Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[Vols4us]

I usually don't feel too comfortable sharing personal information online and such but I spend a lot of time on here.

My grandfather passed away today. I've had great grandparents pass when I was a kid and teen. But this is an indescribable pain at the moment. He was my papaw. But growing up without a dad he also stepped up in that role so much throughout my life. It hurts because he was only 63, I never thought this would happen anytime this soon. He never got to see me marry or have a kid of my own, I have a lot of regrets but deep down I know he wouldn't want me feeling guilty about anything. He would want me to live. That's what I plan on doing.

Oh by the way, BIG ORANGE FAN UNTIL THE VERY END. He always joked he wanted to be put in the body farm in Knoxville. But hes being buried with a beautiful power T. This is why no matter the state of the program, I'll never give up on UT. It was one of things I bonded with my papaw the most.

As a papaw, I approve this message. He sounds like quite a man. He would want you to live your life to its fullest and be the best you can be in all things. May the Lord comfort you during this time.

 

[Govolsman98]

Just like our O should eat up Ole Miss D. They gave up nearly 40 per game last year.

And Mizzou offense wasn’t good last year. 26.7 ppg. Again, I like Bazelak but he started 8 games last season and threw 0 TD in 5 of those starts. 7 TD, 6 INT on the year.

I think people were impressed that he came in and did fairly well against us. Obviously not a big accomplishment considering how bad our secondary was

 

[Brillovol]

I usually don't feel too comfortable sharing personal information online and such but I spend a lot of time on here.

My grandfather passed away today. I've had great grandparents pass when I was a kid and teen. But this is an indescribable pain at the moment. He was my papaw. But growing up without a dad he also stepped up in that role so much throughout my life. It hurts because he was only 63, I never thought this would happen anytime this soon. He never got to see me marry or have a kid of my own, I have a lot of regrets but deep down I know he wouldn't want me feeling guilty about anything. He would want me to live. That's what I plan on doing.

Oh by the way, BIG ORANGE FAN UNTIL THE VERY END. He always joked he wanted to be put in the body farm in Knoxville. But hes being buried with a beautiful power T. This is why no matter the state of the program, I'll never give up on UT. It was one of things I bonded with my papaw the most.

May God bless you with comfort in this time. Just remember that His mercies are new every morning. Honoring him the most will be to carry his legacy on in your life to be a man leading out and loving just like him to your own future family. It sounds like he’s done a great job laying the foundation for you.

 

[VAVolsFan2009]

I usually don't feel too comfortable sharing personal information online and such but I spend a lot of time on here.

My grandfather passed away today. I've had great grandparents pass when I was a kid and teen. But this is an indescribable pain at the moment. He was my papaw. But growing up without a dad he also stepped up in that role so much throughout my life. It hurts because he was only 63, I never thought this would happen anytime this soon. He never got to see me marry or have a kid of my own, I have a lot of regrets but deep down I know he wouldn't want me feeling guilty about anything. He would want me to live. That's what I plan on doing.

Oh by the way, BIG ORANGE FAN UNTIL THE VERY END. He always joked he wanted to be put in the body farm in Knoxville. But hes being buried with a beautiful power T. This is why no matter the state of the program, I'll never give up on UT. It was one of things I bonded with my papaw the most.

Sad news about your grandfather. Condolences to you and your family. From personal experience, losing a grandfather and father is really tough. They are such an important part of our lives. Thinking of you.

 

[screenthis]

I usually don't feel too comfortable sharing personal information online and such but I spend a lot of time on here.

My grandfather passed away today. I've had great grandparents pass when I was a kid and teen. But this is an indescribable pain at the moment. He was my papaw. But growing up without a dad he also stepped up in that role so much throughout my life. It hurts because he was only 63, I never thought this would happen anytime this soon. He never got to see me marry or have a kid of my own, I have a lot of regrets but deep down I know he wouldn't want me feeling guilty about anything. He would want me to live. That's what I plan on doing.

Oh by the way, BIG ORANGE FAN UNTIL THE VERY END. He always joked he wanted to be put in the body farm in Knoxville. But hes being buried with a beautiful power T. This is why no matter the state of the program, I'll never give up on UT. It was one of things I bonded with my papaw the most.

