First, a bit of a baseline that sounds like it's going to be a minority view: The Tennessee-Akron game didn't change my view of Tennessee at all. First, I think we're undervaluing Akron's passing game and general ability to score a lot of points with it, so the Zips moving the ball, scoring 26, and keeping it close long into the second half doesn't make me feel any worse about Tennessee's defense than I did this time last week. Second, the Vols offense may not have been perfect, but it did put up 633 yards and nearly 50 points, and that's pretty good considering that I think we underappreciated Akron's pass defense, which was 14th in the nation until this week. And finally -- and this is a bit of the other side of the same coin -- I don't think our run game is fixed just because we rushed for over 200 yards. The Zips' run defense was demonstrably bad even before they met us. Basically, I wasn't overly disturbed by much of anything in the Akron game because I wasn't really surprised.
That does not mean, of course, that I feel any better, either, because I think we're still going to have serious problems matching up against our October opponents. But let's take a look at what they did and see how it impacts our view of the upcoming games.
@Georgia Bulldogs
- Week 1: Beat Buffalo, 45-23. Dawg sports thinks the Bulldogs might be overrated, but will catch up with expectations shortly. You be the judge:
- Week 2: Beat Missouri, 41-20.
- Week 3: Beat FAU, 56-20.
- Week 4: Beat Vanderbilt, 48-3.
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- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: THE SAME. Georgia looks too balanced and too good. Vols lose, but because the Tennessee-Georgia has been so often unpredictable, I'm still holding out a bit of hope.
@Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Week 1: Clobbered Jackson State, 56-9.
- Week 2: Beat Auburn, 28-10.
- Week 3: Beat the Trojan Troys Trojans, 30-24.
- Week 4: Beat South Alabama, 30-10.
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- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: THE SAME. Nothing really spectacular in that highlight package there.
Alabama Crimson Tide
- Week 1: Sheesh, I hate these guys. Embarrassed Michigan, 41-14 in front of a ginormous mirror and a national television audience.
- Week 2: Beat Western Kentucky, 35-0.
- Week 3: Beat a headless Arkansas Razorbacks team, 52-0.
- Week 4: Beat Florida Atlantic, 40-7.
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- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: THE SAME KIND OF BAD. Vols lose.
@South Carolina Gamecocks
- Week 1: Squeaked (squoke? It is a chicken.) by Vandy, 17-13.
- Week 2: Beat East Carolina, 48-10.
- Week 3: Beat the UAB Blazers, 49-6.
- Week 4: Beat Missouri, 31-10.
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- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: WORSE ABOUT THE GAMECOCKS, BETTER ABOUT THE TIGERS. But what's up with the field position on that one? SC had an extreme advantage there most of the game.
Troy Trojans
- Week 1: Beat UAB, 39-29.
- Week 2: Lost to the Ragin' Cajuns, 37-24.
- Week 3: Lost to Mississippi State, 30-24.
- Week 4: Beat North Texas, 14-7.
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- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: NO LONGER SLIGHTLY WORSE.
Missouri Tigers
- Week 1: Beat SE Louisiana Lions, whoever they are, 62-10.
- Week 2: Lost to Georgia, 41-20.
- Week 3: Beat Arizona State, 24-20.
- Week 4: Lost to South Carolina, 31-10.
- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: BETTER. See above.
@Vanderbilt Commodores
- Week1: Lost in the aforementioned squeaker to South Carolina, 17-13.
- Week 2: Lost to Northwestern, 23-13.
- Week 3: Beat the Presbyterian Blue Hose, 58-0.
- Week 4: Lost to Georgia, 48-3.
- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: THE SAME WAY HE FELT PRESEASON.
Kentucky Wildcats
- Week 1: Lost to Louisville, 32-14.
- Week 2: Beat Kent State, 47-14.
- Week 3: Lost to Western Kentucky in OT, 32-31.
- Week 4: Lost to Florida, 38-0.
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- Joel feels __________ about this game this week: STILL BETTER.
Conclusion after Week Four
Not much changes for me this week. Still 8-4 with losses to Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina.
Opponent | Preseason Prediction | Revised Prediction | Result |
NC State | W | W | W |
Georgia State | W | W | W |
Florida | W | W (L) | L |
Akron | W | W | W |
Georgia | L | L | |
Mississippi St. | W | W | |
Alabama | L | L | |
South Carolina | L | L | |
Troy | W | W | |
Missouri | W | W | |
Vanderbilt | W | W | |
Kentucky | W | W | |
Record | 9-3 | 8-4 |