VF30, what does your projected secondary for GT look like?

Heard Gaulden might start outside for Tech to help set the edge.

Warrior/Abernathy/Kelly will be very interesting. They absolutely love Warrior and I don't think you're going to be able to keep him off the field. That leaves Abernathy and Kelly. I think they probably go Kelly against GT simply because benching him could create a real distraction.

Martin has locked down one of the cornerback spots. Sounds like Gaulden is going to play the other corner against GT but nickel rest of season. I don't know who is going to be your other corner moving forward.

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's the deal with Wiggins? I was hoping he would immediately solidify one of the outside spots.

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What i see here which is good, is depth. With our injury history its nice to see we have options, and depth

Have you seen this post floating around anywhere yet? I was curious on your take whether or not it's legit or fabricated. It's from VN. I know..I know.


" First and foremost. This is hearsay and forum gossip. I would just copy and paste, but I do not have the guys permission to do so and it's from another Tennessee forum so I don't know how that works, etc.

I'm paraphrasing what this "insider" has said. He claims his family has some history within the program and they are well respected in Knoxville etc. you get the picture. But he said this information come from someone who "doesn't get much more credibile than this" and "has been heavily involved with Tennessee football for decades and has the ability to freely attend practices".....like I said. Take from that what you wish. Again, I'm just repeating what I read over there.

But he said our defense is fantastic. They are playing to the level they should be. Everyone will be pleasantly surprised at how well they play this year.

Our offensive line is struggling some. (Not completey incompetent. Just some. Remember-this could just be our Dline is strong as hell)...but he also said our run game will be great, so I'm assuming he just means in pass protection? But he said that they think that could be bc guys have been missing and I guess have not synced up yet. But you could see Dormady on his back a little more, but that's also to be expected from the change in QB scheme. It is what it is. Etc.

Butch is loved "a lot" by our players and their families. But maybe he has a little bit of a public speaking phobia? Said he has trouble relaxing around strangers or in front of the media. Maybe that's why he is a bit more robotic in interviews...to maybe have an easier time talking to the media? Said his job is safe with the people that matter in Knoxville, barring a complete meltdown or an Ole Miss type scandal. BUT if Butch does have a 9-10 win season and the hot seat talk continues, he could turn his success if turning Tennessee around into a job someplace else with less pressure. Said he loves everything about the team and Knoxville, but the non-stop bashing is wearing on him. This person did not say that his "connection" directly heard this from Butch, but that he inferred it from how he is/has talked I am assuming.

For 2017: The coaching staff feels that this is without a doubt, worst case scenario an 8 win team. With a good possibility of going 10+ with some "nice surprises".

He went on to say that this "source" was as "inside as it gets" and when further poked by other forum members about if the person he talked with mattered within the circle of people responsible for evaluating Butch in regards to firing him he responded "he pretty much is the circle".

Lol. So again, I just paraphrased what the guy said. I'm not trying to pretend I have any kind of connections. I'm a tool and die maker in SC. Haha. I just read a lot.

Take all this with a grain of salt. You know how sports boards are. Lol. But that is a curiosity and it kinda stirs the coals a bit for me about this season.

Isn't August pure torture? "

Not much of it aligns with what I have heard outside of the optimism about the running game.

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Butch is loved "a lot" by our players and their families. But maybe he has a little bit of a public speaking phobia? Said he has trouble relaxing around strangers or in front of the media. Maybe that's why he is a bit more robotic in interviews...to maybe have an easier time talking to the media? Said his job is safe with the people that matter in Knoxville, barring a complete meltdown or an Ole Miss type scandal. BUT if Butch does have a 9-10 win season and the hot seat talk continues, he could turn his success if turning Tennessee around into a job someplace else with less pressure. Said he loves everything about the team and Knoxville, but the non-stop bashing is wearing on him. This person did not say that his "connection" directly heard this from Butch, but that he inferred it from how he is/has talked I am assuming.

For 2017: The coaching staff feels that this is without a doubt, worst case scenario an 8 win team. With a good possibility of going 10+ with some "nice surprises".

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I do not think this is a a very good representation of where things stand at all.

I will say though that I don't rub elbows with the old money donors so this could certainly be how Butch is spinning things to them.

Not that you are making any thing up but I refuse to believe anything of that sort

It's a lot of info so I guess a part or two is bound to be true but I have seen so much bullshite over the years I ain't buying it

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Not that you are making any thing up but I refuse to believe anything of that sort It's a lot of info so I guess a part or two is bound to be true but I have seen so much bullshite over the years I ain't buying it

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It was copy and pasted from another board. Fair sentiment though

Until last season I was always impressed with Butch. I didn't think he was a great football coach per se, but his guys played their asses off and he recruited a lot of athletic, solid players. He clearly is a pretty good COO. The difference in talent and athleticism on the field in 2015 compared to 2013 wasn't even comparable.

But, I get the feeling he is one of those guys who is good under the radar but not good at all when the spotlight is on. And his first few years at Tennessee there wasn't a spotlight. It was all gravy. Then, expectations came in, and he REALLY started coaching at Tennessee, and it crumbled. I just don't think he's a Top 15 program coach, but I think he's good enough at the other stuff to maintain a 7-9 win program.

At some point the cracking under the pressure plus not ever breaking through will wear down a fan base like Tennessee's though.

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Agree with both of your posts ITT. Remember when Lyle blew the lead and a sure fire win @Florida in 2015? Then he doubled down on his stupidity by defending his beloved chart that is "standard in football". Just shut the frick and say, "Hey, my bad. I should've known to go for two in that situation and I had a mental lapse."

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Exactly. I mean, I'm not even saying he has to say "I screwed up", because I get that it's hard (and possibly career suicide) for a coach to do that. But just deflect and say shite like "we didn't finish the job" or some shite, don't explain why the stupid thing you did is not stupid because you have a stupid chart. Jeebus moron.

But again, you can get away with that at Cincinnati. You can't get away with that when every word of your post game presser is agonized over on 7 different VOL message boards.

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Butch gives off this vibe sometimes like he thinks all Tennessee fans are a bunch of idiot rednecks and he is the smartest man in Neyland Stadium every Saturday. I don't know how to explain it but theres just something about him that rubs people the wrong way sometimes.

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He's a car salesman man. He's a yankee car salesman. He behaves like politicans who say "Now, I know they say they don't like this, but once I SHOW THEM then they'll understand better and they'll like it". I think he thinks hes doing the right things, but he tries so so so so hard to sell what he is doing that at some point people are like "dude, shut the fvck up, I'll decide if I want this or not". At some point the selling starts working against you.