VTTW Board Index

2013 Tennessee Football Schedule
Date   Opponent   Location
Aug. 31   Austin Peay   Knoxville
Sept. 7   Western Kentucky   Knoxville

Of course, we absolutely have to win these first 2.  Extra points for Corch Jones for looking dominating in them.  WKY is a lot better than AP, IMO.

Sept. 14   at Oregon   Eugene, Ore.
Sept. 21   at Florida *   Gainesville, Fla.

We're probably not going to win either of these games but it sure would be nice if we could keep it competitive and the defense spent more time looking at the front of opponent's jerseys than at the back of them.

Sept. 28   South Alabama   Knoxville

Better be another cupcake

Oct. 5   Georgia *   Knoxville
Oct. 12   Open Date
Oct. 19   South Carolina *   Knoxville

I sure would like to win at least 1 of these 2 games.  That would be a sign that Butch is really beginning to turn things around.  Blowouts in one or both would be discouraging.

Oct. 26   at Alabama *   Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Will be a Butch Jones fan for life if he can pull this off but I'm not expecting it.

Nov. 2   at Missouri *   Columbia, Mo.
Nov. 9   Auburn *   Knoxville

Both of these games are winnable, IMO.  Losing them both and I will be bitching like Pirate.


Nov. 16   Open Date
Nov. 23   Vanderbilt *   Knoxville
Nov. 30   at Kentucky *   Lexington, Ky.

Both of these games are winnable as well.

Conclusions:  Brutal schedule, 8-4 is doable but everything would have to break our way.  Since that hasn't happened in quite some time for this program, I am gonna predict 7-5 and the Music City Bowl.  Deere Lowered, not against UNC again, please!

7-5 if Bray stays. If Bray leaves 4-8 or 5-7

He better win at least 7 of those games IMO.

He wont have very many targets since CP,Hunter and Rivera will be gone most likely.

He'll have plenty enough talent on the roster to win 7 of those games IMO.  I am usually pretty easy on coaches, but I'll be disappointed with fewer than 7 wins next season.  Dooley could have won 8 with this year's team (UGA, USC, Missouri were all winnable).  If he is truly a step up, expecting 7 wins in 2013 should be reasonable.

We have 3 WRs coming in next year, 1 4* and 2 3*

Is Tennessee still playing Oregon in 2013? I've seen things going back a couple of months saying Tennessee is trying to buy Their way out of the game

Man, that is a brutal schedule. I wouldn't blame UT for buying out the Oregon game.

So Bray by himself is worth 2 or 3 games?  :dielaughing:

He hasn't won a meaningful game yet. I kind of hope he doesn't come back. He'd be a senior anywasy, so he'd be only around for next year. IMO it would be better for the new coach to build a foundation with a guy who's going to be here for a few more years, even if he did take some lumps next year.

If they do, I will definitely give up my donation and season tickets.  It's on the official schedule and is still on as far as I know.

Likely that he is.  Maybe we will get a chance to see how he does, if not, we can all move on.  He is head and shoulders above anyone we have had since AT LEAST Ainge.

Well that's not saying very much. I'll give it to him that he's better than Crompton and anybody else we may have had since Ainge that I don't remember right now. Nobody can debate Bray's physical talent. However, it's his immaturity, lack of leadership, insubordination (if rumors are to be believed), falling apart at critical moments and packing it in when things go south, that I've seen enough of.

Yes all these things.  I am well aware of them.  In fact, I was one of his leading critics early after his pouting episode late in the Florida game, but I backed off because there was so much piling on by the rest of the fanbase.  He deserved the criticism, but not to be shot in front of a firing squad.   :toothless:

I understand your criticism very well.  But factor in that (IMO to make himself look good) Dooley did not break Tyler in gradually against top shelf SEC talent.  He waited until the meat of the schedule was past in 2010 and then let Bray feast on inferior competition.  As oft-repeated, no team that Tyler faces in the last four games of 2010 was even in the top 70 in pass D.  It was ridiculous!  But yeah, Tyler looked really good in those games.  He did okay being thrown in against USCe, but one game does not make a warrior.  Fast forward to 2011...Tyler looked decent against a very inexperienced defensive backfield at Florida while having to compensate for losing Hunter.  Yet he threw a few picks, and do you recall how many the UF db's dropped?  And what about all the PI calls, I think there were at least 6?

Then he looked like crap against Georgia and promptly got injured.

As usual, I am rambling on, but my point is this.  Part of the reason Tyler never matured is that Dooley never forced him to.  He got an inflated sense of his own talent by never having to play the tough defenses (he missed both LSU and bammer in back to back years).  And yes, he's pretty immature to begin with.

Having said all that, the part of your premise that I question is that people in general can never mature or develop or improve themselves.  They must always be in some sort of static equilibrium I suppose?  It was widely reported that Crompton "found Jesus" his senior year and that this helped him tremendously.  And of course, in one of the best things he did, Kiffin and his staff figured out how to tailor the offense for Crompton.

So...Tyler Bray has never won a big game (Cincy and NC State were the biggest wins, unfortunately), but that doesn't mean that he can't, with some personal development and the right coach.  And heck, a good coach will force him to develop as a person.  It's part of the deal.

Ever think Tyler is a smartass?  When your HC says "He should have better aim" as a response to his hitting the windshield of a car, then what the hell does anyone expect?

Smartass coach.  Smartass QB.