News Article: Vols favored in every game this year by ESPN

I don't really understand the love that UT is getting going into this coming season. I realize they won 6 straight to finish last year, but their schedule after losing to us was very weak and a loss to any one of the teams they played would have been very disappointing. I can see them being the favorite in the East, but I've seen preseason rankings with them as high as #5. Other than maybe the Outback Bowl win against an average Northwestern team, their best game was a loss to us. Also, to say they are favored in every game next season is misleading. Whatever the FPI is, it is not a betting line.

I'm a big believer that if you really think your going to be good, keep your mouth closed and prove it on the field. UT is a media favorite for 2016 and a lot of people are picking them to win it all. Also you've got your defensive coordinator saying nobody will run on them. I do agree that's it time for UT to do something but I'll just wait until they prove it. RTR!

Giving them to much credit before they actually earn & prove it on the football field can be detrimental in their offseason preparation..Reading how good they are can make them get a big head & make them not work harder because they feel they're already at the top..

Preseason accolades can hurt a football team that doesn't have a HC that keeps his players hungry to become even better than what the media makes them out to be..

Power Eye said:

I don't really understand the love that UT is getting going into this coming season. I realize they won 6 straight to finish last year, but their schedule after losing to us was very weak and a loss to any one of the teams they played would have been very disappointing. I can see them being the favorite in the East, but I've seen preseason rankings with them as high as #5. Other than maybe the Outback Bowl win against an average Northwestern team, their best game was a loss to us. Also, to say they are favored in every game next season is misleading. Whatever the FPI is, it is not a betting line.

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QB and returning starters. This is the second consecutive year with 17 or more returning starters including the starting QB. 18 in 2015 and 17 in 2016. That is HUGE!

"For instance, last year there were 26 teams that returned 16 starters or more, including their QB. Of those 26 teams, 19 had a better record in 2015 than they did in 2014. Five had the same record, and only two of the 26 had a weaker record."

Phil Steele 2016

Phil Steele 2015

If they blow the VT game as they did the Oklahoma game in 2015, they may not even beat Ohio, much less the next four. Would love to see them start 1-6! Would love to see them lose every game for the rest of my life!

centerstar said:

Not contradicting you on the probable outcome off this year, but you should take another look at the record book. UT won every matchup from 95-01, and 03, 04, and 06. I live in Nashville. It was excruciating.

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He said in games played without an extra week of rest for UT*.

Mike Dubose has won the SEC more recently than Tennessee.

ALA2262 said:

QB and returning starters. This is the second consecutive year with 17 or more returning starters including the starting QB. 18 in 2015 and 17 in 2016.

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Another thing to keep in mind is they lost 4 games last year. Two of those opponents made it to the championship playoffs, and in all four of those loss games, UT had a fourth quarter lead at one point.

I think they'll be improved this year. I'm glad they don't get the bye week before us this time.

deliveryman35 said:

Butch Jones has YET to impress me. He seems to talk a good game and knows how to deftly handle and work the media, but other than beating Georgia last year he has no signature wins and the choke jobs against Oklahoma and Florida last season were embarrassing to watch, even for an Alabama fan like myself. If he doesn't win a minimum of 10 games and get to the SECCG this next season I think he's in serious trouble.

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The only signature win the previous coach had was over Butch Jones.

More ESPN garbage bait to get someone to click on it...:rolleye2:

bamacpa said:

Mike Dubose has won the SEC more recently than Tennessee.

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That one has to sting the vol faithful.

Bamabuzzard said:

Until I actually see it on the field I'm going with the safe bet of they will continue in mediocrity. I'll give them eight/nine wins at best. But Butch Jones just comes across as a rah-rah coach in a conference that eats "rah-rah" for breakfast.

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Unless you think aTm under Knight is going to be significantly better, and Kirby is going to be an instant success at UGA, Tennessee is going to be a 10 win team despite Butch. Dobbs is easily the best returning qb in the league this year. Now I don't know if our streak stops this year, but I said it two years ago that this year would be the trickiest game in our path to get to 10. Also they aint losing to Florida this time.

My stats have Tennessee going 8-4. Stats have A&M beating them, but stats don't know how inept Sumlin is, so maybe 9-3. I do think Kirby has the talent (and leadership) to beat Tennessee again.

Redwood Forrest said:

My stats have Tennessee going 8-4. Stats have A&M beating them, but stats don't know how inept Sumlin is, so maybe 9-3. I do think Kirby has the talent (and leadership) to beat Tennessee again.

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Florida has too much to replace for me to see them winning at Neyland. Last year Tennessee gave the game away to a more talented and experienced version of Florida.

UGA could catch them on a high after beating Florida.

aTm wont be able to stop Dobbs, but the question is if Trevor Knight is as good as he was in the 2014 Sugar Bowl or is he as bad as he was in the 2014-15 season.

As for our game with them, we have Arkie before them so its not like they are the only ones with tough weeks before the game.

Aside from those games its down to USCe and UK to ruin their season, and you can never count on them.

9-3 would probably be Tennessee's worst realistic case scenario, 8-4 would be the end of the Butch Jones era with the amount of talent and experience coming back.

I seemed to remember the same talking heads were raving over how good the barn was going to be last year...


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Since I live up here I've noticed more Vol fans showing their colors than I can remember in years. They believe this is their year. When I look at their schedule I think they have good reason for optimism. If they get on a roll they could win ever game before they play us.

danb said:

I seemed to remember the same talking heads were raving over how good the barn was going to be last year...


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First off... I hate the Vols more than I hate Auburn, and it pains me deeply to give those scumbags any such credit whatsoever. But I think the Vol talk is a lot more credible than Auburn's the last two years.

Auburn's talk centered around their offense, and people love offense. But no one looked at the amount of teams they played with a credible defense and Auburn's lack of. Then last year, everyone thought Johnson was going to flourish in Malzhan's offense, but failed to see he was a different QB than what a Malzhan offense required.

Tennessee catches 2 teams changing coaches (UGA and USCe), 1 team in a rebuilding year (UF), and draws a lower end west opponent (aTm). Their schedule sets up nicely with them having the most experienced team in the East coming back.