PFF — highest rated defensive lines

#26
#26
Taking this list as proof of any of these teams having a superior DL is shortsighted. Do these scores mean these defensive lines are great? Or do they mean these teams have had one or more easy opponents (or ideal matchups) to boost their early season "grades"? 'cause I'm willing to bet that the latter plays a lot in early season outliers.

So let's look at some of the teams listed-

Tennessee played Bowling Green, Pitt, and Tennessee Tech before playing Florida. That's not exactly a world-beating schedule.

Well, how about Auburn? Their first four games included Akron, Alabama State, and Georgia Southern. Jeez. Yes the other game was Penn State, but those three pastry puff games really helped their "grading," I bet you.

Oklahoma's first four games included Tulane after a freaking hurricane, Western Carolina, Nebraska (eh), and West Virginia.

Michigan has played Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Washington, and Rutgers. Uh. Yeah.

Alabama played Miami, Mercer, Florida, and Southern Miss. Yeah. Two of those are definitely pastries. Probably three really.

Now sure, lots of teams play creampuffs early. And it doesn't mean there may not be talented teams on the list. I just wouldn't go doing any celebrations about something like this while everyone's just snacking on the dessert cart before the real season picks up.
 
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#27
#27
kckempf said:
The line graded well for the Florida game but the linebackers graded very poorly.
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Most do when they play against Dan Mullen.
He's always creating mismatches...
Bama's LBs looked worse than ours the previous week.
 
#28
#28
turnuptheVOLtage said:
Georgia not #1…? We are definitely not better than them. I think some of this list is because of who you’ve played so far…
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I so tired of people giving Georgia a reach around when they’ve played JV teams. When they actually play someone with a pulse we’ll see how good they are or aren’t.
 
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#29
#29
Voltopia said:
Taking this list as proof of any of these teams having a superior DL is shortsighted. Do these scores mean these defensive lines are great? Or do they mean these teams have had one or more easy opponents (or ideal matchups) to boost their early season "grades"? 'cause I'm willing to bet that the latter plays a lot in early season outliers.

So let's look at some of the teams listed-

Tennessee played Bowling Green, Pitt, and Tennessee Tech before playing Florida. That's not exactly a world-beating schedule.

Well, how about Auburn? Their first four games included Akron, Alabama State, and Georgia Southern. Jeez. Yes the other game was Penn State, but those three pastry puff games really helped their "grading," I bet you.

Oklahoma's first four games included Tulane after a freaking hurricane, Western Carolina, Nebraska (eh), and West Virginia.

Michigan has played Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Washington, and Rutgers. Uh. Yeah.

Alabama played Miami, Mercer, Florida, and Southern Miss. Yeah. Two of those are definitely pastries. Probably three really.

Now sure, lots of teams play creampuffs early. And it doesn't mean there may not be talented teams on the list. I just wouldn't go doing any celebrations about something like this while everyone's just snacking on the dessert cart before the real season picks up.
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Who is it that you think has played a significantly harder schedule?

I mean, if your point is that the teams listed got the strong ratings because they've played relatively easy schedules so far, the implication is that teams not on the list have played relatively harder schedules.

So...who is it you think those other teams have played?

Let's compare--we'll take the top six teams from this list, and then six other SEC teams who weren't on the list at all:

(A) Teams with top DL ratings, and their toughest two opponents:
  • Auburn -- #4 Penn State, Ga State
  • Bama -- #10 Florida, Miami
  • Oklahoma -- West Virginia, Nebraska
  • Tennessee -- #10 Florida, Pitt
  • Michigan -- Washington, Rutgers
  • UGa -- #25 Clemson, USCe

(B) Decent SEC teams not on the list, and their toughest two opponents:
  • Florida -- #1 Bama, Tennessee
  • A&M -- #8 Arkansas, Colorado
  • Arkansas -- #15 A&M, Texas
  • LSU -- #20 UCLA, Miss State
  • Kentucky -- Mizzou, South Carolina
  • Ole Miss -- Louisville, Austin Peay

So sure, I guess you could try to claim Florida or Arkansas are not on the list because they have played (arguably) the toughest schedules to date of the teams listed here.

Then again, if your theory were right, Ole Miss and Kentucky should be ranked in the top 6, having by far the easiest schedules of all these teams (other than Michigan).

So that proves your theory invalid. Schedule difficulty to date is not the dominant contributing variable, it appears.

Fact is, most everybody has played a combination of one or two P5 opponents and two or three cupcakes so far this year. That's just how the early season goes. It's true of the teams whose DLs are ranked highly, and it's true of those whose aren't.

Sometimes it's okay to think things might be on the upswing for our program. Don't always have to dismiss good news as a quirk.

Go Vols!
 
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#31
#31
Dudleys87 said:
I so tired of people giving Georgia a reach around when they’ve played JV teams. When they actually play someone with a pulse we’ll see how good they are or aren’t.
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Their DL dominated our game with them last year and it's pretty much all the same guys. Georgia may or may not be an elite team this year, but that DL is elite. No question about that. PFF is a joke anyway because the guys grading don't know what players assignments were for sure, they are guessing, so it is impossible for them to truly grade them out. It's just entertainment, nothing more.
 
