2015 Gazing into my Crystal Ball

Arkansas will be good but I don't think there's a more overrated team in the nation right now than the Razorbacks. That's not to say they're bad, I just don't think they're a top 15 team like everyone is predicting.

Their offense will be stout. Williams and Collins, along with BB's OL, will be formidable but they lost a lot on defense and Bielema hasn't recruited nearly well enough to "reload" like the rest of the SEC West.

My point is, Arkansas is going to be a tough opponent but more winnable than being predicted.


9-3.

 

Admitting? Nah. What is real is that we have more talent than any of those five w/ Georgia being the one possible exception. If we lose four out of this group that's all* on Jones and staff. That's real

*barring serious injury to key personnel

 

8 wins including a bowl. 9 would not surprise me. raw talent doesn't move me until i see appropriate coaching to go with it. that includes playcalling. i'd love to be wrong but i lost the orange-tinted glasses some years back.

 

For me, the talent level is not just better, but a lot better than all but Alabama, UGA and Oklahoma.

 

You're gonna be the maddest one here when we lose 5.

 

Not really. It's stupid to lower your expectations for the most talented team Tennessee has fielded in 9 years because of the staff.

This team should win 9 games with average coaching and a relatively healthy season. If they don't, I won't waste my weekends until Butch is gone. I've done it with Dooley, I can do it with Butch.

 

I'm with you on standards. I'm just not getting my hopes up.

 

Bowling Green has no chance against us. If it were possible to have a negative chance, they would have a negative chance.

 

Yes lol. I still don't understand the point of DnD's post.

 

We should all be gnashing our teeth if we lose 5.

 

I don't know what gnashing means, but if it's close to kicking the shit out of Butch and Hart, you're right.

 

I gnashed mine when they hired Butch. They're fully gnashed.

 

I won't be just gnashing, I'll be doing some wailing too.

 

I get this line of thinking and, at more than a few points last season, I agreed with it. I'm not there anymore. The decision to keep Dobbs on the bench, the Ole Miss virtual no-show, playing a really really bad Vanderbilt team closer than I thought it ever should have been, the offensive playcalling (!!!!!), the hiring of Debord, et al...what does all of it mean next season?

The offense looked significantly better once Dobbs came on the scene and, if we're putting as much faith into Debord as most of us did with Bajay...we'll at least pick up where we left off after the Bama game last season which, all things considered, isn't that bad.

The defense, while young and somewhat thin in some spots, will be the most talent-laden defense we've fielded in a decade, IMO, especially the DB's and the DL which are arguably the most talented units we've had since the early 2000's.

Special teams should be solid with the addition of the Maryland punter, Medley is as solid as we've had in a while, and our return units are better than average.


By the end of September we'll have a very good idea of where we are as a program. It's possible that we come out 4-0...it's also possible that we come out 2-2. If the latter, I'll agree that 5 losses are coming and with it an eventual new staff...in three years...but there's no reason whatsoever that this team should lose to Florida this year. None.

 

You are probably right I just wanted to point out that with their offense they "could" potentially score some points. Maybe it will never be in question at all which is what I hope.

 

Bowling Green had a hard time tackling air last year

 

They may score 28, but I can also see us going to 60. They were not very good.

 

I have no doubt they'll score some cheap points late

 

They ain't scoring 28.

 

To be fair, tackling air can be pretty tricky