optimism vs. blind hope

#26
#26
photovol said:
Injuries are the enemy of teams like Tennessee with little depth and expierience
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That's an accurate statement and one that was taken into consideration into forming my opinion. Thought my post had enough caveats and asterisks to cover unexpected events such as injuries, even by lowering the floor from the previous poster. Can't appease everyone, I guess.
 
#27
#27
After the last 2 years I think expectations are pretty reasonable. I see the expectations being unreasonable if Pruitt improves them to 9-3, probably even 8-4. The jump from 5-3 conference to 6-2 or 7-1 is huge. My opinion, that is when fans get over anxious and expectations soar. It will probably be easier for the top teams to fall back than for TENN to pass them. GA, Ala, and Fl are in talent rich states and their admin is not going to let the program fall very far before making a move.
If TENN can win most of their SEC games the OOC games will take care of themselves. The record will improve. I am looking for SEC wins improving. Beating Auburn and Ky showed they can win, but not showing up for Missouri and Vandy is disheartening. Was that lack of depth or lack of consistent coaching????????
 
#28
#28
BeecherVol said:
Dont really disagree with any of that in general.

I personally havent seen many claiming this is a 10 win team. Most are skeptical of anything over 8.
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this. i think i'm kinda tired of hearing about fans over hyping this team when most are saying 6 or 7 with a celing of 8, 9 if EVERYTHING went our way.

that's not overhype. that's not even hype....we're talking about being able to split the MSU/USCe games this year as to improve our chances of actually getting to 7. or just not getting blown out by GA and Bama.....lol

actually for the first time in a long time, i think the fan base in general has a decent handle on what this single season's expectations are/should be.

i know there are outliers...good and bad...but it's same posters that do it ever year. the eyores that are always 2 games below and the sunshine/rainbow folks that are 2 games the other way.

i think the middle....the very large, wide, huge, middle of the fan base is in that 6 or 7...maybe 8...win type mode......
 
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#30
#30
GlockVol said:
Welcome to VN. Reasonable expectations and Vol Nation is like fire and water, can't mix
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Or, to put it in a way that only hillbillies and old timers can appreciate:

Reasonable expectations and Vol Nation are like body odor and bath water... they don't mix
until late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
 
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#31
#31
Big Al Orange said:
9-3 but only if we can establish a running game that people have to respect. We all know if you can’t run the ball in the SEC you ain’t got a prayer.
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Ole ball coach told me one time he said " when you have to be able to run the ball, you have to be able to run the ball. It is that simple. No run game no chance to win the game. "
 
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#32
#32
germantown902 said:
6-6 is the absolute floor and will have Pruitt squarely on the hot seat (rightly or wrongly). 7-5 is expected. 8-4 is unlikely. 9-3 is comical. 10-2 is ridiculous. I want to see them actually win games in which they are favored. I want to see this team keep every loss within 10-14 to Alabama/Georgia and within a score of the rest. I also want to see a team that has some gas left in the tank at the end of the season. Hopefully, we'll have some underclassmen who can contribute effectively.
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Right now they are favorites in at least 8 games so do you expect us to win all of them or not?
 
#34
#34
germantown902 said:
6-6 is the absolute floor and will have Pruitt squarely on the hot seat (rightly or wrongly). 7-5 is expected. 8-4 is unlikely. 9-3 is comical. 10-2 is ridiculous. I want to see them actually win games in which they are favored. I want to see this team keep every loss within 10-14 to Alabama/Georgia and within a score of the rest. I also want to see a team that has some gas left in the tank at the end of the season. Hopefully, we'll have some underclassmen who can contribute effectively.
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not sure i get the intent of this post.

6-6 will get him on the hot seat.

7-5 is expected, and basically anything better than that is, well, let's just say unlikely according to the post.

so he has a 1 game swing where he either meets expectations.........or should be fired?

tough crowd.
 
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#35
#35
Kngsport VFL said:
I am new to the forums, and wanted to share some thoughts. I have been a consistant fan since the 60's, and am sold out in love with the Vols football team.
Over the past several years, we have been let down over and over, So I think we should go into a season without the high win predictions that so many want to put out ahead of time

Here we are just before the season starts, with a hopefully much improved Oline, great coaches, maturing quarterback, and talented receivers, and while it looks like we're headed in
the right direction, It's not smart for people to hype it up and predict 10-2 season, so everyone will be disappointed if/when it doesn't happen.

