Tennessee is back (relevant)

#26
#26
99gator said:
First of all, because I can tell what some of you may be thinking.

For some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the East or beat their rivals.
For some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the SEC.
For some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the national championship
And for some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the Super Bowl.

I get all of that.

So, I will tell you how I define relevant. Relevant is you go and play the game and the opponent doesn't assume an automatic "W" before the game begins and has genuine shock and surprise at a loss. Opposing fans take you seriously, opposing teams take you seriously, opposing coaches take you seriously, etc.

I think Tennessee is at that point. And for me, one of the ways you know that is not like a South Carolina game from 2019. That was a team hitting on all cylinders and playing a great game. Of course, that's awesome. But, yesterday was more indicative. I don't think anyone would say Tennessee played "outstanding". I don't think anyone would say Tennessee "played over their head". It was a ho-hum, workmanlike, win where at no point in time was there ever a feeling that Tennessee might lose. Tennessee casually went out there and handled business. They weren't sky high. The opponent wasn't flat. The opponent did not gift wrap the game. Tennessee was just better across the board. It was like a card game where a player knew they had a winning hand and just laid the cards on the table.

So, now the question is.....how good are they? We'll see. I think Georgia and Alabama are the only two teams where it's hard for me to envision a Tennessee win. At least not against the Georgia team that showed up yesterday. Everyone else, they "could" beat or "should beat"

I will tell you (and it's another way to know Tennessee is relevant again), the staff is doing a good job of hiding JG. They've been able to do it because the rest of the team is now good enough to do it. The defense is getting stops and Tennessee is effectively running the football. So, they are limiting what they are asking JG to do and JG is delivering. No picks and hitting the occasional deep ball when getting 1:1 coverage down the sideline.

This is the best football team Tennessee has had in over a decade. Dobbs made his teams better than they were. This team is better across the board than Dobbs' teams were.
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Good assessment.
 
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#28
#28
speed at WR is very underrated on our team now. All of our guys are getting separation.

Jalin Hyatt is going to hurt UGA next saturday.
 
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#30
#30
99gator said:
First of all, because I can tell what some of you may be thinking.

For some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the East or beat their rivals.
For some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the SEC.
For some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the national championship
And for some, Tennessee isn't "back" until they win the Super Bowl.

I get all of that.

So, I will tell you how I define relevant. Relevant is you go and play the game and the opponent doesn't assume an automatic "W" before the game begins and has genuine shock and surprise at a loss. Opposing fans take you seriously, opposing teams take you seriously, opposing coaches take you seriously, etc.

I think Tennessee is at that point. And for me, one of the ways you know that is not like a South Carolina game from 2019. That was a team hitting on all cylinders and playing a great game. Of course, that's awesome. But, yesterday was more indicative. I don't think anyone would say Tennessee played "outstanding". I don't think anyone would say Tennessee "played over their head". It was a ho-hum, workmanlike, win where at no point in time was there ever a feeling that Tennessee might lose. Tennessee casually went out there and handled business. They weren't sky high. The opponent wasn't flat. The opponent did not gift wrap the game. Tennessee was just better across the board. It was like a card game where a player knew they had a winning hand and just laid the cards on the table.

So, now the question is.....how good are they? We'll see. I think Georgia and Alabama are the only two teams where it's hard for me to envision a Tennessee win. At least not against the Georgia team that showed up yesterday. Everyone else, they "could" beat or "should beat"

I will tell you (and it's another way to know Tennessee is relevant again), the staff is doing a good job of hiding JG. They've been able to do it because the rest of the team is now good enough to do it. The defense is getting stops and Tennessee is effectively running the football. So, they are limiting what they are asking JG to do and JG is delivering. No picks and hitting the occasional deep ball when getting 1:1 coverage down the sideline.

This is the best football team Tennessee has had in over a decade. Dobbs made his teams better than they were. This team is better across the board than Dobbs' teams were.
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Yep, that last 2 sentence's says a lot. I am guilty of waiting on JG to break out and run like Dobbs. I guess because he was rated so high as a Dual Threat and Dobbs wasn't but that kind of thinking is not fair to JG. In other words he can't help it if the recruiting services branded him wrong.
Yes this TEAM is much stronger from top to bottom, if Dobbs was running the show it would be to infinity and beyond. I do think like you laid out JG can manage this team with a top notch OL & above average RB's. Not much room for turnovers which is JG strongest point, ball security.
 
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#31
#31
LittleVol said:
speed at WR is very underrated on our team now. All of our guys are getting separation.

Jalin Hyatt is going to hurt UGA next saturday.
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Florida too. If they don’t fix it and we get some stops we’ve got a good shot against them. The key though is to limit possessions. They’ve killed teams getting 7 before half.
 
#32
#32
I actually think UF looks significantly better than UGA. I feel confident we’ll lose 2 out of the big 3, but the 1 is interesting. I’m actually going to say it could be Bama that falls in Knoxville. We’ll see.
 
