I have to give David Hale credit for staying in touch with his roots. Here’s what he has to say about a neighbor to the north and bowl game overreactions:
Tennessee can win the SEC East
Nothing sets the stage for a good offseason “momentum” story like a six-game winning streak, which Tennessee capped with a 23-22 win over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The Vols came a long way from that opening loss to Georgia State, and to be sure, there’s cause for a lot more optimism around Jeremy Pruitt’s program now than there was a year ago.
But let’s pump the brakes a bit on Tennessee’s return to glory. UT averaged 15 points in six games versus Power 5 bowl teams. There are big questions about the future of the QB position and an offensive line that couldn’t open up running lanes all year. And, despite the late-season success against South Carolina, Missouri and Vandy, the Vols were outscored by their two real foes in the East — Georgia and Florida — by a total of 60 points.
We’ll see how much the Vols enjoy their November this season when they come to Athens.
Get The Picture 
It’s already becoming a game of which idiot fanbase can be the most annoying this offseason between the Vawls and Floriduh fans. I swear to Christ, no fanbase talks more than the ‘turds during the offseason, egged-on by Sideshow Dan the Clown, but so far, Nothing Sucks Like a Big Orange is talking big talk to keep up with them to start the year.
Surprisingly, given the changes to their coaching staff in importing the first bonafide OC Boom has ever had, the Sakerlina fans aren’t talking much at all, and that’s coming off a year when they beat us at home.
With our defense and an offense that will actually take advantage of all the 5-star talent we’ve recruited instead of mandating it play inside a phone booth, I have visions of blow out destructions swimming in my head. How long is it to Labor Day Weekend?
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I wouldn’t complain if Kirby flipped Boom’s top-rated recruit between now and signing day personally…
But yeah, I’d agree they’re the biggest East threat. Hellinski was good before he was injured without Bobo, the defense should be solid (but will miss a first-rounder like Kinlaw).
Meanwhile Dan gets to pay more money to keep 3rd and Grantham around another year, Trask gets to come back with his top WRs gone (and while he’s a better passer than Franks, he’s not much of a run threat, and UF’s run game was zero threat to good teams as a result) plus the loss of their top pass rushers and CB.
UT gets Mays to plug into the line, but he didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the tackle spot in the Sugar Bowl…and like UF gets to try life without their top WRs.
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isn’t it great? It’s Talking Season and they are here for it.
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Isn’t Guarantano still their QB? You could make the case Tennessee is likely 0-4 before the season even starts (at Oklahoma, vs. Florida, vs. Alabama, at Georgia) with 2 or 3 conference losses. Throw in the Cade Mays controversy and transfer … I could see Kirby dropping a bomb on Orangeneck in November.
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Mays will play. If they have any sense they’ll put him at guard and let JG hand off to whatever back that happens to be serviceable to run behind him. I think that alone will make them a challenge for the other orange clad assholes they’ll face and TBH? I wouldn’t mind seeing them get a little confidence boost ruining uf’s chances of winning the conference. Not that I’m pulling for them, mind you…
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UF’s chances of winning the conference are already ruined.
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I apologize. I should have said “hope” rather than “chances”
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Can and likely are not the same statement.
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That’s the nice thing about having a coach who lived through the 90’s up close and personal like. No matter how much we hate those toothless inbreeds Kirby hates em more. There won’t be an issue with him getting complacent.
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Yeah, we should not go into a shell, but rather not allow Kirby to ever look at the game clock and simply batter those two programs from the opening whistle until the referee taps Kirby on the shoulder and says, “Ahem, Coach Smart, the game is over, no need to run another bomb/flea flicker/student body sweep right!”
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This is a pretty good point. UT’s interminably long win streak was happening when he was a player, so he was stuck going winless against Fat Phil, saw a 7 game win streak end to the NATS on his senior day, and went 1-3 vs UF. Beating the hell out of those teams now has to be extra satisfying.
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Don’t send in the 2nd string until there is a running clock.
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Pruitt has skated by so far on some of his antics and dumb comments that go public. He better win that Florida game early or that bowl victory will be forgotten and the Ga State and BYU debacles will be resurrected. And why didn’t that huge East matchup get moved to late in the schedule like two of ours did?
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UF-UT game from now on is the under-card to UGA-UF and UGA UT.
Much Better for us to know who beat who before we play either.
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Can’t really take the Vols seriously as division title contenders until they prove they can get over that Georgia State hump. Gotta crawl before you can walk, fellers.
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UT has more 5 stars on their o-line than UGA does, I believe. Beating UT will be tougher this year.
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Cool story. Goergia’s offensive line will not have to face Goergia’s defense on Saturday. Tennessee’s will.
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Senator, we need a Lexicon entry for “Beyond Munson.”
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There are about 8 schools each year with a chance at the NC. To those fan bases, that’s the bottom line. Case in point … the inability of many Dawg fans to be happy with a most excellent year. Tennessee fans hang their hat on a different peg. Just the prospects of positive change, whether that be in recruiting or by parsing statistics, makes life worth living. Dawg fans are not unfeeling barbarians, however. Our counselors are standing by, ready to mentor the Vol Nation as they adjust to a less than ideal future.
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Orange Crush(ed) will be the result of what the Dawgs leave behind on the field after the rotten vowels ‘show up’ and I can’t wait! GO DAWGS!
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This thread led me to look up Florida’s schedule.
Damn. With LSU getting purged, they’ve got a pretty easy slate.
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Do they ever! It’s the kind of non-con schedule that will keep you out of a playoff with one loss.
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UT will play D and run next year, and they may do alright doing that. I think they beat UF, but lose to OK, Bama, UGA. UF is losing a ton, but with that easy schedule, I think they lose only 3 – LSU, UT, UGA.
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Eh. We’ve gotta have our off-season talking points. The same has been said about Florida with people even picking them and having them ranked several places ahead of us. The facts are that neither have beaten us in a few years and neither are recruiting really anywhere close to our level. All the more reason Georgia needs to get back to the playoff because I just don’t see this recruiting disparity holding up if we can’t capitalize on it. We’re recruiting with programs where recruits know they’ll be in the playoffs and maybe even the NC. We made it once but it’s already been a few years and Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma and OSU have been more recently and more often.
It sucks but with all the questions about the offense, I can’t feel good about our chances at even making the playoffs next season, so you’re talking about another season removed. At least that’s how I feel about it at the moment.
All it’ll take is a South Carolina slip up against Florida or Tennessee to not even make the SECC and that could boost their momentum. Recruiting isn’t always right but I do believe it’s the most important factor at the college level and recruiting is all about momentum. We only have to look at the end of Richt’s tenure and and the beginning of Smart’s as evidence. We need Kirby and the new offensive staff to gel, find the best QB and find the best way to make use of all this talent. Obviously!
I think Kirby believes in all of this and it is the major difference between he and Richt. Hell, I didn’t necessarily want Richt gone at the time but it’s obvious that Kirby knows that you can’t ever rest or settle in this conference if you want to actually compete for titles.
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careful, we ripped shot after shot at the cluckers to the east all last off season…and they beat us
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Rather, Georgia beat themselves.
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41-21 v S. Carolina (4-8)
30-7 v UAB (9-5)
17-13 @ Kentucky (8-5)
24-20 @ Mizzou (6-6)
28-10 v Vandy (3-9)
23-22 v Indiana (8-5)
Wins are wins, I guess. I guess the Kentucky game was their best win all year?
The streak should end at 7, though. I don’t think there is an alternate dimension where they win in Norman.
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All I know is you gotta hate Urange colors no mater what the state it is in.
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