Category Archives: Today on Gameday

Worth reading 6.27.18: Vols’ talent

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Jimmy Hyams:

Which UT position has the most talent, depth

Part discussion of the talent vs. development debate, and part unit rankings, Hyams concludes that the linebacking corps is the most talented and deepest unit for the Vols headed into 2018. Read the whole thing.

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Tennessee targets, storylines at the Rivals 5-star Challenge, via VolQuest
  2. Jeremy Pruitt relieves two doctors with long record of serving Vols football of duties, via Gridiron Now. There’s some talk of concern about this, but we really can’t know the reason for this at this time. If it’s for more lax standards relating to player safety, then it’s bad. But it may just be the natural phenomenon of long-tenured employees not keeping up with the times, either. We don’t know.
  3. Tennessee QB target announcing Wednesday morning, via 247Sports. Crystal Ball is looking favorable for the Vols.
  4. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee lineman Eric Crosby, via 247Sports
  5. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee RB Trey Coleman, via 247Sports
  6. 2 Deep Class Breakdown, via Phil Steele. Tennessee’s tied for 84th.
  7.  Former Vols WR CJ Fayton happy to return as VFL director, via 247Sports
  8. Top five opposing offensive lines on 2018 schedule, via 247Sports
  9. Tennessee national championship team still united 20 years later, via KnoxNews
  10. Rick Barnes says Tennessee Vols season was good last year, but this year can be better, via KnoxNews

 

Worth watching 6.26.18

More John Ward, and yes, it’s audio, but with John, it was always “watching,” even using only our ears:


Great tribute to John, after his final broadcast:


Grant Williams can apparently do it all:

Worth reading 6.26.18

Live, from the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, without my favored schedule or equipment!

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Will:

10 Questions for 2018: Defensive Line Depth

Other Vols stuff worth reading

  1. Tennessee led nation in missed starts two straight years, via the Times Free Press. The Vols presumed starters missed a combined 58 games in 2017. Only Ball State was close, with 57. Next was Florida, with 49. Woo.
  2. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee DL Matthew Butler, via 247Sports
  3. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee tight end LaTrell Bumphus, via 247Sports
  4. Tennessee Recruiting: Jalil Clemons Camps, Commits
  5. Tennessee Vols QB Jarrett Guarantano Manning Passing Academy ‘a dream come true’, via 247Sports
  6. Vols among favorites for Kansas RB Breece Hall, via 247Sports
  7. Vols offer massive 2022 OT prospect Kiyaunta Goodwin, via 247Sports. “Massive,” as in, “just finished middle school and is already 6’7″, 370 pounds.”
  8. Tennessee to Host John Ward Tribute Ceremony Wednesday – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  9. Did a tape voiced by John Ward help Vols land Ernie Grunfeld?, via 247Sports
  10. Jeff Powell Sugar Bowl TD was John Ward’s top call, via 247Sports
  11. John Ward’s voice helped shape Vols basketball program, too, via 247Sports
  12. Voice of the Vols John Ward mixed professionalism, pranks, via 247Sports
  13. Betting odds for SEC teams to qualify for College Football Playoff, via Gridiron Now

Worth watching: Ward on 1998 Arkansas

I will never, ever tire of this, and Ward’s description of it just makes it all the more compulsory today:


There’s a speech from Ward after Chesney, for those of you who want to skip forward:


The coolest thing about this next video? Ward does that thing he does. At the end, when he shoots for the trash can, you know it’s coming, but he makes you wait. Is he not going to say it? Surely, he’s going to say it. And only then, “Bottom!” It’s this that made me realize that that might be the most magical thing about his voice synched with all those memories all those years.


Bob, talking about Ward.

Worth reading 6.22.18: Newcomers

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Patrick Brown at 247Sports:

Expectations for each Tennessee newcomer in 2018, Part II

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Jeremy Pruitt remains optimistic regarding Vols’ Trey Smith. via 247Sports
  2. Vols’ Jeremy Pruitt: Individual recruiting prowess ‘overrated’, via 247Sports
  3. Tennessee 2018 FPI – Volunteers, via ESPN. ESPN’s FPI projects every Tennessee game this season. Only five are over 50%, although two more are right around 40%.
  4. Jeremy Pruitt shares toughest part working for Nick Saban, thoughts on Mack Wilson, via 247Sports
  5. Tennessee Vols football’s 2018 opponents at a glance: Georgia Bulldogs, via 247Sports
  6. Everyone has a John Ward story because John Ward reached everyone, via Gridiron Now
  7. For generations of Tennessee fans, John Ward brought Vols sports to life, via Saturday Down South
  8. Paul Finebaum recalls fond story about John Ward, via 247Sports
  9. John Ward photo gallery, via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

  • Four-star LB Kane Patterson visits Vols again, approaching decision, via 247Sports
  • Offer, visit put Tennessee among favorites for Florida QB Brian Maurer, via 247Sports

Worth watching 6.21.18: John Ward’s best

“The national champion is clad . . . in Big Orange.”


10 greatest games:

Another compilation:

A tribute from the SEC:

100 Yards with John Ward

Also this: John Ward’s most iconic calls as the Voice of Tennessee Vols football, via 247Sports. A collection of YouTube videos compiling some of Ward’s best calls.

Worth reading 6.21.18: John Ward tributes

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

make it this, from Will Shelton of Gameday on Rocky Top:

The Voice

Curation on a day like today is especially difficult due to the flood of so many great options, but nobody does it better than Will. Like Ward, Will tells great stories with a grand economy of words. To Tennesseans, Ward was indeed The Voice.

Other great tributes to The Voice:

  1. Farewell, Friend: How Do We Say Goodbye to John Ward?, via Brad Shepard of Gameday on Rocky Top
  2. Farewell, John Ward, via Celina Summers of Orange and White Report
  3. Remembering the late, great Voice of the Vols John Ward, via Wes Rucker of 247Sports
  4. Greatness is the only way to describe John Ward, via Brent Hubbs of VolQuest
  5. Beloved ‘Voice of the Vols’ Ward dies at 88, via Chris Low of ESPN
  6. Fulmer: John Ward’s voice ‘brought to life’ fondest memories of Vols, via Grant Ramey of 247Sports
  7. “Listen to These Guys, They’ll Answer All Your Questions”, via Brian Rice of WNML
  8. John Ward Remembered, via UTSports
  9. Reactions: Tributes pour in remembering John Ward, via 247Sports. A compilation of tweets.

 

Worth watching 6.20.18: Johnson inspires the team

Commit twice: When you feel like it, and when you don’t.

More great stuff on the VOLeader program at UT:


Hype!


Another former Vol pinning hopes on Pruitt’s “old-school” style: