9th, 12th, 11th, and 13th - OUT OF A 14 FRICKIN' TEAM LEAGUE! 

If that's doing well by any objective measure, then the words "objective measure" means something totally different in your world than in the real world.   

Geez, you are stubborn.  Admit you are wrong.  Just do it!  You'll feel a lot better in the long run.   

Read my post again...I didn't say our OFFENSE didn't suck.  It did! It most assuredly did. 

What I did say is...underperforming or no, the O Line was not the problem.

Worley started slowly then got injured and our WRs were green Consequently our passing game sucked most of the year.

But our running game was average by SEC standards and above average by national standards and we didn't get sacked much.  Those are the objective things I look at when judging the O line.  Just saying.

Doesn't matter, it was last year.  We can all agree that this year's line is atrocious.  But they will come along.   

I agree with the premise "that we are young" is BS. Last years lines were not young. They weren't coached up either.

Yes, and having completely new starters on both lines has no effect whatsoever.   

A lot of Vol fans seem to have conveniently forgotten that.

Florida is going to be very tough on him, because all the people at that campus like to look down their noses at the other campus.

He better be squeaky clean innocent, because when he gets the boot the gators will puff out their chests and say how morally superior they are to the "clown college'.

Meanwhile, I think Hernandez just shanked someone up in whatever Connecticut hole they threw him in.   

DEFENSE
Left end: Sophomore Corey Vereen, sophomore LaTroy Lewis (actually Maggitt)
Defensive tackle: Senior Jordan Williams, freshman Dimarya Mixon
Defensive tackle: Sophomore Danny O’Brien, junior Owen Williams
Right end: Freshman Derek Barnett, freshman Dewayne Hendrix
Weakside linebacker: Sophomore Jalen Reeves-Maybin, freshman Dillon Baxter (actually Bynum)
Middle linebacker: Senior A.J. Johnson, freshman Colton Jumper (actually nobody)
Strongside linebacker: Junior Curt Maggitt, junior Chris Weatherd
Cornerback: Sophomore Cameron Sutton, freshman Emmanuel Moseley
Safety: Junior Brian Randolph, freshman Todd Kelly Jr.
Safety: Junior LaDarrell NcNeil, Sophomore Devaun Swafford
Cornerback: Senior Justin Coleman, sophomore Michael Williams (actually Williams and Moseley with Coleman as the 5th most of the time)

After Williams got his bell rung yesterday most of the time in base defense Coleman was the corner but when we went to nickel Coleman moved there and Moseley was the corner (seemed to play well).

Several times yesterday on 3rd and at least 5 we went to a 3 man line with Weatherd as the 3rd LB.  Maggitt played almost exclusively DE yesterday, and played his most extensive time there all year mostly at the expense of Vereen.

TK Jr got two full series in place of Randolph in the 2nd half and was effective.

So Maggitt is only a junior?  And I thought we might lose Reeves-Maybin as well.  Looks like the only loss at LB next year is AJ...

I am thinking we almost have a complete SEC secondary now, at least 1 deep, and even a bit of depth, if the young guys continue to play well.  DL still a work in progress, but plenty of young talent coming in next year.

I was thinking LB might be a bit of a rebuilding project next year, but even though AJ is a huge loss, i feel much better about it now.  We seemingly return everyone except him.   

Our D might be really good next year...perhaps good enough to allow  a new QB to develop.

00

????

Careful. The WWII analogy gives you more in common with Derek Dooley than Butch Jones has in common with Dooley. Dooley was the master of WWII history. 

LOL!

Well...for the record, I didn't like his comparison, and was widely misunderstood as to why.  It was not for PC reasons...I loathe PC.  My problem is that in his analogy, he compared THE VOLS to the Nazis and Florida and Bammer to the Allies!  UNTHINKABLE!!!!

Note that in my analogy, the Vols are the Americans, as they should be.   

Not dealing with reality?  Bandit, in 2013 UT"s offense was 9th in the SEC in rushing yards, 13th in passing offense, 12th in total offense, and 11th in scoring offense.    And of course, Worley got hurt and was out the last 5-6 games, and all those stats you mention dropped like a rock after that.

No offense, but who's not dealing with reality here?  Those numbers don't lie.  

12th in total offense.  Out of 14 teams.  Given that there were 4 from that OL in NFL camps this pre-season, there is no way anybody with a clue can say that criticizing that OL is anything other than warranted.  

Our offense overall sucked, that's for sure.  But given that we returned only SEVENTEEN TOTAL CATCHES at WR, Worley was relatively unproven and rusty, and our tailbacks were above average but not great, I expected us to suck overall and we did.  But that hardly means the  O line "sucked".

By any objective measure they did well (though I don't deny they could have been better).

Its true we were ninth in the SEC running the ball,  but it was basically a tie with Ole Miss and MSU, who both had a yard or less per game than us.

