Not Top 10, you say? Make your case here!

#76
#76
Arrested Devolopment said:
We are a top 10 team until we're not.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Based on numbers at this point Tn is number 1 YPG offense. Bama, Ga are top ten. Scoring per game Tn is number 2, Bama is 4. Ga is 19. Ohio St. Bama and Ga are locks for the playoff unless something dramatic occurs. Those 3 have highly ranked defenses as well as potent offense. Pretty much everyone else is behind those 3 and as someone else mentioned it will all shake out in the end. Tn has a chance of beating everyone in the top ten as well as probably losing to those 3 teams more times we win. However, a bad day for any of them, mistakes, fumbles, penalties etc. against a very good offensive team such as Tn could mean a loss. If the rankings were all about defense James Madison would be ranked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VFL-82-JP
#77
#77
OHvol40 said:
Actually, the OP asked very specific questions and you basically answered none of them. Some ppl just relish in the contrarian role.
Click to expand...

I don't have to answer all the questions to know we aren't a Top 10 team. My answer is simple enough for most to understand. All the other stuff is fluff and a waste of time. Kinda like this response. Oh, well..
 
#78
#78
jeff1vol said:
I don't have to answer all the questions to know we aren't a Top 10 team. My answer is simple enough for most to understand. All the other stuff is fluff and a waste of time. Kinda like this response. Oh, well..
Click to expand...
No who behind us would you put ahead of us. Just answer the original question
 
  • Like
Reactions: VFL-82-JP
#80
#80
jeff1vol said:
I don't have to answer all the questions to know we aren't a Top 10 team. My answer is simple enough for most to understand. All the other stuff is fluff and a waste of time. Kinda like this response. Oh, well..
Click to expand...

Al? Is that you?

1664805478835.png
 
#81
#81
VOLywood said:
One poster did mention Ole Miss, which I agree may have a legit conversation about being ranked higher than UT.
Click to expand...
Really? Why is that? They beat UK... who can't run the ball or protect their QB. And what other quality team has OM played? Troy? Was that one TD win over Tulsa really that impressive? Central Arkansas?

Another good point made was that our defense would be better evaluated with statistics like third down conversion and fourth down conversion rates. I would add in there first downs allowed, because if teams are making first downs without needing third or fourth down then that also spells disaster for our defense.
Click to expand...
I have made that argument. You make an excellent point about 1st downs.

I think it would be a better strategy for UT on D right now to go high aggression all the time. Sort of the old Spurrier philosophy of "get me the ball back now!". UT stands a much better chance of overcoming a quick score by the opponent than having the D hold up for multiple long drives. So get the punt or turnover... or allow the points.... just get the ball back to the O as quick as possible.

I really think it would help if they determined to force the issue all the time. Stop worrying so much about making mistakes and start trying to force them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan, VFL-82-JP and McDad
#83
#83
jeff1vol said:
I don't have to answer all the questions to know we aren't a Top 10 team. My answer is simple enough for most to understand. All the other stuff is fluff and a waste of time. Kinda like this response. Oh, well..
Click to expand...
Maybe re-read that sentence and think about it a while.

Yeah. You kind of need to ask and answer the questions necessary to establish that you "know" something.

PS- Yeah. If you posted an opinion as truth without actually basing it on facts then you've wasted your time and everyone else's. All you've done is express your own feelings of insecurity about it. UT is 2nd nationally in scoring O, 1st in passing O, 1st in total O, and 28th in scoring D. So yeah, that's good enough to be in the top 10.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan, VFL-82-JP, Stephen Gray and 1 other person
#84
#84
I don't think we rate top 10 intil/unless we beat UT-Martin, KY, and upset GA. OR, we end up force-feeding Bama a loss by whatever point spread it be.
 
#85
#85
Look at the teams ranked behind us, look at how many lost. After the tope 3 or 4 teams, we are very much in the conversation. I could not pull any of the teams behind us ahead of the Vols. Yes, our defense is a liability, if it wasnt, I would be arguing we should be top 2 or 3. I think anyone 6-25 could lose any game against each other. BUT, we are ranked fairly
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan, Stephen Gray and sjt18
#87
#87
volfan_28 said:
To be fair, you're asking for a lot of work.
Click to expand...
No one said the guy had to answer. He chose to spew an opinion out without gathering his facts first. See response #83. Took me all of 3 or 4 minutes to find UT's current national rankings. Last night it took me less than 15 minutes to find that there aren't many wins by ANY of the current top 10 over teams that are currently ranked.

