Just get to the SEC game

#1
D

Dougie_D

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#1
That's should be our goal. To win the east. Nothing else really matters. If we still lose to FL but somehow get to the SEC Champ game, I'm fine with that.
 
#4
#4
ANYTHING <10-2 and an appearance the 1st of December in Atlanta is failure in 2016.

Losing to Florida for the 12th time in a row with obvious poor coaching maneuvers/poor Team execution...= FAILURE as well.
 
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#5
#5
Dougie_D said:
That's should be our goal. To win the east. Nothing else really matters. If we still lose to FL but somehow get to the SEC Champ game, I'm fine with that.
Click to expand...

While technically that can happen, I can't see us making it to Atlanta without first getting that monkey off our backs. IMO a win against Florida sets the tone. If we lose that game again for the 12th time, I don't know if this team would have the resiliency to bounce back and win 2 out of 3 against Georgia, Texas A&M, and Alabama.

Personally I think we're going to beat Florida this year. However Georgia and aTm away will be very tough! Also Alabama, even at home, will be extremely tough. We could very well end up 9-3, which is what I predicted a while back.
 
#14
#14
TAF said:
ANYTHING <10-2 and an appearance the 1st of December in Atlanta is failure in 2016.

Losing to Florida for the 12th time in a row with obvious poor coaching maneuvers/poor Team execution...= FAILURE as well.
Click to expand...

No, it's a disappointment. If we finish 9-3 and close out at 10-3 with a bowl victory, that's still a good season where positive progress is made. It's one more victory than the year before. It'll be the first 10 win season since 2007. Possibly one of those wins would be against Florida, a team we haven't beat in 11 years. And most likely we'll end up at a very good new years day bowl game.

Not getting to the SEC Championship game would be disappointing, but lets not get crazy and throw the baby out with the bath water.
 
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#15
#15
I heard one interesting stat on the radio yesterday: since 2006 there have been 3 games between Tenn and Florida decided by 1 point ('06, '14 and '15). That is more 1 point games than any other series in the SEC has had in the last 10 years. Also, since 1998 there have been 7 games in the series decided by 3 points or less ('98, '99, '01, '04, '06, '14 and '15) which is also more than any other series in the SEC has had during the last 20 years. I guess my point is that those predicting a blowout on either side are probably going to be disappointed. I think it comes down to the end as usual when the teams appear evenly matched.

Note: Those stats do not even include the 2000 game which was decided by 4 points. If you were to ask the average SEC fan, "Which SEC series has produced the most close games since 1998?" I bet pretty much nobody would answer Tenn and Fla.
 
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#16
#16
Brave Volunteer said:
No, it's a disappointment. If we finish 9-3 and close out at 10-3 with a bowl victory, that's still a good season where positive progress is made. It's one more victory than the year before. It'll be the first 10 win season since 2007. Possibly one of those wins would be against Florida, a team we haven't beat in 11 years. And most likely we'll end up at a very good new years day bowl game.

Not getting to the SEC Championship game would be disappointing, but lets not get crazy and throw the baby out with the bath water.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Although I was hoping for better than 9 and 3. It's possible we could go 11 and 1 and still not go to the SECCG. A loss to GA in Athens, combined with their favorable schedule, could put them in instead of us.
 
#17
#17
Brave Volunteer said:
No, it's a disappointment. If we finish 9-3 and close out at 10-3 with a bowl victory, that's still a good season where positive progress is made. It's one more victory than the year before. It'll be the first 10 win season since 2007. Possibly one of those wins would be against Florida, a team we haven't beat in 11 years. And most likely we'll end up at a very good new years day bowl game.

Not getting to the SEC Championship game would be disappointing, but lets not get crazy and throw the baby out with the bath water.
Click to expand...

Is it really positive progress? If UT goes 9-3 it most likely means that UT beat Va Tech whereas they lost to OU last season. That still means 3 losses out of Bama, UF, aTm, & UGA.

Considering the talent level and maturity of this team I would say it is a slight step backwards.
 
