Look back at Vols' opponents

#27
#27
I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.
Wouldn't a team that could've just as easily won 4 games but won 7 a testament to the growth of a team and the coach. You saw the same thing vs Vandy as GSU?? Really our defense played very good and our run game was fantastic. The run game wasn't just Gray, the o line opened up holes you could drive a truck through both of which were very much unlike the beginning of the season. So by all means pump the brakes if you want to but I'm telling you the Vols are coming. Defense has the making to be a nightmare for teams next year. I'd much rather be proud of the boys and our coach than to find all the negatives I can and call myself "realistic"
 
#29
#29
Lol, I read that like it was in Shirley Temples little puffed up lips voice. Nobody wants to listen to you or your 5-6 other usernames because you're a troll. I believe, but not positive, you're a gator troll, but whatever, you're a troll. But don't feel alone, no one wants to listen to MWA either.

Both of you have an opinion and troll or not you're entitled to one. Everyone else is entitled to one also, and if you're gonna crap all over everything you should be prepared for insults and stop crying about it.

We did better than you two want everyone to believe, but we're not "back" yet. I think most people know where we really are, but are enjoying the moment. Many of us said we wanted to see some improvement, see some fight in the team and go to a bowl. We did all three. Still got a lot a work to do, but it seems we're headed in the right direction.

Alabama fans are probably ready to divorce their sisters and commit suicide today. I know, you wish we had just lost our second game and a shot at the playoffs, me too. Point is, it will never be perfect, never and I guarantee Alabama fans feel 10 times worse than you do right now. Hopefully we'll get to that point again but until then, I'll enjoy every moment I can.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not suggesting you or anyone else enjoy the ride or the moment too, I don't care. In fact, I hope you continue to hate everything about Tennessee football until we win a NC. And even then I hope Pruitt says something in the PC that pisses you off and makes you hate him even more.

Tl;Dr;tifwiw;dgaf;jmho

The reason Bama fans feel worse than I do is because they have not had to live through the last ten years of what, us, Tennessee fans have had to live through.

Now, if you and the other pumpers are satisfied with 7-5 records which include losses to Georgia State and BYU, then you are also entitled to your desires. Don't get me wrong, it could have been worse and possibly should have been. But, if 7-5 records is all it takes to satisfy you, then you should be fans of Miss State, Ole Miss, Arkansas or a whole host of other programs out there! I, for one, am not! It is because of non-qualitative thinking such as yours that Butch was able to manifest within the program and bring it new new lows. I assume you are content with the 2015 losses to Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas? Is that because we didn't lose by much? What about the 2016 season? Are you content and satisfied because at least we were in the lead for the East?
 
#30
#30
Absolutely! Keep supporting the team and hope for the best. But this is a message board and not everyone is going to see things the same way. I don't want to hear fans being negative just for the sake of being negative. But I also don't think we should knock fans for stating facts -- even ones we might not want to think about.

For instance, it's a fact that our 7 wins this season (that everyone is so happy -- I'd say relieved -- about) came against teams with a combined losing record. And that's ignoring the loss to Georgia State. Knowing that, it's understandable that some fans would respond "negatively" to what they see as an unwarranted level of satisfaction on the part of their fellow fans. Don't you think?

It's like someone getting a lottery ticket as a gift and acting like they just struck it rich. We still have to finish scratching that sucker before we'll know if we should really be excited.
I concur hacksaw , we should never settle or have a unwarranted level of satisfaction . Completely agree . We should never settle for how we started the season and losing to Georgia State and we won't but the good new is our coach won't either !! I truly believe that . Nor will the AD . I'm not a sunshine pumper not am I a negavol , I'm a passionate fan and have been ever since I can remember I'm o ny 36 but can remember listening to the TRUE voice of the Vols with my brothers and my dad when I was four ...... But anyways back to the point lol ..... This team didn't fold . They didn't blame each other . They had a meeting and went to work . And i believe that not only was there skills developed and continue to be every week . But also how they won the games I was at the miss state game and we scored to put it out of reach when we needed to , we had a defensive stand to win against Kentucky , we got a late first down against mizz . To put the game away ..... Not only are they developing , but there also learning how to win . Something we didn't know how to do previously . That gives me hope . And that is something I haven't had in the past while now . Thank you Lord and pass the milk 🙌
 
#31
#31
The reason Bama fans feel worse than I do is because they have not had to live through the last ten years of what, us, Tennessee fans have had to live through.