I don't mind people arguing that I'm wrong. I actually prefer that people prove me wrong if I am. But rarely will I write something here that hasn't been checked against the "facts" available to me. I don't honestly think that's too much to ask when people are making truth claims like that guy is doing. He's actually offended (see post #8 in this thread) that others would dare disagree with his declaration of the "way things are".
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan and VFL-82-JP
#88
#88
I've made the comment that we aren't a Top 10 team, but I'll admit that at the time of making that comment - I overestimated the requirements of being a top 10 team in 2022. There's just not that many great teams this year. I agree with the poster who said there's about 15 teams who could make an argument for filling out 4-10 in the Top 10. We're one of them.

The questions in the OP are tough to answer in a short period of time, but I'll give you something easy to hold me too. I think we lose to LSU and Kentucky.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VFL-82-JP
#89
#89
VFL-82-JP said:
There are either a dozen or so people who have said in one thread or another over the past few weeks that "Tennessee isn't a Top 10 team, we don't deserve this ranking" .... or there are three or four dudes saying it repeatedly. I haven't kept tabs on them by name, so I don't know which is true.

In either case, if you're one of those people who have said it, here's your chance! This thread is entirely set aside for you to explain.

Your response should include as a minimum, this information:
  • The names of three (or more) programs, ranked below us, who you think are better. Minimum three, because we're #8 now. Would take three teams leapfrogging us to push the Vols down out of the top 10.
  • For each team, what you have seen in their 2022 resume that convinces you they have the better team. Cover all three teams, please.
  • How you believe they'll each finish the season (record and standing in their division/conference), as well as how you believe the Vols will finish up.
I'm honestly intrigued by this. I get the impression you're not just blindly doubting your own team because BVS or whatever. I want to believe you've thought this through, and can explain your rationale.

The floor is yours.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...
To directly answer the question- at this point of the season, NO. No one currently ranked below UT has a better resume than UT to be in the top 10. The best case would be Penn State based on their win over Auburn on the Plains.

USC's resume is a LOT weaker than UT's... or PSU's... or Ole Miss'... and maybe some of the one loss teams. The combined record of the teams they've beaten is 9-14. Michigan is similar their opponents combine for 10-15. Ok State's FBS opponents are 5-10 combined with mighty Arkansas Pine Bluff their FCS opponent.

UT's opponents total 9-11 btw.

At this point there's a lot of perception and speculation involved... and UT's case is just as good as some of the others.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rickyvol77, MemphisVol77, swampfoxfan and 2 others
#90
#90
With our defense we are all punch and no jaw. As someone on here said the other day, if our offense has an off day then we are in trouble.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Raebo
#91
#91
volfan_28 said:
I've made the comment that we aren't a Top 10 team, but I'll admit that at the time of making that comment - I overestimated the requirements of being a top 10 team in 2022. There's just not that many great teams this year. I agree with the poster who said there's about 15 teams who could make an argument for filling out 4-10 in the Top 10. We're one of them.

The questions in the OP are tough to answer in a short period of time, but I'll give you something easy to hold me too. I think we lose to LSU and Kentucky.
Click to expand...
So your bias is against UT to start, right? I can't remember. Were you predicting losses to Pitt and UF before the season started?

LSU is a very talented team. They have issues on O but sometimes a team with that much talent just wins in spite of their "issues".

UT should not lose to UK. I'd be happy to hear you make a case for why that isn't true. Their OL is not good. They're last in the SEC and 127th nationally in sacks allowed. They're dead last in the SEC in yds/rush... by a lot. They average 2.52 and MSU at #13 averages 4.06. They allow 15 ppg which is 4th in the SEC but UT averages allowing 19 ppg.

But you have to put their D in perspective a little (UT's as well for that matter). Ole Miss ranks 30th in scoring O after playing a really weak schedule prior to UK. Their other opponents: Miami (OH) #115, UF #62, Youngstown (FCS), and NIU #66. IOW's, the best O they've played so far is OM and they're not great by any stretch. I think UK will have a good record at the end of the season but primarily because they play a relatively weak schedule.