Well, I wish I had a 'tear' emoji for this post when liking (like on Facebook). I lost my mother when she was only 61. Always shocking when they are taken early. So many things left in life that we want to share with them. I love though that he planted that great seed in you to not feel Guilty and live your best life. Best of luck to you.

 

[VOLUNTEERSZN]

Saturday
Sep. 4Bowling Green FalconsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Sep. 11Pitt PanthersNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Sep. 18Tennessee Tech Golden EaglesNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Sep. 25at Florida GatorsBen Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FLTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 2at Missouri TigersFaurot Field, Columbia, MOTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 9South Carolina GamecocksNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 16Ole Miss RebelsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 23at Alabama Crimson TideBryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, ALTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 30OFFSaturday
Nov. 6at Kentucky WildcatsKroger Field, Lexington, KYTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Nov. 13Georgia BulldogsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Nov. 20South Alabama JaguarsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Nov. 27Vanderbilt CommodoresNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBA


Think you have to tier these:
Likely W's - Bowling Green, Tennessee Tech, South Alabama
50/50 leaning W - South Carolina, Vanderbilt
50/50 leaning L - Pitt, Mizzou, Ole Miss, Kentucky
Likely L's - Florida, Alabama, Georgia

Pitt is too early in the season to call one way or another. I'd think we'd still be gelling but it would be a helluva win early.
@ Missouri is asking a lot, but maybe Heupel gets the team up for a former employer.
South Carolina features a new coach as well, the game is at home, likely a bounce-back spot. Maybe our offense is clicking by then.
Ole Miss is at home, and will likely be a raucous crowd if we're filling it up, but Kiffin has a big head start on Heupel in a lot of ways. I do not envy our defense on this day.
@ Kentucky is also asking a lot, and they are a steady program now. Would be a tall task to outperform them on the road late in the season when attrition is catching up to us.
Vanderbilt is a huge game for both coaches, but I think we have the edge. Chance to end the season on a high note.

It bodes well for us that so many split games are at home.

I could see 5-7 with 6-6 as a manageable stretch goal. I think we have 3 wins coming out of the bye with Kentucky, Georgia, South Alabama, and Vanderbilt left to get to bowl eligibility. You just have to wonder if attrition, injuries, or attitude are an issue. You also have to think our defense is wrecked by then. Can we score 150+ points in the month of November?

lol

 

[volinbama256]

Saturday
Sep. 4Bowling Green FalconsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Sep. 11Pitt PanthersNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Sep. 18Tennessee Tech Golden EaglesNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Sep. 25at Florida GatorsBen Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FLTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 2at Missouri TigersFaurot Field, Columbia, MOTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 9South Carolina GamecocksNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 16Ole Miss RebelsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 23at Alabama Crimson TideBryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, ALTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Oct. 30OFFSaturday
Nov. 6at Kentucky WildcatsKroger Field, Lexington, KYTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Nov. 13Georgia BulldogsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Nov. 20South Alabama JaguarsNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBASaturday
Nov. 27Vanderbilt CommodoresNeyland Stadium, Knoxville, TNTime TBA ETTV TBA


Think you have to tier these:
Likely W's - Bowling Green, Tennessee Tech, South Alabama
50/50 leaning W - South Carolina, Vanderbilt
50/50 leaning L - Pitt, Mizzou, Ole Miss, Kentucky
Likely L's - Florida, Alabama, Georgia

Pitt is too early in the season to call one way or another. I'd think we'd still be gelling but it would be a helluva win early.
@ Missouri is asking a lot, but maybe Heupel gets the team up for a former employer.
South Carolina features a new coach as well, the game is at home, likely a bounce-back spot. Maybe our offense is clicking by then.
Ole Miss is at home, and will likely be a raucous crowd if we're filling it up, but Kiffin has a big head start on Heupel in a lot of ways. I do not envy our defense on this day.
@ Kentucky is also asking a lot, and they are a steady program now. Would be a tall task to outperform them on the road late in the season when attrition is catching up to us.
Vanderbilt is a huge game for both coaches, but I think we have the edge. Chance to end the season on a high note.

