Unrealistic expectations?

[lawgator1]

As someone used to say, no use crying over spilled milk.

The SEC is pretty much out of reach, but a 9 or 10 win season is not. Not quite half way through the season and obviously things need to improve for you to accomplish that, but its not like they take every team with two or three losses at the end of the year and execute the players, so its probably a good idea to readjust expectations and root for what can be accomplished versus what you hoped would be at the beginning of the year.

I'm a Gator. Trust me, I know what I am talking about when it comes to football reality sucking versus hopes for glory.

The question is, in part, whether last year saw an overachieving UT team or this year do we see an underachieving one? I guess both could be true. For now, I'm leaning towards both. Maybe more so the former given the talent that returned.

 

[GAVol]

Definitely both . . . Also, I think a lot of people conveniently forgot to look at our schedule before predicting a Rose Bowl berth.

 

[Low Country Vol]

well there were some people at espn said that we would be the team that has the best chance of disappointing b/c of our schedule. Well... they were dead on.

 

[GAVol]

The schedule is something that nobody seems to be talking about as far as our problems go. Not that we don't have glaring problems, but playing top 10 teams every week is not exactly the best place to get well with a struggling offense.

 

[OWB]

Originally posted by GAVol@Oct 9, 2005 11:24 PM
playing top 10 teams every week is not exactly the best place to get well with a struggling offense.

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No, it's not. Not to mention we always drop about 2 big games every year. It's almost like clockwork. The one year we didn't, we win the National Championship.

93 we lost to UF and Penn State
94 we lost to UCLA, UF, Miss State and Bama
95 we lost to UF
96 we lost to UF and Memphis
97 we lost to UF and Nebraska
98 undefeated...National Champs
99 lost to UF, Arkie and Nebraska
2000 lost to UF, LSU, UGA and Kansas State
2001 lost to UGA and LSU
2002 lost to UF, UGA, Bama, Miami and Maryland
2003 lost to Auburn and UGA and Clemson
2004 lost to ND and Auburn twice.....
2005 lost to UF, UGA, ____, ____

Even though the bowl games obviously didn't mess with our season, it's a big game all the same.

 

[Liper]

We probably did over-achieve a little last year. The win over UGA was the big surprise. Aside from the win over UGA, I didn't see anything all that unusual. The FL game was a toss up; they weren't the FL of old.

The problem with last year was the GIGANTIC FLOP on national TV in the first AUB game. That game - conveniently forgotten - was the exact same mistake-ridden Vols as we've been complaing about this year. THESE ARE NOT NEW PROBLEMS!

We are most certainly underachieving this year. We're 90th+ in total offense. Clausen is an able SEC QB. Arm strength is the most overrated asset a QB could have.

Assessing our talent based on results really isn't valid. Everyone knows we have the talent. To debate that is really looking for an excuse. Tennessee is hands down the most talented team in the SEC this year. Last year I thought UGA was the most talented team (and they didn't quite click either).

Rambling thoughts
Liper

 

[volunbeer]

I did not think our schedule would allow us to make it to the NC game but I thought we had a decent shot at the SECCG.

I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined that our offense would be so stagnant this season though. If you told me that we would rank 90th in overall offense going into week 5 I would have accused you of smoking crack.

I also thought that Fulmer was going to address our special teams problems this season. He said so at the end of last season when commenting on our poor performance on returns.

This team is much too talented to perform like they have this season and it seems like scoring a TD is akin to having a baby. Alot of grunting, a long labor, and alot of pain before the payoff.

This years team has definitely UNDERACHIEVED but I blame most of it on the coaching staff. These kids are pretty much the same at every school in the country so it's the job of the man making 2 million bucks a year to get the most out of them.

I am not one of those fans who expects a NC every year or an SECC every year. College football is somewhat of a cycle and sometimes you have bust classes and sometimes you get surprised. The SEC is a tough league with several teams that are normally good so I try to be realistic in my expectations.

I do however expect UT to field a competent team that does not self-destruct or shoot themselves in the foot. If we get beat by a better team and we played well I tell the other guys "good game and good luck" and I don't get upset about it. These losses and the play of our offense and special teams have just been sickening this year though. I could handle losing to two top 10 teams if we did not neglect special teams and sputter on offense.

 

[GAVol]

Originally posted by Liper@Oct 9, 2005 11:35 PM
Clausen is an able SEC QB.  Arm strength is the most overrated asset a QB could have.

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Arm strength is overrated, but I think it's safe to say that Clausen can only make up for so much of his lack of arm strength. Clausen is an able QB, but a mediocre one. Seeing him in person for the first time, I could really tell that he lacked velocity. His arm is not bad, but he doesn't get the ball to receivers as quickly as you would like, and that can be the difference between a 5 yard gain and a big play.

 

[volunbeer]

Originally posted by GAVol@Oct 9, 2005 8:41 PM
His arm is not bad, but he doesn't get the ball to receivers as quickly as you would like, and that can be the difference between a 5 yard gain and a big play.

