It’s time to open our eyes, these high-caliber OOC games…

#26
#26
Folks were not losing to high caliber teams here. We've just had bad QB and worse coaching. For example in 2008 UCLA started a third string QB who turned the ball over 4 or 5 times and we still lost. And a half-azz ole miss team beat the hell out of last year!
 
#27
#27
let me give you a clue, Kiffin recruited that class with EE's who couldn't leave if they wanted to and Nick Saban was the genius behind the LSU recruiting. Anyone and everyone who knows anything about recruiting knows that the recruiting coordinator is more a behind the scenes organization guy. Maybe you are the dumb one, or better yet go drink some koolaide because by the end of the season you are going to need to spike it heavily.

Funny that you're nowhere to be seen until we lose so you can have another excuse to thumb your nose at CDD. Fulmer had his time but he ain't coming back, get over it, pal. And if CDD had so little use to Saban, then why did he keep him around for so long?
 
#28
#28
let me give you a clue, Kiffin recruited that class with EE's who couldn't leave if they wanted to and Nick Saban was the genius behind the LSU recruiting. Anyone and everyone who knows anything about recruiting knows that the recruiting coordinator is more a behind the scenes organization guy. Maybe you are the dumb one, or better yet go drink some koolaide because by the end of the season you are going to need to spike it heavily.



I didn't see Neal, stone, Rogers, or hunter on that list till Dooley got here to fix the mess......
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#29
#29
i am so glad you posted this. i have been screaming this forever. its great to have these games when we have rebuilt. but its crazy to have these games when we are in shambles. bring on buffalo...bring on UAB lets get a damn record going so we can sell it to recruits.

it is insane to schedual these national powers when we are trying to rebuild. we are schedualing teams like it was 1998.... we need to get out of these games and win some games and reload... then play the top teams.

alabama did it. florida still does it. and guess what? they can go sell a 10-2 record to recruits and then build a national championship team.
 
#30
#30
yea,and look back to all the <cough,fan's,cough>that was complaing about playing ten.martin.

That's a new one. If youz dontz like it whun we play scrub teams then u'n ain't no real fan. :crazy:
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#32
#32
we can sell this program but we just have to swollow our pride for a little and play OOC cupcakes so we can rebuild...
 
#33
#33
i am so glad you posted this. i have been screaming this forever. its great to have these games when we have rebuilt. but its crazy to have these games when we are in shambles. bring on buffalo...bring on UAB lets get a damn record going so we can sell it to recruits.

it is insane to schedual these national powers when we are trying to rebuild. we are schedualing teams like it was 1998.... we need to get out of these games and win some games and reload... then play the top teams.

alabama did it. florida still does it. and guess what? they can go sell a 10-2 record to recruits and then build a national championship team.

To be fair, that's probably close to the time these games where scheduled lol
 
#34
#34
i am so glad you posted this. i have been screaming this forever. its great to have these games when we have rebuilt. but its crazy to have these games when we are in shambles. bring on buffalo...bring on UAB lets get a damn record going so we can sell it to recruits.

it is insane to schedual these national powers when we are trying to rebuild. we are schedualing teams like it was 1998.... we need to get out of these games and win some games and reload... then play the top teams.

alabama did it. florida still does it. and guess what? they can go sell a 10-2 record to recruits and then build a national championship team.


We did have a very weak schedule in 2008 and 2009. A 6-5 UCLA team at HOME in '09 and 4-8 UCLA team in '08. Bama and FL were the only two good teams we played....We didn't go 10-2.
 
#35
#35
most sec teams play 2 give me games to work out the kinks and to gain momentum. look at fl. they would have lost to a decent team. noone would ever chastize and sec team for scheduling two opening cupcakes. even if we were a top 10 team. i guarantee fl has most of their kinks worked out after they play us then they are ready to go. thanks hamilton for the scheduling.
 
#36
#36
UT would have been better off playing UT-Chattanooga and preparing for Florida last week.
 
#37
#37
most sec teams play 2 give me games to work out the kinks and to gain momentum. look at fl. they would have lost to a decent team. noone would ever chastize and sec team for scheduling two opening cupcakes. even if we were a top 10 team. i guarantee fl has most of their kinks worked out after they play us then they are ready to go. thanks hamilton for the scheduling.

USF was a bowl team last year. They are on par with the '08 and '09 UCLA teams we played. I would say only 2(Arkansas & Ole Miss) of the 12 SEC teams scheduled guaranteed win games as the first two games. And Ole Miss LOST one its two gimme games-LOL
 
#38
#38
most sec teams play 2 give me games to work out the kinks and to gain momentum. look at fl. they would have lost to a decent team. noone would ever chastize and sec team for scheduling two opening cupcakes. even if we were a top 10 team. i guarantee fl has most of their kinks worked out after they play us then they are ready to go. thanks hamilton for the scheduling.
Except they do give Florida crap for playing garbage OOC every year... I'm sure they would replace FSU with a D-IAA school every year if the government didn't force them to play the Noles.

UT would have been better off playing UT-Chattanooga and preparing for Florida last week.
Maybe we should amend Chatt and Martin to the schedule every year until we get better. The annual UT system trophy would be nice.
 
#39
#39
USF was a bowl team last year. They are on par with the '08 and '09 UCLA teams we played. I would say only 2(Arkansas & Ole Miss) of the 12 SEC teams scheduled guaranteed win games as the first two games. And Ole Miss LOST one its two gimme games-LOL

When they scheduled USF, Florida had every intention of playing a D-IA gimme which is exactly what they were at the time.
 
#40
#40
We need some soft OOC games, particularly at the beginning of the season. That has helped Florida over the years.

