Realistic Review and Expectations for next year.

#1
V

VolFanNC09

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
Messages
2,177
Likes
3,174
#1
I am not writing this to try to defend or call for Dooley’s head. This season my predictions was 8-4 winning 2 out of 4 with UF, UGA, USCe, Ark and of course winning UK, and Vandy and 3 or 4th in the SECe.

Before this season if someone were to tell me we were going to lose Lathers, Jackson, Hunter for the season and Bray for half the season I would have said 6-6 or worse.

I also have to keep in mind we lost 5 games to top 15 BCS programs. In other words, 5 teams we played finished in the top 15. (UGA may have dropped after SEC game). 1 team we lost to was UF when Hunter got hurt. In other words, 6 games were easily losable.
2 losses were a play away from going the other way. If we had returned the ball for a TD against USCe that could have been a win and had they called the fumble right against UK, that would have been a win.
In the UK game, we played Bray with a still healing thumb and who had the flu all week and Da’Rick who had a lingering hand injury for past 4 games instead of Worley or Simms. Simms would have helped the run game and managed the game better.

How devastating was Kentucky? The Kentucky game cost Dooley a year. He no longer gets 4 now, if he has anything less than 8-4 next season he gets chased out of town. All of his coaches know it and he knows it. Next season he is on the hottest of hot seats much like Richt was this year, but with no track record to make you think it can get better.

Next year – the positives
I expect 8-4 or better next year unless complete implosion. Bray uninjured and Worley with experience at QB. So top 3 in SEC at QB. Da’rick and Hunter and this is really Da’ricks pro audition so I expect less dropped passes. Plus Arnett and Dallas and others. Will be loaded at QB and WR. OL has one more year of strength training and hopefully Lane will come along. Our D is finally at full strength and has depth. In other words, depth and experience at all levels.

Our schedule is also much easier. We will play a down UF team, UGA will be tough, USCe will be down, Kentucky will actually be worse and Vandy will be better. We also keep Bama, but lose Arky and LSU and change them for Miss St and Mizzou. We have 2-3 potential top 15 teams instead of 5.

6-2 or 5-3 are reasonable expectations in the SEC. Recruiting should finish anywhere from 8-15 and builds more depth at WR, DL, LB and DB.

Talent-wise we will be as good or better than everyone except Bama, UF, and UGA.

I think Dooley gets another year with 8-4, but seat is still warm to hot. Gets canned at 7-5 or worse and is off the hot seat with 9-3 or better.

Next year the negatives.

We need some games where we get a break. A return or a TD or things like that. We just really haven’t gotten them in 5+ years. We just don’t make any good breaks. Good teams have punt returns, interception returns, kick returns for TD’s and long field goals in games that matter. We don’t and that has to change for us to be a good team. Our intangibles are terrible and have been under the Dooley and Kiffin eras. Our running game also was horrible and I don’t understand the play calling especially once Worley was in. I don’t know if any of this will be improved. A mediocre year is really all bad caoching at this point and expect this to be the last in Dooley's tenure if things go badly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
#2
#2
Good post. I personally think that even with a 9-3 season we could be entering his last year here, personally.

If I had to give a pre-2012 prediction though, I'd blindly say we go 7-5
 
#7
#7
Enjoyed reading a realistic review of the past season. The season that started with some promise was dealt a blow with all of the injuries. That is not an excuse, just a fact. 9-3 is doable next year provided we avoid the injury plague that hit us this season.
 
#9
#9
I see a best 7-5 also one of the biggest problem with a Dooley team is that they do not know how to play a second half game ... If any of these teams are leading after halftime unless something changes Tennessee will be in trouble.
 
#10
#10
7+ wins. more importantly just improvement across the board. a signature win against someone besides Vandy.. it seems like forever when we have played above ourselves and beat someone that we werent suppose to beat.

Vandy and UK back to gimme games. If we lose either I wont be happy...
 
#12
#12
6-6 at best, maybe 7-5 if every starter stays healthy the whole year and the complete lack of any depth at all doesn't come into play.
 
#13
#13
Are you sure we lose Arkansas? This was the first time we played them. We would have played them at home if the conference had not expanded
 
#14
#14
Before this season I thought 6-6 was realistic, and 7-5 possible. That's why the Kentucky loss hurt so bad.

Next season 8-4 would be probable, with 10-2 very possible.

