Is anyone worried about VT?

#176
#176
08Vol said:
Their defense doesn't have anywhere close to the athletes that we do. People may not like to acknowledge it but the level of talent is a pretty accurate determinate of who wins
Click to expand...

Yep!

While Tennessee has been landing elite classes, VA Tech has been signing classes that rank in the 30's and 50's. Teams like this will hang around for the first half and then get left behind in the second half.
 
#177
#177
They're certainly not going to be pushovers but if we play up to our potential, the game should be over by the start of the 4th quarter.
 
#178
#178
TN Outlaw said:
VT pushed the ball down the field alot better than NU. NU threw alot of short stuff from what i seen so id also give VT the better passing game. Both had a solid run game.
Click to expand...
I watched the Tulsa game and part of the Miami game last night.

They threw better down field with Brewer but he's gone. They signed a 4* JUCO QB to compete with Motley who is pretty erratic throwing it best I can tell.

Their run game avg'd out well but was highly dependent on competition. They ran for 238 against 2-10 Purdue but only managed 9 yards on 33 carries vs 8-5 Pitt. They avg'd 3.11 ypc vs the ACC but 4.77 ypc against everyone else boosted by a huge game vs Tulsa.... who literally has the worst D I've seen in a very, very long time. WCU's D was better than Tulsa's. They were 121st in scoring D, 126th in total D, and 118th in rush D.

Who was better on the LOS you think? Off line? def line?
Click to expand...
I haven't seen enough and they'll have new starters on their DL.... but vs Tulsa their front 7 was horrible. Their OL looked good but again that was against one of the worst D's in CFB.

I'm going to watch more games. Keeps my mind busy while on the elliptical. I'm sure this won't be the last time we cover this ground.

I think thats whats gona seperate us from VT the most so thats why i ask your opinion.
Click to expand...

Talent wise..... UT has an advantage at every match up unless VT has improved more than UT has over the off season. They do have a better kicker. I would have hesitated on Ford who produced big numbers.... but his performance really fell off vs better teams.

It was just one game plus parts of another one but VT's OL isn't scary.... they're not Bama or UGA. They're more comparable IMO to Mizzou or even Vandy. Their DL will be rebuilt but they didn't look good last year.... Tulsa pretty much bullied them for much of that game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#180
#180
sshifflett said:
Yes..our D was not any good last year...that's THE key word....LAST YEAR. This Defense will be just fine barring injuries.
Click to expand...
Two things. You don't have quality depth on D. On the DL, you have the back ups stepping into starting roles from a DL that was just plain bad.

Last year is last year and players do improve.... but almost never do they improve to the degree you need them to for VT to have a good front 7. It isn't entirely fair until I watch more games.... but Tulsa.... TULSA... made your LB's look slow and weak.

I don't think you guys realize that a Bud Foster Defense will mirror what Shoops does with the Vol's.
Click to expand...
I doubt there is a soul here that doesn't admire what Foster has done with the talent he's had. But he doesn't have a ton to work with right now.

They are both 2 of the best in the country at what they do and VT will load the box and force Dobbs to beat them through the air.
Click to expand...
Which is what pretty much everyone else tried to do. Your D talent wise is similar to Vandy. Who wanted to force Dobbs to beat them through the air... who came in somewhere around 20th in run D. UT put 311 yds on them. Northwestern was a top 20 run D that held Stanford and McCaffrey to 85 yds... UT put 226 yds on them. And Dobbs is MORE than good enough to hurt you if you commit THAT many to stopping the run.

I don't care how talented of guys you have. Football is a game of matchups and mis-matches. We have athletes that will exploit your Defense, as Im sure you guys have the athletes that will exploit our players.
Click to expand...
Tulsa was probably your best offensive performance (against a terrible D of course).... and honestly, I didn't see anyone that presents a match up problem for UT's D.

Their O really exposed your D.... I don't see a match up advantage there either.

If you want to discuss a particular match up then I'd be glad to do that.

I'm not saying you don't have guys who will make some plays. You do. But when I look at Ford vs Sutton.... I just don't see an advantage for you. When I look at UT's front 7 vs your run game.... I don't see one there either. UT will start two LB's at least who are as fast as your RB's (or most anyone else's for that matter).

