Author Archives: Joel Hollingsworth

Edgarmsmith wins Week 6 of the Gameday on Rocky Top Pick ‘Em Contest

Congratulations to edgarmsmith, who went 17-3 and finished first in this week’s Gameday on Rocky Top Pick ‘Em Pool with 185 confidence points. He (or she) wins a Gameday on Rocky Top t-shirt from our custom tee store, Web Community Tees.

Gameday on Rocky Top Logo Tee

edgarmsmith, watch for a message from me on how to get your tee.

Knottfair remains in the lead in the overall standings after Week 6 and has a 10-point lead over joeb_1.

Here are the full results for this week:.

Rank Selection Name W-L Pts Tie Breaker Game (45-14)
1 edgarmsmith 17-3 185 42-12
2 Bulldog 85 17-3 183 31-14
3 the-albatross 17-3 182 26-14
4 rsbrooks25 17-3 181 45-24
5 daetilus 15-5 179 35-13**
5 Phonies 17-3 179 30-14
7 ThePowerT 17-3 178 27-10
8 Raven17 16-4 177 56-0**
8 PrideofTheSouthlandFan 17-3 177 31-17
8 mariettavol 16-4 177 38-7
8 ChuckieTVol 15-5 177 31-10
12 HUTCH 17-3 176 31-28**
12 Sam 15-5 176 50-13
14 birdjam 16-4 175 27-17**
14 Jahiegel 15-5 175 29-13
16 chuckiepoo 16-4 174 41-17**
16 jfarrar90 15-5 174 34-17
16 joeb_1 15-5 174 34-15
16 OriginalVol1814 16-4 174 31-17
20 Volfan2002 15-5 173 31-20**
20 Knottfair 15-5 173 31-17
20 mmmjtx 16-4 173 27-10
20 Anaconda 15-5 173 0-0
24 UNDirish60 15-5 172 0-0
25 PAVolFan 15-5 171 60-14**
25 Joel @ GRT 15-5 171 30-10
25 C_hawkfan 15-5 171 25-9
28 Displaced_Vol_Fan 14-6 169 38-13
29 alanmar 16-4 168 41-24**
29 BZACHARY 15-5 168 0-0
31 mmb61 16-4 166 35-17
32 waltsspac 17-3 165 34-17
33 GeorgeMonkey 15-5 163 34-10**
33 1hoss2 16-4 163 0-0
35 CajunVol 15-5 162 52-7**
35 ctull 16-4 162 24-9
37 DinnerJacket 15-5 161 35-18**
37 rollervol 16-4 161 35-14
39 ga26engr 16-4 160 41-17**
39 ltvol99 15-5 160 38-7
39 Rossboro 16-4 160 0-0
42 RandyH112 16-4 152 35-10
43 spartans100 15-5 151 34-17**
43 vols95 15-5 151 31-17
45 bking 15-5 149 37-14
46 ed75 16-4 147 31-7
47 VillaVol 14-6 146 39-14
48 Jaywine 15-5 141 30-12**
48 tpi 15-5 141 0-0
50 Gman15 13-7 134 41-17
51 Will Shelton 0-20 0 0-0**
51 Dylan pickle 0-20 0 0-0**
51 utkjmitch 0-20 0 0-0**
51 RichVols 0-20 0 0-0**
51 TNann 0-20 0 -
51 aquasox 0-20 0 -
51 jstorie1 0-20 0 -
51 TennVol95 in 3D! 0-20 0 -
51 mobilevol 0-20 0 -
51 sncdaisy 0-20 0 -
51 BritishVol 0-20 0 -
51 Drew 0-20 0 -
51 901Vol 0-20 0 -
51 Jrstep 0-20 0 -
51 The Alyas Greys 0-20 0 -
51 boro wvvol 0-20 0 -
51 PensacolaVolFan 0-20 0 -
51 Techboy 0-20 0 -
51 EVOL 0-20 0 -
51 dgibbs 0-20 0 -
51 CNMcCreary 0-20 0 -
51 IBleedVolOrange 0-20 0 -
51 VandyVol 0-20 0 -
51 Harley 0-20 0 -
51 wreckvol 0-20 0 -
51 rockytopinky 0-20 0 -
51 rockhopper78 0-20 0 -
51 jeremy.waldroop 0-20 0 -
51 KeepsCornInAJar 0-20 0 -
51 PaVol 0-20 0 -
51 LuckyGuess 0-20 0 -
51 T dog 0-20 0 -
51 kmchugh 0-20 0 -
51 crafdog 0-20 0 -
51 waitwhereami 0-20 0 -
51 over754ut 0-20 0 -
51 tdrb42 0-20 0 -
51 patmd 0-20 0 -
51 wedflatrock 0-20 0 -
51 biologydropout 0-20 0 -
51 SouthernDCist 0-20 0 -
51 rudydog 0-20 0 -
51 MeytonPanning 0-20 0 -
51 DCVFL 0-20 0 -
51 Timbuktu126 0-20 0 -
51 ddayvolsfan 0-20 0 -
51 Volboy 0-20 0 -
51 BlountVols 0-20 0 -
51 jobliner 0-20 0 -
51 memphispete 0-20 0 -

