Conflicting opinions about one of our o-line in the pre-season.

[Inspector Vol]

SEC coaches picked Dallas Thomas as SEC 3rd team pre-season. He was also named on the Outland Trophy watch list.

Maybe its just me but I wouldn't normally think a 3rd team pre-season pick would be on an award watch list. IMO we have conflicting expectations here. All that really matters of course is how he plays this year and how it helps the team. Still I wonder which is closer to right?

[Volznut]

The pre season lists are usually based on last year's perfoirmances, and not so much potential.

[BanditVol]

I've noticed this same thing in other ways.  Phil Steele rates our OL 7th in the COUNTRY ( ), but as you point out, the highest rated individual player is Dallas and he is third team SEC (and Juwan James is 4th team).

Either Phil didn't put much thought into the individual ratings or the national rating is for the unit as a whole.  I think we got the national rating for across the board experience and depth, but even then it seems awfully high.

My take is that our Oline at least has the potential to be something really special.

Whether they will or not remains to be seen.

[Volznut]

Steele is pretty high on the Vols, likes us as one of the most improved offenses in country.

[volmeister]

SEC coaches picked Dallas Thomas as SEC 3rd team pre-season. He was also named on the Outland Trophy watch list.

Maybe its just me but I wouldn't normally think a 3rd team pre-season pick would be on an award watch list. IMO we have conflicting expectations here. All that really matters of course is how he plays this year and how it helps the team. Still I wonder which is closer to right?

There are 71 players on the Outland Watch List.

[Inspector Vol]

Out of 15 players on the 1st 3 all sec preseason teams at o-line, 10 were on the watch list. Vandy had an o-lineman on the list not on the 1st 3 teams. 


There is still some discrepancy but not what I thought it was.

[BanditVol]

Steele is pretty high on the Vols, likes us as one of the most improved offenses in country.

He likes us as one of the most improved teams, period.  We are supposed to be the 6th most improved team.  Generally speaking the great majority of teams on his list of most improved (80-90%) do in fact improve.

Of course, it would be difficult to be worse than last year.  That's the one thing about this season...no matter how poorly it goes, we will be better than last year.   It's hard to see us going 5-7 again.

Final note....he has separate list called Surprise Teams, which are basically dark horses for the MNC. Texas is no. 1 on that list, we are 11th, which according to him give's us a "roulette shot".  FWIW....

That list is teams that might pull a big surprise, and in it we are about the least likely, but it's fun to think about.