Recruiting Forum Football Talk V

[Jack Burton]

...that first day back to work after Omicron subvariant...

 

[BigSteve09]

...that first day back to work after Omicron subvariant...

I have the Veisalgia variant

 

[Jackcrevol]

I have the Veisalgia variant

LOL,

Honestly at its worst it felt like a bitch of a hangover.

 

[BigSteve09]

An example of the AP polls from around the country. This one from Wichita:

KELLIS ROBINETT’S PRESEASON TOP 25
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Georgia
4. Ohio State
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Michigan
8. Baylor
9. Utah
10. North Carolina State
11. USC
12. Oregon
13. Michigan State
14. Cincinnati
15. Oklahoma
16. Wake Forest
17. Oklahoma State
18. Miami
19. Wisconsin
20. Kentucky
21. Arkansas
22. Houston
23. Fresno State
24. South Carolina
25. Texas

Folks like this, that don't really understand SEC Football, are at a loss outside of the top 10.

If we're in the AP Poll, it's going to be by the skin of our teeth.

The SEC and national writers (247) pollsters that know their ball mostly seem to have us ranked. It's the other voters from around the country that just rank interesting teams, coaches, or players that will weigh us down.

 

[BigSteve09]

College football preseason top 25: Projecting the AP Poll

Bama
Ohio St
UGA
Clemson
ND
TAMU
Michigan
Utah
Baylor
OU
Oregon
NCSU
USC
OkSt
Miami
Texas
Mich St
Pitt
WF
Cincy
UK
Wisc
Arky
Iowa
25. Vols

 

[volinokc]

I was so excited when we got him

Cool story time… I was dropping my son off afternoons at a local Y this summer. He would spend the day playing pick up games and hanging out. One day I went to pick him up and he wasn’t coming out. I texted, called…nothing. I went inside and finally found him. When we got to the car I started my dad lecture about how I’m busy and he needs to respect people’s time and blah blah blah.
He cut me off mid-sentence and told me this ex-NFL player had offered to train him and his friends for a few hours that afternoon. He said the guy gave him his card and I could contact him if I wanted. This was the card he handed me:

 

[BigSteve09]

Cool story time… I was dropping my son off afternoons at a local Y this summer. He would spend the day playing pick up games and hanging out. One day I went to pick him up and he wasn’t coming out. I texted, called…nothing. I went inside and finally found him. When we got to the car I started my dad lecture about how I’m busy and he needs to respect people’s time and blah blah blah.
He cut me off mid-sentence and told me this ex-NFL player had offered to train him and his friends for a few hours that afternoon. He said the guy gave him his card and I could contact him if I wanted. This was the card he handed me:

Wow that's really cool. Hard to turn that down lol

 

[UpstateVol613]

10 - 15…pretty much where I have thought all along we will end up.

 

[BigSteve09]

Preseason rankings do not matter for the player performance on the field. Yes, we all know that. The players do not play better because they have a number next to the team name. You are who you are.

Even still, it impacts perception, and perception matters. It's also the starting point. If you're ranked preseason, and you keep winning, you stay ranked. Being ranked matters, like it or not.

Another interesting viewpoint:

AP Poll All-Time Preseason Top 25 College Football Rankings

AP: Preseason College Football Top 25 Rankings 1950 to 2021
CFN devised a scoring system giving every AP-ranked preseason No. 1 team from 1950 to 2021 25 points, the No. 2 team 24, No. 3 23, and so on down to the bottom of the top 20 in the early years, and then it became the top 25 later on.

1 Oklahoma 1227
2 Ohio State 1195
3 Alabama 1030
4 USC 979
5 Notre Dame 975
6 Texas 931
7 Michigan 914
8 Nebraska 816
9 Penn State 713
10 Florida State 685
11 LSU 633
12 Florida 625
13 Tennessee 592
14 Auburn 581
15 Georgia 567
16 Miami 545
17 UCLA 511
18 Michigan State 464
19 Washington 450
20 Texas A&M 440
21 Clemson 436
22 Wisconsin 362
23 Arkansas 356
24 Ole Miss 294
25 Iowa 293

 

[orangejuice]

An example of the AP polls from around the country. This one from Wichita:



Folks like this, that don't really understand SEC Football, are at a loss outside of the top 10.

If we're in the AP Poll, it's going to be by the skin of our teeth.

The SEC and national writers (247) pollsters that know their ball mostly seem to have us ranked. It's the other voters from around the country that just rank interesting teams, coaches, or players that will weigh us down.

I would love to hear the rational thought process of ranking South Carolina in the top 25. They were absolutely terrible last year and really only added a QB that is debatable on how good he is. Yes he is better than what they had and he may actually be great, but the rest of their team is still the team that got lucky as hell to win what they did last year.

 

[BigSteve09]

10 - 15…pretty much where I have thought all along we will end up.

Waiting to see what a good season or a statement win will do for this class. Also, one or a few of the teams around us could fall apart.

We really need to identify and pursue a few guys that we can finish strong with or flip. We need that Nico buzz again.

 

[BigSteve09]

I would love to hear the rational thought process of ranking South Carolina in the top 25. They were absolutely terrible last year and really only added a QB that is debatable on how good he is. Yes he is better than what they had and he may actually be great, but the rest of their team is still the team that got lucky as hell to win what they did last year.

