1 Ohio State
2 TCU
3 Alabama
4 Baylor
5 Oregon
6 Michigan State
7 Auburn
8 Florida State
9 Georgia
10 USC
11 Notre Dame
12 Clemson
13 LSU
14 UCLA
15 Ole Miss
16 Arizona State
17 Georgia Tech
18 Wisconsin
19 Oklahoma
20 Arkansas
21 Stanford
22 Arizona
23 Missouri
24 Boise State
25 Tennessee

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings

We got one vote, tied for 52nd. The last coaches poll from 2014 had us at 31.

Interesting fact: 3 ex-UC coaches in the top 25.

And before someone says preseason polls don't matter: wrong. They matter a lot. The more teams you have to jump to get to 25, the harder it is. And when you're not in the top 25 you don't get the best media coverage. Polls are crucial. If you're in a foot race you don't want to start in the 52nd position.

Nothing we can do about it but win. Just like always.

a little pre-season love from USA today

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../30805283/

(07-30-2015 06:45 PM)Dannyboy Wrote:  1 Ohio State
2 TCU
3 Alabama
4 Baylor
5 Oregon
6 Michigan State
7 Auburn
8 Florida State
9 Georgia
10 USC
11 Notre Dame
12 Clemson
13 LSU
14 UCLA
15 Ole Miss
16 Arizona State
17 Georgia Tech
18 Wisconsin
19 Oklahoma
20 Arkansas
21 Stanford
22 Arizona
23 Missouri
24 Boise State
25 Tennessee

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings

We got one vote, tied for 52nd. The last coaches poll from 2014 had us at 31.

Interesting fact: 3 ex-UC coaches in the top 25.

And before someone says preseason polls don't matter: wrong. They matter a lot. The more teams you have to jump to get to 25, the harder it is. And when you're not in the top 25 you don't get the best media coverage. Polls are crucial. If you're in a foot race you don't want to start in the 52nd position.

Nothing we can do about it but win. Just like always.

For a program like UC being in the Top 25 is crucial to gaining more national respect and attention. The mainstream media doesn't cover much outside of the Top 25 with any consistency since there are just way too many teams to showcase. If you're in the Top 25 then you're guaranteed at least a little bit of coverage that week.

Looking at this poll I expect Georgia, Notre Dame, Clemson and UCLA to all not live up to their preseason rankings but will probably stay ranked for most of the year because they were ranked in the preseason polls. And where is all this love for Lyle's boys at Tennessee coming from? I know they're a sexy pick this season but I just don't see it. We all know he has been bringing in top talent but as far as coaching them up I have my doubts. Ready to get this season going!

Vols will be good this year and very good in 16'. He's getting it done.

(07-31-2015 11:05 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Vols will be good this year and very good in 16'. He's getting it done.

Is he? so far their records have been essentially what they were for the last half decade plus and the sec east has been weaker of late. I am still skeptical until I see Butch take a program to a higher place than where he inherited it.

That fanbase thinks they're elite, too. If he doesn't win 10 games soon, he's on the hot seat.

My thoughts on Tennessee.

1.) Jones inherited probably the WORST p5 roster in all over college football when he arrived in Knoxville. Yes it was a worse roster than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Derek Dooley's 3 years of total disaster probably should have sunk the program permanently. He had a 3 year stretch where he signed 4 offensive lineman in total.

2.) Jones has done an amazing job up to this point relative to his talent. They faced 5 Top 10 teams each of his first two years. Not good when you are trying to rebuild a roster. He has a lot of elite talent in the freshman and sophomore classes down there.

3.) UC fans like to knock his coaching, which is fine (most UC fans will never know the kind of mess he actually inherited in 2010), but he's upgraded his coaching staff 1000X's since he's been at Tennessee. Tommy Thigpen, Willie Martinez, Robert Gillespie, Zach Azzani, etc... All very good coaches with excellent resumes.

4.) I do think Tennessee is being a little overhyped this year only because of their offensive line situation. They are still way behind at that spot. All their talent there is in the freshman or sophomore classes. They are probably going to be starting 4 guys who are sophomores or younger. That makes is very difficult in a league like the SEC.

I think a 7-5 season would be a very strong year for the Vols based on their youth and schedule.