But at the end of the day, it's about talent. After last nights game, it is obvious that UT doesn't have a single starter, including Poole and Jackson, who could start for Oregon. It was somewhat like watching UT and Kentucky over the past twenty-five years except we were Kentucky. Kentucky has hung around for a half many times, but they never fail to crumble.

A great deal of damage has been dumped on UT's program over the past six to eight years.
 
#41
#41
I'm definitely more in the, "playing good teams non-conference helps you learn a lot more about your team and hastens improvement" camp. I understand the other side...particularly if you are a high-profile team, with a real shot at the National Championship, but even then, I'd rather my team played at least one legit non-conference game.

In the particular case of Tennessee this year, I actually think playing Oregon could turn out to be a great thing for you. If your players can recover mentally and re-focus quickly (which you'd think they will do, as Florida is a chance at immediate and sweet redemption), then I see the UO game as a great tune-up.

Many of the defensive assignments and schemes will be similar and therefore it's like you got two weeks to prep with a chance to play against similar speed and skill. Plus, Florida does not play at quite the pace of our offense, so your depth issues will likely not be quite as much of a factor.

Anyway, just know that many of us Duck fans will be adopting the Vols as another team to cheer for throughout the remainder of the season.

I talked to a couple folks who attended and they had nothing but good things to say about the UT fans and the stadium. Look forward to returning the favor in a couple years.

BEAT THE GATORS!
 
#42
#42
It’s time to open our eyes; these high-caliber OOC games may be doing far more harm than good. Since 2002, we are 2 – 7 in these high-caliber OOC games with an average margin of defeat of more than 14 points.

The problem isn't that our opponents are too good. The problem is that UT is not good enough. You have outlined the strategy that has garnered Kentucky two Music Cities and a Liberty Bowl the past three seasons. I don't want that, and that is all that lowering the level of competition is going to do.

JMHO.
 
#43
#43
Dumbest thing I've read all day. It's not like CDD has ever helped recruit a NC team before or anything, or saved a falling apart class last year.

Was Derek the only one recruiting for that National Title team? Was Derek the one who put together our class last year?

Have you even taken a glance at our recruiting ranks this year?
 
#44
#44
historically, the vols have more than held their own against credible competition from outside the conference. their performance over the past nine years only proves that they were in dire need of a coaching change. think about it. these games are a 50-50 proposition. when a series is scheduled, the other team is demonstrating its manhood by agreeing. are you saying they have more cajones than the vols? if so, the orange should be retired for something a little lighter in shade. as for recruiting, what serious player would want to play for a team that runs from the north carolina's of the world?
 
#46
#46
Ive been saying this for 10 years...look at the teams that play in the BCS bowls every year...none of them schedule themselves into the ground like we do out of conference...(Alabama did play 2 (VT and Clemson) tough ones but both were exposed for being overrated later in the year.)

It does us no good to "claim a moral victory" as we watch another one being added to the loss column...kids want to come to a school that wins...plain and simple. They could care less if we play Oregon/Cal/UCLA or Southeatern Alabama Clown College because our conference schedule is already tough enough. Look at Florida....when have they ever played a ranked OOC game? (besides the FSU or Miami rivalries they have to schedule every few years). Kids still want to play there despite their scheduling Troy/Citidel/Miami(OH)/USF....

***We are only hurting our chances of getting ourselves back to the top by scheduling these unnecessary tough games because it does not benefit us as a SEC team win or lose. If we win, its because we were supposed to because the SEC is always the best. When we lose, its an embarrasment. Even in a down year beating a tough team would surprise none of the pundits nor impress the recruits because its expected of us.***

Lets take our wins over the TN-Martins of the world and not ruin or chances at a good bowl despite a really tough conference schedule by risking our season on some out of conference game that doesnt help us and could only hurt us.

:twocents:
 
#48
#48
tx, fl , nebraska, ark, are all top 12 teams who played two cupcakes. when you are in a bcs conference all people really judge you by is how you play against the big boys. noone penalizes you as your schedule is already strong. i say we should always start with two give me games before fl. there is only upside to that. you can coach up a lot of mistakes even after a win.
 
#49
#49
I have to agree. Getting slammed by these teams on TV is not helping us or our conference. We are not equipped right now to play these guys. Having a tough non-conference team on the schedule helps in rankings but we haven't been ranked in a while now so who cares. I agree with getting NC off the schedule. They are too close to us and will directly affect our recruiting. Don't want VT on the schedule for a while due to this. Getting pounded by them in the last bowl game hurt for sure and there was no way out of that game.
Rebuilding starts with talent. Not winning games makes it harder to get talent. If you have only lost for a couple seasons or less it's easy to tell a high school player that you will come back soon and have only encountered a bump in the road. BUT, when you lose for years like we have for the most part (compared to what we have come to expect from TN teams) over the last 8 to 10 years it looks like the program has fallen and might not recover for a long time. This only makes it harder to sale the program to a high quality recruit. Kids want to be on TV. They want their names on ESPN and all over the internet. Big wins at a big program like we should be is where this happens. Unfortunately we only make the press now when we get the crap beat out of us, NCAA investigates us, a coach is fired or one leaves us high and dry.
Oh how I yearn for winning days again!!!!! Wasn't long ago when the 7th ranked Ducks would have come into Knoxville as underdogs and we knew we would beat them.
 
#50
#50
I agree with the OP. These high profile OOC games are nothing more than self inflicted wounds and we need to dump them. The SEC is such that the winner will more than likely earn a spot in the chamionship game anyway, so screw anyone who thinks that SEC teams need to schedule blockbuster matchups outside of the conference.
 
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