Saturday vs Mizz is the biggest...

#27
#27
I'd like to see 7 wins strictly for recruiting. I don't know how important it is in that respect, but it certainly can't hurt. I haven't watched a ton of Missouri this year, but I know that Kentucky held them to 14 and Lock had a terrible day that day... maybe use that as a blueprint. On the other hand, Kentucky and Alabama are the only teams to hold them under 30 this year, so...

This will be a good test for our young secondary. I'm really stoked for this game.
 
#28
#28
There's several reasons we need to pack Neyland this week and be as LOUD as ever.

1...We have some top recruits that will be there and we need them on the hill so we need to rock Neyland and make it a mad house.

2...It's Senior day and 13 of our guys will be playing their last game in Neyland so we need to reward them with a special day.

3...With this WIN we'll know we're going to a bowl game so get that accomplished NOW and then just keep adding up the WINS to better help recruiting!

We ARE Tennessee and Neyland IS a historic stadium but it's us, the loyal, die hard fans and our screaming our lungs out that gets our players really fired up and creates havoc and mistakes for the other team and gives us the home field advantage and this last game of the season in Neyland is when we all need to give our extra effort too.

I believe we CAN get both WINS and go on to a bowl WIN to make this a great season for a 1st year HC, new staff and totally new systems and playbooks.

Get her done folks!!!

VFL...GBO!!!
 
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#29
#29
Looks like their big TE is out - Albert Okwuegbunam. Also a WR - Nate Brown and CB - Adam Sparks.

Aside from the TE, does anyone know of those other guys contribute a lot?
 
#32
#32
BigOrangeTrain said:
Thats a big IF. But I am much more worried about the defense. Shutting down Missouri is vastly different than UK. UK is one dimensional and Missouri is well balanced.
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That's the concern. They spread you out and make you defend the whole field. Different animal than UK. It comes down to the same thing, you must pressure Lock or he'll pick you apart.
 
#33
#33
yeah I disagree that this is the biggest game. Auburn or Kentucky as far as wins were more important. ranked teams, one of them at their place. that was a bigger statement that beating Mizzou would be. also this one game doesn't get us to 7-5. it gets us to 6-5, so you would have to make the same argument for the Vandy game being the most important game to be able to get to 7-5 if we beat Mizzou. As far as other big games FL would have provided a TON of momentum, and UGA showed we have a decent team. really if you look at it this Mizzou game is only big because its the next game. No one is going to look back on it and talk about how the Missouri game changed everything around.
 
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#34
#34
I wonder how far we would go in rankings. Right now we are in the low 60's after beating #11 Kentucky. If we get a ranked team in a bowl game and win out, might do the trick , but we've beat two ranked teams and aren't really jumping around rankings anyway. Here's to it!
 
#35
#35
LeBleu said:
I wonder how far we would go in rankings. Right now we are in the low 60's after beating #11 Kentucky. If we get a ranked team in a bowl game and win out, might do the trick , but we've beat two ranked teams and aren't really jumping around rankings anyway. Here's to it!
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IF we beat Mizzou (and that is a big but possible if) we are absolutely ranked. If we beat Vandy thereafter, we are probably ranked just inside the top 20 going into a bowl game. Depending on how that went, it is conceivable we could end up in the top 15. THAT would be a pretty solid case for Pruitt being CotY. But it all starts this weekend in beating Mizzou.
 
#36
#36
PulaskiVolFan said:
game since the Vanderbilt debacle that likely kept us from the Sugar Bowl a couple of seasons ago! Thankfully that was the beginning of the end for gym coach Jones! I think everyone here agrees that a win Saturday combined with a weak upcoming 5 games and the Vols could make a name for themselves finishing out 8-5, likely a top25 ranking and a head of steam going into 2019, very likely w a top 20 ranking!!

Saturday is the key and it's gonna be a tough one for us to win. Mizz is good offensively, easily one of the best in the SEC when in rhythm. Lock is legit and they are as balanced as anyone in the league.