 

And here are the current overall standings after Week 6:

Rank Selection Name W-L Pts
1 Knottfair 95-25 1094
2 joeb_1 92-28 1084
3 birdjam 95-25 1080
4 jfarrar90 94-26 1079
5 UNDirish60 95-25 1078
6 OriginalVol1814 92-28 1077
6 C_hawkfan 95-25 1077
8 ChuckieTVol 94-26 1076
9 Phonies 97-23 1073
10 Volfan2002 94-26 1072
11 Displaced_Vol_Fan 89-31 1062
12 GeorgeMonkey 91-29 1060
13 mariettavol 94-26 1059
14 mmmjtx 94-26 1058
15 spartans100 96-24 1057
16 chuckiepoo 91-29 1050
17 Joel @ GRT 94-26 1049
18 PAVolFan 91-29 1047
19 CajunVol 96-24 1045
20 waltsspac 93-27 1042
21 Jahiegel 92-28 1039
22 rsbrooks25 95-25 1037
23 PrideofTheSouthlandFan 92-28 1036
23 ThePowerT 88-32 1036
25 DinnerJacket 90-30 1026
26 Raven17 87-33 1020
27 BZACHARY 85-35 1014
28 Sam 89-31 1013
29 edgarmsmith 91-29 1012
30 mmb61 89-31 1009
31 Anaconda 76-44 997
31 tpi 93-27 997
33 alanmar 92-28 996
34 ctull 88-32 989
35 vols95 82-38 985
36 1hoss2 91-29 981
37 VillaVol 75-45 968
38 Gman15 87-33 951
39 ltvol99 82-38 939
40 Rossboro 72-48 921
41 rollervol 86-34 920
42 LuckyGuess 78-42 916
43 dgibbs 77-43 911
44 rockhopper78 76-44 910
45 RichVols 80-40 904
46 bking 81-39 902
47 BlountVols 75-45 887
48 jeremy.waldroop 80-40 885
49 tdrb42 80-40 883
50 utkjmitch 76-44 880
51 daetilus 72-48 870
52 TNann 80-40 866
53 boro wvvol 72-48 862
54 ga26engr 81-39 855
55 Volboy 73-47 853
56 ed75 69-51 836
56 jstorie1 72-48 836
58 mobilevol 72-48 821
59 patmd 76-44 816
59 IBleedVolOrange 73-47 816
61 ddayvolsfan 72-48 804
62 TennVol95 in 3D! 71-49 803
63 Drew 72-48 800
64 crafdog 75-45 799
65 waitwhereami 61-59 798
66 HUTCH 73-47 797
67 Techboy 68-52 793
68 wreckvol 60-60 790
69 KeepsCornInAJar 61-59 788
70 Jrstep 69-51 765
71 aquasox 72-48 756
72 Will Shelton 52-68 753
73 biologydropout 47-73 747
74 EVOL 42-78 727
75 MeytonPanning 55-65 726
76 rudydog 56-64 721
77 Timbuktu126 63-57 688
78 PensacolaVolFan 65-55 679
79 VandyVol 57-63 677
80 Bulldog 85 61-59 676
81 kmchugh 31-89 664
82 BritishVol 39-81 663
83 SouthernDCist 44-76 650
84 CNMcCreary 50-70 649
85 rockytopinky 56-64 629
86 sncdaisy 40-80 615
87 over754ut 29-91 593
88 Jaywine 45-75 585
89 RandyH112 54-66 576
90 Harley 52-68 564
91 DCVFL 21-99 538
92 memphispete 18-102 529
93 901Vol 18-102 526
94 Dylan pickle 48-72 515
95 jobliner 22-98 498
96 the-albatross 43-77 487
97 wedflatrock 0-120 460
97 T dog 0-120 460
99 The Alyas Greys 15-105 407
100 PaVol 5-115 338

Vols defensive end Darrell Taylor suspended indefinitely following practice altercation

 

VolQuest is reporting that Tennessee defensive end Darrell Taylor has been suspended indefinitely following the fight reported last week between him and offensive lineman Trey Smith. The fight reportedly occurred during a one-minute drill and ended with Taylor kicking Smith in the face and inflicting a blow that required stitches.

Taylor was already suspended for the first half against South Carolina after being ejected for fighting in the second half against Georgia on September 30. Butch Jones has a press conference at noon and may (or may not) provide further details.

Expectations for the Vols the rest of the season

Last week featured a bye for the Vols, a few upsets, and a few mild surprises. What’s it mean for the rest of the season?

