While I was looking around at various preseason matchup predictions I ran across one that really struck me as peculiar. This is a preseason look at UT schedule with predictions. The funny thing is the difference between the score for our game vs the UT-Ohio game. Basically they see us performing 17 pts less than the team we beat in our bowl game.

UT over App 41-10
UT over Ohio 31-17

This really smells like someone who has not done their homework or they just think we will lay an egg.

http://campusinsiders.com/news/tennesse ... 07-29-2016

AtlAppMan wrote:While I was looking around at various preseason matchup predictions I ran across one that really struck me as peculiar. This is a preseason look at UT schedule with predictions. The funny thing is the difference between the score for our game vs the UT-Ohio game. Basically they see us performing 17 pts less than the team we beat in our bowl game.

UT over App 41-10
UT over Ohio 31-17

This really smells like someone who has not done their homework or they just think we will lay an egg.

http://campusinsiders.com/news/tennesse ... 07-29-2016

Let em predict away. I , for one, think that this team may be a little special this season and will take matters into their own capable hands. Not predicting a win vs UT (yet) but just have feeling that whomever we play this year will wake up really really sore on Sunday morning.

Listen none of the predictions over past P5s have worked out...I ignore them now at all COSTS.

I don't see us beating Tennessee, but feel pretty good about the Miami game. 11-1 or 10-2 (Always scared to face Southern on the road). I've not felt this good about an App State team since I was in school. It's going to be a special year.

We'd have an argument if we hadn't laid eggs against our P5s since 2008.

HeffnerIV wrote:We'd have an argument if we hadn't laid eggs against our P5s since 2008.

Ever since we shocked the world in Ann Arbor, no P5 has nor will they ever take us lightly again.

He says it will take a quarter and then he expects the Vols to basically roll us. Yes, I think he believes we will wilt and lay an egg. I don't know how we will play but I don't think we are a 31 pt inferior team to UT, if we play to our abilities. However, we are going to have to start standing up and playing to our capabilities (the level we have mostly shown in the last 1.5 seasons) when playing in a prime time game to convince people that we really are a nationally competitive team. Otherwise, everybody will continue to look down on us and predict another 31 pt rout at the hands of any top 25 P5 team.

AtlAppMan wrote:He says it will take a quarter and then he expects the Vols to basically roll us. Yes, I think he believes we will wilt and lay an egg. I don't know how we will play but I don't think we are a 31 pt inferior team to UT, if we play to our abilities. However, we are going to have to start standing up and playing to our capabilities (the level we have mostly shown in the last 1.5 seasons) when playing in a prime time game to convince people that we really are a nationally competitive team. Otherwise, everybody will continue to look down on us and predict another 31 pt rout at the hands of any top 25 P5 team.

I completely agree, but like others have mentioned, I think we have special group of young men this year, and reasonably good coaching continuity. My hopes are higher than maybe should be...but the UT game is very important to us as a program at this point and time, and like you, I think we need to give the Vols plenty of hell, win or lose.

Outside of the two ECU games since Michigan, we have not been very competitive.

Most of the time we end up limiting our playbook or try to play it safe. That's just how it looks from the stands.

When you play these types of teams you have to go out and punch them in the mouth.

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote:

HeffnerIV wrote:We'd have an argument if we hadn't laid eggs against our P5s since 2008.

Ever since we shocked the world in Ann Arbor, no P5 has nor will they ever take us lightly again.

In actuality that has pretty much worn off. We can't keep crowing about something that happened nine years ago. I promise you that T is not looking at us a a big threat. I would love to catch them off guard and it could happen for at least a while. I promise you though that they are looking at the following week whether they would say it out loud or not.

I fully expect smash mouth football from UT. That will last the 1st quarter. Then they will go to the skill players. They will look at Taylor's performance from the Clemson game and try the same pressures. If we want to win and not make it another checkbook game we will change what we do. I don't want to see 25 rushes from Marcus. 3 step drops, pump fakes, reverses, screens, TE throws. We don't need to hear..." They did what we expected them to do..."

Goapps15 wrote:Outside of the two ECU games since Michigan, we have not been very competitive.

Most of the time we end up limiting our playbook or try to play it safe. That's just how it looks from the stands.

When you play these types of teams you have to go out and punch them in the mouth.

I would argue we were competitive against UGA in one of our historically worst seasons. We were in it until late in the 3rd quarter when fatigue attributed to scholarship deficit set in & their lines began to dominate us.

Also, If you are going to include ECU you have to include all of our G5 success the last season and a half.

I do agree with your larger point though, we need to be the aggressor. Take it to'em.

bcoach wrote:

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote:

HeffnerIV wrote:We'd have an argument if we hadn't laid eggs against our P5s since 2008.

Ever since we shocked the world in Ann Arbor, no P5 has nor will they ever take us lightly again.

In actuality that has pretty much worn off. We can't keep crowing about something that happened nine years ago. I promise you that T is not looking at us a a big threat. I would love to catch them off guard and it could happen for at least a while. I promise you though that they are looking at the following week whether they would say it out loud or not.

