim Donnan is a HoF coach, but how stupid are we and UTAD that we fired Phil Fulmer in hopes of getting back to Jim Donnan level seven years later?

Butch does have to win big this year. He hired Mike DeBord because he didn't need to change anything to win big this year.
 
#147
#147
Volview said:
Depth is still an serious issue...to the point that the incoming class is expected to be a major contributor in playing time. Until that is addressed (2016 season) 8-4 should not be considered a "C" season.
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The Fr because they have talent MAY earn playing time. But UT will be no more dependent on Fr than anyone else in the SEC except Bama. This isn't a feeling or opinion. This is simply an honest look at the current depth chart and isn't very far behind UGA and UF.

An 8 win season is most definitely a "meets expectations" or "C" season. Nothing more. If you believe Daj's numbers then UT likely has more talent than 9 of their opponents this year.

It is going to take some luck, mostly the non-injury type, to make 8-4.
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And again... no more than anyone else except Bama. UT isn't the only program with thin spots or the potential to be hurt by excessive injuries. There are a scant few anywhere in CFB that aren't in that same boat.

EVERY team will have injuries and MOST will have one or more injuries to players considered critical. Many of those players will be replaced by inexperienced players or Fr. One of the things that separates successful coaches from those who can't compete at a high level is the ability to get those players ready and overcome injuries.

Folks keep acting like UT cannot compete until the roster is "ideal" going 2 or 3 deep with 4/5* RS Jrs and Srs. But no one really does that.... and it certainly can't be done if you attrite 30%+ of your recruiting classes before they start their 3rd year.
 
#148
#148
MedicT said:
Thankfully, the opinions of those who have a bearing on Jones status at UT, share little with yours.
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Really? Those who have a bearing on Jones' status deny simply mathematic reality? Somehow... I doubt that.
 
#149
#149
Volview said:
You can have it both ways...for example let's say UT has 20 WRs. 12 decide to leave. Would there be a depth issue at WR?
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That's an absurd example given the 85 limit on scholarships.

The is a depth problem but mostly on the O/D lines.
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UT returns 10 OL's from last year and adds 4 Fr. That is very much in line with other SEC programs. Typically there will be 12-15 OL's on scholarship. UT returns 7 OL's who have started multiple games. They lost only one OL who started a game last fall.

Without Saulsberry, DT is thin. But again, by year 3 you have to be honest enough to ask why you don't have depth at DT. Overall the recruiting has been great but they've come up WAY short at this very critical position until the '15 class. Still, UT has 3 guys (Williams, O'Brien, and Mixon) returning with significant playing experience. Then you have some big bodies in Mosley, Tuttle, Picou, and McKenzie to help. McKenzie at a bare minimum appears to be a college ready player physically. It isn't ideal... but then again few teams have "ideal" rosters. Coaches get paid to make less than "ideal" rosters work and win.

DE... is not untalented, inexperienced, nor thin.
 
#150
#150
Dave1967 said:
8-4 is success because the program is getting better. Tennessee isn't going to go to 10-2 or 11-1 in one or even two seasons
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A "C" is technically "success". It isn't "failure". But it doesn't demonstrate greatness or excellence. If the goal is to get back to a second tier status then a "C" coach is fine. If the goal is championships then you need your coach to be an "A" coach or at least a very strong "B" who can recruit.
 
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