Now, if you and the other pumpers are satisfied with 7-5 records which include losses to Georgia State and BYU, then you are also entitled to your desires. Don't get me wrong, it could have been worse and possibly should have been. But, if 7-5 records is all it takes to satisfy you, then you should be fans of Miss State, Ole Miss, Arkansas or a whole host of other programs out there! I, for one, am not! It is because of non-qualitative thinking such as yours that Butch was able to manifest within the program and bring it new new lows. I assume you are content with the 2015 losses to Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas? Is that because we didn't lose by much? What about the 2016 season? Are you content and satisfied because at least we were in the lead for the East?


I would say that UK and Mizzou fell apart more than Tennessee "improved" in the second half of the season.
 
#32
#32
We bitch about a tough schedule and now we have a somewhat easier schedule and the bitching continues. Just enjoy winning for a change. We need two more good cycles of cruits and can beat fla, ga, and bammers of the world. Pruitt was handed a bad hand and he is turning around.
 
#33
#33
My gosh show some pride as a fan and enjoy the improvement we all saw. Your avi has a bag over Neyland's face and you can't accept the fact that our team didn't go 1-9. Sad.

I would say that UK and Mizzou fell apart more than Tennessee "improved" in the second half of the season.

The definition of a troll. Just here to inflame. Gets some kind of satisfaction from it.
 
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#34
#34
Something to add: IMO, going 5-3 in the SEC is a much bigger deal than going 7-5 overall or even being bowl eligible. We were desperate for SEC wins.

I love Tennessee, I think they made a tremendous turnaround........but Tennessee’s schedule is not “overly” tough at all.

Curious, who are you quoting?

That's definitely the glass is half-full way to look at it.

Felt objective to me when I wrote it. We played 9 teams who qualified for a bowl. Out of 12 games, that is not insignificant.

I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

That's the only difference AT ALL? So everything about the Vandy game reminded you of GAST except Gray? I'm starting to wonder if you watched the game at all. Either one.
 
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#35
#35
I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.

While you are correct, to a point, the fact is that we likely would have lost to several of those teams down the stretch last year. We have improved to the point that we are above those teams. A long way to go before we are elite but we have taken a great step up.
 
#37
#37
I could not disagree more unfortunately. I heard on the Locked on Vols podcast where they discussed how people need to pump the breaks here. This story of the season was how this team averted total disaster, not how they progressed to the point where there was anything elite about it or its coach. The teams that Tennessee beat down the stretch are all terribly bad and teams even Tennessee as bad as they are could and should beat. I saw a ton of things in the Vandy game that reminded me of the Georgia state game. The only exception at all was the freshman running back.

All we really know is that a team that could have easily been a 4 win team ended up a 7 win team because the teams that were supposed to be challenges ended up disasters. U S C fell apart. UK was wildly overrated and Mizzou had such a badly overrated season that the coach is now gone.

And that 7 win team that could have easily been a 4 win team, could have easily been a 9 win team. with an outside shot of being a 10 win team. Perspective is key. It took a good coach to right the ship and salvage a potential disaster.
 
#38
#38
I love Tennessee, I think they made a tremendous turnaround........but Tennessee’s schedule is not “overly” tough at all.

Outside of Florida, Georgia and Bama.......there’s a bunch of 6-6 type teams and some non conference teams that Tennessee was favored against and still would be (if they played again).

However some of that simply has to do with the SEC this year. I mean one would have thought MS State would have been better, SC would have been better, Missouri would have been better......they just weren’t.
Fortunately that’s how it works. Georgia is in the position they are now because they took that next step while Florida and Tennessee were/are down. We beat the teams we we’re supposed to beat(in conference at least) and the next step is hope that we can pull an upset over Florida, Georgia or bama. We have to take advantage of S. Carolina and Missouri being down and Kentucky and Vandy reverting back to the programs they always have been. If we can stay in the 3rd spot in the east consistently, for a few years and compete with and maybe beat Florida and/or Georgia, a time or two, we’ll be right back where we need to be.
GBO!!
 
