Ten things for Tennessee (or, Buck up, guys and gals)

[VFL-82-JP]

1. You predicted we'd lose this game. Remember? When you said you thought we'd go 6-4, or 7-3? Or maybe even if you were one of the outliers at 5-5 or 8-2. You effectively said you expected this loss. Remember? I do.

2. Losses are never pretty. "Oh, but they don't have to be this ugly!" Man up, stop whining. They're never pretty. We are never gonna enjoy them.

3. Don't start hating now, when you objectively knew we'd be here. At this specific spot on this specific day. That's right, 2-1 with a loss to UGa at our backs and Kentucky next in our sights.

4. Sure, we all got excited after man-handling Mizzou. Built up some good war-rage going back and forth with the UGa fans in the week prior. Wound ourselves up like tops. Because that's what fans do. They get fanatic.

5. But today, sitting among the wreckage of the battle that didn't go our way, we have to try to be more objective about what we saw. What we learned.

6. Honestly don't know whether it was JG who gave out first, or the OLine, or the offensive play-calling. They all three crashed into that wall just after the 2nd half kickoff. But really tough to see whether one led the others. Was there some cause-effect, like bad play calling led the OL+ (plus RBs plus TEs) to fail in protection which in turn led to JG going spasmodic with turnovers? Or maybe JG's turnovers breaking the spirit of his protectors, while the play-callers got caught flat-footed? Don't know. Don't know which came first, or if they all melted down together. Don't think we'll ever really know.

7. One thing we do know: the defense didn't melt until they were over-exposed by an offense that kept putting them right back on the field. It wasn't the defense's fault in any way, even with the points given up in the 2nd half.

8. So draw whatever conclusions you wish. (a) we just didn't have the depth to keep going toe to toe with UGa for 60 minutes, or (b) we need a better QB, or (c) we need a new OL coach, or (d) our OC needs to get more creative, or (e) all of the above. Whichever one you wish. No one can definitively say you're wrong.

9. What I'm gonna do is this. I'm gonna remember that I saw this loss coming from before the season even started, that the logical part of me always knew it would probably turn out that way. I'm gonna thank our coaches and the lads for giving it a really good shot, and cheer them on as they get ready for an important game versus the kitties of Kentucky.

10. After all, we might still go 7-3, just like many of us thought we might.

Go Vols!

 

[BeardedVol]

Vols 17
UGa 16
Palmer 0

 

[VFL-82-JP]

4. Sure, we all got excited after man-handling Mizzou. Built up some good war-rage going back and forth with the UGa fans in the week prior. Wound ourselves up like tops. Because that's what fans do. They get fanatic.

You seem to have missed paragraph 4.

 

[BeardedVol]

You seem to have missed paragraph 4.

Lol you act like that somehow negates the hypocrisy of your trying to ride in on a that high of a horse after your score prediction.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Lol you act like that somehow negates the hypocrisy of your trying to ride in on a that high of a horse after your score prediction.

Not a high horse at all. We're all in this boat together. Disappointed. Wondering how it broke down, and why. Wishing it hadn't.

That's not hypocrisy. Nor is it hypocrisy to recognize that's the past. and to shrug it off and face the future. To suggest we all put it in context and look ahead.

Hey, absolutely worst comes to worst, guess what? In a crazy 2020 with coronavirus and protests and insane political divisiveness, in spite of many predicting different, we get to watch football this fall. We get to cheer our lads on.

It's not hypocrisy to see the broader picture, to appreciate what we still have ahead. It's hope.

 

[USMC-TNVOL]

What I’m going to remember is how Pruitt is a hypocrite for the QB position. He says he’ll play the players that don’t make mistakes, play their hardest, except for the QB position. I’ll remember how JG had back to back TOs and he still kept him in as if he wants to lose instead of upsetting the #3 team.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

What I’m going to remember is how Pruitt is a hypocrite for the QB position. He says he’ll play the players that don’t make mistakes, play their hardest, except for the QB position. I’ll remember how JG had back to back TOs and he still kept him in as if he wants to lose instead of upsetting the #3 team.

Here's the meta-thinking behind the OP:


Entirely your choice, of course. But there are only 6 days between games. Not a lot of time to do both.

And the season will be over before we know it. Then another 8 long, dark months without football.

Just saying.

 

[preacherwebb]

1. You predicted we'd lose this game. Remember? When you said you thought we'd go 6-4, or 7-3? Or maybe even if you were one of the outliers at 5-5 or 8-2. You effectively said you expected this loss. Remember? I do.

2. Losses are never pretty. "Oh, but they don't have to be this ugly!" Man up, stop whining. They're never pretty. We are never gonna enjoy them.