For whatever reason, CFB journos from around the country have all agreed that Shane Beamer is the next big thing. I don't know when it happened, or why, but they're in love with him.

I think what he did at SCar last year was good. They overachieved (like us), but they're acting like he's the next great SEC coach. I don't get it.

 

[#Vol4Life1991]

10 - 15…pretty much where I have thought all along we will end up.

Rivals is better

 

[BigSteve09]

What's going on at Penn St?

 

[jave36]

Preseason rankings do not matter for the player performance on the field. Yes, we all know that. The players do not play better because they have a number next to the team name. You are who you are.

Even still, it impacts perception, and perception matters. It's also the starting point. If you're ranked preseason, and you keep winning, you stay ranked. Being ranked matters, like it or not.

Another interesting viewpoint:

AP Poll All-Time Preseason Top 25 College Football Rankings

It shouldn't matter. There should be no official rankings until 4 games minimum. Speculation is one thing, but saying "team A was ranked 1 preseason so they have to lose not to be ranked 1" is so stupid. It should always be based on your performance that season, not what people thought your performance was going to be before the season.

 

[Ten_Titans]

What's going on at Penn St?

From the looks of it 2022 4-Star DE Ken Talley entered the transfer portal.

 

[NMVol]

That’s hilarious

The eye contact with the dog was epic.

 

[ACvol3]

From the looks of it 2022 4-Star DE Ken Talley entered the transfer portal.

There have been more recently tho, right?

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Waiting to see what a good season or a statement win will do for this class. Also, one or a few of the teams around us could fall apart.

We really need to identify and pursue a few guys that we can finish strong with or flip. We need that Nico buzz again.

This big yr we are about to have will push us up a few spots.

 

[BigSteve09]

There have been more recently tho, right?

They also had a 4-star RB enter the portal over the weekend.

Here's the scoop, allegedly:

Rumors of some academic issues. He just recently joined the team last week after he was supposed to enroll early. I could see a JUCO route and hopefully he can come back in two years ready to go. He was a big part of peer recruiting the 22 class so it's a shame we couldn't make it work. Best of luck Ken!

 

[BigSteve09]

If you don't like where we are ranked, recruiting-wise, you can directly impact it when the season starts by telling any and every fan about the Volunteer Club. I know we/I beat that drum constantly, but it's true. It is the best way that we, the fans, can directly impact our roster management - attracting and retaining the very top talent that is needed to compete in this league.

Hopefully the university can publicly align with the group and start putting the message out there for everyone to see. Until then, we have to make it grassroots. We have to spread the message and encourage contribution.

 

[UpstateVol613]

Waiting to see what a good season or a statement win will do for this class. Also, one or a few of the teams around us could fall apart.

We really need to identify and pursue a few guys that we can finish strong with or flip. We need that Nico buzz again.

I have my eye on FSU and Simmons and Gadson. I could see FSU having a rough year. All that said I think we still end up in the 10 - 15 range. Schools like Texas A&M are going to pass us. I am more interested in elite players at high value positions. Would like to see another elite OT or two jump in…maybe a DT.

 

[BigSteve09]

Notes from 247 about the second scrimmage:

If the offense got the nod as having “won” the first scrimmage, it was the defense that did so on Sunday.

The Vols still need to create more takeaways, but the starters were able to generate some pressures and sacks early in the scrimmage

Much like the offense didn’t totally dominate the first scrimmage, the defense didn’t totally dominate this one as the offense still did some good things.

The biggest preseason position battle for Tennessee’s offense has been at left tackle between Jeremiah Crawford and Gerald Mincey. Heupel took some of the mystery out of it on Sunday by coming out and saying that both will play against Ball State and perhaps beyond until maybe one emerges.

Based on what we heard, it was Mincey who got the greater share of the first-team reps on Sunday after Crawford got the majority in the first scrimmage.

Aside from Cedric Tillman – and Jalin Hyatt probably now warrants inclusion in this category – it’s not been the most consistent camp for the wide receivers

It sounds like there were fewer drops on Sunday and overall the group had a better day, even with Jimmy Calloway and Squirrel White dealing with injuries, from which the Vols hope to get both slots back this week.

Heupel saying Bru McCoy did some good things in the scrimmage is a step in the right direction for him. The process isn’t over, but we’d still lean toward him being the starter at the outside receiver – if he’s eligible, of course.

The player who stands to benefit if McCoy isn’t cleared is Walker Merrill, who continues to have a good camp and appears to be ahead of Ramel Keyton in the pecking order at that position. Even if McCoy is eligible and starts, Merrill has earned the chance to help the Vols.

Another wide receiver who made some nice plays on Sunday was Jimmy Holiday.

We’ve heard Juwan Mitchell has made a move and gotten more first-team work alongside Jeremy Banks

At the Star position, Tamarion McDonald continues to have the edge.

At cornerback, Warren Burrell and Christian Charles remain the favorites to be the starters after getting the first-team work on Sunday ahead of the likes of Brandon Turnage, Dee Williams (who got praise from Willie Martinez on Friday) and De’Shawn Rucker (who Heupel said Sunday is playing his best football). The caveat there is Kamal Hadden will have a big say in that equation once he gets back from injury.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

10 - 15…pretty much where I have thought all along we will end up.

We’ll finish top 10

 

[Captain Mitch]

Awesome news!! Very happy for you all!!

Thank you!