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#41
#41
I concur hacksaw , we should never settle or have a unwarranted level of satisfaction . Completely agree . We should never settle for how we started the season and losing to Georgia State and we won't but the good new is our coach won't either !! I truly believe that . Nor will the AD . I'm not a sunshine pumper not am I a negavol , I'm a passionate fan and have been ever since I can remember I'm o ny 36 but can remember listening to the TRUE voice of the Vols with my brothers and my dad when I was four ...... But anyways back to the point lol ..... This team didn't fold . They didn't blame each other . They had a meeting and went to work . And i believe that not only was there skills developed and continue to be every week . But also how they won the games I was at the miss state game and we scored to put it out of reach when we needed to , we had a defensive stand to win against Kentucky , we got a late first down against mizz . To put the game away ..... Not only are they developing , but there also learning how to win . Something we didn't know how to do previously . That gives me hope . And that is something I haven't had in the past while now . Thank you Lord and pass the milk 🙌
I’m cobbwebb, and I approve this message!
GBO!!
 
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#42
#42
Or, it’s the factual, honest way to look at it....

Seems like maybe you're being a little overly sensitive. There are positive facts and negative facts. The negative facts are just as valid as the positive ones and you can't get a complete picture without acknowledging them both.
 
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#43
#43
Fortunately that’s how it works. Georgia is in the position they are now because they took that next step while Florida and Tennessee were/are down. We beat the teams we we’re supposed to beat(in conference at least) and the next step is hope that we can pull an upset over Florida, Georgia or bama. We have to take advantage of S. Carolina and Missouri being down and Kentucky and Vandy reverting back to the programs they always have been. If we can stay in the 3rd spot in the east consistently, for a few years and compete with and maybe beat Florida and/or Georgia, a time or two, we’ll be right back where we need to be.
GBO!!


Yea I totally agree.

Tennessee got better took advantage of “others” being down (as they should)......just some folks trying to make it out to be something it isn’t.........the schedule got easier while Tennessee was also getting better.

It couldn’t have come at a better time either....as Tennessee was growing, and trying to overcome past mistakes......which they did (prob would have been harder to do if the foes were tougher)........nothing wrong with that as Tennessee took care of business.
 
#44
#44
The most critical fans I know personally never played a team sport at a high school level. They have no comprehension of a program rebuilding from the worst record in school history with ridiculous scholarship limits that inhibit a coach to flip a losing roster in the toughest conference short of the NFL. To them it is all a computer game and player development - playing through adversity, etc. do not compute. Having a 5-3 record in the SEC in year 2 given circumstances of the rebuild is quite an achievement and Pruitt, staff, and Fulmer deserve credit. Are the Vols back to competing with UF and Georgia - time will tell but they have fought their way from the SEC basement to 5th place and a Gator bowl level bid - which suits the heck out of me. I guess I understand the pump the brakes mentality but look at Arkansas, Nebraska and other programs in a similar boat as UT - without the national laughingstock hiring process of 2 years ago - and my inclination is to forget the brakes and run full speed ahead.
 
#45
#45
The most critical fans I know personally never played a team sport at a high school level. They have no comprehension of a program rebuilding from the worst record in school history with ridiculous scholarship limits that inhibit a coach to flip a losing roster in the toughest conference short of the NFL. To them it is all a computer game and player development - playing through adversity, etc. do not compute. Having a 5-3 record in the SEC in year 2 given circumstances of the rebuild is quite an achievement and Pruitt, staff, and Fulmer deserve credit. Are the Vols back to competing with UF and Georgia - time will tell but they have fought their way from the SEC basement to 5th place and a Gator bowl level bid - which suits the heck out of me. I guess I understand the pump the brakes mentality but look at Arkansas, Nebraska and other programs in a similar boat as UT - without the national laughingstock hiring process of 2 years ago - and my inclination is to forget the brakes and run full speed ahead.

You make some really good points here that I think most fans would agree with. But you kind of ruined it by suggesting fans who didn't play high school football should be quiet or that their opinions are somehow invalid. No offense, but that's just dopey. What makes high school the cutoff? Is every kid who played high school football qualified to do Pruitt's job? By your logic, the only people whose opinions matter at all are those who have been head coaches at SEC programs. Everyone else should just be quiet.

But other than that, good post.

iu
 
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