Jack Burton
Scores of Interest…
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2009
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So I’m just curious... I have seen the posts and articles by WVU fans and sports writers that they believe they are a possible contender for a spot in the playoffs due to their “best receiving corps in the country.” How does a WVU fan see it playing out if they get a playoff spot against Clemson or Georgia? How does a WVU fan think the “nations top receiving corps” would fare in a BCS championship game against Bama?We beat Iowa State when they were ranked 16th and had just beaten two Top 5 teams, but that's besides the point.
I may be wrong, but I don't think any team in the country is returning an All American, Biletnikoff award finalist and he isn't even his teams leading receiver in yards and catches. Then you add in a guy who had 650 yards on only 35 catches and a 4 star Bama transfer, and I think you can make a valid argument that you have the best receiving core in the country.
Will you promise to come back after the game regardless?Hmm.
Well, I feel pretty confident in a WVU win. Simply because teams coming off of bad seasons with a new coaching staff and a QB competition don't usually win big non-conference games to start the season.
However, I do think you guys will find offensive success. I'd expect your running game to really get going, and although you're line might not be good, your bluechip size alone will likely be able get push on our smaller defense.
Maybe, 31-21 WVU? Could see us get out to a fast start, maybe 24-7 at the half, but then the game kind of comes to a stall as your D figures out our offense and your offense starts to find success dinking and dunking down the field with short passes and a steady run game as you pick one QB and go with him.
QB- Grier is good. We've seen him before. As I usually do, I've watched several of you replays from last year. He runs the system well. The system rolls when a D can't get stops. It is at its best running tempo. That tempo seems to start with the OL and their ability to open creases and protect Grier. The team that caused Grier the most problems was OK State... so I was particularly interested in that game. They did two things particularly well. They controlled the LOS all day. They pressured Grier and limited the run game. They had the athletes to match up with WVU's receivers. They ran a good bit of press man... in your face stuff... really challenging WVU's WR's. If I am not mistaken that was the only game in which none of your top 4 WR's had over 100 yds receiving. Athletically, UT is comparable to or more athletic than OSU in the secondary. Pruitt has specialized in DB's over his career and has worked a lot with UT's since taking over. It may not work... but I'm betting UT's CB's will be in the shirts of WVU's receivers.Hey, guys. As a WVU fan, I am not entirely familiar with Tennessee's roster, and I imagine you're not entirely familiar with ours. So I'm here to give you a realistic, position group by position group run down of our team. Along with some general expectations I have for the team. I'll try and be as un-homerish as i can be.
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I didn't say anything about the quality of WVU, I was just commenting on the guy who acts like Tennessee is some blue blood, always in contention program and WVU is some piss on.
QB- Grier is good. We've seen him before. As I usually do, I've watched several of you replays from last year. He runs the system well. The system rolls when a D can't get stops. It is at its best running tempo. That tempo seems to start with the OL and their ability to open creases and protect Grier. The team that caused Grier the most problems was OK State... so I was particularly interested in that game. They did two things particularly well. They controlled the LOS all day. They pressured Grier and limited the run game. They had the athletes to match up with WVU's receivers. They ran a good bit of press man... in your face stuff... really challenging WVU's WR's. If I am not mistaken that was the only game in which none of your top 4 WR's had over 100 yds receiving. Athletically, UT is comparable to or more athletic than OSU in the secondary. Pruitt has specialized in DB's over his career and has worked a lot with UT's since taking over. It may not work... but I'm betting UT's CB's will be in the shirts of WVU's receivers.
WR- See above. I'm not trying to be a butt... but... what you consider extraordinary and even historic talent is no better and probably less impressive than UT faces anytime they play Bama, UF, UGA, Auburn, or LSU. I don't like to play the "SEC" card... but it applies here. UT sees talented players every week. You may have success. You may run all over UT like you seem to think... but it won't be because UT hasn't seen as much talent as you'll field.
RB- Crawford was heads and shoulders better than anyone else I saw carry the ball for WVU. He had the vision and quickness needed to find the creases your OL opened. Your OL seems to be designed to run block 2nd and pass protect first. No problem with that considering the scheme... but it takes a pretty good RB to produce in that system. The guys you have this year will have to prove to me they're scary.