To win we've got to give JG time to throw as he'll pick em apart if we do. Once again, we've got to be somewhat effective running the football. Do those on offense will help control their tempo a bit leading to a close game in the 4th quarter!! Anybodies game once the crowd gets going late in the 4th!! I believe our D will make plays late if it's a close game. Mizz is much more inconsistent than we are, they have zero following them (their home crowd vs Vandy looked like a high school game on tv), they struggled with Ky who we just manhandled and it looks like the light is coming on and the game is slowing down for a bunch of the players and the Vols look to be having FUN as a group.

If they dominate our running game and pressure JG it's going to be a long day, if the OL plays like Auburn and Ky games we could easily dominate them at Neyland!!

I want to say we win easily but Lock is too good I believe. I think the OL gets challenged again this week by CJP and the staff and the offense has a big day! Vols 31 Mizz 30!

If that happens it's Katie bar the door as our Vols will be on the fast track to competing again in this incredibly tough conference!!

I believe that Coach Pruitt will beat Fl, Ga and Alabama at some point in his time in Knoxville and I believe JG will pick up wins vs all 3 as well!!! You do the math NegaVols, this turn around happens faster than anybody currently believes is possible!!

PROVIDING we upset Mizz this Saturday :)
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So if we play better than they play we should win the game? Breaking news lol
 
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#37
#37
PulaskiVolFan said:
Not every game is the same. If we're going to win the offense has to step up a bit Sat.
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Well, Missouri has failed to score 30 or more in three of their four losses. I think we'll keep them in the 20s. But hopefully our offense will step it up, too!

Go Vols!!!
 
#38
#38
Gandalf said:
IF we beat Mizzou (and that is a big but possible if) we are absolutely ranked. If we beat Vandy thereafter, we are probably ranked just inside the top 20 going into a bowl game. Depending on how that went, it is conceivable we could end up in the top 15. THAT would be a pretty solid case for Pruitt being CotY. But it all starts this weekend in beating Mizzou.
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Don't care who we beat, 8-5 won't warrant a top 15 ranking.
 
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#40
#40
Gandalf said:
IF we beat Mizzou (and that is a big but possible if) we are absolutely ranked. If we beat Vandy thereafter, we are probably ranked just inside the top 20 going into a bowl game. Depending on how that went, it is conceivable we could end up in the top 15. THAT would be a pretty solid case for Pruitt being CotY. But it all starts this weekend in beating Mizzou.
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6-5 ain't getting anyone ranked
 
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#41
#41
ButchPlz said:
Don't care who we beat, 8-5 won't warrant a top 15 ranking.
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Agree, but we probably crack the top 25 at that point.....which would be amazing considering where we started. I don't think it matters, I think we drop at least one of the next two, most likely Missouri. It's not like we are playing Bama again, but Missouri is a better team than us, largely because of Lock. Give our secondary another year or so to mature, QBs like Lock and Grier don't scare me as much. I just don't think we have as much ability to defend the entire field as Lock has ability to use it.

I'll be there cheering for the boys in Orange either way, GBO.
 
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#42
#42
VolAmerican said:
Yes, we we could be 8-5 to end the season and that by all accounts would be outstanding, and Coach Pruitt deserves praise for a job well done. They way the recruiting class finishes out this year will more significant on how fast this turnaround happens.
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But going 8-5 would absolutely help recruiting!

Go Vols!!!
 
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#43
#43
BigOrangeTrain said:
Thats a big IF. But I am much more worried about the defense. Shutting down Missouri is vastly different than UK. UK is one dimensional and Missouri is well balanced.
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Mizzou is more balanced on offense by comparison to UK. They are also not on the same level as UK on defense. Different strengths, different weaknesses. Different game.

I wouldn't expect to shut them down. Also don't think we will need to if the offense has a similar performance to the one they have had in 3 of the last 4 conference games. The outlier being Bama which few have had success against recently.
 
#44
#44
Cartervol said:
That's the concern. They spread you out and make you defend the whole field. Different animal than UK. It comes down to the same thing, you must pressure Lock or he'll pick you apart.
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DL played very well against UK. If they can get there a few times early it will help on the back end.
 
