Recruiting Forum Football Talk [RIP 9.3.2019]

[Devo182]

Trying to contain optimism and stay realistic, but, man, no matter how hard it is, every year as each day passes during the summer until the opening game, that optimism remains.

Why not us, why not some luck and breaks, why not in Pruitt's second year, the year that we see improvement from great head coaches and programs? Dammit, I want 10-2.

Trying to take Pruitt's happiness with the team, and his more relaxed and comfortable attitude as just that, and nothing more. But, man, we are due.

Talk about being due - go back and see how far long ago we last surpassed preseason expectations by 2+ games. I couldn't even bare it, but it must be over 20 years ago.

If we consider preseason expectations at 6.5 wins...that would be like going 8-4 or 9-3. I sure hope so, but history is against us. If anything it seems the media/Vegas overrates us preseason. But surely a surprise season (in a good way) has to happen EVENTUALLY! RIGHT??

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

So a handful of rings, twice as DC, at two different schools vs 0 rings and NCAA sanctions? I'm OK with patience.

Eh. Held the clipboard for a couple of HOF head coaches at programs with rosters loaded with 5* talent that were consistently winning big before he arrived and continued to do so after he left.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Talk about being due - go back and see how far long ago we last surpassed preseason expectations by 2+ games. I couldn't even bare it, but it must be over 20 years ago.

If we consider preseason expectations at 6.5 wins...that would be like going 8-4 or 9-3. I sure hope so, but history is against us. If anything it seems the media/Vegas overrates us preseason. But surely a surprise season (in a good way) has to happen EVENTUALLY! RIGHT??

Need to replace Smokey with a blind squirrel mascot. We're due. Surely we have enough 5* hearts and coaches who worked for really good coaches to catch some sort of break.

 

[Devo182]

Earlier this week I posted a comparison chart between us and all of our SEC opponents for this year. I didn’t include BYU at the time because it was going to take more work to figure out the actual ages of their players. Well, now I’ve completed that effort so here is the match-up comparison for our game this fall.

View attachment 208921

They get a lot of grief for having older guys and their response is they still only get to play ball for 4 years. Anyway, from a physical age perspective they are 2 years older than us pretty much across the board.

They have two 25 year olds, five 24 year olds, six 23 year olds, and ten 22 year olds in their projected 2-deep. With most guys, being 22 years old is the same as being a redshirt senior. So from a chronological age perspective, BYU has 23 redshirt seniors in their 2-deep.

I’m thinking about stopping by Chattanooga’s campus here and asking the Mocs to take it a little bit easier on us when they visit on September 14th seeing how we would have had to fight off the fricking old men of BYU the week before.

Big age difference, but GOODNESS at that paper talent gap. 10 points over their average...

 

[SSVol]

Eh. Held the clipboard for a couple of HOF head coaches at programs with rosters loaded with 5* talent that were consistently winning big before he arrived and continued to do so after he left.

Improved critical defensive stats everywhere he went. And Jimbo is an offensive guy.

I really don't mind the wait and see approach, but going out of your way to be impressed by the weird guy, while doing everything you can to cast doubt on our guy is kinda lame.

 

[Ace]

Wow, I guess it's not the Ray Mears rules system anymore. Barnes must have just one set of rules for everyone. I remember the Bernard King issues. He had his own set of rules and he broke them all

Burns is not King or even a reasonable facsimile of King

 

[butchna]

Eh. Held the clipboard for a couple of HOF head coaches at programs with rosters loaded with 5* talent that were consistently winning big before he arrived and continued to do so after he left.

Versus taking over a stocked Mike Bellotti program and matching the number of NC game appearances as his successor. And that was with recruiters like Scott Frost on board to compensate for his lazy slothful non-closing process.

 

[vol2002]

Lol

Funny stuff. These days when I’m at work surrounded by Dawg, Tide and Gator fans arguing about who’s better, I just throw my hands up and say I got nothing. It’s a long road back for us. We will get there someday.

 

[Ace]

I think Fitzgerald will help get us where we need to be sooner rather than later. Defense will be much better this year. DL is a question, but IMO they will be much better than last year.