Let's support our team all the way to January, and have reasonable expectations.

Everything will be decided on the field!
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A whole lot of lovin' is what we'll be bringin’
Come on get happy!
 
#38
#38
What if he goes 8-4 and Fulmer gives him a three year extension and million dollar raise?

That's just like something our other admins have done!
 
#44
#44
Year 2 is normally a good indicator:

10-12 wins = Great Coach*
8-9 wins = Good Enough Coach
6-7 wins = Mediocre Coach
4-5 wins = fire on the spot
1-3 wins = quit football forever

I’m expecting 5-7 wins but I think Fulmer has more patience than most of us and will give Pruitt 4 years minimum unless he dips below 5 wins for any reason.
 
#45
#45
We have a decade of a defeatist culture to overcome. The last 10 years the lack of ability to overcome adversity has crippled this program. You could see it watching the games. Heck, you could hear it on the radio. Something goes bad, the heads hang, the attitude changes completely. The energy is gone. This HAS to reverse or we will remain mediocre at best. Throw a pick? OK defense, go get the ball back. Give up a big play TD? Match it. We have to press through past adversity. We have failed miserably at this for far too long. The mental strength of this team will be what makes or breaks it. Follow the General's Maxims. Mental toughness and attitude.


1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.

2. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - SCORE.

3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, don't let up... put on more steam.

4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game.

5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle... for this is the WINNING EDGE.

6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.

7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.
 
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#46
#46
Elhanan said:
Year 2 is normally a good indicator:

10-12 wins = Great Coach*
8-9 wins = Good Enough Coach
6-7 wins = Mediocre Coach
4-5 wins = fire on the spot
1-3 wins = quit football forever

I’m expecting 5-7 wins but I think Fulmer has more patience than most of us and will give Pruitt 4 years minimum unless he dips below 5 wins for any reason.
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So, per your chart Pruitt is a mediocre coach unless we beat someone we’re not supposed to AND sweep the games we’re evenly matched and still the best he can possibly do is “good enough” in year 2 of a complete rebuild? Damn dude..... you’re a tough one.
 
#47
#47
Hmm. Expectations?
Fan’s vs Team’s?

I wonder what JP expects from the players. Are they setting goals to make a bowl or more than that?

Any loss will make us sad, mad, and/or depressed. There’s no avoiding that feeling after a loss.

How we handle adversity as fans vary from one to the next. I plan on postponing my despair as long as I can. I’ve seen too many “turn of events” dealing with Vol football. So, until we lose, we haven’t.

For the folks that say something like setting up for more disappointment, there is no way to soften the blow of a loss. Losses hurt, they hurt bad. It don’t matter who they are to, they all hurt bad. I don’t want to care less.

I expect JP to figure out a game plan for every team on our schedule that gets us the win. The plans for some games will need to be a little fast and loose compared to others. I’d rather lose big with no holds barred, than to lose because we played it too close to the vest.

I like on side kicks, fake punts, fake field goals, going for it on 4th down. I’d rather not have to try any of them this year. I trust that JP will throw some haymakers if need be. Whose that boring boxer that that won so many matches? Give me the guy that will bite your ear off to keep from losing!

How high can they jump?
 
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#48
#48
6-6 or 7-5 and I will be satisfied. 8-4 or 9-3 would be a outstanding year and exceed expectations 5-7 again and I will serious questions and concerns if Pruitt will succeed here. The bottom line is we badly need to get back to a bowl game this season. Only making 4 bowls in this decade is just abysmal.
 
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#49
#49
BigOrangeAl 1979 said:
6-6 or 7-5 and I will be satisfied. 8-4 or 9-3 would be a outstanding year and exceed expectations 5-7 again and I will serious questions and concerns if Pruitt will succeed here. The bottom line is we badly need to get back to a bowl game this season. Only making 4 bowls in this decade is just abysmal.
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Another 5-7 campaign and that 12th ranked class in 2019 will be the highlight of his career as they likely would spiral downwards in the 2020 class....
 
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