Explanations are below, but here’s the updated chart for this week:

The Vols after the bye

Tennessee didn’t play this week, of course, but that doesn’t mean opinions of the team and its prospects for the immediate future can’t change based on other happenings. Take, for instance, the fight between Darrell Taylor and Trey Smith. Here’s the information we have on the incident:

This sounds to me more like a post-play scrum that got out of hand due to heightened emotions with everybody flailing about and an incidental kick to the face as a consequence than it does Taylor curb-stomping Smith, but we’re all filling in the gaps with our own conjecture. My first thought was actually that someone must have finally lit a fire under the Vols’ linemen in an attempt to get them to play with some emotion and that our best defensive lineman and our best offensive lineman were getting after it in practice and the play got a little out of hand. But it’s not surprising, either, that some would view the news as more evidence of a broken team. When that train gets rolling, it colors the perception of everything.

[EDIT: Yeah, about that. Jones has reportedly now suspended Taylor indefinitely, but not Smith. At the least, that almost certainly means that Taylor was more at fault than Smith and that it probably wasn’t just some regular scrum between two amped-up players and makes it look more like bad news than no news.]

Without more information, though, I’m viewing it as something that wouldn’t have bothered us if we weren’t already on high alert for bad news, and so I’m making no adjustments for the team itself this week. The expectations were bad enough already after last week.

Non-opponents

We usually only look at how the Vols did and how the Vols’ past and future opponents did the prior week to inform our new expectations for the week, but this weekend reminded me once again that we’re all generally terrible at guessing the future based on the past. Things we’d never expect to happen often happen anyway. Sometimes, favorites lose to unranked teams at home (LSU last week, Oklahoma and Michigan this week). And sometimes, teams that look like they’re destined for the trash heap (LSU, Texas A&M) begin to piece things together and beat rivals in difficult places to play or give the decade’s best team an actual real game against all odds.

The past may portend the future, but it doesn’t always define it.

The Vols’ past opponents

Georgia Tech (3-1, 2-0 ACC, RV)

  • W1: Lost to Tennessee 42-41 in double overtime.
  • W2: Beat Jacksonville State, 37-10.
  • W3: At UCF (canceled)
  • W4: Beat Pitt, 35-17.
  • W5: Beat North Carolina, 33-7.
  • W6: Bye
  • W7: At Miami
  • W8: Wake Forest
  • W9: At #3 Clemson
  • W10: At Virginia
  • W11: #16 Virginia Tech
  • W12: At Duke
  • W13: #13 Georgia

Did not play. They are tied with Miami for first in the ACC Coastal after six weeks, though.

Indiana State (0-5, 0-2 MVFC, NR)

  • W1: Lost to E Illinois, 22-20.
  • W2: Lost to Tennessee, 42-7.
  • W3: Lost to Liberty, 42-41 on a blocked 23-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
  • W4: Bye
  • W5: Lost to Illinois State, 24-13.
  • W6: Lost to North Dakota State, 52-0.
  • W7: At South Dakota
  • W8: S Illinois
  • W9: At Missouri State
  • W10: Youngstown State
  • W11: W Illinois
  • W12: At Northern Iowa

Oof. The North Dakota State contest was the Sycamores’ first home game in 37 days, and they threw three interceptions and lost three fumbles.

Florida (3-2, 3-1 SEC, RV)

  • W1: Lost to #11 Michigan, 33-17.
  • W2: Canceled game with N Colorado.
  • W3: Beat #25 Tennessee, 26-20.
  • W4: Beat Kentucky, 28-27.
  • W5: Beat Vanderbilt, 38-24.
  • W6: Lost to LSU, 17-16 on a missed extra point due to a bad snap and hold.
  • W7: Texas A&M
  • W8: Bye
  • W9: vs Georgia
  • W10: At Missouri
  • W11: At South Carolina
  • W12: UAB
  • W13: Florida State

Well, the Gators finally got unlucky. I have no idea what to make of these guys.

UMass (0-6, 0-0 IND, NR)

  • W1: Lost to Hawaii, 38-35.
  • W2: Lost to C. Carolina, 38-28.
  • W3: Lost to Old Dominion, 17-7.
  • W4: Lost to Temple, 29-21.
  • W5: Lost to Tennessee, 17-13.
  • W6: Lost to Ohio, 58-50.
  • W7: Bye
  • W8: At USF (canceled)
  • W9: Ga Southern
  • W10: Appalachian State
  • W11: At Mississippi State
  • W12: Maine
  • W13: At BYU

Bye.