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#18
#18
Boca Vol said:
Is it really positive progress? If UT goes 9-3 it most likely means that UT beat Va Tech whereas they lost to OU last season. That still means 3 losses out of Bama, UF, aTm, & UGA.

Considering the talent level and maturity of this team I would say it is a slight step backwards.
Click to expand...

Agreed. 9-3 shouldn't satisfy anyone. There is no way we make it to the SECCG with that.
 
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#19
#19
Boca Vol said:
Is it really positive progress? If UT goes 9-3 it most likely means that UT beat Va Tech whereas they lost to OU last season. That still means 3 losses out of Bama, UF, aTm, & UGA.

Considering the talent level and maturity of this team I would say it is a slight step backwards.
Click to expand...

First 10 win season in 9 years
First victory over Florida in 11 years (potentially)
1 more victory than last year
Another New Years Day bowl win

Would it be the season we were hoping for? No, of course not. But it WOULD be progress and a damn sight better than what we have become accustomed to.

BowlBrother85 said:
Agreed. 9-3 shouldn't satisfy anyone. There is no way we make it to the SECCG with that.
Click to expand...

I didn't say we should be satisfied. I said we shouldn't consider the season a "total failure."
 
#20
#20
The goal every year should be to win the SEC Championship, everything else will work it's self out depending on the win loss column.
 
#21
#21
Brave Volunteer said:
First 10 win season in 9 years
First victory over Florida in 11 years (potentially)
1 more victory than last year
Another New Years Day bowl win

Would it be the season we were hoping for? No, of course not. But it WOULD be progress and a damn sight better than what we have become accustomed to.
Click to expand...

But this 2016 version of the Vols is the best team UT has fielded in a long time. A 1 game improvement when you replace OU with VT shouldn't be considered a success.

2-3 years ago you we looked at the schedule and "hoped" to find 6 wins. That's not the case anymore. This team is pretty loaded. It's time they step up.
 
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#22
#22
BowlBrother85 said:
I heard one interesting stat on the radio yesterday: since 2006 there have been 3 games between Tenn and Florida decided by 1 point ('06, '14 and '15). That is more 1 point games than any other series in the SEC has had in the last 10 years. Also, since 1998 there have been 7 games in the series decided by 3 points or less ('98, '99, '01, '04, '06, '14 and '15) which is also more than any other series in the SEC has had during the last 20 years. I guess my point is that those predicting a blowout on either side are probably going to be disappointed. I think it comes down to the end as usual when the teams appear evenly matched.

Note: Those stats do not even include the 2000 game which was decided by 4 points. If you were to ask the average SEC fan, "Which SEC series has produced the most close games since 1998?" I bet pretty much nobody would answer Tenn and Fla.
Click to expand...

They stomped us a lot too, though
 
#23
#23
TAF said:
ANYTHING <10-2 and an appearance the 1st of December in Atlanta is failure in 2016.

Losing to Florida for the 12th time in a row with obvious poor coaching maneuvers/poor Team execution...= FAILURE as well.
Click to expand...

Exactly how I feel. 10 wins and a win over the Gators should be the minimum expectation this year.
 
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#24
#24
I personally like teams having a series of goals, and working toward all of them together, as long as they don't contradict one another.

But I agree with you that ONE goal has to be the focus. This so that there's no confusion if somehow there is conflict between goals, everyone knows which one wins out.

For us, team goal #1, year in and year out, has to be this: Get to Atlanta. Win the East.

Other team goals I like for us in 2016 (some of them are also perennial):

-- Win the Most Attended Football Game in American History (Battle at Bristol).
-- Defend Neyland -- 7-0 at home.
-- Win the SEC.
-- Get into the College Football Playoffs.
-- Win the National Championship.

Naturally, the final 3 of those start with our Main Goal: Win the East.
 
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#25
#25
UT will be in the SEC title game this year---they clearly have the most talent in the SEC and a good schedule. In the title game, with a couple of breaks, UT can upset alabama!
 
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