Anything less than 8 wins is not exceptable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#19
#19
We play N.C.State, Georgia St., Florida (at Home) Akron. If we do not start 4-0 it could be a long year. If we was to go 2-2 Dooley is going to feel alot of heat. I mean 3 out of the first 4 games are at home.
 
#20
#20
VolFanNC09 said:
I am not writing this to try to defend or call for Dooley’s head. This season my predictions was 8-4 winning 2 out of 4 with UF, UGA, USCe, Ark and of course winning UK, and Vandy and 3 or 4th in the SECe.

Before this season if someone were to tell me we were going to lose Lathers, Jackson, Hunter for the season and Bray for half the season I would have said 6-6 or worse.

I also have to keep in mind we lost 5 games to top 15 BCS programs. In other words, 5 teams we played finished in the top 15. (UGA may have dropped after SEC game). 1 team we lost to was UF when Hunter got hurt. In other words, 6 games were easily losable.
2 losses were a play away from going the other way. If we had returned the ball for a TD against USCe that could have been a win and had they called the fumble right against UK, that would have been a win.
In the UK game, we played Bray with a still healing thumb and who had the flu all week and Da’Rick who had a lingering hand injury for past 4 games instead of Worley or Simms. Simms would have helped the run game and managed the game better.

How devastating was Kentucky? The Kentucky game cost Dooley a year. He no longer gets 4 now, if he has anything less than 8-4 next season he gets chased out of town. All of his coaches know it and he knows it. Next season he is on the hottest of hot seats much like Richt was this year, but with no track record to make you think it can get better.

Next year – the positives
I expect 8-4 or better next year unless complete implosion. Bray uninjured and Worley with experience at QB. So top 3 in SEC at QB. Da’rick and Hunter and this is really Da’ricks pro audition so I expect less dropped passes. Plus Arnett and Dallas and others. Will be loaded at QB and WR. OL has one more year of strength training and hopefully Lane will come along. Our D is finally at full strength and has depth. In other words, depth and experience at all levels.

Our schedule is also much easier. We will play a down UF team, UGA will be tough, USCe will be down, Kentucky will actually be worse and Vandy will be better. We also keep Bama, but lose Arky and LSU and change them for Miss St and Mizzou. We have 2-3 potential top 15 teams instead of 5.

6-2 or 5-3 are reasonable expectations in the SEC. Recruiting should finish anywhere from 8-15 and builds more depth at WR, DL, LB and DB.

Talent-wise we will be as good or better than everyone except Bama, UF, and UGA.

I think Dooley gets another year with 8-4, but seat is still warm to hot. Gets canned at 7-5 or worse and is off the hot seat with 9-3 or better.

Next year the negatives.

We need some games where we get a break. A return or a TD or things like that. We just really haven’t gotten them in 5+ years. We just don’t make any good breaks. Good teams have punt returns, interception returns, kick returns for TD’s and long field goals in games that matter. We don’t and that has to change for us to be a good team. Our intangibles are terrible and have been under the Dooley and Kiffin eras. Our running game also was horrible and I don’t understand the play calling especially once Worley was in. I don’t know if any of this will be improved. A mediocre year is really all bad caoching at this point and expect this to be the last in Dooley's tenure if things go badly.
Click to expand...

For some reason I think this time next year this same thread will pop up along with a "Who will our next Head Coach be" thread
 
#22
#22
GoBigOrangeUT said:
Even if we finish 2-10 after me predicting 10-2, my life will go on. Sure I'll be disappointed, but I won't lose any sleep over it.
Click to expand...

Not saying it wont, im just saying same staff same players same attitude equals same results. Trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results = ?
 
#23
#23
I think is was a good and sound reiteration of the past season...Well stated....however, I am still shocked (you are not the only one so do not take it wrong) why people believe that Dooley is shorten one year....he maybe shorten one year off of the contract which would mean 5 years not 3. Signed a 6 year contract....

A lot of variables go into this, but if he does not put a good product on the field next year then his term maybe shorten two years....Regardless I ager with your analysis of the the season but I do not agree with the shortfall of a year.....At a minimum, Dooley will more that likely get 4 years....The way his contract is written may make it difficult to cut him loose at that point....which happens to fall a week or two after NSD....

What I am saying is that he is going to recruit a class and then we are going to fire him.... I don't think so....:popcorn:
 
Last edited:
#24
#24
Volsfaninva917 said:
Not saying it wont, im just saying same staff same players same attitude equals same results. Trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results = ?
Click to expand...

The answer is insanity, but I have hard time believing this team will look the way it did this year come next year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top