Georgia (6-0, 3-0 SEC, #4)

  • W1: Beat Appalachian State, 31-10. QB Jacob Eason went down, but freshman Jake Fromm looked good and took care of business.
  • W2: Beat #24 Notre Dame, 20-19.
  • W3: Beat Samford, 42-14.
  • W4: Easily handled #17 Mississippi State, 31-3.
  • W5: Demoralized Tennessee, 41-0.
  • W6: Beat Vanderbilt, 45-14.
  • W7: Missouri
  • W8: Bye
  • W9: vs. Florida
  • W10: South Carolina
  • W11: At Auburn
  • W12: Kentucky
  • W13: At Georgia Tech

If there’s any good news here, it’s that these guys got 423 yards rushing against Vandy, which makes the 294 they got in the rout against Tennessee a bit more palatable. The Bulldogs look really, really good. Auburn appears to be the only stumbling block for them, and honestly, it’s beginning to look like they could actually make things interesting against Alabama, especially if they can improve the passing game just a little bit more to complement that run game.

The Vols’ future opponents

10/14/17: South Carolina (4-2, 2-2 SEC, NR)

  • W1: Beat NC State, 35-28.
  • W2: Beat Missouri, 31-13.
  • W3: Lost to Kentucky, 23-13.
  • W4: Beat LA Tech, 17-16.
  • W5: Lost to Texas A&M, 24-17.
  • W6: Beat Arkansas, 48-22.
  • W7: At Tennessee
  • W8: Bye
  • W9: Vanderbilt
  • W10: At Georgia
  • W11: Florida
  • W12: Wofford
  • W13: Clemson

Expectations for a Vols win: Well, a 48-22 win over Arkansas was not what I wanted to see. Three touchdowns on defense? Is that good news or bad news? Also, the Gamecocks offense scored on five of eight possessions in the last three quarters. Sigh. I made this a 50/50 game last week, and while I am inclined to change it to give South Carolina the edge this week, I think I’m going to leave it as is.

PREDICTIONS – SOUTH CAROLINA
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
69 69 60 75 75 50 50

10/21/17: Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC, #1)

  • W1: Beat #3 Florida State, 24-7.
  • W2: Beat Fresno State, 41-10.
  • W3: Beat Colorado State, 41-23.
  • W4: Beat Vanderbilt, 59-0.
  • W5: Beat Ole Miss, 66-3.
  • W6: Beat Texas A&M, 27-19.
  • W7: Arkansas
  • W8: #25 Tennessee
  • W9: Bye
  • W10: #12 LSU
  • W11: At Mississippi State
  • W12: Mercer
  • W13: At #13 Auburn

Expectations for a Vols win: Hey, look! A 26.5-point underdog with a coach on the hot seat just got within eight points of beating Alabama! They are not as good as everybody thinks! I’m moving this game from a 1% chance back to a 5% chance. Woo!

PREDICTIONS – ALABAMA
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
10 10 10 10 5 1 5

10/28/17: Kentucky (5-1, 2-1 SEC, RV)

  • W1: Beat Southern Miss, 24-17.
  • W2: Best E Kentucky, 27-16.
  • W3: Beat South Carolina, 23-13.
  • W4: Lost to #20 Florida, 28-27.
  • W5: Beat E Michigan, 24-20.
  • W6: Beat Missouri, 40-34.
  • W7: Bye
  • W8: At Mississippi State
  • W9: #25 Tennessee
  • W10: Ole Miss
  • W11: At Vanderbilt
  • W12: At #15 Georgia
  • W13: #17 Lousiville

Expectations for a Vols win: To say that the Wildcats outlasted Missouri is really the only way to describe this game. I’m going to keep this one 50/50.

PREDICTIONS – KENTUCKY
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
65 65 70 65 55 50 50

11/4/17: Southern Miss (3-2, 1-1 C-USA, NR)

  • W1: Lost to Kentucky, 24-17.
  • W2: Beat Southern, 45-0.
  • W3: Beat UL Monroe, 28-17.
  • W4: Bye
  • W5: Lost to North Texas, 43-28.
  • W6: Beat UTSA, 31-29.
  • W7: UTEP
  • W8: At LA Tech
  • W9: UAB
  • W10: At #25 Tennessee
  • W11: At Rice
  • W12: Charlotte
  • W13: At Marshall

Expectations for a Vols win: UTSA actually threw a touchdown pass with 48 seconds left in the this one, but failed on the 2-point conversion attempt and lost by two. I’m keeping this one at 55%.

PREDICTIONS – SOUTHERN MISS
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
90 85 80 80 70 55 55

11/11/17: Missouri (1-4, 0-3 SEC, NR)

  • W1: Beat Missouri State 72-43.
  • W2: Lost to South Carolina, 31-13.
  • W3: Lost to Purdue, 35-3.
  • W4: Lost to #15 Auburn, 51-14.
  • W5: Bye
  • W6: Lost to Kentucky, 40-34.
  • W7: At #15 Georgia
  • W8: Idaho
  • W9: At UConn
  • W10: #22 Florida
  • W11: #25 Tennessee
  • W12: At Vanderbilt
  • W13: At Arkansas

Expectations for a Vols win: Before you get too excited about that 1-4 overall and 0-3 SEC record, chew on this: Missouri quarterback threw touchdown passes of 50, 58, and 75 yards against Kentucky. I’m keeping this game at 50/50.