It bodes well for us that so many split games are at home.

I could see 5-7 with 6-6 as a manageable stretch goal. I think we have 3 wins coming out of the bye with Kentucky, Georgia, South Alabama, and Vanderbilt left to get to bowl eligibility. You just have to wonder if attrition, injuries, or attitude are an issue. You also have to think our defense is wrecked by then. Can we score 150+ points in the month of November?

Don't forget we no longer have JG and hopefully this staff puts the best talent we have on the field.......................... 6-7 wins.

 

[BigSteve09]

I am also anchoring those expectations to the fact that we have underperformed by 2-3 wins every season. I really can't come up with sound reasoning for why we would only win 5 games, or why 6 wins could be our ceiling. But every single damn year we get a good old kick to the nuts.

 

[BigSteve09]

lol

It's not my proudest work. I'd love to kick my feet up and scroll down that list laughing like an a-hole while predicting 28+ point blowouts

 

[Revived2002]

I am also anchoring those expectations to the fact that we have underperformed by 2-3 wins every season. I really can't come up with sound reasoning for why we would only win 5 games, or why 6 wins could be our ceiling. But every single damn year we get a good old kick to the nuts.

Bingo! That's the way to look at the program right now until further notice. Just go ahead and embrace it for what it is.

 

[jakez4ut]

Pitt played UCF in 2018 and 2019. 1-1. The point being our speed won't be new to them.

We are more talented than UCF, obviously, but their roster likely was a better fit for Heupel's system on Day 1. Going to be an interesting matchup.

yeah, that's fine. no issue with that line of thought. i'm just not scared of Pitt. they're probably not scared of us, they have no reason to be anyway.

"our speed" is yet to be determined. so i wouldn't go that far. they shouldn't be surprised by anything schematically, so on that i'll agree with you.

and i guess we'll see how this staff does at adjusting to the roster.........i mean, that's what they said they'd do. so i don't expect a carbon copy UCF offense here right off the bat. there's still gonna be plenty of unknowns for Pitt, and anyone else we play, to account for.... hopefully we figure out some stuff this off season and can go in to next year with some "knowns" of our own to work from.....

 

[Catbone]

Lol. No pretty dumb to say 4-8. If we go 4-8, JH isn’t the guy. We have enough talent to easily make a bowl. I think 6-7 win range is what should be about right. No one is very good but three teams.

Uhhh ok

 

[MarcoVol]

I think their record would had been better if they would have started the season with Connor B playing like he did at the middle And end of his true freshman season... I don’t think they are a good team.. just one that is closer to a 50/50 game than anyone here seems to think

Agree it’s 50-50. Def not an auto L.

And I’ve said a few times that I like Bazelak but even in the middle of the season it’s not like he was all that good, he just didn’t make mistakes.

 

[Otis1105]

Agree it’s 50-50. Def not an auto L.

And I’ve said a few times that I like Bazelak but even in the middle of the season it’s not like he was all that good, he just didn’t make mistakes.

View attachment 355317

If a UT qb did what baze did between LSU (his first start) to Ark as a true freshman there would be talks of heismans and 15-0 right now!!! He needs to up his td numbers but that wouldn’t stop off-season hype

 

[MarcoVol]

If a UT qb did what baze did between LSU (his first start) to Ark as a true freshman there would be talks of heismans and 15-0 right now!!! He needs to up his td numbers but that wouldn’t stop off-season hype

Bazelak was a RS Fr.

If you want a true Fr with similar numbers, albeit in limited PT, and a better QB rating:

 

[GoVols15]

I usually don't feel too comfortable sharing personal information online and such but I spend a lot of time on here.

My grandfather passed away today. I've had great grandparents pass when I was a kid and teen. But this is an indescribable pain at the moment. He was my papaw. But growing up without a dad he also stepped up in that role so much throughout my life. It hurts because he was only 63, I never thought this would happen anytime this soon. He never got to see me marry or have a kid of my own, I have a lot of regrets but deep down I know he wouldn't want me feeling guilty about anything. He would want me to live. That's what I plan on doing.

