Waaay to early

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

Way too early

Two

 

[Rockytoptalker]

How can Tennessee not be worse when the Tennessee sack leader just declared for the NFL? A lot of talent is there to get a shot but it's been inconsistent.

Because we allowed right at 2,000 yards out last 3 games alone. A defense is more than just one player

 

[photovol]

Barnett is awesome, but our defense isn't going to be any worse than it was this year.

By the way, we'll go 8-4, give or take a game, CBJ gets canned, we hire somebody else nobody is content with, the program goes on another downward spiral for the next decade and the cycle of Vol misery continues.

Butch Jones will never be fired for going 8-4 at UT, neverk:

 

[VolForLife83]

Dont see us finishing in the polls at the end of the year

Too much uncertainty at various positions

Plus, the way it looks, we will have a green OC learning on the job

Everything points to heartache and disappointment

Don't worry. Butch will be there to help "guide" him

 

[The Artful Dodger]

And we travel to Florida and Bama

And LSU is our other West opponent

Butch is 0-3 vs Muschamp

He couldnt pull out the East with the best statistical QB since Peyton

I think what the other guy is saying is you choose to look at it like he lost the East with Dobbs, but he mainly lost the east because we were pretty much playing career backups at most positions on defense. I truly believe if Tennessee had beaten A&M, they wouldn't have gotten housed by Bama as bad and definitely wouldn't have lost to Vandy or USCe regardless of if Hurd left. The margin between winning and losing is very small and losing pretty much your entire defense makes the team literally have to play perfect just to win. Hopefully the ex Rams S&C coach is worth his salt.

 

[gunner]

Athlon Sports unveils early top 25 for 2017 Gallery Slides

Has Vols at #17 next year. Fair?

It's hard to say, but to be a top 20 team, several things must happen.

1. The defense must improve dramatically and return to 2015 form.

2. The a replacement QB must be found to replace Dobbs, and a playmaker must be found to replace Malone on the outside.

3. Team leaders must be found to lead this team, Juan Jennings is the type I think could be a guy to lead team 121 and someone like him must lead the defense.

4. Evan Berry needs to get healthy and be an impact play on special teams.

5. A hard nosed second team RB must be found that can spell Kelly.

 

[ReaderVol]

I respect you ReaderVol. I don't really bash Tennessee football. I think you're mistaking posters from not being true fans. They support the team 100% as they should but they don't have to support Butch. A lot of people including myself respect the hell out of what he's done for the program by bringing us back onto a respectful level but sometimes that all gets overshadowed by the negative things that's happened this season like losing to Vandy & South Carolina. Very inexcusable losses. Maybe 2017 will save Butch's job if everything goes smoothly. That's a big "if". No one is wishing Butch to fail cause we all want to see him be successful here at Tennessee. I do believe you're a 100% true fan man but sometimes we all just have different opinions whether we agree with it or not. It's best to respect their opinion and just move on. No reason for bickering back & forth like 1st graders on an Internet forum.

Josh you're not like what I refer to as the whiners or cry babies. You do want UT to win no matter what. But make no mistake that there are some who do want UT to lose in order to get rid of Jones. Just read their posts and you will see.

 

[Evet Vols]

Josh you're not like what I refer to as the whiners or cry babies. You do want UT to win no matter what. But make no mistake that there are some who do want UT to lose in order to get rid of Jones. Just read their posts and you will see.

If he loses and is fired it will validate their argument that "Lyle is awful". As I have said before it is a really easy argument to say a coach isn't the answer and will be fired. This is especially true for a program like TN because there isn't a team to be promoted to so you only win or are fired. There are very few coaches who leave on their own accord and aren't fired from a program like TN. You can do it for almost every coach in big time football except for Saban. We fired Fulmer, LSU fired Miles, Ga fired Richt, etc.

 

[Rockytoptalker]

Butch Jones will never be fired for going 8-4 at UT, neverk:

You sure about that? Look at all the people complaining after another 9 win season. Imagine he goes 8-5 after losing a mid-tier bowl game... the idea isn't far fetched at all.