PREDICTIONS – MISSOURI
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
70 65 70 70 70 50 50

11/18/17: LSU (4-2, 1-1 SEC, RV)

  • W1: Beat BYU, 27-0.
  • W2: Beat Chattanooga, 45-10.
  • W3: Lost to Mississippi State, 37-7.
  • W4: Beat Syracuse, 35-26.
  • W5: Lost at home, during Homecoming, to Troy, 24-21.
  • W6: Beat #21 Florida, 17-16.
  • W7: Auburn
  • W8: At Ole Miss
  • W9: Bye
  • W10: At Alabama
  • W11: Arkansas
  • W12: At Tennessee
  • W13: Texas A&M

Expectations for a Vols win: The Tigers rebounded from a home loss to Troy and weathered a developing storm similar to the one bearing down on Knoxville to beat the Gators by a point. The game was essentially decided on a missed extra point, but LSU did appear to get some things figured out on offense. For now, I’m leaving this at 50/50.

PREDICTIONS – LSU
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
25 25 25 45 45 50 50

11/25/17: Vanderbilt (3-3, 0-3 SEC, NR)

  • W1: Beat MTSU, 28-6.
  • W2: Beat Alabama A&M, 42-0.
  • W3: Beat #19 Kansas State, 14-7.
  • W4: Lost to #1 Alabama, 59-0.
  • W5: Lost to #21 Florida, 38-24.
  • W6: Lost to #5 Georgia, 45-14.
  • W7: At Ole Miss
  • W8: Bye
  • W9: At South Carolina
  • W10: W Kentucky
  • W11: Kentucky
  • W12: Missouri
  • W13: At #25 Tennessee

Expectations for a Vols win: That’s a pretty tough string of four games against ranked opponents for the Commodores, and so I don’t know that it says much about them other than the fact that they are not as good as the teams they just played. So, for now, I’m leaving this one at 50/50, too.

PREDICTIONS – VANDERBILT
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13
72 72 65 55 55 50 50

All of that puts me at 6.1 wins, but if I had a two-headed coin, I’d have 9. 🙂

Here are the community results:

Update your win probability expectations for the Vols after this week’s action

This weekend, South Carolina beat Arkansas on the strength of three defensive touchdowns, Alabama survived a scare against Texas A&M, Kentucky beat Missouri by a nose in a sprint, and Vanderbilt gave up more yards on the ground to Georgia than did the Vols.

The Vols didn’t play, but does any of what happened with the Vols’ future opponents change your outlook for the rest of the season? Use our Win Probability Calculator to find your actual expected win total.

No Fields Found.

The GRT college football open thread: Week 6

There’s no Vols game today, of course, but if you’re watching football, here’s the schedule. The first is a shortened list of games that might be of particular interest to Vols fans, and the second is the entire schedule for the day.

Enjoy!

Gameday, October 7

Vols are off, and if you don’t have a Harvest Moon festival to go to, here’s a chance to catch a few good games and get an early look at a few future opponents for the Vols.

Saturday, October 7, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV Why How Root for
(5) Georgia at Vanderbilt Noon ESPN Future opponent Live Discuss
LSU at (22) Florida 3:30 PM CBS Future opponent Channel hop LSU
(23) West Virginia at (8) TCU 3:30 PM FS1 Big game DVR An entertaining game
Arkansas at South Carolina 4:00 PM SECN Future opponent Channel hop Arkansas
(1) Alabama at Texas A&M 7:15 PM ESPN Future opponent DVR Texas A&M
Missouri at Kentucky 7:30 PM SECN Future opponent Live Discuss

 

Noon slot

Georgia travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt at noon. Georgia’s not losing four SEC games this year, so I’m hoping that they look as good against the Commodores as they did against the Vols. I can see an argument for not wanting them to do anything that makes it easier for them to continue to recruit well, but that’s what I’m hoping for at this time.

Afternoon slot

At 3:30, former opponent Florida hosts future opponent LSU, and I’m rooting for LSU, not because I think the Vols can catch them (although, maybe?), but because I just don’t want them to have nice things. I’m also rooting for Arkansas against South Carolina at 4:00. There’s a game between ranked teams in this slot as well, so if you prefer that, have at it.

Evening slot

Alabama takes on Texas A&M at 7:15 and figures to have its way with them, and then two future Vols opponents meet in Lexington as Missouri matches up against Kentucky. Not sure who to pull for in that one, but I guess I’m leaning Missouri.

Complete college football TV schedule for Week 6

And here’s the complete schedule for the week, paginated and searchable!

