Let's talk about the schedule for 2019

[sjt18]

I usually laugh whenever I see you guys make the comment "Pruitt is/isnt THE guy if.... " because there are so many different variations of possibilities that could change everything. But I agree. In my mind if he can win 8 or more Ill feel good about him being the guy. 6 or 7 and it's still up in the air with me, and it also depends which 6 or 7 and how we looked and how we lost the other 5 or 6. You know? It's just hard to for me to be absolute about it. But winning any 8 any way possible sure would go a long way with my personal approval of ole Cornbread.

Yeah. It is always speculative which is why I qualified it with this being May.

Lots of things can happen. Most of them over the last few years... have been bad things. Too many injuries. Too many busts. Too little development. Too many coaching and player mistakes.

I say stuff like this counting on things being about "average"... or maybe a tad better than average. If bad breaks hit someone else then maybe things line up even better for UT. Or it could go the other way.


But I probably am in a minority on my belief that a coach can have a pretty big impact on results. One guy around here used to rate coaches by their recruiting star talent then give them scores for how they performed. I think Spurrier was a +2 and maybe Jones was a 0 at that point. IMHO, the guy brings UT back is going to be a +2 kind of guy. Someone who can coach a roster to a greater level than the sum of its players' talents.

 

[Atlanta917]

You really have no grasp at all on UF’s returning talent. The secondary is not “new.” Chris Steele was getting reps because Marco Wilson didn’t participate in the spring. Why would he? He’s a proven player coming off an injury. Also, Trey Dean was getting reps at NB. That left opportunity for Steele and others to get CB reps during the spring. Regarding Henderson, Mel Kiper has him at #8 overall on his 2020 big board. Arguably, Wilson outplayed him during their Freshman year. Both were Freshman All-SEC. Wilson led the team in pass break-ups, ahead of Henderson and third overall in the SEC, as a TRUE Freshman. He also had the 3rd most PBU’s in the nation for a Freshman. Wilson was also a solid tackler, recording 34 tackles to Henderson’s 22. So that’s why I say Wilson was as good, maybe better than Henderson after their freshman seasons. So UF has three all-SEC CB’s; Hendu, Wilson and Trey Dean. Most teams would be thrilled with that.

You also took a shot at UF’s d-line saying something about “all the production they lost.” They lost Jachai Polite, that’s about it. Florida has a Jachai Polite or two every year. On the d-line, UF returns Jabari Zuniga (10 tfl and 6 sacks), Adam Shuler (played outstanding football last year), Kyree Campbell (tons of experience, dominant at times), Slaton/Conliffe/Dunlap/Ancrum/Carter all return and all have high-level experience. If that wasn’t enough, they added transfer Jonathan Greenard who had 16 tfl and 7 sacks at Louisville in his last season played. This is the same defensive line that stuffed UGA on 7 straight goal line plays last year. Same dudes.

Don’t take my word for it, pick up the magazines. Athlon, Lindsey, all those types rank UF’s d-line as among the top in the country.

Where are you getting this? Are you implying that freshman all SEC equates to all SEC in general? None of them were all SEC last season and only Henderson is listed as preseason all SEC. I understand Henderson was hurt last year, but you seem to be overrating the other two. Fromm went 17/24 for 240 with 3 td's and no interceptions. As for the DL, I agree Jabari Zuniga is great, but the other names you mentioned are unknown outside of Gainesville. I agree that UF had a good series against UGA at the goal line, but its also the same guys that gave up 200 yds rushing with Swift nearly averaging 9 yards per rush (8.7).

 

[Jaws]

Where are you getting this? Are you implying that freshman all SEC equates to all SEC in general? None of them were all SEC last season and only Henderson is listed as preseason all SEC. I understand Henderson was hurt last year, but you seem to be overrating the other two. Fromm went 17/24 for 240 with 3 td's and no interceptions. As for the DL, I agree Jabari Zuniga is great, but the other names you mentioned are unknown outside of Gainesville. I agree that UF had a good series against UGA at the goal line, but its also the same guys that gave up 200 yds rushing with Swift nearly averaging 9 yards per rush (8.7).

Wilson was out versus Georgia and Henderson was hurt in the first quarter. So neither of UF’s best two CB’s played v Georgia. So yes, Fromm, being a damn good QB with good coaching, picked on UF’s backup. Trey Dean held his own v Georgia, McWilliams was the guy getting picked on. Georgia was the wrong team for him to be thrown in the fire against, and he got killed. But he progressively got better in the remaining games. He’ll be a backup again this year.