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#34
#34
VolAllen said:
I actually think UF looks significantly better than UGA. I feel confident we’ll lose 2 out of the big 3, but the 1 is interesting. I’m actually going to say it could be Bama that falls in Knoxville. We’ll see.
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Why do you think that. The Lizards' D is putrid. Ole Miss dropped 600 and 35 points on them. USC added 24. UGA has given up 10 and 6, and leads the SEC in total defense and scoring defense.
 
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#35
#35
ZippyMorocco said:
Why do you think that. The Lizards' D is putrid. Ole Miss dropped 600 and 35 points on them. USC added 24. UGA has given up 10 and 6, and leads the SEC in total defense and scoring defense.
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For most people, offense is sexier than defense.

Georgia's defense is elite and what makes them more dangerous is that I am not sure I have seen anyone else that plays defense close to that level. A lot of teams out there (in 2020) look like they can score. Only one team out there looks like they can get stops whenever they need to.
 
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#36
#36
99gator said:
For most people, offense is sexier than defense.

Georgia's defense is elite and what makes them more dangerous is that I am not sure I have seen anyone else that plays defense close to that level. A lot of teams out there (in 2020) look like they can score. Only one team out there looks like they can get stops whenever they need to.
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Dang, does this make you a VolDawgGator?

@Behr get in here. Gotta add this to the specimen tray.

1601830580209.jpeg
 
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#37
#37
99gator said:
For most people, offense is sexier than defense.

Georgia's defense is elite and what makes them more dangerous is that I am not sure I have seen anyone else that plays defense close to that level. A lot of teams out there (in 2020) look like they can score. Only one team out there looks like they can get stops whenever they need to.
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UGA returned 9 starters off the best D in CFB. It is elite. On the down side, the O is average
 
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#38
#38
Jaws said:
This upcoming game versus Georgia is the biggest opportunity for Tennessee to pounce back into national relevance in a long, long time. If Tennessee beats Georgia, December 5th will be for the SEC East and a trip to Atlanta for the winner.

It’s time for UT to beat Georgia!
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I want to beat UGA... but winning against UF and Bama are more important statements on whether UT is "back" or not.
 
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#44
#44
VolAllen said:
Their O is suspect. That 2nd half yesterday wasn’t great.
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I think their offense yesterday, and it will be this way throughout the season, will depend on time and score.

It was obvious to anyone watching yesterday that Auburn was not getting anywhere near the "24" that Georgia put up at half time. So, because of that, their offensive playcalling was going to be plain as poundcake and if they punt, they punt.

I joke about this, but there are teams that have unwritten contracts between the offense and defense.

The contract at Georgia reads.....

You, the offense, will put up 20 and not turn the ball over. And we'll sometimes even help you with the scoring part of it.

We, the defense, will hold them under 20.
 
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#45
#45
Jaws said:
Let’s just focus on Georgia. Georgia. This week.
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The team can do that. This is a discussion of what has to happen for UT to be back. Even when bad, UT has gotten wins vs UGA. As bad as the last 10 years have been, UT has beaten UGA 3 times. UF once... Bama none. That includes some pretty bad UF teams.
 
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#46
#46
VFL-82-JP said:
View attachment 311470

Stop trying to be a Volgator. It won't work.


Keep it up and we'll sic
1601825538226-png.311467
on you.
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Lol. That's awesome!

Pfft, I ain't falling for his mind tricks. All the suckers say "we have to listen to him there's nothing in it for him he's a gator" lol. If Nation had posted those very same words, how many would be blowing it off and calling him a "pumper". Lol .. he's the same gator that makes fun of all of you eating up what he's spewing to his gator buddies, and he'll be making fun of you (us) the next time something happens.

I can't wait to see us play this weekend.
 
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#47
#47
Solid post. I was thinking last night that I believe we are legitimately the 4th best team in the conference. Bama is Bama. Georgia is basically Bama lite. The trio of Trask, Pitts, and Toney makes Florida dangerous. They can and should beat most teams and have a chance in every game because of those 3. Honestly, I think we have a better chance against UGA than Florida simply because we have no one that can cover those guys.

I'm nervous about saying "we're back" with only wins vs USCe and Mizzou, but we certainly look better than we have since at least 2016. And I'll take that at this point. The players expect to win now, and that is huge. But to your point we aren't a given W anymore and that feels good. If we can score an upset of one of the big 3, I'll feel much more inclined to say we're back. And this Saturday would be a damn good day to pull an upset.
 
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#49
#49
Jaws said:
This upcoming game versus Georgia is the biggest opportunity for Tennessee to pounce back into national relevance in a long, long time. If Tennessee beats Georgia, December 5th will be for the SEC East and a trip to Atlanta for the winner.

It’s time for UT to beat Georgia!
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I'll drink to that!
 
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