Thursday, October 5, 2017 Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 Friday, Sept. 29, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV
(17) Louisville at (24) NC State 8:00 PM ESPN
Friday, October 6, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV
Memphis at UConn 7:00 PM ESPN
Boise State at BYU 10:15 PM ESPN
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV
Eastern Michigan at Toledo Noon CBSSN
(5) Georgia at Vanderbilt Noon ESPN
Illinois at Iowa Noon BTN
Iowa State at (3) Oklahoma Noon FOX
Ole Miss at (12) Auburn Noon SECN
(4) Penn State at Northwestern Noon ABC
Temple at East Carolina Noon ESPNU
Texas Tech at Kansas Noon FS1
Wake Forest at (2) Clemson Noon ESPN2
Duke at Virginia 12:20 PM ACCN
Pittsburgh at Syracuse 12:30 PM RSN
Central Michigan at Ohio 2:00 PM ESPN3
Bowling Green at Miami, OH 2:30 PM ESPN3
FIU at Middle Tennessee 3:00 PM ESPN3
ULM at Texas State 3:00 PM ESPN3
Air Force at Navy 3:30 PM CBSSN
Ball State at Akron 3:30 PM ESPN3
Charleston Southern at Indiana 3:30 PM BTN
Kent State at Northern Illinois 3:30 PM ESPN3
LSU at (22) Florida 3:30 PM CBS
Minnesota at Purdue 3:30 PM ESPN2
(13) Miami, FL at Florida State 3:30 PM ESPN
New Mexico State at Appalachian State 3:30 PM ESPN3
(21) Notre Dame at North Carolina 3:30 PM ABC
(23) West Virginia at (8) TCU 3:30 PM FS1
Western Michigan at Buffalo 3:30 PM ESPN3
Arkansas at South Carolina 4:00 PM SECN
Louisiana Tech at UAB 4:00 PM CUSA.TV
Maryland at (10) Ohio State 4:00 PM FOX
Oregon State at (14) USC 4:00 PM Pac-12N
Tulsa at Tulane 4:00 PM ESPNU
UL Lafayette at Idaho 5:00 PM ESPN3
Colorado State at Utah State 5:30 PM ATTSNRM
Florida Atlantic at Old Dominion 6:00 PM Stadium
Marshall at Charlotte 6:00 PM WCCB/MASN
Army at Rice 6:30 PM beIN SPORTS
Georgia State at Coastal Carolina 6:30 PM ESPN3
Kansas State at Texas 7:00 PM FS1
SMU at Houston 7:00 PM CBSSN
Southern Miss at UTSA 7:00 PM CW35/Stadium
(1) Alabama at Texas A&M 7:15 PM ESPN
(16) Virginia Tech at Boston College 7:15 PM ESPN2
Fresno State at San Jose State 7:30 PM ESPN3
Michigan State at (7) Michigan 7:30 PM ABC
Missouri at Kentucky 7:30 PM SECN
Arizona at Colorado 8:00 PM Pac-12N
(25) UCF at Cincinnati 8:00 PM ESPNU
(11) Washington State at Oregon 8:00 PM FOX
Western Kentucky at UTEP 8:00 PM TBA
(9) Wisconsin at Nebraska 8:00 PM BTN
Stanford at (20) Utah 10:15 PM FS1
Hawaii at Nevada 10:30 PM CBSSN
California at (6) Washington 10:45 PM ESPN
(19) San Diego State at UNLV 10:45 PM ESPN2

Will Shelton on WNML’s Sports 180: Bye week musings

Yesterday afternoon on WNML’s Sports 180 with Josh & Will (West), Will Shelton discussed the fight between Darrell Taylor and Trey Smith, whether he’d be back on board if Butch Jones beats South Carolina, and what he now expects UT’s record to be at the end of the season.

Listen to Josh & Will’s Sports 180 show every weekday from noon to 3:00 at AM 990 in Knoxville and at SportsRadioWNML.com online. Will Shelton is on with them every Friday at 1:30. You can also subscribe to their podcasts by clicking the button below.


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Gameday Today: Coaches using bye week to counter the noise with recruits

The coaching staff is using some of the extra time this week to speak directly to recruits, the firing of Butch Jones is not a forgone conclusion, and two more reasons that John Kelly is awesome. This and more in today’s Vols link roundup.

Whispering into the other ear

In this week’s Gameday on Rocky Top Podcast, Brad and I debated the question of just how concerned we should be about two Class of 2018 commits re-opening their recruitment earlier this week. We both agree that there is cause for at least some degree of concern, but although he’s not all the way to “freak out” yet, he is much closer to that territory than I am. Brad is definitely in the majority, but I learned this morning that I am not completely alone, as Blake Morgan at SEC Country has now posted that he thinks fans may be overreacting as well.

None of us actually know at this point, of course, but the most important thing to take away from all of this is that the coaches are using the bye week to get their own message to recruits:

“The biggest thing is it gives us a chance to talk about our program,” running backs coach Robert Gillespie said. “Rather than the media talk about the program and what they think is going on inside of it. It gives us a chance to go out and put truth to the expectations and how our team is doing. Rather than reading it in the media and Twitter and all those things. It gives us a chance to let those guys see what is going on. So, we are excited about it.”