OL/TE- I don't really know enough about them individually to predict whether they've improved or not. Honestly, I didn't see anyone last year who just stood out as a future NFL player.
DL- You're a fan so you are hopeful... I'm a rival so I'm skeptical. You are pinning your hopes on two transfers who couldn't make the two deep at Clemson or USC... and a single 4* Fr. They may be great... but do you think an OL that's lined up against Bama is going to be intimidated by them?
LB- Long is a really good player. You're other impressive LB was a Sr. Long looked faster and quicker than you seem to think. He didn't look 225... more like 210-215. IMO, he didn't do as well when teams ran at him. He seemed to like to maneuver around blockers to get angles. He does tackle well.
DB- Battle and Daniel seemed to be the most disruptive guys in the secondary. They're gone. I'll have to trust you on what is coming back because I don't remember anyone else being particularly impressive.
Vol fans have a very hard time with humility, even coming off the worst season in history, it's a Tennessee pride thing that just refuses to step down.
Go Vols
If you read this “scouting report” Strictly Educational, take it with an enormous grain of salt.
Truth is, we don’t yet know who our QB is, we have a good but unproven rb corps, a talented but largely unproven WR corps, a re-vamped unproven OL from last years atrocious one, a new starting TE which we know very little about. And we’ll be running a brand new, 180 degree opposite offense from the one the returning players ran last year, beginning with blocking schemes all the way through route tree concepts.
On defense we return almost everybody on the DL from one of the worst run defenses in the country last year (126th of 130 teams) and we will start 2 new Corners (1 a true freshman, the other has 1 career start). We are strong at one of our safeties (Nigel Warrior), questionable at the other, and our likely nickle (Shamburger) has never played nickle before. The only defensive position group that we can feel pretty good about is our LB Corp with Bituli, Sapp and Kirkland.
O yeah, and we will start a new punter, likely a true freshman, and a sophomore placekicker who was up and down last year as a part-time starter.
It is true that we have some talent on this team, quite frankly a good bit more than WVA ON PAPER. However, previous player development was nonexistent and the culture within the program was beyond toxic last year....and it’s a work in progress until further notice.
Finally, I believe we have a new, excellent coaching staff, but our head coach has never been the head coach of a football team at any level and the coaches have never managed a game plan and sideline on a game day together.
Other than that....
I disagree with this. I think most on this board, which probably represents the extreme more so than the common fan, would be happy to admit the Vols are light years behind Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, etc. at this point. Heck, I think most would admit we have some work to do to catch up to where South Carolina, aTm, and even LSU are. That's humility. Being modest in how you compare to others.
If anything, he is lacking humility. Even the screen name strictlyeducational seems a bit antagonizing. What did he come to teach us? A fan of a team who has won 35 games over the last 5 years, compared to our 34. Going 1-3 in their bowls compared to our 3-0. Playing in the Big12 vs. SEC. Yeah, there isn't going to be a whole lot of humility on our part there. We've had the better teams overall through the last 5 years. We've had better teams overall through the last 15 years. We've had better teams overall through the last 100 years. And we will have the better team on Saturday.
The Vols on paper are NOT more talented than WV, it's just the opposite, unfortunately.
Will Pruitt have the Vols playing above their heads, I hope this is the case, because it will be necessary to pull off a Tennessee win.
Wrong.
Who makes the College Football Playoff? The recruiting rankings will tell you
Additionally, WVU has players that tend to shine against lackluster opponents, but aren't very good in the grand scheme of things. It has been this way for a long time, think back to Pat White, Steve Slaton, Noel Divine, Tavon Austin, etc.
Pat White was a terrible QB, but in the big east he looked unstoppable. Couldn't make a NFL practice squad. He was actually pretty awful when regularly competing against other P5 players.
Steve Slaton, similarly to White looked great in the Big East. Got to the NFL and couldn't hash it. Got replaced by Arian Foster pretty much immediately.
Noel Divine had a highlight reel in the big east that looked like Reggie Bush. Had to settle for the Canadian league, because he just wasn't that good.
Tavon Austin is regarded as one of the top 1-2 playmakers in WVU history. He can't do anything in the NFL. He's undersized and ineffective.
All of these guys had Heisman campaigns from WVU. Extremely hyped by the program. Grier will appear on this list in the future.