I doubt they're looking at VT as a big threat either. More so than App? Probably. Worth over looking the September 1 game? Doubtful.

Rekdiver wrote:I fully expect smash mouth football from UT. That will last the 1st quarter. Then they will go to the skill players. They will look at Taylor's performance from the Clemson game and try the same pressures. If we want to win and not make it another checkbook game we will change what we do. I don't want to see 25 rushes from Marcus. 3 step drops, pump fakes, reverses, screens, TE throws. We don't need to hear..." They did what we expected them to do..."

This and then some. We get into third and long like we did against Clemson, then there will be a lot of three and outs and a long afternoon. We will need to have success in the air.

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote:

Rekdiver wrote:I fully expect smash mouth football from UT. That will last the 1st quarter. Then they will go to the skill players. They will look at Taylor's performance from the Clemson game and try the same pressures. If we want to win and not make it another checkbook game we will change what we do. I don't want to see 25 rushes from Marcus. 3 step drops, pump fakes, reverses, screens, TE throws. We don't need to hear..." They did what we expected them to do..."

This and then some. We get into third and long like we did against Clemson, then there will be a lot of three and outs and a long afternoon. We will need to have success in the air.

I agree with the passing game needing to have success, especially in the first quarter. If we run it up the middle or do the stretch play on 1st and 2nd downs against a P5 Dline it will be frustrating to watch. We aren't going to wear down a P5 defense running the ball like we can against a G5 defense. We could loosen up that middle with a few first downs passing the ball.

I'm anxious to see the WR's this year, even though they are taller than we are used to in year's past I want to seem them be able to overpower a DB. Get that separation!!

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote:

bcoach wrote:

/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09 wrote:

HeffnerIV wrote:We'd have an argument if we hadn't laid eggs against our P5s since 2008.

Ever since we shocked the world in Ann Arbor, no P5 has nor will they ever take us lightly again.

In actuality that has pretty much worn off. We can't keep crowing about something that happened nine years ago. I promise you that T is not looking at us a a big threat. I would love to catch them off guard and it could happen for at least a while. I promise you though that they are looking at the following week whether they would say it out loud or not.

I doubt they're looking at VT as a big threat either. More so than App? Probably. Worth over looking the September 1 game? Doubtful.

Actually it is a combination of a respect for VT but more importantly the hype around the location of the game. That game is the ONLY thing any T fan around here is talking about. Sure they are preparing for us but they are looking at the "big game at the track".

AppDawg wrote:
I would argue we were competitive against UGA in one of our historically worst seasons. We were in it until late in the 3rd quarter when fatigue attributed to scholarship deficit set in & their lines began to dominate us.

Also, If you are going to include ECU you have to include all of our G5 success the last season and a half.

I do agree with your larger point though, we need to be the aggressor. Take it to'em.

I was at the UGA game and initially convinced myself of the same, however, when I went back and watched it again I realized several things, 1) Our QB play just wasn't even close to good enough as there were many unforced errors, 2) UGA wasn't close to playing well for the first 2.5 qtrs. In other words, initially I saw what I wanted to and convinced myself we were better than we really were. Upon a more fair assessment I saw that we really were not close to matching up with them.

Now on the other hand, I was also at Clemson last year. In that game we were playing head to head but then we made a series of bad plays imo driven by mental lapses. I am not saying Clemson and their fans didn't have anything to do with these but no matter what we cannot let it happen. We made two offside penalties on FG, basically giving them first 3 pts, Then when we were about make something happen offensively, Lamb threw the pick in the end zone ending our chance for a response. We then fell apart on offense with interceptions on 3 of 4 possessions thereby letting the game unravel on us to the point that we were out of the game score wise. We can't let a game unravel on us against a good opponent and expect to win. We have to play 60 mins of solid football to stay in the game and put ourselves in a position at the end of game to win. I believe last year's team was more capable of playing close to an upper P5 but they have to eliminate mental mistakes.

Personally I have grown tired of predictions. If somehow we were "predicted" to win or to be within a TD some fans would be ecstatic and the knowledgeable fans would be cautiously pessimistic. There is a no win with predictions. We have beaten to death our history against P5's. Personally I throw out all of the FCS era games. Michigan will always be what it is. Framed SI cover still on my office wall. No matter what our game plan is we need to lose any David versus Goliath mentality. We are a top G5 program with enough athletes to slug it out with UT and the U. Win or lose play to win!

bigdaddyg wrote:Personally I have grown tired of predictions. If somehow we were "predicted" to win or to be within a TD some fans would be ecstatic and the knowledgeable fans would be cautiously pessimistic. There is a no win with predictions. We have beaten to death our history against P5's. Personally I throw out all of the FCS era games. Michigan will always be what it is. Framed SI cover still on my office wall. No matter what our game plan is we need to lose any David versus Goliath mentality. We are a top G5 program with enough athletes to slug it out with UT and the U. Win or lose play to win!

Agree. We are 0-1 against P5 competition.

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appbio91 wrote: Agree. We are 0-1 against P5 competition.

Uh, using that logic aren't you forgetting the recent 52-14 loss to Michigan?

We can all agree that pre-move up we haven't done well. It is time to change history.