Only mostly dead

Of course, everyone is still talking loudly and often about Butch Jones, and although favoring one source over another may give a different impression, there does not yet appear to be a consensus about the future of Jones at Tennessee, which is probably as it should be. Gridiron Now’s Mark Nagi devoted some space to making the case for Jones, giving five reasons why firing him might not be the best thing in the world. SEC Country’s Mike Griffith did the same (while also balancing it out with five reasons why he should be fired anyway), and also points out in another article that if the team is still willing to do its part, then Jones may not yet be past the point of no return.

Mostly, the concerns about termination at this point come down to money, stability, and recruiting. For counter-arguments, open your Twitter app and wait a few seconds.

John Adams, by the way, told Paul Finebaum the other day that Vols fans are more enraged with Butch Jones than they ever were with Derek Dooley, which even in this day and age of the Extra Most Bestest is a bit much.

John [Fulmerized] Kelly

There are not one, but two more reasons today alone that John Kelly is the best thing on Rocky Top right now. First, he’s putting his personality on full blast and directing it on his teammates to rally the troops during the bye week:

Junior running back John Kelly said he’s put it on himself to help ensure that the team’s spirits remain high and the bond between the players continues to stay strong and grow.
“All you got to do is make sure you are focused on keeping the team together,” Kelly said on Tuesday. “That’s really the main thing that I focus on every day I come in here. It’s just how can I help us be a closer team, we are already a pretty close team, but it’s always improvements that I can make, that we can all make.”

And then, his response to his fumble in the Georgia game (which apparently may not have actually even been a fumble, but whatever), is classic Kelly. When asked if he would be more assertive in getting his coaches to challenge the call the next time, he did what John Kelly does, which is to smile first and then surprise:

“Man, next time I’m gonna score,” he said.

Quick hits

The Gameday on Rocky Top Podcast: The aftermath of Georgia

In this week’s podcast, Brad and I hit on the following:

  • There are a lot of things on offense that need to be fixed. If you were the coach, on which of them would you focus first? (4:20)
  • What criteria do you use to judge offensive linemen? (16:55)
  • Playing devil’s advocate on using the shotgun formation in short yardage situations. (21:00)
  • Just how concerned each of us is about two commitments re-opening their recruitment after the Georgia loss. (24:20; 30:25)
  • How do we feel about the rest of the games on the Vols schedule? (35:45)
  • My rant on whomever asked Trevor Daniel to rugby punt. (40:37)
  • Sign off. (41:57)

Tennessee Vols Statistical Rankings after Georgia: Hide the children

Here’s our weekly update of the Vols’ statistical rankings, after the Georgia game. You might want to take something first and come back in 15 minutes before proceeding.

Offense

Offensive observations: Um . . . that’s a lot of red?

Defense

Defensive observations: That Passing Yards Allowed is actually something to start being pleased about. The numbers are likely inflated by viture of the teams they’ve played, but five games in, it’s still a good number.

Special Teams

Special Teams observations: The grass is greener here. Let’s not break anything, please. And don’t ask Trevor Daniel to fix Punt Return Defense. He punts. The other 10 tackle.

Turnovers and Penalties

Turnovers and Penalties observations: The penalties have been kind of infuriating, but honestly, they’re not too bad. It’s more that the team’s current deficiencies are such a liability that they cannot survive even one penalty. Shoot, a penalty-free game is probably not enough.

Player Rankings

Trevor Daniel is an island of serenity. John Kelly is a one-man wrecking crew. And I ask this with all honesty? Is Colton Jumper our best player on defense?

College Football TV Schedule and Rooting Guide for Vols fans: Week 6

It’s an off-week for the Vols, so it’s a good week to catch your breath and get your mind right. There’s also a few opportunities to see some future Vols’ opponents in action.

Here’s the Week 6 college football TV schedule, curated for Vols fans. It includes kickoff times, TV stations, and what’s at stake in each game from the perspective of a Vols fan. It also includes helpful suggestions on how to watch everything most efficiently and who to root for in each game.

The full schedule for the entire weekend is also included at the bottom of the post.

Go Vols!

Thursday, October 5

Thursday, October 5, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV Why How Root for
(17) Louisville at (24) NC State 8:00 PM ESPN It's football Live An entertaining game

 

This should actually be a good game, and watching Lamar Jackson is usually entertaining.

Friday, October 6

Friday, October 6, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV Why How Root for
Memphis at UConn 7:00 PM ESPN WHATEVER
Boise State at BYU 10:15 PM ESPN WHATEVER

 

What else are you doing on Friday?

Gameday, October 7

Vols are off, and if you don’t have a Harvest Moon festival to go to, here’s a chance to catch a few good games and get an early look at a few future opponents for the Vols.

