As an SEC fan, I am pulling for UT. I honestly believe Phil knows how important this season is for his future. He named a starting QB and has tightened the reins on his thugs. As a selfish LSU fan, I am pulling for a UT loss. I am going to drive up for the LSU - UT game. All the UT fans are lining up to jump off the bandwagon with the first bad game. If UT drops this one, and drops it bad, tickets will be plentiful and cheap.
I think it can be directly traced back to them not recruiting like the once did. They just haven't had the teams they used to have, player-wise. Fulmer can fire whomever he wants, but the same caliber of player they once got, they are not getting now and it shows. When our 3rd string QB can transfer to UT and start, that shows something.
The reason why is irrelevent. The fact is that they are favored. Thus, IMO and Vegas' it wouldn't be an upset if UT wins.
Guess you haven't been following the Vols recruiting lately, last year was their only class not ranked very high in the past several years and they dropped to 20th. They may have missed on a couple of highly ranked QB's, but they are still getting top recruits.
They lost one starter in Jason Allen to the NFL. His replacement is an upperclassman but didn't start last year.
Their NFL prospects have been way down. I'm not making this stuff up. Knoxville newspapers themselves have outlined their losses in recruiting.
You're right about that as they have not had the same number of high draft choices in recent years as they had in the late 1990's and early 2000's. But I think it is more a case of missing on some guys that pretty much everyone in the country missed on, especially all of the 5 star guys they've gotten in recent years. So what I'm trying to say is that except for last year the Vols have been targeting the best recruits and getting many of them but they haven't exactly panned out as usual. I believe they're still one of the CFB elite when it comes to where recruits want to play. A few more years like the last class and they will drop down a tier.
Except for last season, recruiting has been good, but the recruiting classes haven't panned out all that well lately. By many accounts UT had the nation's top recruiting class in 2005 and top ten classes in most previous season. Almost all of of the 2005 class were red-shirted last season, but should start contributing some this season. Many big name recruits from previous seasons including QB James Banks (2001) and QB Brent Schaeffer (2004) haven't lasted long due to disciplinary problems, and many others haven't lived up to their hype. I agree if Tennessee loses to Cal and Florida to start off the season, I could easily see an implosion leading to another season like last year.
Huh? What a wierd statement. If the recruits dont pan out that is not good recruiting. :dis: Tennessee is the poster child for disobedience. Anymore of those "good" recruiting classes and you might just fill up the "all prison, bend over and grab the soap, be my bitch" team.
What recruiting service picked Tennessee at the top in 2005? A VG class, but not the best, not even the best in the SEC. The Vols will have a nearly impossible time stopping Cal. Tennessee has to hope for turnovers and a low scoring game. Fulmer will not outcoach Tedford. A Tennessee loss doesn't help any SEC Champ or contender in the NC race, so I'm pulling for Tennessee, even though Tennessee likely loses this game and drops out the Top 25. If Cal gets a decent passing game going in this one, they could run it up. If Tennessee can't pass, it's over. I think Tennessee gives up plenty of yardage and points here.