That still sounds mediocre, but it's a bit misleading, because as everyone knows, the SEC is the best conference in football and there were some great running games last year.  Mostly Auburn and Mizzou, but bammer was their usual good at running and since Arkansas ran on almost every play, they were ahead of us also.

My comparison was to previous years...and as I said (which perhaps is a bit sad) had the best rush O at Tennessee since 1998.
We were 44th in the country running the ball...maybe that says more about the last 15 years than it does last season.

We were 2nd in the SEC and 21st in the country in sacks allowed.

What i am saying is that although the O line could have done better, they were hardly the main problem last year and I would take them back...underperforming or no...in a heartbeat this year.  If we had last year's OL we would have beyotch slapped the gators Saturday.

I think there is no doubt the OL underperformed last year.  There was a comment or two this spring (I think) attributed to the staff that made oblique reference to the line last year not "buying in"

I can understand the SR laden line on their 3rd or so OL coach being a bit reserved in accepting yet another new scheme, probably one that did not match their body types when implemented.

Yes there were fewer sacks and we had a 1,000 yard rusher but the line had far too many struggles at times for such a talented group (see draft positions).

I never said they didn't underperform...a bit.  But many comments were along the lines of "they suck".  They only way they "sucked" was in an alternate universe where reality does not matter.

Although, to be completely honest, I don't think the freshman QB had too much to do with their win. Worley's fumble was a game-changer. You could literally feel it.

Agree...but Driskel is SO BAD, that I don't think they score 6 there anyway, and even if they do they probably don't get the later FG.

Speaking of which, it was 49 yards....

There is no doubt though that a lot of former players are behind the guy, see the progress, and expect big things.  I'll take that over fan rants any day.   

There is also no doubt that not too many...if ANY...former players were behind Dooley.  No matter what anyone thinks about Butch Jones, the difference between him and Dools is infinity squared.

I am going to use a WW II analogy...the marines have just gotten chewed up at Guadalcanal, which is going far more slowly than anyone thought it would, and the armchair generals are wondering how FDR will ever kill Hitler with his bare hands.

Whereas, it might make more sense to focus on the naval battles around Guadalcanal, the logistics of supply, and getting some re-enforcements in.   

Yeah, satan is not dead, but they have some tough games left against MSU and Auburn, and even LSU or Tamu might sneak up on them. 

And I also think playoffs are worse for satan....if he has 6 weeks to prepare for one team, look out, but even if they make it and he wins the first one, prep time drops on the second.

Ya beat me to it...

I absolutely love the continued development of this defense. Coming into this week, while I still thought 6-6 would be a really good finish, I was optimistic that the emergence of Worley and the complete turn-around of our D would keep us in every single game we play...which we obviously haven't been able to say in several years. After today, I'm not at all confident that our offense can score even a point against Ole Miss or Alabama, but this D will still give us chances if Worley can shake off today's game and return to the poise and composure he showed against Georgia and Utah State.

I think our offense just had a really bad day.  Per the KNS Sunday morning, Hurd was nicked up, which might explain why we didn't run more.

I know they can do better, they showed that against uga.  They just need to play like they did a week ago and not how they played yesterday.

LOL!  His sole legacy may well be playing one quarter and being the difference against Tennessee.  Unreal....

I agree 100% that it would have been great had Pittman stayed.  Heck, I was a fan of Chaney also even when others complained.

But again...that the OL "underachieved" last year is hard for me to swallow when our running game averaged 188 yards per game, the best since 1998.  Facts are facts...but let's not get drawn into an argument about last year.

My original point is that some people actually posted on this very board last year that our OL "stunk so bad" that the new guys might be better because they would be more motivated.

As it stands we are 107th in the country running the ball and one of the leaders in sacks allowed.   Those stats were pretty much flipped last year.

So folks...THIS is what it looks like when the OL sucks.     

I think it is unfair to say a FG wins us the game because that was at the start of the 2nd half and you have no idea how the game would have gone going forward from that point.  Also, why run the ball when we couldn't gain any yards on the ground yesterday?  I agree with Herb, you throw it where only your receiver can get it.  That is why I don't understand why we didn't throw several fades in those situations.  We threw 1 and it looked like Pass Interference as our WR couldn't get his other arm up, but we should have tried it more than once.

I agree completely on the fades, but I will point out that Worley has not looked good on those this season IMO.  Might be something he struggles with.  Or something to work on in practice, one would think.

That Kentucky game is not going to be a walk in the park.  They are like UT in the fact that they can't afford many injuries, and especially to key positions, but they are without a doubt the most improved team in the SEC East this year.  What most thought to be a sure win is now anything but. 

OTOH, the USC jr defense is weak, and we should be able to score on them.

OK, I will bite:  What contrast is there?  Last year's OL sent 4 guys to the NFL and it was a OL that completely underachieved.

I see way more similarities in the end result between last year and this year than I do contrasts. 

I believe it has more to do with offensive scheme and OL technique than who is actually up front right now.  Yeah, we are young and bad, but last year's OL was old and underachieved. 