Saturday, October 7, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV Why How Root for
(5) Georgia at Vanderbilt Noon ESPN Future opponent Live Discuss
LSU at (22) Florida 3:30 PM CBS Future opponent Channel hop LSU
(23) West Virginia at (8) TCU 3:30 PM FS1 Big game DVR An entertaining game
Arkansas at South Carolina 4:00 PM SECN Future opponent Channel hop Arkansas
(1) Alabama at Texas A&M 7:15 PM ESPN Future opponent DVR Texas A&M
Missouri at Kentucky 7:30 PM SECN Future opponent Live Discuss

 

Noon slot

Georgia travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt at noon. Georgia’s not losing four SEC games this year, so I’m hoping that they look as good against the Commodores as they did against the Vols. I can see an argument for not wanting them to do anything that makes it easier for them to continue to recruit well, but that’s what I’m hoping for at this time.

Afternoon slot

At 3:30, former opponent Florida hosts future opponent LSU, and I’m rooting for LSU, not because I think the Vols can catch them (although, maybe?), but because I just don’t want them to have nice things. I’m also rooting for Arkansas against South Carolina at 4:00. There’s a game between ranked teams in this slot as well, so if you prefer that, have at it.

Evening slot

Alabama takes on Texas A&M at 7:15 and figures to have its way with them, and then two future Vols opponents meet in Lexington as Missouri matches up against Kentucky. Not sure who to pull for in that one, but I guess I’m leaning Missouri.

Complete college football TV schedule for Week 6

And here’s the complete schedule for the week, paginated and searchable!

Thursday, October 5, 2017 Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 Friday, Sept. 29, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV
(17) Louisville at (24) NC State 8:00 PM ESPN
Friday, October 6, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV
Memphis at UConn 7:00 PM ESPN
Boise State at BYU 10:15 PM ESPN
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Game Time (ET) TV
Eastern Michigan at Toledo Noon CBSSN
(5) Georgia at Vanderbilt Noon ESPN
Illinois at Iowa Noon BTN
Iowa State at (3) Oklahoma Noon FOX
Ole Miss at (12) Auburn Noon SECN
(4) Penn State at Northwestern Noon ABC
Temple at East Carolina Noon ESPNU
Texas Tech at Kansas Noon FS1
Wake Forest at (2) Clemson Noon ESPN2
Duke at Virginia 12:20 PM ACCN
Pittsburgh at Syracuse 12:30 PM RSN
Central Michigan at Ohio 2:00 PM ESPN3
Bowling Green at Miami, OH 2:30 PM ESPN3
FIU at Middle Tennessee 3:00 PM ESPN3
ULM at Texas State 3:00 PM ESPN3
Air Force at Navy 3:30 PM CBSSN
Ball State at Akron 3:30 PM ESPN3
Charleston Southern at Indiana 3:30 PM BTN
Kent State at Northern Illinois 3:30 PM ESPN3
LSU at (22) Florida 3:30 PM CBS
Minnesota at Purdue 3:30 PM ESPN2
(13) Miami, FL at Florida State 3:30 PM ESPN
New Mexico State at Appalachian State 3:30 PM ESPN3
(21) Notre Dame at North Carolina 3:30 PM ABC
(23) West Virginia at (8) TCU 3:30 PM FS1
Western Michigan at Buffalo 3:30 PM ESPN3
Arkansas at South Carolina 4:00 PM SECN
Louisiana Tech at UAB 4:00 PM CUSA.TV
Maryland at (10) Ohio State 4:00 PM FOX
Oregon State at (14) USC 4:00 PM Pac-12N
Tulsa at Tulane 4:00 PM ESPNU
UL Lafayette at Idaho 5:00 PM ESPN3
Colorado State at Utah State 5:30 PM ATTSNRM
Florida Atlantic at Old Dominion 6:00 PM Stadium
Marshall at Charlotte 6:00 PM WCCB/MASN
Army at Rice 6:30 PM beIN SPORTS
Georgia State at Coastal Carolina 6:30 PM ESPN3
Kansas State at Texas 7:00 PM FS1
SMU at Houston 7:00 PM CBSSN
Southern Miss at UTSA 7:00 PM CW35/Stadium
(1) Alabama at Texas A&M 7:15 PM ESPN
(16) Virginia Tech at Boston College 7:15 PM ESPN2
Fresno State at San Jose State 7:30 PM ESPN3
Michigan State at (7) Michigan 7:30 PM ABC
Missouri at Kentucky 7:30 PM SECN
Arizona at Colorado 8:00 PM Pac-12N
(25) UCF at Cincinnati 8:00 PM ESPNU
(11) Washington State at Oregon 8:00 PM FOX
Western Kentucky at UTEP 8:00 PM TBA
(9) Wisconsin at Nebraska 8:00 PM BTN
Stanford at (20) Utah 10:15 PM FS1
Hawaii at Nevada 10:30 PM CBSSN
California at (6) Washington 10:45 PM ESPN
(19) San Diego State at UNLV 10:45 PM ESPN2