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Especially on a 3 yard route. Last year our receivers were still getting alot of cushion when Clausen took over but this year everyone has played tight on our receivers so the lack of arm strength is even more pronounced. The pass routes we are running assume that the DB is going to give enough cushion for the receiver to catch the ball and turn upfield.

We will have to find a way to stretch the field against Bama and ND if we have any hope of beating them. I really wish Ainge could get another shot because (sorry for those I offend) I don't think Clausen can get it done.

 

[Liper]

Let me put it this way, GAVol...

...I think Clausen's arm strength is about item #47 on our list of problems. Wuerfell (sp?) had a very average arm, after all. When Peyton first arrived, he had a decent but not great arm. Casey Clausen had an OK arm. All of those guys are good ones.

Clausen gets the ball where it needs to be most of the time. Sure, he can't sling those deep outs like Ainge can - and he isn't going to scramble around a whole lot. But he does the single most important thing a QB can do: make decisions.

The best QBs are all cerebral types to one degree or another. These QBs like Vince Young - well, you can have them. If OU was worth a crap this year, Stoops would have made Young look stupid again.

Our problems are systematic, because they are the same year after year; they are not player-specific or team-specific. I think we are short-staffed over there. Fulmer and Sanders have no help in the press box.

Liper

 

[lawgator1]

Originally posted by Liper@Oct 9, 2005 10:56 PM
Let me put it this way, GAVol...

...I think Clausen's arm strength is about item #47 on our list of problems.  Wuerfell (sp?) had a very average arm, after all.  When Peyton first arrived, he had a decent but not great arm.  Casey Clausen had an OK arm.  All of those guys are good ones.

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Wuerfell had receivers that ran tremendous routes, with impeccable timing and those guys could run forever.

 

[OWB]

I'm sorry but I would take Vince Young over Clausen any day of the week, but that's just me.

 

[GAVol]

Originally posted by Liper@Oct 9, 2005 11:56 PM
Let me put it this way, GAVol...

...I think Clausen's arm strength is about item #47 on our list of problems.

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Sadly, I agree.

 

[Jasongivm6]

Originally posted by Liper@Oct 9, 2005 10:56 PM
Let me put it this way, GAVol...

...I think Clausen's arm strength is about item #47 on our list of problems.  Wuerfell (sp?) had a very average arm, after all.  When Peyton first arrived, he had a decent but not great arm.  Casey Clausen had an OK arm.  All of those guys are good ones.

Clausen gets the ball where it needs to be most of the time.  Sure, he can't sling those deep outs like Ainge can - and he isn't going to scramble around a whole lot.  But he does the single most important thing a QB can do: make decisions. 

The best QBs are all cerebral types to one degree or another.  These QBs like Vince Young - well, you can have them.  If OU was worth a crap this year, Stoops would have made Young look stupid again.

Our problems are systematic, because they are the same year after year; they are not player-specific or team-specific.  I think we are short-staffed over there.  Fulmer and Sanders have no help in the press box.

Liper

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You're comparing "average" arms to RC's arm.

That's like comparing a 1974 Granville Convertible with a 455 Engine to a one-horse buggy.

Rick Clausen can't even throw the ball 30 yards. Wuerfel could.

 

[Liper]

Originally posted by lawgator1@Oct 9, 2005 10:59 PM
Wuerfell had receivers that ran tremendous routes, with impeccable timing and those guys could run forever.

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That's a great point. They ran great routes. Where did they learn to do that, watching cartoons? I think we all know why they ran great routes - they were TAUGHT BY COACHES.

Jasongivem6,

Gino Terretta had a terrible arm. Jay Barker had an average arm. Brian Griese had an average arm. Andy Kelly had an average arm.

I know Clausen isn't a physcal specimen, but his arm had nothing to with the UGA debacle. We couldn't block, catch, play special teams, or play disciplined. And to make matters worse, I thought our defense had some lapses.

Liper

 

[Jasongivm6]

Originally posted by Liper@Oct 9, 2005 11:19 PM
That's a great point.  They ran great routes.  Where did they learn to do that, watching cartoons?  I think we all know why they ran great routes - they were TAUGHT BY COACHES.

Jasongivem6,

Gino Terretta had a terrible arm.  Jay Barker had an average arm.  Brian Griese had an average arm.  Andy Kelly had an average arm.

I know Clausen isn't a physcal specimen, but his arm had nothing to with the UGA debacle.  We couldn't block, catch, play special teams, or play disciplined.  And to make matters worse, I thought our defense had some lapses.

Liper

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Freddie Kitchens had one "ab"

And I saw Andy Kelly (when I went to school with him at UT) throw the long ball to Pickens and Harper on many occasions.

 

[WA_Vol]

Originally posted by GAVol@Oct 9, 2005 11:24 PM
The schedule is something that nobody seems to be talking about as far as our problems go.  Not that we don't have glaring problems, but playing top 10 teams every week is not exactly the best place to get well with a struggling offense.

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To me the schedule doesnt make that much difference, its was only a matter of time before this offense got exposed for what it is.


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