But I’ll stand by this; Hendu, Wilson and Dean are an excellent trio of CB’s. Again, don’t take my word because I know I’m biased, take neutral observers.

And you said “the other guys (d-linemen) you mentioned are unknown outside of Gainesville.” Well, Jachai Polite was unknown before last year too. And so was Taven Bryan the year before. And Caleb Brantley and Joey Ivie before that. And Johnathon Bullard before that. And Alex McAlister before them. And so on. My point is, Florida ALWAYS has dominate d-linemen emerge. Zuniga is a known product, Shuler and Greenard and Zach Carter will be househould names to SEC fans this year too.

 

[PhoenixAZVol]

6 wins would be a huge disappointment and the pressure will amp up on the coaching staff.

Agree. Looking at this schedule I thing it would be a gross underachievement to only end up with 6 wins. Pruitt will NOT have a successful season with only 6 wins. I know I am thinking back to the days when SC, Vandy, and UK were cupcakes but come on. I just can can’t see us losing to most of these teams including MSU and Missouri. I can see us messing up and losing maybe two of these games but that still puts us at 7-5 agree that the chances of beating the big three are zero.

 

[PhoenixAZVol]

Georgia State W
BYU W
Chattanooga W
@Florida L
Georgia L
Mississippi State W
@Alabama L
South Carolina W
UAB W
@kentucky W
@Missouri W
Vanderbilt W

2019 Tennessee 9-3 and 5-3 in the SEC. I think Tennessee will be 3rd Place in the SEC East

This is basically assuming we win the games we should win and lose the games we’re supposed to lose. Based on history I feel that we lose one or two of the games we think we should win. 7-5 or 8-4. Sorry but I have a lot more pride in our program and set my expectations a little bit higher. I’m not pleased with 6-6 and that would not be a successful season with this schedule. No more excuses. Our admin, coaches, and fans have been too lax by setting the bar low. We have tremendous resources, history, and the best fan support. Pruitt and the staff get paid way to much to make excuses. Anything less than 7-5 is completely unacceptable.

 

[PhoenixAZVol]

Wilson was out versus Georgia and Henderson was hurt in the first quarter. So neither of UF’s best two CB’s played v Georgia. So yes, Fromm, being a damn good QB with good coaching, picked on UF’s backup. Trey Dean held his own v Georgia, McWilliams was the guy getting picked on. Georgia was the wrong team for him to be thrown in the fire against, and he got killed. But he progressively got better in the remaining games. He’ll be a backup again this year.

But I’ll stand by this; Hendu, Wilson and Dean are an excellent trio of CB’s. Again, don’t take my word because I know I’m biased, take neutral observers.

And you said “the other guys (d-linemen) you mentioned are unknown outside of Gainesville.” Well, Jachai Polite was unknown before last year too. And so was Taven Bryan the year before. And Caleb Brantley and Joey Ivie before that. And Johnathon Bullard before that. And Alex McAlister before them. And so on. My point is, Florida ALWAYS has dominate d-linemen emerge. Zuniga is a known product, Shuler and Greenard and Zach Carter will be househould names to SEC fans this year too.

Why even bother discussing the Florida game. History had shown that it doesn’t matter if we have a better team, even talent or less talent we will self inflict, fumble and bumble and find a way to lose based on our idiocy more than how Florida plays. Mark this game as s loss and move on.

 

[PhoenixAZVol]

Of course...JP gets 3 years regardless. Seat will warm up considerably if we post another losing season in 2019, but it’s only fair to give him 3 years to get it turned. If year 3 blows too though, all bets are off if he ever sees year 4 imo, although I assume Fulmer, a former head coach, would give any head coaching hire he makes a longer leash.

That worries me about Fulmer. I can see him being a lot more lenient with a coach who has mediocre results. Especially with Pruitt who he hand picked.

 

[Elhanan]

I see 3 games that I’m 100% sure we can win. About 3 more we got a good shot at. While the rest feel way out of reach.

5-7. Missed another bowl season but maybe we keep it respectable enough to get a few quality recruits.

 

[KingGenius]

This is more how I see our record potential:
> 9-3, 1% or less
9-3, 9-10%
8-4, 20%
7-5, 30%
6-6, 30%
5-7, 9-10%
< 5-7, 1% or less.

Call me crazy, but I'm not prepared to consider the @Mizzou game, which we have lost by a combined 66 points the last two years, anything better than a toss-up. Also, we have never beaten Muschamp, ever, until we beat him at least once, that's a toss-up at best.

MEH