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#32
#32
VolBricks said:
Clemson lost two very good coordinators last year. It is getting harder to find good quality coordinators and keep them. They all want to move into the head coach job and get that "Real" "Golden Parachute" that sets your family up for good.
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Who? I’m pretty sure the D coordinator is still around
 
#35
#35
unfrozencvmanvol said:
Their DL dominated our game with them last year and it's pretty much all the same guys. Georgia may or may not be an elite team this year, but that DL is elite. No question about that. PFF is a joke anyway because the guys grading don't know what players assignments were for sure, they are guessing, so it is impossible for them to truly grade them out. It's just entertainment, nothing more.
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How do you know they’re elite? They’ve played teams with patched lines or no line at all. I get it they have talent but they always have talent.
 
#37
#37
Give Garner credit for AU as well. Best d-line coach in the game. We haven't seen quality d-line play since the Fulmer days.
 
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#39
#39
VFL-82-JP said:
Who is it that you think has played a significantly harder schedule?

I mean, if your point is that the teams listed got the strong ratings because they've played relatively easy schedules so far, the implication is that teams not on the list have played relatively harder schedules.

So...who is it you think those other teams have played?

Let's compare--we'll take the top six teams from this list, and then six other SEC teams who weren't on the list at all:

(A) Teams with top DL ratings, and their toughest two opponents:
  • Auburn -- #4 Penn State, Ga State
  • Bama -- #10 Florida, Miami
  • Oklahoma -- West Virginia, Nebraska
  • Tennessee -- #10 Florida, Pitt
  • Michigan -- Washington, Rutgers
  • UGa -- #25 Clemson, USCe

(B) Decent SEC teams not on the list, and their toughest two opponents:
  • Florida -- #1 Bama, Tennessee
  • A&M -- #8 Arkansas, Colorado
  • Arkansas -- #15 A&M, Texas
  • LSU -- #20 UCLA, Miss State
  • Kentucky -- Mizzou, South Carolina
  • Ole Miss -- Louisville, Austin Peay

So sure, I guess you could try to claim Florida or Arkansas are not on the list because they have played (arguably) the toughest schedules to date of the teams listed here.

Then again, if your theory were right, Ole Miss and Kentucky should be ranked in the top 6, having by far the easiest schedules of all these teams (other than Michigan).

So that proves your theory invalid. Schedule difficulty to date is not the dominant contributing variable, it appears.

Fact is, most everybody has played a combination of one or two P5 opponents and two or three cupcakes so far this year. That's just how the early season goes. It's true of the teams whose DLs are ranked highly, and it's true of those whose aren't.

Sometimes it's okay to think things might be on the upswing for our program. Don't always have to dismiss good news as a quirk.

Go Vols!
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Uh, I don't think you proved my theory invalid. I could just as easily point to the two teams with tougher schedules - let's say A&M and Arkansas - and say "see I'm right" as easily as you could point to Kentucky or Ole Miss and say "see I'm wrong." It would take a little more research - and a larger body of evidence - to make a real determination as to which teams got the easier schedules or better matchups. And I don't even know if that can be done until we get the full season in the books and figure out who was what in terms of stack ranking their performances.

But my theory, or my point, or whatever, wasn't even "oooh the list is all wrong." All I said, paraphrasing, was that reading a lot into early season unit rankings like this is probably a bit of fool's gold. My point was that ratings based on play between these P5 schools and practically literal scrimmage games like Tennessee Tech or Akron are going to be wildly variable and you can't read too much into early rankings. And to emphasize it, I pointed out that the teams on that list had all played a number of seriously creampuff early games. I mean, I even said everyone's playing easy games early -- "lots of teams play creampuffs early." -- and that some of the teams on the list may be talented. I just wouldn't advise reading too much into early season grading.

But hey, it's great Tennessee's on the list, and good on the line for grading out that high. I won't argue against that perspective.
 
#46
#46
Nationdom said:
Clemson is poverty. Their 15 minutes is up.
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15 minutes seems like longer when you're on the other side... Taj Boyd decommitted from UT when Fulmer was fired and went to Clemson to start the turn the valley of death into death valley...and we're still trying to find the stopwatch.
 
#47
#47
MCVol 1665 said:
Georgie shouldn’t be number one. They haven’t played anyone yet. When they play a grown-up then we will see.
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UGA is #1 in rushing yards, passing yards, total yards allowed and points allowed. Dislike UGA, but their D is legit. We are a good middle of the pack rushing D, and is no small achievement from where we were, and should bode well for us tomorrow.
 
#48
#48
Yes it’s early and this likely won’t last. But can we just not enjoy this for now? When is the last time we have honestly had DL play as good as we have so far? I am taking this as a huge positive.
 
#50
#50
Dudleys87 said:
I so tired of people giving Georgia a reach around when they’ve played JV teams. When they actually play someone with a pulse we’ll see how good they are or aren’t.
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I know but they have some absolute specimens on the DL. Wish we had some monsters like that
 
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