Offense....is there really anything that say's the Vol's can run it on VT...or throw it on VT. Nope...not this year...,not yet cause they haven't played one single football game yet.
Click to expand...
Well.... except that we know a good bit about every player who will start on both sides. UT is more talented and experienced. We know that VT was a porous run D while UT was about as good as anyone running it. Technically, no game can be determined by any past game.... even within a season. But when you look deeper at the players, their talent, their skill.... you can make some likely projections.

Tulsa shredded your D.... UT is a LOT better than Tulsa.

Things happen....2014...we shut down Elliott and held him to something like 50 yards or so. Was that expected...nope...we exceeded anyone's expectations for that one game. We did that and we were a really bad football team in 2014. Bottom line...we matched up well with their athletes and shut them down.
Click to expand...
I know a tOSU fan. I'm glad you beat them but don't pretend you got their best effort.

Homerism, come on man...if that was the case I would be telling yall a bunch of crap about how bad we were going to beat you, I am a realist. I expect to lose to Tennessee somewhere in the ballpark of 10 points. I also believe that last year was in the past and that Virginia Tech will surprise a lot of people this year. Never once did I say we were gonna beat you!
Click to expand...

LOL... you don't have to. You just have to ignore the reality of how the two teams compare at this point. If UT plays their A game... and VT plays their A game... UT wins by 20+.

I like Fuente and believe he will get you there. But you aren't there from a talent stand point and Foster's D talent is at low ebb.... probably because of the uncertainty over the last few years about whether he would be there or not.
 
#182
#182
There was no way we'd beat a loaded Miami team in 1985.

There was no way, after being down to Notre Dame 31-7, that we could come back and win.

You don't take anyone lightly. Virginia Tech isn't a subpar opponent. Thinking that way will get you beat every time. I've watched ALOT of football in my 44 years. Anything can happen. I'm sure Butch and the coaching staff will have UT ready to go, as will Tech.
 
#183
#183
VolinMichigan said:
I don't think they're going to be a push over by any means. Fuente is a pretty good coach and he seems like a good successor to Beamer. We are more talented on paper and having a mostly pro-UT crowd will help. I think it will be close going into the second half then we'll pull away.

I don't know much about their team to be honest, but they are bringing back 15 starters so that's not insignificant. I don't know how productive those starters were as they had some bad losses last year. But experience always helps an Fuente will have them ready to play.
Click to expand...

I hope not. We've sucked in 2nd half. Minus UGA and SC. Heck SC about got us last year. We got REAL lucky. .

I am a bit worried about this game
 
#184
#184
sshifflett said:
You didn't ask for the offense but here it is anyway:

We are loaded in RB with McMillian, McKenzie, Williams, McClease (FB) Rogers and Peoples.
Click to expand...
They're good players. McMillian is very good. But you are much like some of the NU fans who came around last year.... and forget that UT faces guys like Chubb and Henry.
Loaded at WR with Ford, Phillips, Bradshaw, Wilson, Carole , Khuma
TE...arguably one of the best in the country in 6'6' 252 lbs in Bucky Hodges.
Click to expand...
Again, good players though I would differ with you being "loaded" at WR. For reference sake, UT passed for just 10 ypg less against power 5 opponents than VT last fall. That was WITH Brewer who was a better passer than Motley.... and it is before you consider that UT's schedule was MUCH more difficult than VT's.

QB will be the question mark...fortunately Evans ran this same system in JUCO and will probably win the job.
Click to expand...
He may walk on water. But it is interesting that he's from Texas and played JUCO in Texas but didn't have a single offer from a Texas school. He was rated 4* but had only 3 power 5 offers.

On paper, you guys have the superior athletes...no question.
Click to expand...
No. Not just on paper. UT's athletes have proven they are superior by performing better against better competition. I understand that doesn't leave you with much room for comfort... but it is simply where the two programs are headed into this season.

The fact is that I just believe we match up well with Tennessee. That's the reason I think we keep it close.
Click to expand...
Based on what? That's where the pure homerism comes in. You can't look at size, speed, and power.... UT is superior. You can't look at depth... UT is deeper. You can't look at experience... UT has as much or more. You cannot look at performance... UT's players have performed better.

One illustration of what I'm talking about is UT's bowl game. The announcers kept trying to build it as a Big 10 power team vs an SEC speed team. Then they interviewed Gruden on the sideline.... and he told them that UT was bigger and more powerful in addition to being faster.