Oh by the way, BIG ORANGE FAN UNTIL THE VERY END. He always joked he wanted to be put in the body farm in Knoxville. But hes being buried with a beautiful power T. This is why no matter the state of the program, I'll never give up on UT. It was one of things I bonded with my papaw the most.

I know the pain! May God give you peace and comfort during these tough times. You were fortunate enough to have a Papaw to at least share some life with. Treasure those memories and make him proud! My wife and I are praying for you!

 

[Dooby15]

9.5 (but somehow i think you wanted this info for weird things)

 

[DawgInterloper]

50/50 leaning W - South Carolina, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt is a huge game for both coaches, but I think we have the edge. Chance to end the season on a high note.

I'm not big on offseason record predictions because it's really hard to know enough about multiple teams' strengths and weaknesses 8 or 9 months from now, but I don't see how Vanderbilt poses much threat to win an SEC game again next year. Honestly, I think their football program is past the point of needing to move to some lower level of competition. Changes in their priorities seem unlikely, and that's fine because supporting high level college football isn't a good fit everywhere. What they're doing isn't fair to their players IMO.

 

[screenthis]

I am also anchoring those expectations to the fact that we have underperformed by 2-3 wins every season. I really can't come up with sound reasoning for why we would only win 5 games, or why 6 wins could be our ceiling. But every single damn year we get a good old kick to the nuts.

And frankly, I'm tired of getting kicked in the nuts. It would be so nice to have positive news again. Maybe the Men's or Women's BBall teams will come through? An unexpected signing would also be nice.

 

[UTK]

I appreciate all the kind words guys. Thank you. I'll let this thread get back to the random chaos it always is, just want to provide a link to a gofundme my family put up to help with some of the expenses. I don't feel comfortable at all with doing that but I promised I would help share it around since my family is in a tight spot financially, especially since the pandemic hit. Don't feel pressured at all, but anything would greatly help my family. Kind words and prayers are just as appreciated. Thank you all so much Big Orange Family. This site has been a part of my life for nearly 11 years. Thank you to everyone that contributes to it and makes it what it is.

Help the Roberts family lay to rest Arthur Roberts, organized by Laura Roberts

 

[Aesius]

I usually don't feel too comfortable sharing personal information online and such but I spend a lot of time on here.

My grandfather passed away today. I've had great grandparents pass when I was a kid and teen. But this is an indescribable pain at the moment. He was my papaw. But growing up without a dad he also stepped up in that role so much throughout my life. It hurts because he was only 63, I never thought this would happen anytime this soon. He never got to see me marry or have a kid of my own, I have a lot of regrets but deep down I know he wouldn't want me feeling guilty about anything. He would want me to live. That's what I plan on doing.

Oh by the way, BIG ORANGE FAN UNTIL THE VERY END. He always joked he wanted to be put in the body farm in Knoxville. But hes being buried with a beautiful power T. This is why no matter the state of the program, I'll never give up on UT. It was one of things I bonded with my papaw the most.

So sorry man. My dad passed away in Sept. at the age of 63 as well. 6 weeks before my wife gave birth to his first grandchild (a boy). It sucks and I still feel the pain of the loss every single day (and will for the rest of my life), but as you said, you gotta keep living. Do what you know he would want you to do, and keep making him proud.

 

[UTK]

Appreciate it.

 

[Sin City Vol]

I hope everyone that has been involved with TN football for the past 15 years reads that. They should be ashamed of themselves.

I lived all over the country for over 20 years and after 2006 people didn’t even think twice about Tennessee in terms of football. It’s really sad but I guess that’s what happens

 

[Orange Studs]

Very pleased and surprised to read this. I thought it would just be spring practice and no spring game.

I hope our Governor follows suite with what the TX Governor did in lifting restrictions. Would love to go the the Orange and White game.

 

[engineerVOL]

Lol..a week was too long..

I think it’d be great to get McGill’s red-headed ex-wife an account on here. Should be wild.