People criticizing the OL last year were not dealing with reality.  We had our best running game  since 1998!  What other stat are you going to point to, may I ask?

Wow, this thread has a little bit of everything in it...from people comparing head coaches to people wanting coaches fired after one game!  I think the answer lies  in the middle somewhere.

First of all, I was so mad leaving the stadium.  To lose to that UF team makes me sick.  However, everyone said going into the season that we would be a 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 team and that 7 -5 would be the best we could do.  That is still a possibility.  Also, people said that we would win some we shouldn't and lose some we shouldn't because of the team's youth.  They will make mistakes.  I am not ready to call for coach's heads or say we suck and can't score another offensive TD against anyone else besides Vandy.  I think some things need to be adjusted.  I think we have to start using TE's to help block.  We also have to go to more slants and short developing routes instead of the 7 step drops and slow developing plays downfield.  

I still don't understand the play calling inside the 20 saturday.  I can understand not running because we weren't gaining yards.  But on the Worley interception (which was off his back foot AND north fell down), you fake the jet sweep, roll worley to his right and throws to the center of the field in the end zone.  Why do you not take a 3 step drop and throw several fades to the corner of the end zone and let your 6'4 receivers go up and get the ball.  It is either a TD or an incomplete pass and you save several hits on your QB.  The coaches have to adjust the sheme for the lack of an o-line.  Also, the behind the line of scrimmage throws need to stop.

However, the people that are saying we won't score another TD except against Vandy just don't realize how bad the East is.  South Carolina is just plain BAD.  Up 14 with 13 mins to play and Spurrier refuses to run the ball.  Also, I am not sold on UK just yet.  They have improved but they also haven't played anyone.  Missouri couldn't score against that BAD south carolin D so I don't know about Missouri yet either.

I agree with almost everything you say.  Playcalling was bad at times, but the biggest factor was the O Line, IMO.

I agree about the fades, but at the same time Worley doesn't seem good at those.  The int to Croom against OU, for example.  SOmething to work on, perhaps.

COMPLETELY agree about needing more slants and quick routes (button hook, anyone?)  If it takes that long for the play to develop, give the man some quicker routes.  At the same time, Florida was playing up tight all day, so maybe it just wasn't there...but would have liked to see us run a lot more shorter routes than we did.

The problem I have with the criticism is that no one was complaining after Georgia, were they? Nor any of our other games.  Or only a very few were.

This was one bad game, and we have an entirely new OL.  Further, even though UF got blown out by Bammer in the past Muschamp has proven he can coach defense.  They are much healthier this year and I expect them to have a winning season and go to a bowl game this year if Driskel is sitting.

There is plenty of time for the team to learn from this, correct mistakes, and move on.

I predicted 5-7 at the start of the season primarily due to our lack of experience on the lines, and I stick by that.  Next year, and particularly 2016, will be different in terms of my expectations.

Well you can certainly complain about the offensive line, and I have. As for the staff and the rest of the offense, I don't know what can be done as long as the line is as poor as it is.

Ditto.  One can see a great contrast between this OL and last year's, which I believe IV also complained about.   

I felt like we should have beaten Florida, and I was on record as saying it would be nice if it was a blowout.  I did NOT expect a blowout though, I expected a close, hard fought game, and that's exactly what it was.  Forget the details, I thought one team or another would win by a close margin and that's what happened.  Take away the late fumble by Justin and I think we win, and we were still firing at the end of the game. 

It's very frustrating given the history with Florida, but I think that this Florida team, in spite of the blowout loss at bammer, is likely a bowl team.  I could see them beating LSU, So Cal Jr, Vandy, E Kentucky, Mizzou, and perhaps even uga if Driskel stays on the bench.  That would give them 8-9 wins and a decent bowl slot. 

That doesn't excuse our loss....it would simply have made a win that much sweeter.   But this was only our second SEC game, so plenty of time to make this season a success.

Where being young matters is the O line.  We have a completely new one, and I expected to struggle, and for that reason if no other I was predicting 5-7.  I knew there were some painful bumps ahead, and this one was very painful. 

Where I might push back on the naysayers a bit is that I still see tremendous improvement from last year.  That we expected to beat Florida is a sign. I didn't think we had a prayer last year.  Looking farther out, I think we have a shot at So Cal Jr and likely Mizzou, and that is also a sign of improvement.  I will judge this year on the entire season...and still be pleasantly surprised if we go better than 5-7.  Next year I expect more though, and if it ain't there by 2016 that's when a change should be made.  No sense whining about it in the meantime.

Nor do I. I'm all for going for the jugular in that situation.

That said, when you do that you HAVE to be sure that you give your receiver and your receiver only a chance to catch the football.  If it's not there you throw it in the 5th row and live to snap the ball on the next play.  You have to get points there, and as it turned out three points would have been huge there. 

Agree. I was actually thinking that a bit of Johnny ball on that drive might have made sense, and yes, a safer pass could have been called.

noice