 

[Devo182]

What do you use for internet and how much is it?

unlimited phone data - create free hotspots for laptops. 1 phone bill, no home internet or cable.

 

[Devo182]

Don't care if he went off the absolute deep end - College Dropout is still a classic. Wish he had just stopped after 808.

 

[chargervol]

Need to replace Smokey with a blind squirrel mascot. We're due. Surely we have enough 5* hearts and coaches who worked for really good coaches to catch some sort of break.

You give me comfort.
With your trumpeting of Gruden and Kelly, I'd be way more worried if you liked our coaches.

 

[Catbone]

We gon get a commit or two after these visits?

 

[Devo182]

I think Fitzgerald will help get us where we need to be sooner rather than later. Defense will be much better this year. DL is a question, but IMO they will be much better than last year.

Not to be a broken record, but that was our best run D in a decade. I just don't see how a bunch of JUCOs and 1 guy coming off an injury, if he qualifies, will top what our 3 seniors did last year. Not putting it past them, but that would be quite the feat.

On the flipside, our LBs can't be any worse than the past 2 years and our DBs should be a strength.

 

[Devo182]

We gon get a commit or two after these visits?

From the list I've seen - no. Some big fish, but many from far away or not close to a decision. Imo our next commit is Lawrence or King.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

You give me comfort.
With your trumpeting of Gruden and Kelly, I'd be way more worried if you liked our coaches.

Same here, if I hadn't been right about the last 3.

 

[Devo182]

Wiltfong giving all kinds of positive Tennessee vibes in player threads

Yes, though people are taking it with orange shaded glasses. A bunch of those guys he was like "Tennessee is in good position". Big difference between that and TN locks, like some posters are taking it. People are going to start thinking we land 90% of them, when the odds are probably closer to 50-60%. I mean, King as an example - we've all gotten hyped about him, but we're still fighting 3 schools and we may not even be the favorite for all we know. Even if we are, I doubt the margin is much considering A&M is also in good position and doesn't have another top QB already committed.

tl:dr - Good vibes, but my cup is securely placed.

 

[UT = Checkmate]

Wished he went on to Florida.

 

[ChismsHeadband]

Don't care if he went off the absolute deep end - College Dropout is still a classic. Wish he had just stopped after 808.

I thought My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy was really good, and Watch the Throne wasn't bad. But yeah after that, I kinda lost interest.

 

[butchna]

Same here, if I hadn't been right about the last 3.

Way wrong about Kelly tho! And you wanted to give him $10 mil per to boot.

 

[Devo182]

Commits:
Johnson
Green
Jenkins

“Good spot” with:
Lawrence
Crawford
McDaniel
Smith

Missing any? As is, 7 DB’s seems high. Wonder if they’re seeing a speedier guy like Smith on offense.

I know DBs should be this staff's specialty, but where are the elite DLs and pass rushers? Huuge need.

 

[Devo182]

I thought My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy was really good, and Watch the Throne wasn't bad. But yeah after that, I kinda lost interest.

The music was still alright, but hard to still enjoy him. Dude has lost it. Saw him live and the first 10 minutes was talking about how he was the greatest of all time. Better than the Beatles, etc and people just wanted to see him fail. Serious ego and paranoia issues. Almost feel bad for him because I think he has actual mental issues.

but when guy was 6 HOURS late last time at Bonnaroo...then shows up 30 minutes late this time and goes off on a GOAT rant...lots of boos started dropping. Then he put on a meh performance.

 

[ChismsHeadband]

Saw him live

Oh, well that's where you messed up. I don't know what you really expected there.

 

[SSVol]

I know DBs should be this staff's specialty, but where are the elite DLs and pass rushers? Huuge need.

Gonna run the world's first 3-8 DDD (Double Dime Defense).

 

[Aesius]

Funny stuff. These days when I’m at work surrounded by Dawg, Tide and Gator fans arguing about who’s better, I just throw my hands up and say I got nothing. It’s a long road back for us. We will get there someday.

I used to get redneck mad when rival fans insulted the Vols. Now I'm just like "yeah, we suck, maybe we'll go to a bowl game this year."