(07-31-2015 11:05 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Vols will be good this year and very good in 16'. He's getting it done.

Agreed. 2016 is when I see them making a major move.

(08-10-2015 12:27 PM)Marcus Wrote:  My thoughts on Tennessee.

1.) Jones inherited probably the WORST p5 roster in all over college football when he arrived in Knoxville. Yes it was a worse roster than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Derek Dooley's 3 years of total disaster probably should have sunk the program permanently. He had a 3 year stretch where he signed 4 offensive lineman in total.

2.) Jones has done an amazing job up to this point relative to his talent. They faced 5 Top 10 teams each of his first two years. Not good when you are trying to rebuild a roster. He has a lot of elite talent in the freshman and sophomore classes down there.

3.) UC fans like to knock his coaching, which is fine (most UC fans will never know the kind of mess he actually inherited in 2010), but he's upgraded his coaching staff 1000X's since he's been at Tennessee. Tommy Thigpen, Willie Martinez, Robert Gillespie, Zach Azzani, etc... All very good coaches with excellent resumes.

4.) I do think Tennessee is being a little overhyped this year only because of their offensive line situation. They are still way behind at that spot. All their talent there is in the freshman or sophomore classes. They are probably going to be starting 4 guys who are sophomores or younger. That makes is very difficult in a league like the SEC.

I think a 7-5 season would be a very strong year for the Vols based on their youth and schedule.

So sort of similar to Cronin with UC's basketball program then? Inheriting a mess of a roster and trying to rebuild in the best league in the country.

(07-31-2015 11:05 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Vols will be good this year and very good in 16'. He's getting it done.

COACH BUTCH JONES IS STILL HOLDING THE ROPE.

(08-10-2015 01:26 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  

(08-10-2015 12:27 PM)Marcus Wrote:  My thoughts on Tennessee.

1.) Jones inherited probably the WORST p5 roster in all over college football when he arrived in Knoxville. Yes it was a worse roster than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Derek Dooley's 3 years of total disaster probably should have sunk the program permanently. He had a 3 year stretch where he signed 4 offensive lineman in total.

2.) Jones has done an amazing job up to this point relative to his talent. They faced 5 Top 10 teams each of his first two years. Not good when you are trying to rebuild a roster. He has a lot of elite talent in the freshman and sophomore classes down there.

3.) UC fans like to knock his coaching, which is fine (most UC fans will never know the kind of mess he actually inherited in 2010), but he's upgraded his coaching staff 1000X's since he's been at Tennessee. Tommy Thigpen, Willie Martinez, Robert Gillespie, Zach Azzani, etc... All very good coaches with excellent resumes.

4.) I do think Tennessee is being a little overhyped this year only because of their offensive line situation. They are still way behind at that spot. All their talent there is in the freshman or sophomore classes. They are probably going to be starting 4 guys who are sophomores or younger. That makes is very difficult in a league like the SEC.

I think a 7-5 season would be a very strong year for the Vols based on their youth and schedule.

So sort of similar to Cronin with UC's basketball program then? Inheriting a mess of a roster and trying to rebuild in the best league in the country.

Yes. Absolutely comparable.

(08-10-2015 12:27 PM)Marcus Wrote:  My thoughts on Tennessee.

1.) Jones inherited probably the WORST p5 roster in all over college football when he arrived in Knoxville. Yes it was a worse roster than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Derek Dooley's 3 years of total disaster probably should have sunk the program permanently. He had a 3 year stretch where he signed 4 offensive lineman in total.

2.) Jones has done an amazing job up to this point relative to his talent. They faced 5 Top 10 teams each of his first two years. Not good when you are trying to rebuild a roster. He has a lot of elite talent in the freshman and sophomore classes down there.

3.) UC fans like to knock his coaching, which is fine (most UC fans will never know the kind of mess he actually inherited in 2010), but he's upgraded his coaching staff 1000X's since he's been at Tennessee. Tommy Thigpen, Willie Martinez, Robert Gillespie, Zach Azzani, etc... All very good coaches with excellent resumes.

4.) I do think Tennessee is being a little overhyped this year only because of their offensive line situation. They are still way behind at that spot. All their talent there is in the freshman or sophomore classes. They are probably going to be starting 4 guys who are sophomores or younger. That makes is very difficult in a league like the SEC.