If we're as terrible as we were last year, we will struggle to win this game. If we have improved to a 6 or 7 win team, this game isn't going to be much of a test.
I'd never say Boise State didn't have good bowl games against Georgia, Oklahoma, and whoever else they've beaten in BCS bowls. But anyone can get up for one game a season. Pat White's WVU teams did that for the most part. But a superstar doesn't lose 2 games to South Florida, or to a 3-9 Pitt team at home. A superstar doesn't fail to make an NFL roster after his first year.This is all absolute horse ****.
Pat White went 4-0 in Bowl Games. 2 of those were against #8 Georgia and #4 Oklahoma. The other 2 were against A 8-4 UNC team and a 9-4 GaTech.
Slaton had one good game against an SEC opponent. Awesome. Running through Rutgers, Cinci, USF, and UConn impresses no one though. Slaton rushed for a CAREER 1800 yards in the NFL. Arian Foster, who is maybe the 12th or 13th best UT back of all time rushed for 6500 yards in the NFL with the same team.This is all absolute horse ****.
Slaton dismantled Georgia's D. He dismantled basically every team he played when he was healthy. He also had 1700 total yards in his rookie season.
The NFL thought so highly of this performance, and his competition that they decided to send him to the Canadian Football League right out of college. Straight superstar status. That Auburn team finished 12th in the SEC at 2-6. That Florida State team was 6-6 (and won that game).This is all absolute horse ****.
DeVine ran for 100+ and 3 TD's against Auburn. He ran for 160 in basically the 1st half against Florida State.
Word is that Clemson, Oklahoma, and LSU have never recovered from those yardages given up to WVU. They have all crumbled as programs, while WVU has risen emphatically. Tavon has been nothing but a success in the NFL. Completely living up to his first round billing.This is all absolute horse ****.
Tavon had 190 receiving yards against Mo Claiborne, Badger, and the entire 2011 LSU D. He had 600 all purpose yards against Oklahoma. He had 160 total yards and 4 touchdowns against Clemson in the 2011 Orange Bowl.
I'd never say Boise State didn't have good bowl games against Georgia, Oklahoma, and whoever else they've beaten in BCS bowls. But anyone can get up for one game a season. Pat White's WVU teams did that for the most part. But a superstar doesn't lose 2 games to South Florida, or to a 3-9 Pitt team at home. A superstar doesn't fail to make an NFL roster after his first year.
Pat White Wants Another Shot After Flaming Out In Year 1
Slaton had one good game against an SEC opponent. Awesome. Running through Rutgers, Cinci, USF, and UConn impresses no one though. Slaton rushed for a CAREER 1800 yards in the NFL. Arian Foster, who is maybe the 12th or 13th best UT back of all time rushed for 6500 yards in the NFL with the same team.
After Signing Foster From Tennessee, Slaton Cut From Houston
The NFL thought so highly of this performance, and his competition that they decided to send him to the Canadian Football League right out of college. Straight superstar status. That Auburn team finished 12th in the SEC at 2-6. That Florida State team was 6-6.
Noel Divine Re-signs With Edmonton
Word is that Clemson, Oklahoma, and LSU have never recovered from those yardages given up to WVU. They have all crumbled as programs, while WVU has risen emphatically. Tavon has been nothing but a success in the NFL. Completely living up to his first round billing.
Cowboys Take Chance on Draft Bust Tavon Austin
2 time super bowl winning. Stat leader in multiple categories, often regarded as the smartest QB of all time. Compared...to...Pat White. Amazing.Peyton Manning lost to Memphis. A superstar doesn't lose to Memphis.
Tavon Austin (2013) 12 Career Receiving TDTavon has had a better NFL career than any Tennessee receiver since Donte Stallworth.
I really haven't.
USC, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, and maaaaybe Oklahoma and Miami are the schools that I've heard considered Blue Bloods. Clemson is kind of a new school blue blood. Florida, Georgia, Florida State, Nebraska, etc. are 2nd tier, but not blue blood.
The Vols on paper are NOT more talented than WV, it's just the opposite, unfortunately.
Will Pruitt have the Vols playing above their heads, I hope this is the case, because it will be necessary to pull off a Tennessee win.