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#45
#45
Gandalf said:
IF we beat Mizzou (and that is a big but possible if) we are absolutely ranked. If we beat Vandy thereafter, we are probably ranked just inside the top 20 going into a bowl game. Depending on how that went, it is conceivable we could end up in the top 15. THAT would be a pretty solid case for Pruitt being CotY. But it all starts this weekend in beating Mizzou.
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No team in the AP or Coaches Top 25 has a worse record than 6-4, so 6-5 won't be enough to get us ranked. We could possibly squeak into the top 25 at 7-5. If we could reach 8-5 after a bowl game, I think we'd definitely be ranked (in at least one of the polls).

Go Vols!!!
 
Last edited:
#46
#46
Gandalf said:
IF we beat Mizzou (and that is a big but possible if) we are absolutely ranked. If we beat Vandy thereafter, we are probably ranked just inside the top 20 going into a bowl game. Depending on how that went, it is conceivable we could end up in the top 15. THAT would be a pretty solid case for Pruitt being CotY. But it all starts this weekend in beating Mizzou.
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If they finish 8-5 with a win over a ranked opponent in the bowl they may sneak in the top 25 but even that will probably be a stretch depeneding on what the teams in front of them do. Top 15 aint happening.
 
#47
#47
ProudVOLfan said:
Top 25, maybe but I doubt that.. A 5 loss team in the top 25 would be strange IMO
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Stanford ended up ranked #20 in the final 2017 AP poll at 9-5 and Auburn was ranked #24 in the final 2016 AP poll at 8-5, so we could definitely end up ranked if we go 8-5 (especially given our strength of schedule and improved play at the end of the season).

Go Vols!!!
 
#48
#48
This game is an identity game!! We are developing our identity, and adversity does that best. I believe that the best thing that can happen is Mizzou going up early by a couple scores. That challenges the identity of our defense and forces us to open up the playbook and take shots, which has been a big difference maker for us this season. If we get out to an early lead we tend to relax and make mistakes. Letting teams creep back into games and finding ways to lose is out kryptonite. If we have to play hard and hungry to fight back we stand a better chance at putting Lock on his back and enforcing our will along the lines on both sides of the ball. Hopefully our coaches and players answer the call, and I believe that we will if the culture is truly changed in our locker room. Time for our guys to get fired up and take that W!
 
#49
#49
trion23 said:
Stanford ended up ranked #20 in the final 2017 AP poll at 9-5 and Auburn was ranked #24 in the final 2016 AP poll at 8-5, so we could definitely end up ranked if we go 8-5 (especially given our strength of schedule and improved play at the end of the season).

Go Vols!!!
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Sounds good to me
 
#50
#50
Every team we lost to was ranked at the time. Most are still ranked, except for SCjr.
Alabuba - #1
GA - #5
WVU - #9
Gators - #13
SCjr

Mizzou is right around the bubble to get ranked now. We take them down in a solid fashion and I think we can sneak into the 25th spot. We stomp Vandy and people are going to start believing in the Pruitt hype and so I expect us to move up a few (1-2) at 7-5 record. IF we get a top ten in a bowl and win, I think we have a chance to move into the 15-20 slot for the final, which would be downright miraculous IF it happened.

Keep in mind, we also beat 2 ranked teams - #22 and #11 at the time we played them. Real shame we juuuuuuust whiffed on SCjr as otherwise I think the rankings would seriously begin moving our way. People (including coaches) like comeback stories and will see the story of CJP rebuilding IMO - taking the bad news bears and turning them into a halfway decent team. One win against a ranked team is an anomally, two wins against a ranked team and these last two wins against teams where we are not favored and its a confirmed trend. That kind of stuff does affect the votes.

Maybe I am just drinking the Orange koolaide for a minute and of course, that presupposes the team playing some great football (perhaps even better than they have so far) - but I dont think it is pure crazy to think we could break top 20 if we win out convincingly.
 
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