I think a 7-5 season would be a very strong year for the Vols based on their youth and schedule.

And we care, why? I hope he hangs by his rope.

(08-10-2015 05:52 PM)dossbig Wrote:  And we care, why?

Because someone said earlier that they didn't understand the preseason love for UT.

Also, having all your former coaches being successful elsewhere can't hurt the perception of the current coach, whoever it is.

(08-10-2015 01:48 PM)WalterSobchak Wrote:  

(07-31-2015 11:05 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Vols will be good this year and very good in 16'. He's getting it done.

COACH BUTCH JONES IS STILL HOLDING THE ROPE.

Representing the "T"

(08-10-2015 05:52 PM)dossbig Wrote:  

(08-10-2015 12:27 PM)Marcus Wrote:  My thoughts on Tennessee.

1.) Jones inherited probably the WORST p5 roster in all over college football when he arrived in Knoxville. Yes it was a worse roster than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Derek Dooley's 3 years of total disaster probably should have sunk the program permanently. He had a 3 year stretch where he signed 4 offensive lineman in total.

2.) Jones has done an amazing job up to this point relative to his talent. They faced 5 Top 10 teams each of his first two years. Not good when you are trying to rebuild a roster. He has a lot of elite talent in the freshman and sophomore classes down there.

3.) UC fans like to knock his coaching, which is fine (most UC fans will never know the kind of mess he actually inherited in 2010), but he's upgraded his coaching staff 1000X's since he's been at Tennessee. Tommy Thigpen, Willie Martinez, Robert Gillespie, Zach Azzani, etc... All very good coaches with excellent resumes.

4.) I do think Tennessee is being a little overhyped this year only because of their offensive line situation. They are still way behind at that spot. All their talent there is in the freshman or sophomore classes. They are probably going to be starting 4 guys who are sophomores or younger. That makes is very difficult in a league like the SEC.

I think a 7-5 season would be a very strong year for the Vols based on their youth and schedule.

And we care, why? I hope he hangs by his rope.

Obviously someone cares since they brought it up. Some of you clearly don't bother to read the thread before responding. I didn't start the convo. Someone else did and I responded. If you don't want to read it then leave the thread.

I like Jones. I think he is a good coach. He came to UC and had to take over for Brian Kelly. For UC fans, BK did things that no other coach at UC had ever done and so in a very small way, he was our "john wooden" if you will. Jones had HUGE shoes to fill taking over for BK. In addition, the expectations for the program were sky high in 2010 and as Marcus said, Jones inherited a team that had a lot of holes and gaps. I think all in all Jones did a fine job here at UC and at least we won our bowl games vs P5 teams with Jones at the helm. I have no doubt he will get UT where they want to be sooner or later. I have no ill will toward the man (or BK or Dantonio). Each of these men came to UC and made an impact and helped us get to where we are right now (one of the better G5 programs with a veteran respected coach, solid recruiting pipelines, renovated statium, and most likely next in line if the P5 expands).

Butch was fine, but there were 2 things which made me mad:

- The 4-8 season was terrible. There was no way the talent level justified that. We were 12-0, 4-8, then 9-3. So the talent just cratered for one year? No. Jones did a poor job during several games and he couldn't make the most of what he had.

- He recruited 3 DTs during his tenure. We're still paying for that, God dammit.

Of course no one is perfect. CTT has plenty of qualities to ***** about, but that 4-8 season still rubs me the wrong way. It set us back.

Playing at Fresno, at NC State and against a top 10 team in Oklahoma in your staff's first 4 games in a transition year was a real trail of tears. Add in games at WVU, at UL, and a much, much better overall conference slate losing to 5 conference teams that went on to win bowl games that year and you get what you got.

If UC plays that 2010 schedule in 2013 it could have very easily gone 4-8 as well. Don't underestimate how absolutely terrible the schedule was in 2013 for the transition year of this current staff. We will hopefully never see an easier schedule.

I never sweated Jones for 2010 because I called us sucking hind tit that year before the opening kickoff. Bouncing back to win back to back conference titles and decent bowl games was huge.

Maybe we can get Jones back when he gets fired?