turdherder11
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We definitely took some hits with the loss of the players you mention. But in terms of numbers, with new signees and people who can come back due to COVID rules I still think we have plenty of scholarship players.In modern college football with the portal it's tough to say what everyone's roster is going to look like at this point. Right now, though, we lost arguably our best player on offense (Eric Gray) and our best player on defense (Henry T). We also lost two of our top signees (Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown). We further lost 2 other players who were good enough to transfer to Oklahoma, 1 to Texas A&M and 1 to North Carolina. We lost probably a dozen other players who were depth pieces at best. Then we have the 4 suspensions, who I suspect we'll get back.
All in all we'll have plenty of players to field a team but I think 6-6 would be a solid performance by this crowd. While we may have more talent on paper than Kentucky and Missouri, with both games being on the road and having new systems on both sides of the ball, I don't expect to win those games. Kentucky beat the crap out of us last year and Stoops develops players and their program has been much more stable for their players. Missouri found their QB after we played them and closed out strong. It'll be an uphill battle over there. Obviously I'm not expecting to beat Bama, Florida or Georgia. I don't expect to beat Ole Miss either. Kiffin's offense will be a well oiled machine in year 2. Even if we put up some points I don't expect to stop them enough to win. Our defense, on paper, is in worse shape than our offense.
I agree we are going to have plenty of players. Pitt and SC being at home should give us an edge. Really it breaks down to three sets of 4. 4 we almost certainly win (Vandy, Tenn Tech, Bowling Green & S. Alabama), 3 probably 4 certain losses if you throw Ole Miss in with the Big 3, and then the 4 we've talked about that hopefully we at least split (Ky, Mo, SC and Pitt).We definitely took some hits with the loss of the players you mention. But in terms of numbers, with new signees and people who can come back due to COVID rules I still think we have plenty of scholarship players.
I believe we have a talent edge over our OOC teams, Vandy and SC. SC is in the same situation as us coming off a bad season, fired coach, and a new coach without SEC HC experience. We should have better players than Missouri and UK but as you note the product we put on the field at the end of the year says otherwise.
My prediction is 6 wins with 7 possible depending on how much of a bump we get from having a coaching staff that is not a train wreck.
Defense, especially LB, is a concern. We really need someone to step up and take over for Henry T.
And the half that has more talent will continue to be blow out losses.
Wins over cupcakes and SEC bottom feeders do not impress.
We aren’t beating Kentucky and MizzouI agree we are going to have plenty of players. Pitt and SC being at home should give us an edge. Really it breaks down to three sets of 4. 4 we almost certainly win (Vandy, Tenn Tech, Bowling Green & S. Alabama), 3 probably 4 certain losses if you throw Ole Miss in with the Big 3, and then the 4 we've talked about that hopefully we at least split (Ky, Mo, SC and Pitt).
It's hard to say what the final number is right now given the transfer portal, etc. I think we'll have 70 plus scholarship players when it's all said and done. I think only 17 or 18 of the players who transfered out were on scholarship and several (Ty Chandler and Jahmir Johnson for example) were seniors we'd have lost anyway but for COVID.I don't know how many seniors we graduated.
We signed 18 I believe to cover that number. For the sake of argument let's say those two numbers cancel each other out.
Checked and per the transfer portal we lost a net of 27 transfers (outgoing transfers minus incoming transfers.
So, doesn't that leave us with: (And yes this is an estimate) 85 minus 27 - 58 players?
Is that right or close to it?
And 18 of that 58 are true Frosh?
Are things that bad or did I calculate wrong?
So the on paper doesnt count for us...only against us?In modern college football with the portal it's tough to say what everyone's roster is going to look like at this point. Right now, though, we lost arguably our best player on offense (Eric Gray) and our best player on defense (Henry T). We also lost two of our top signees (Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown). We further lost 2 other players who were good enough to transfer to Oklahoma, 1 to Texas A&M, 1 to Miami and 1 to North Carolina. We lost probably a dozen other players who were depth pieces at best. Then we have the 4 suspensions, who I suspect we'll get back.
All in all we'll have plenty of players to field a team but I think 6-6 would be a solid performance by this crowd. While we may have more talent on paper than Kentucky and Missouri, with both games being on the road and having new systems on both sides of the ball, I don't expect to win those games. Kentucky beat the crap out of us last year and Stoops develops players and their program has been much more stable for their players. Missouri found their QB after we played them and closed out strong. It'll be an uphill battle over there. Obviously I'm not expecting to beat Bama, Florida or Georgia. I don't expect to beat Ole Miss either. Kiffin's offense will be a well oiled machine in year 2. Even if we put up some points I don't expect to stop them enough to win. Our defense, on paper, is in worse shape than our offense.
Sounds good. Lucky for you I’m a cheap date these days. Seriously though, why do think 6-6 is such a reach? The reason I think we can get there is because I think we absolutely underachieved on the offensive side of the football last season. I know it’s a new system, but I think we can put together some points with whoever the qb will be and our group of wideouts . I’m actually pretty high on the running back group too. I see us getting Vandy and USCjr and a tossup with UK could us to 7.If we go 6-6 then drinks on me cause I will be shocked but happy.