You can leverage speed to beat power or power to beat speed with "match ups". It doesn't work if the other team is equal to you in one and superior in the other. That's what you face.

I also believe that Vol's are one of the more complete teams in the country, and think you will probably even be better next year. VT's year to shine will be in 2018 once we get some Fuente recruits.
Click to expand...
Just discussing at this point.... UT may be better next year but they'll do it while replacing a 3 year starter at QB, Hurd, Kamara,.... that's a lot to this team. Add Sutton and Reeves-Maybin on D.

That's a lot to replace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#185
#185
rockytopdevil said:
There was no way we'd beat a loaded Miami team in 1985.

There was no way, after being down to Notre Dame 31-7, that we could come back and win.

You don't take anyone lightly. Virginia Tech isn't a subpar opponent. Thinking that way will get you beat every time. I've watched ALOT of football in my 44 years. Anything can happen. I'm sure Butch and the coaching staff will have UT ready to go, as will Tech.
Click to expand...

If both teams play their A game, UT wins by 20.

ANYTHING can happen in football. But UT has significant advantages in this game.
 
#186
#186
Not at all, I think VT is very similar to NorthWestern in that they usually have a solid defense, but a putrid offense. With a packed house and all that hype I expect nothing short of a blowout. The only thing I am worried about is not blowing them out by enough. Should be 25+ victory
 
#188
#188
I'm worried about Appy St.

VT too.

I'm a worrier period. Optimistic about this year, but taking nothing for granted. VT is always dangerous. Ask OSU.
 
#190
#190
Not worried at all--they will be down this year with a new coach and marginal talent. UT wins this game by 30-40---it could get ugly early.
 
#191
#191
The only thing that worries me about VT is if they suck so bad that nobody will even acknowledge the blowout as meaning anything.
 
#192
#192
Yes I'm worried about them. I hope they make it through the game without getting injured too badly. #techlivesmatter
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#194
#194
Two of the playoff teams had to beat us on their very last possession last year. And here we are worried about a 7-6 ACC team. Im glad after this year the late Fulmer-Dooley memories will be gone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#195
#195
Volfan76 said:
The only thing that worries me about VT is if they suck so bad that nobody will even acknowledge the blowout as meaning anything.
Click to expand...

Yes..this...you get an A for creativity on this post.:whatever: Better hope your team has a little more respect then you do!
 
#196
#196
sshifflett said:
Yes..this...you get an A for creativity on this post.:whatever: Better hope your team has a little more respect then you do!
Click to expand...

At least the trolls from other SEC schools are fun and creative.

You're just washed up and boring. Like your team.
 
#197
#197
ButchPlz said:
At least the trolls from other SEC schools are fun and creative.

You're just washed up and boring. Like your team.
Click to expand...

Yea, you got jokes too...that's fine..have your laughs. It's all good, I see most here are sensible fans..other's well not so much.

I'm looking forward to the conversations on Sept 11th. Untill then, have your laughs, boost your team as unstoppable. I'm Looking forward to the future melt down by your fans that had such high expectations.
 
#198
#198
Didn't Virginia Tech lose to ECU last year..a team that ended the season 5-7? And aren't you all replacing a coach who finished his career last season in the top 100 of coaches based on win percentages all time? Oh but you beat Tulsa in a bowl game by three points (55-52) so you should be just fine...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#199
#199
swchandler1988 said:
Didn't Virginia Tech lose to ECU last year..a team that ended the season 5-7?
And aren't you all replacing a coach who finished his career last season in the top 100 of coaches based on win percentages all time? Oh but you beat Tulsa in a bowl game by three points (55-52) so you should be just fine...
Click to expand...

Yep..we sure did lose to ECU last year, why are you asking? You should have already known that.

Please don't start a sentence with And (use proper English)...but yep we replaced the couch. Again, you already knew that so why are you asking?

There's is the statement .....Yes, we beat Tulsa by 3 points and we will be fine. What was the point of this post anyways?
 
#200
#200
sshifflett said:
Yea, you got jokes too...that's fine..have your laughs. It's all good, I see most here are sensible fans..other's well not so much.

I'm looking forward to the conversations on Sept 11th. Untill then, have your laughs, boost your team as unstoppable. I'm Looking forward to the future melt down by your fans that had such high expectations.
Click to expand...

Just like being a UT fan in 2011, UT will disappoint you and ruin your plans for the day after.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top