Toughest Schedules for 2013

Crimson1967

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Nov 22, 2011
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When I lived there I always got a chuckle about how they'd brag how tough the Vols were in November. Well, when you have Kentucky and Vandy, that's a good start toward sweeping the month.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Oct 13, 1999
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Link?

The Vols may be buried. Tennessee is not a fertile recruiting ground. They used to get a lot of guys from South Carolina and those guys are staying home now. Vandy may be on the way to being consistently competitive. UT has to play USCe, Georgia, Florida, and Bama every year. It's going to be hard for the Vols to dig their way out of this hole created by Fat Phil and Little Laney. It seems to me the AD's at UT aren't willing to pay enough money for a top tier coach. Tickets are easy to come by in Knoxville.

It's funny, I live in west Tennessee and see almost as much Bama gear as I do UT. The Vols are now a closet nation. Most Vols fans have never heard of Butch Jones.

This is the biggest mess the UT football program has seen in my lifetime. I'm torn because I've always hated the Vols but I went to graduate school at UT. Tennessee is a great place to live. In an ideal world, Vandy becomes the premier program in Tennessee.
Interesting observation about Bama gear in western TN. The plain fact of the matter is that TN, as a state, is relatively poor in African American population. We're not going to get into a discussion of why the AA population supplies the bulk of the best FBS players - that's a topic for the NS board. However, it's a fact of life. Nashville is a 1.5 million or so SMA and is somewhere around 25% AA. Memphis' SMA is over 40% AA. TN, as a whole, was only around 16% AA in 2000. That shows you where the AA population isn't - the rest of TN. Except for a few periods where we've shot ourselves in the foot in the Memphis area, UA has done very well there. So has Ole Miss. So, in the end, UT's recruiting problem goes back to being a demographic one. In the periods in which UT has been successful, it has recruited in the surrounding states, while adding some national recruits. In fact, I used to read on UT sites witty remarks about the number of highly-rated prospects they were over-flying on their way to CA or other points north and west. However, that's largely in the past, at this point. It'll be interesting to see if they can climb out of this hole, given the increased competition they now face in their bordering states...
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
39,407
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We're actually at TAMU in week three; we have a BYE in week two to prepare for them.
...They better be ready for us, because I believe that we'll be much more prepared for them this time around. They aren't going to suprise us again.

BTW: We have a BYE week before our two toughest games; TAMU and LSU....thats just perfect.
This is all semantics I know, but his post says "game two," not "week two."
 

Crimson1967

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2011
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Interesting observation about Bama gear in western TN. The plain fact of the matter is that TN, as a state, is relatively poor in African American population. We're not going to get into a discussion of why the AA population supplies the bulk of the best FBS players - that's a topic for the NS board. However, it's a fact of life. Nashville is a 1.5 million or so SMA and is somewhere around 25% AA. Memphis' SMA is over 40% AA. TN, as a whole, was only around 16% AA in 2000. That shows you where the AA population isn't - the rest of TN. Except for a few periods where we've shot ourselves in the foot in the Memphis area, UA has done very well there. So has Ole Miss. So, in the end, UT's recruiting problem goes back to being a demographic one. In the periods in which UT has been successful, it has recruited in the surrounding states, while adding some national recruits. In fact, I used to read on UT sites witty remarks about the number of highly-rated prospects they were over-flying on their way to CA or other points north and west. However, that's largely in the past, at this point. It'll be interesting to see if they can climb out of this hole, given the increased competition they now face in their bordering states...
I heard it mentioned on talk shows in K-ville a couple times one of their issues in recruiting was that east Tennessee and UT's campus were very white.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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I heard it mentioned on talk shows in K-ville a couple times one of their issues in recruiting was that east Tennessee and UT's campus were very white.
Well, Auburn's campus is overwhelmingly white, so there are ways to overcome that obstacle. In fact, they may be using the same ways... ;)
 

CrimsonProf

Hall of Fame
Dec 30, 2006
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Interesting observation about Bama gear in western TN. The plain fact of the matter is that TN, as a state, is relatively poor in African American population. We're not going to get into a discussion of why the AA population supplies the bulk of the best FBS players - that's a topic for the NS board. However, it's a fact of life. Nashville is a 1.5 million or so SMA and is somewhere around 25% AA. Memphis' SMA is over 40% AA. TN, as a whole, was only around 16% AA in 2000. That shows you where the AA population isn't - the rest of TN. Except for a few periods where we've shot ourselves in the foot in the Memphis area, UA has done very well there. So has Ole Miss. So, in the end, UT's recruiting problem goes back to being a demographic one. In the periods in which UT has been successful, it has recruited in the surrounding states, while adding some national recruits. In fact, I used to read on UT sites witty remarks about the number of highly-rated prospects they were over-flying on their way to CA or other points north and west. However, that's largely in the past, at this point. It'll be interesting to see if they can climb out of this hole, given the increased competition they now face in their bordering states...
I think in light of these challenges, it's going to be very, very hard for UT to consistently return to its former glory. Makes me sad for their decent fans...all four of them.
 

Matt0424

All-American
Jan 16, 2010
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First chance I've had to reply since I posted this morning, but here it goes...

I don't feel sorry for UT at all. I don't think Butch Jones REALLY knew what he was getting in to when he took the job though. Even the back half of their schedule (Mizzou, Auburn, Vandy, and Kentucky) will be tough on them. Remember this: They are losing almost the entirety of their offense (Bray, Hunter, Patterson, and Zach Rogers), plus had one of the worst defenses in the nation (107 in total defense). The coach they brought in is an offensive minded guy...not a good combo. I think they, at best, win 6 games... I look for them to go 4-8 in all reality. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch...

On the flip side of that, I think we have arguably our easiest schedule since CNS has been at Alabama. Toughest games should be aTm, Ole Miss, and LSU... Though I think LSU will be down this year, and Mississippi won't be quite ready yet... Getting the Aggies in week 3, after a bye (plus having the bye before LSU to get healthy down the stretch), stacks up well. Our schedule is very reminiscent of Auburn's in 2010...it seemed built to make a run.
 

Quicksilver

1st Team
Mar 13, 2010
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It's early in the season after they'll have only played two complete pansies - that won't test the new team chemistry, especially the O-Line - with us having two weeks to prepare. The only better scenario would be not having to play them, which isn't possible. :)
I like Bama's 2013 schedule, but when you look at Texas A&M's schedule, you realize how important that 9/14 game is. A&M has a fairly easy schudule too, apart from playing us. (Both teams play LSU). The winner of the Alabama - Texas A&M game will have a great shot at running the table to win the West. The loser will be in catch-up mode.
 
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