 

[fade route]

Josh you're not like what I refer to as the whiners or cry babies. You do want UT to win no matter what. But make no mistake that there are some who do want UT to lose in order to get rid of Jones. Just read their posts and you will see.

You are so wrong. I want Butch to win a natty here at UT as much as anybody, but unfortunately he has demonstrated that he is just not capable.

 

[BeecherVol]

You sure about that? Look at all the people complaining after another 9 win season. Imagine he goes 8-5 after losing a mid-tier bowl game... the idea isn't far fetched at all.

Fulmer with a NC and 2 SEC rings as equity got fired after 9,10, and 5.

 

[Boca Vol]

Butch Jones will never be fired for going 8-4 at UT, neverk:

This! As much as we all want 12-0, 11-1, 10-2 every year no one is going to fire Butch after 8-4.

 

[1973Vol]

Hardly the time to announce or debate ranking... I am waiting for the 3rd game of the season to begin considering expectations.

Go Vols!

 

[Vols_74]

My only hope for next season is minimal injuries. If we are relatively injury free I think team 121 will surprise a lot of folks.

 

[tennesseeduke]

Dont see us finishing in the polls at the end of the year

Too much uncertainty at various positions

Plus, the way it looks, we will have a green OC learning on the job

Everything points to heartache and disappointment

Way post there glass half full!

:-(

TENNESSEEDUKE

 

[vegasvolfan]

Can't believe they'd give us that much respect! Don't forget, ESPN hates us!

You know I have heard this a lot. I think that is an old attitude mainly driven by Chris Fowler. They gave us a lot of love the past two years. That being said, even Finebaum jumped off the train along with many of our fans. So, while I agree I am also surprised to even be in the top 25 without our record setting OC, any knowledge of who our OC is going to be, our six best players before injuries, and a returning cast that got beat by SC and Vandy along with an unproven QB no matter who starts, I still don't think ESPN hates us as much as we just continue not to live up to the hype they a huge roll in creating for us.

 

[tennesseeduke]

Dont see us finishing in the polls at the end of the year

Too much uncertainty at various positions

Plus, the way it looks, we will have a green OC learning on the job

Everything points to heartache and disappointment

Negavols reign!

:-(

TENNESSEEDUKE

 

[VolNExile]

Dont see us finishing in the polls at the end of the year

Too much uncertainty at various positions

Plus, the way it looks, we will have a green OC learning on the job

Everything points to heartache and disappointment

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAKPJEq1Ew[/youtube]

 

[Behr]

You are so wrong. I want Butch to win a natty here at UT as much as anybody, but unfortunately he has demonstrated that he is just not capable.

What is he wrong about? There are some (I know of at least 4) that want Butch gone " no matter the cost, including losing ".

 

[Jim]

Weigh two earlie

 

[Special Ed]

Two
Too
To

Class dismissed.

 

[Dudleys87]

Dobbs covered up an inept OL more times than most can see for 3+ years. The next OL can't put a new guy in that spot too many times and be successful.

Hopefully whoever it is won't have to run for thier life likes Dobbs had to nearly as often

 

[BaldBiker]

Looks to me that they are starting us off right around where we should finish this season. Going by the bowl game finishes...there are probably about four teams that lost that will fall behind us in the polls. A couple more ranked teams did lose, but will likely not drop behind us in the final polls. I'm guessing we finish about 17 or 18.

Not necessarily the best way to do it, but it is a way too early poll, so I'll take it.

 

[volnal]

In all seriousness, I'd be very satisfied with #17. If that held up until the end of the season, we would be looking at losses to Bama, LSU, and one of Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, or Vandy (I will forever include those last two until Butch proves he can beat Muschamp and Vandy). Finishing the season 9-3 with all this doubt, losing our core guys to the draft, and recent falloff in recruiting would not be bad at all. Depending on the East that might land us in Atlanta.

Let it go! The team played terrible and while I don't question the play calling from debord I do question the teams attitude going into the game. Your up by 10 and then the breaks fall off? Something was wrong with the team and I point to that instead of coaching. This is My opinion but explain to me why they laid down in the final minutes of that game? Dumbfounded. As I said earlier I could be wrong but I think that loss was solely on the players.