IMHO, I believe UT will thump them plus losses to UGA and MSU to put them at 8-4. The fact that their "big" OOC game is Louisville... is a joke. We would be talking 11-1 if UT played their schedule.

PS- For what little it is worth, Ball State beat NIU over the weekend (44-38) just a week after UK only scored 31 vs NIU in route to a 31-23 win.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rickyvol77, MemphisVol77, swampfoxfan and 1 other person
#92
#92
Rankings at this point in the season are as meaningless as arguing about rankings at this point in the season. The ranking says Vols are #8 so that's where it is. Rankings are mostly subjective anyway. IF there was a way to objectively determine the best 10 teams in the country, I don't think the Vols would quite be there because of the defense. As I've already said, it's a positive sign of progress being made so that's where I leave it. If we are truly #8 and LSU is truly #25 then the Vols win fairly comfortable on Saturday. I expect yet another final possession or OT decision however.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan
#93
#93
You play the opponent that's in front of you. Good wins happen. Bad losses happen. The issue with analyzing rankings and wins is that you just end up just chasing your tail.

Kentucky beat Florida but if Kentucky beats us it's not impressive because we barely beat Florida but Florida also beat a top 10 ranked Utah which basically means that Georgia Tech is better than Utah because they beat Pitt and we had to go to OT with Pitt but beat Florida.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DC_Vol, VFL-82-JP and Doberman
#96
#96
I look at it this way: If I am Nick Saban and I am told that I have to play a random team from the top 10 next week but we will allow you to take your pick of 3 teams to exclude. I expect Tennessee would be one of those 3 teams.

Tennessee is not a team that anyone wants to have to match up with right now. That’s why I think we deserve the ranking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MemphisVol77, swampfoxfan and VFL-82-JP
#98
#98
sjt18 said:
Really? Why is that? They beat UK... who can't run the ball or protect their QB. And what other quality team has OM played? Troy? Was that one TD win over Tulsa really that impressive? Central Arkansas?


I have made that argument. You make an excellent point about 1st downs.

I think it would be a better strategy for UT on D right now to go high aggression all the time. Sort of the old Spurrier philosophy of "get me the ball back now!". UT stands a much better chance of overcoming a quick score by the opponent than having the D hold up for multiple long drives. So get the punt or turnover... or allow the points.... just get the ball back to the O as quick as possible.

I really think it would help if they determined to force the issue all the time. Stop worrying so much about making mistakes and start trying to force them.
Click to expand...
Do you find it odd CJH has repeatedly said publicly he wants us to be an attacking defense while our games look much more 'bend but don't break'?
 
  • Like
Reactions: OHvol40, MemphisVol77 and VFL-82-JP
#99
#99
I am going to play devil's advocate and argue against us being in top 10.

I still think we only have 1-2 recruiting classes from Heupel so not a lot of depth and our defense cannot seem to get off the field on 3rd or 4th down. If we have a game were our offense plays like the 2nd half of Pitt game and our defense plays like they did against Florida, we will get blown out.

That being said, the field this year looks pretty weak so we may actually be among the top 10 teams. In the SEC alone, Auburn, Florida, and LSU appear to be "down". Then nationally the B1G only has three really good teams right now: Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State. Big12 seems to be a mess. ACC is still the ACC for most part. Pac12 is a little "up" versus past years but two of its premier programs have losses to SEC East teams.

So, nationally, there seems to be a weak field once you get past top 3-5 teams.

To be flat honest, Tennessee reminds me a lot of the Oklahoma teams of Lincoln Riley. Spectacular offense but suspect defense. They were top 10 teams but not top 5/playoff contending teams.

As a Vols fan, I am happy with where we are whether we are a top ten team or not. I don't want the expectations to be unrealistic for Heupel should we hit a skid these next few games.
 
#100
#100
McDad said:
Do you find it odd CJH has repeatedly said publicly he wants us to be an attacking defense while our games look much more 'bend but don't break'?
Click to expand...
Yes. I noticed that too. Not exactly sure what to make of it and especially with Banks getting a raise.

Maybe someone is pushing back that they need lockdown corners to do that... but IMO... you actually don't. Teams that pressure the QB and penetrate the backfield force mistakes... and cover their own weaknesses.

Personally, I would rather see UT give up more big plays but have the D on the field less.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MemphisVol77, swampfoxfan, VFL-82-JP and 1 other person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top