3. Don't start hating now, when you objectively knew we'd be here. At this specific spot on this specific day. That's right, 2-1 with a loss to UGa at our backs and Kentucky next in our sights.

4. Sure, we all got excited after man-handling Mizzou. Built up some good war-rage going back and forth with the UGa fans in the week prior. Wound ourselves up like tops. Because that's what fans do. They get fanatic.

5. But today, sitting among the wreckage of the battle that didn't go our way, we have to try to be more objective about what we saw. What we learned.

6. Honestly don't know whether it was JG who gave out first, or the OLine, or the offensive play-calling. They all three crashed into that wall just after the 2nd half kickoff. But really tough to see whether one led the others. Was there some cause-effect, like bad play calling led the OL+ (plus RBs plus TEs) to fail in protection which in turn led to JG going spasmodic with turnovers? Or maybe JG's turnovers breaking the spirit of his protectors, while the play-callers got caught flat-footed? Don't know. Don't know which came first, or if they all melted down together. Don't think we'll ever really know.

7. One thing we do know: the defense didn't melt until they were over-exposed by an offense that kept putting them right back on the field. It wasn't the defense's fault in any way, even with the points given up in the 2nd half.

8. So draw whatever conclusions you wish. (a) we just didn't have the depth to keep going toe to toe with UGa for 60 minutes, or (b) we need a better QB, or (c) we need a new OL coach, or (d) our OC needs to get more creative, or (e) all of the above. Whichever one you wish. No one can definitively say you're wrong.

9. What I'm gonna do is this. I'm gonna remember that I saw this loss coming from before the season even started, that the logical part of me always knew it would probably turn out that way. I'm gonna thank our coaches and the lads for giving it a really good shot, and cheer them on as they get ready for an important game versus the kitties of Kentucky.

10. After all, we might still go 7-3, just like many of us thought we might.

Go Vols!

 

[USMC-TNVOL]

Here's the meta-thinking behind the OP:

View attachment 313625
Entirely your choice, of course. But there are only 6 days between games. Not a lot of time to do both.

So you’re saying accept mediocrity?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

So you’re saying accept mediocrity?

No, brother. Do not accept mediocrity.

But accept that the past is the past. There's only one way forward, and it doesn't go back through that game vs UGa.

 

[JoAllan]

I actually expect Tennessee to be competitive vs Georgia.

So by your standards......I can still bitch and complain....right?

 

[USMC-TNVOL]

No, brother. Do not accept mediocrity.

But accept that the past is the past. There's only one way forward, and it doesn't go back through that game vs UGa.

Yeah. Regardless, we have to accept this is our team and there’s no getting around it unless you plan on switching teams.

However, it’s a huge concern for future games for Pruitt to just forget JG’s play in the second half and never attempt to play anyone else.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Best post of the weekend.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I actually expect Tennessee to be competitive vs Georgia.

So by your standards......I can still bitch and complain....right?

You can do anything you wish. And these aren't standards. They are a suggestion you're entirely free to ignore.

I'm not going to wallow in the negative, I'm going to enjoy as much of this season as I possibly can. But you do you.

 

[JoAllan]

You can do anything you wish. And these aren't standards. They are a suggestion you're entirely free to ignore.

I'm not going to wallow in the negative, I'm going to enjoy as much of this season as I possibly can. But you do you.

But you are wallowing in it.....you made an entire post on how we should accept this.

I’m simply keeping it real. It was what it was, and that “it” wasn’t good at all.

I’m still having a great day. I couldn’t be happier as a person.....even if Tennessee had won.....that doesn’t define me in any way....now days.

This is a message board site where we can call it how we see it.....negative and all....or positive and all.

 

[james_govols]

I haven't visited this forum in a long time.

It's crazy that VFL-82-JP is still posting his "holier than thou" therapy session posts here. Lol.

Still believe you can change people here, or do you just enjoy putting on this facade?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I haven't visited this forum in a long time.

It's crazy that VFL-82-JP is still posting his "holier than thou" therapy session posts here. Lol.

Still believe you can change people here, or do you just enjoy putting on this facade?

No facade, not holier than thou, not trying to change people. Just outlooks, sometimes. Just suggesting we move on from a loss and look to the future.

Not sure why a few here seem to take this as threatening, or as superiority. I sure don't mean it that way.

 

[james_govols]

No facade, not holier than thou, not trying to change people. Just outlooks, sometimes. Just suggesting we move on from a loss and look to the future.

Not sure why a few here seem to take this as threatening, or as superiority. I sure don't mean it that way.

Points 4-10 are fine. It's your opinion and these points are reasonable.

Points 1-3 are your holier than thou therapy bs. Do these points have any outlooks in them, or are you just trying to lecture people and pretend that you're not as fanatical as others?

