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Analyst: Tennessee SEC East challenger, ‘gonna give Georgia a run for the money’
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Analyst: Tennessee SEC East challenger, ‘gonna give Georgia a run for the money’
ATHENS — Tennessee hasn’t beaten Georgia since a last-second, Hail Mary pass almost six years ago, but one analyst believes the Vols could be a big threat to the Bulldogs in the SEC East Division this season.
Comments
Teneesee’s offense is a gimmick and that showed toward the end of the season as SEC DCs started to figure it out.
Hooker may be a good qb, but didn’t they lose a key WR?
Kentucky in Lexington is the only game I’m remotely concerned about at this point.
Vols offense may have been somewhat of a gimmick, but their HC knows what he's doing. I think a 9-3 season is not out of the question for them.
No doubt UT's talent and coaching have improved, UGA's depth should be the determining factor....
The Vols will put up a decent fight as they normally do, but SC is the team in the shadows IMO. However, contain Rattler, and game over.
People aren't appreciating how much better the SEC East is getting. The East is now a just Texas A&M away from parity with the West or even better (granted: A&M is a lot stronger than the East's second-best team).
Aside from the Dawgs, four teams (Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida) are top-25 caliber -- although at most three of them will finish in the top 25 because they'll beat each other up. Returning production will put the first three of those at high points in their talent/experience cycles. Tennessee and Kentucky are capable of finishing in the top 15 -- although, again, inevitable conference losses will allow only one of those two to finish that high.
We may not get credit for beating a Top 10 team, and Kirby and company prepare so well that we hardly ever lose a major upset (South Carolina in 2019 being the lone exception). But those four strong East teams, plus Miss. State and Oregon, make this year's schedule dangerous. A 12-0 record against that gauntlet would be very impressive.
Truth about SC! I watched the OU / Baylor game last year at Baylor and, if I remember right, Baylor did a good job of containing Rattler.
I'm not sure about how many the Vols lost on offense last year. And has Heupel been working on D?
I've said it before...I'll say it again, Steele is a Big10/Big12 Super-fan that somehow managed to con people into believing he's an expert on all College Football. He's just another hack.
Tennessee will give a lot of people problems in 2022, but, UGA won't be one of em. UGA's secondary isn't even gonna resemble last year's team, by the time the Vols get to town and the front 7 will have as much speed, strength and talent as any other year (except maybe last) that Smart has been head coach.
Obviously FLA will be improved. That's not a stretch for anybody to opine. LOL...How could they possibly be any worse than the were in 2021?
As for SC and Ridder...well, putting SC's season on the shoulders of a guy that couldn't keep his job in a Heisman year, isn't very wise. Ridder never showed me much, but, Steele being a big-time Oklahoma, OSU, Michigan and ND fan, sees him as the Heisman Candidate he pushed on the College Sporting World, last year. He's determined to be "RIGHT" about this guy. Hack!!! Ridder might not even keep his job long enough to play against the Dawgs.
Where is his opinion on UGA's offensive prowess and QB. I'll guarantee you, Bennett is at least as good and reliable as Ridder...if not more-so. In fact, if I had to choose between Bennett and Ridder right now...I would take Bennett, all day long.
Just sayin'.
BTW...Just for the record...if UGA had to play Tennessee, in Knoxville, I might be more inclined to see it as a challenge. But, playing them in Athens, makes it a completely different scenario. Tennessee has always played UGA tough in Knoxville. That's all I'm saying.
Vols could even go 10-2 -- 11-2 with a bowl game.
They could very well win at Pittsburgh and win all their SEC games, except for UGA and Bama.
You know what??? The SEC West teams are cashing in on banked credit when it comes to polling, predictions and expectations, in 2022. They will not be as dominant in 2022 as most of these so-called experts are predicting and past performance would imply. Of the West teams, BAMA may actually be only 2nd or 3rd best, in reality.
In the Preseason College Football World, perception is 9/10ths of reality...then, the game is played. I guess that's part of the fun. LOL
Tennessee actually presents a bigger problem to BAMA than UGA. And, if I'm not mistaken, A&M, with QB issues and depleted FLA, LSU and AUB team's, with HC issues...all, either beat, or came very, very close to beating Alabama, in 2021. Not to mention, Tennessee and ARK's efforts that were very challenging to the vaunted Tide in 2022. BAMA had very few "easy outs" compared to the previous 10 years, or so. The gap has been, all but closed, between the teams in the West.
Things are not going to get any better for The Tide in 2022 after losing 3 of their most productive WR's and 1 productive RB...arguably 4 players responsible for Bryce Young winning The Heisman. After all, what would Pat Sullivan have been, without Terry Beasley?
Young is not a "great quarterback"...he is a very good QB, on what "was" a great team. Hmmm, does that make Bennett a "great quarterback" on a team filled with Freshmen and Sophmores, in 2021? You be the judge. 2022 is a new year. BAMA trying to replace last year's production through the transfer portal, is going to create more problems than it solves...unless Saban is extremely Lucky with locker-room chemistry, that is. LOL
And, A&M's Fisher doesn't have the offensive firepower to walk the walk, in 2022. Remember, Fisher won the Natty with a Heisman Trophy winning QB (Jameis Winston) at FSU. He is not a Defensive coach...I don't care how many 5-stars are on the defensive side of the ball. Great defense, is a team game. Nobody knows that, more than Kirby Smart and Nick Saban...and the "Dollar Defense" creator & mentor....Bill Belichick. LOL
Defense is a lot like golf. You can hit 2 or 3 great shots on a par 5...but, 1 crappy shot can cost you the hole or the game. A defense filled with great individuals, can have 2 great plays and one crappy play...it results in a 1st down or TD, no matter how you look at it. That's why UGA was so great defensively in 2021. Individual efforts were put aside for the team goal. They had very few "crappy shots". LOL
I think you’re meaning to say Rattler. If you are, I agree on pretty much all points. The kid comes off as a prima-donna, and I was surprised that anyone picked him up. He’s got an arm, but is terribly full of himself.
LMAO...yep, that's what I meant. I guess, cause his name made him sound like a venomous snake, I couldn't choke it down that way. Seriously though, I said the same thing about Ridder, after the Falcons drafted him. I thought it was a wasted draft pick. I guess the 2 names are synonymous in my mind.
Thanks for helping me clarify.
TN's O may be gimmicky but gimmicky works in CFB. It works pretty well because every year you are breaking in new DB's. Probably young guys that haven't seen anything like that yet.
SEC E has been down a little the last few years for UGA. FU had a coach who was too lazy to recruit. TN had the Pruitt disaster and aftermath. BUT TN is a big name brand SEC team. Now with a wide open O that can now attract high caliber HS players again. FU resides in a top 3 producing state for HS football talent. To expect those 2 teams to remain down and the gap between TN/FU and UGA to remain as big as last year is unrealistic.
The SEC E will get more competitive and expect the games to be closer.
I will say I really enjoyed watching the UGA D stuff TN to the tune of minus 1 yard rushing with their three 5* OL (including Cade Mays) a couple years ago.