Tennessee can compete for the division THIS year.

Discussion in 'Vols Football' started by IP, Sep 10, 2011.

  1. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    Tennessee can win this division of the East of the Southeastern Conference. It is capable of earning a trip to Atlanta.

    I was skeptical of this just two weeks ago, but the facts are manifesting themselves. Now, I'm not saying we are the best team in the East, but we appear to be competitive with Georgia and South Carolina, better than Vanderbilt and Kentucky (by a tremendous margin for the first time in awhile), and certainly not hopeless against Florida next week.

    Georgia has started the season so flat that they may very well be falling apart by the time we play them, and we appear to be a dangerous team offensively while they appear inconsistent and weak on defense.

    South Carolina starts slow, and we start fast. They'll get burned on that eventually, it might as well include us. Plus, we play them at home.

    Vandy is still Vandy, although I do think they are being coached a little better and are currently 1 point away from being 2-0 facing a UConn team. Still, they have no answer for our passing attack, I imagine.

    Kentucky looks awful so far. And I mean AWFUL.

    That leaves Florida. Next week is HUGE.
     
  2. WM

    WM Active Member

    The LSU/Bama/Arky gang bang will be too much to overcome for the East title.
     
  3. volfanbill

    volfanbill Active Member

    I'm with Parker... Even if we beat UF, beating Bama, Arky and LSU is going to be extremely difficult. Getting one win out of those three might be a miracle. That's automatically two losses, I fear three. Even if we sweep the East, we're screwed.
     
  4. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    I'm just saying, it's POSSIBLE. That's a big step forward for us, in itself.
     
  5. WM

    WM Active Member

    Kim Possible.
     
  6. chavisut

    chavisut Dan Mullen Fan Club President

    Tyler Bray is Ron Stoppable.
     
  7. tidwell

    tidwell Chieftain

    I do see improvement across the board from last year... but I'm going to wait until next week before I start thinking they can take the division this year.
     
  8. GoVols

    GoVols Member

    Next week will be the first serious defense that Bray will go against in his career
     
  9. volfanbill

    volfanbill Active Member

    It will also be his first game out of the Great Parallelogram State. Going to be interesting to see what happens to him when he doesn't have the crowd behind him.
     
  10. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    Maybe I'm just feeling good at 2-0 and jumping the gun. Actually, I know I am. I hope Florida doesn't make me look like an ass next week.

    Btw, I do think sweeping the East would put us in strong position to win the division. 5-3 could do it.
     
  11. volfanjo

    volfanjo Chieftain

    Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
     
  12. WM

    WM Active Member

    We beat Florida, we sweep the East.
     
  13. lylsmorr

    lylsmorr Super Moderator

    I actually agree. Combine the East being so bad again this year, and our boys have another year under their belt...and you should have a recipe for success.
     
  14. WM

    WM Active Member

    We beat Florida, and that's a HUGE if, that could set up for the quickest transformation of the size and energy of a Neyland Stadium crowd for UGA and LSU that we have seen in ages.
     
  15. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    LSU and Alabama seem like terrible matchups, but maybe we could steal one in a shootout in Fayetteville.

    I dunno, I am really getting ahead of things in this thread. It just feels good to be 2-0, have an offense that you believe can score 30 points in any given game, and have absolutely nothing to lose.
     
  16. govols182

    govols182 Honorary Mod

    This team wants revenge from last year's LSU debacle. We finish the drill this year when the Tigers come to town.
     
  17. WM

    WM Active Member

    I hear ya IP. Nothing wrong with optimism.
    I think the upside of beating Florida this year is huge. Put aside the East or the big three from the West. This would reinvigorate a fractured fanbase faster then it took Kiffin's flight to LAX.
    It's to me the biggest and most attainable hurdle we need to leap over to get to that next level of climbing out of this Jame Gumb built well we have been in.
     
  18. IP

    IP Super Moderator

    At the same time, I don't want to put too much weight on this game. If we lose, we can still try and finish above .500 in the SEC for the first time in awhile.
     
  19. tvolsfan

    tvolsfan Chieftain

    I don't think UT wins the division this year, but I agree with the idea behind this thread.

    This is why I always thought it was silly that so many UT fans wanted to give Dooley four seasons before expecting him to compete for a spot in Atlanta.
     
  20. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    If we can sweep the east, I'll be hard pressed to see a situation we don't go to Atlanta, even at 5-3.

    That said, if this team is sitting at 5-0 when the Bayou Bengals come to town, I'll be hard pressed to see how Neyland won't actually resemble the late 90s again. No way I would write them off in that situation.

    Still saying 8-4, 4-4 in conference. Too much youth, too daunting of a schedule against the West to win the East.
     

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