People handle losses differently. If I learned anything during my time at VN it's that these people will be declaring a national championship this upcoming off-season.

 

[orangemadam]

What is discouraging is that I know that no qb would have beaten Ga. yesterday. But..... I think one of the other qb's
should have played a series or two in all 3 of our games in the event they are needed soon.

It appears that JP is going to ride with JG all year, since no other qb has game experience this yr, even in a blowout game.

 

[Behr]

This is what a triggered old whine machine looks like.

 

[KB5252]

I agree about believing this was a loss up front. What has people concerned is the implosion of our offense, specifically the offensive line. For us to compete this year we need them to be very good.

The truth is they aren't as good as we thought after Mizzou and they aren't as bad as they played at GA. Truth is they aren't an elite o line but they can still be pretty good.

Hopefully that position group took their lumps and put getting their teeth kicked in behind them. If not they'll allow GA to beat them two weeks in a row. I want to see how they respond.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Points 4-10 are fine. It's your opinion and these points are reasonable.

Points 1-3 are your holier than thou therapy bs. Do these points have any outlooks in them, or are you just trying to lecture people and pretend that you're not as fanatical as others?

People handle losses differently. If I learned anything during my time at VN it's that these people will be declaring a national championship this upcoming off-season.

Ah, I see. I get it. I can explain that.

You think I'm saying points 1 to 3 to you. Just to you. Not to myself. Holding up a mirror so you can look in it, pointing you out in there, telling you to remember where YOU were three or four weeks ago.

But that's not what happened at all. See, FIRST I said all that to myself. Before I could say that to you, I had to say it to me. Because, like I said, we're all in this together. We were all disappointed. We all need to step back and remember what we were thinking when we said "7-3" (or "6-4" or "8-2" or whatever).

I'm not above that myself, no sir. I went through denial, and anger, and bargaining and depression too, over the past 20-odd hours. I'm not talking to YOU. I'm talking to me AND you and us all.

I'm just impatient enough and hungry enough for football that I'm ready to rush through the whole process and look forward.

Dunno if that helps, but it's true.

 

[rjd970]

I don’t think any reasonable fan expected a win.

I do, however, think there were a lot of us that thought we were closer than that. The frustration is we basically haven’t closed the gap at all on the scoreboard, which at the end of the day is all that matters.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I don’t think any reasonable fan expected a win.

I do, however, think there were a lot of us that thought we were closer than that. The frustration is we basically haven’t closed the gap at all on the scoreboard, which at the end of the day is all that matters.

I think we were actually a lot closer than the score indicated.

Not talking moral victories or anything. Here's what I mean.

Imagine a world that's just a tiny bit different. One where JG gets sacked, but doesn't fumble. Or fumble again. Or throw the ball directly to the opposing team's LB. Instead, he takes the sack each time. Or throws it away in time. And we go on to punt each of those three series. Just talking minor improvements to each of the three turnovers.

If Tennessee's offense stays just as anemic as it was in the 2nd half, but we avoid turnovers and keep playing a field position game, our defense doesn't get quite as tired, quite as fast. UGa still eventually overcomes them, they're still on the field too long and tire out, but UGa is required to slog all the way down the field each time instead of starting all those drives in the red zone.

The final score of the game then is like 28-21 or 31-21, instead of 44-21. Yes, we still lose, but we don't get blown out.

That's the swing three bad turnovers at our own end of the field causes. That's how close the game came to being respectable.

Again, not moral victory. Just saying that the gap between UGa and us is closer than the 44-21 score might make you think.

That's how I see it, anyway.

 

[rjd970]

I think we were actually a lot closer than the score indicated.

Not talking moral victories or anything. Here's what I mean.

Imagine a world that's just a tiny bit different. One where JG gets sacked, but doesn't fumble. Or fumble again. Or throw the ball directly to the opposing team's LB. Instead, he takes the sack each time. Or throws it away in time. And we go on to punt each of those three series. Just talking minor improvements to each of the three turnovers.

If Tennessee's offense stays just as anemic as it was in the 2nd half, but we avoid turnovers and keep playing a field position game, our defense doesn't get quite as tired, quite as fast. UGa still eventually overcomes them, they're still on the field too long and tire out, but UGa is required to slog all the way down the field each time instead of starting all those drives in the red zone.

The final score of the game then is like 28-21 or 31-21, instead of 44-21. Yes, we still lose, but we don't get blown out.

That's the swing three bad turnovers at our own end of the field causes. That's how close the game came to being respectable.

Again, not moral victory. Just saying that the gap between UGa and us is closer than the 44-21 score might make you think.

That's how I see it, anyway.

I get all that. At the end of the day, the score is still basically the same over the last few years. In this case I think we are what the scoreboard says. Just need to keep plugging away, figure out the issues on offense, and recruit.