Rival Fans have a hard time saying anything positive about their rival teams. After the first six weeks of the season, even those that hate Tennessee recognize this team is doing something special. I am pleasantly surprised by the level of respect given.
From Florida Board:
We need to play more like Tennessee.
"If our team ever decides to put the same amount of effort into a game as Tennessee does...We can make it to SEC championship game. As much as I hate Tennessee, and as much as I hate giving them credit, those guys never give up. We are just as talented as they are, the only difference is they play with so much confidence, passion, heart, whatever you want to call it, and sometimes we don't. Hell against Vandy, it looked like we didn't even want to be there.
I hope we the fact that we are stil in the SEC race can light a fire under this team or something because we need it bad."
"I agree with everything you just articulated, but your observation deserves further context. Tennessee has been underachieving for over a decade, but this seasoned team appears to harness Coach Jones' spirit. This has been a four year process for them and that could have easily been derailed if we had beaten them.
It takes time to change the culture of a team, especially when you are trying to mold a group of players that you did not recruit."
"The talent has upgraded every year, and it shows on the field they have gotten better every year under Butch Jones."
"The play by the Tennessee defender before goal line speaks volumes for no quit and never say die hustle."
"Tennessee's a case study in patience in program building, but also in how critical recruiting is. Those big recruiting classes Butch got early are starting to ripen."
"UT plays a fired up TA&M on the road and loses in double OT. With turnovers. They showed guts and played their asses off. That is a senior team that fights. Butch Jones had years and this is the best they will be, I believe. More impressed with UT in this loss than in any win this year."
"As of now, Tennessee deserves to go to Atlanta. They're just better than us."
"[Next year] They'll take a step back...but they still have a ton of young talent. I think people who think Tennessee is going to roll over and die after this year are mistaken.
They'll return the 4 of their 5 OL which is starting to look better and better (unlike ours). They'll return all of their pass catchers - a unit looking more and more like one of the best in the SEC. That Guarantano kid was highly recruited out of HS and a perfect scheme fit for them. I'm not so sure they lose BOTH Hurd and Kamara.
On defense, they'll lose Sutton, but return everyone else. And Baylen Buchanan's playing well there and should be fine. Yeah, the front 7 is where they'll really hurt and where teams will have to try to exploit them. There's no replacing Barnett."
From Florida Board:
We need to play more like Tennessee.
"If our team ever decides to put the same amount of effort into a game as Tennessee does...We can make it to SEC championship game. As much as I hate Tennessee, and as much as I hate giving them credit, those guys never give up. We are just as talented as they are, the only difference is they play with so much confidence, passion, heart, whatever you want to call it, and sometimes we don't. Hell against Vandy, it looked like we didn't even want to be there.
I hope we the fact that we are stil in the SEC race can light a fire under this team or something because we need it bad."
"I agree with everything you just articulated, but your observation deserves further context. Tennessee has been underachieving for over a decade, but this seasoned team appears to harness Coach Jones' spirit. This has been a four year process for them and that could have easily been derailed if we had beaten them.
It takes time to change the culture of a team, especially when you are trying to mold a group of players that you did not recruit."
"The talent has upgraded every year, and it shows on the field they have gotten better every year under Butch Jones."
"The play by the Tennessee defender before goal line speaks volumes for no quit and never say die hustle."
"Tennessee's a case study in patience in program building, but also in how critical recruiting is. Those big recruiting classes Butch got early are starting to ripen."
"UT plays a fired up TA&M on the road and loses in double OT. With turnovers. They showed guts and played their asses off. That is a senior team that fights. Butch Jones had years and this is the best they will be, I believe. More impressed with UT in this loss than in any win this year."
"As of now, Tennessee deserves to go to Atlanta. They're just better than us."
"[Next year] They'll take a step back...but they still have a ton of young talent. I think people who think Tennessee is going to roll over and die after this year are mistaken.
They'll return the 4 of their 5 OL which is starting to look better and better (unlike ours). They'll return all of their pass catchers - a unit looking more and more like one of the best in the SEC. That Guarantano kid was highly recruited out of HS and a perfect scheme fit for them. I'm not so sure they lose BOTH Hurd and Kamara.
On defense, they'll lose Sutton, but return everyone else. And Baylen Buchanan's playing well there and should be fine. Yeah, the front 7 is where they'll really hurt and where teams will have to try to exploit them. There's no replacing Barnett."
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