[Lefty Noob]

Here's the 2007 Tennessee Volunteers football schedule...

Date Opponent Place
Sept. 1 California Berkeley, Calif
Sept. 8 Southern Miss Knoxville, Tenn.
Sept. 15 Florida* Gainesville, Fla.
Sept. 22 Northern Illinois Knoxville, Tenn.
Oct. 6 Georgia* Knoxville, Tenn.
Oct. 13 Mississippi State* Starkville, Miss.
Oct. 20 Alabama* Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Oct. 27 South Carolina* Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 3 Louisiana-Lafayette Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 10 Arkansas* Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 17 Vanderbilt* Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 24 Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.


SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, Dec. 1
*-SEC game

So the Vols travel to Cal, Florida and Bama, but host the Razorbacks, Bulldogs and Gamecocks. Anyone care to predict what their record will be this season?

[Tuck4Bama]

I'll be the first to guess.

Finish regular season 8-4

[KENVOL]

I hate to say this, but ia all reality we could be 7-5. If we are 7-5 or 8-5 Fulmer has got to go.

[EmpireWF]

I'm going with an even 6-6 record.

And why put the SEC Title game there Lefty? lol, no chance they make it.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

And why put the SEC Title game there Lefty? lol, no chance they make it.

Hey, now, Empire... no raining on our UT fans' parade.

I mean, they have at least as good a shot of making the SEC as Alabama, right?

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Hey, now, Empire... no raining on our UT fans' parade.

I mean, they have at least as good a shot of making the SEC as Alabama, right?

The way that I see it as of right now there are four teams from the SEC east Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina and four from the SEC west Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and LSU who all have a ligitamite chance of winning the SEC.

The biggest obstical for an SEC team to make it to The National championship game is the SEC itself. I am not sure that anybody has a good enough team to make it through the season undefeated. This will most likeky be another year where if a SEC team can come out with a one loss regular season they will be in line for the National Title.



Just my opinion
Roll Tide Roll

[Yellowhammer]

I like 6-6, but hopefully less than that.

With that schedule...the Vols could easily be 6-6. However, do not underestimate that coaching staff. Granted, they have had a few obstacles to clear the last few years, but take note of a few things:
1. A 2nd consecutive year with Coach Cutcliffe back running the O
2. A 2nd straight year for Coach Cut to be working with Eric Ainge
3. A Senior Eric Ainge in his 2nd year under Coach Cut
4. All of their RBs back next year (and healthy to start the season, anyway)
5. A D line that developed a lot of experience and depth last season
6. Only key loss on the O side is Robert Meachum. Granted, he's a stud, but this IS "Wide Receiver U" we are talking about.

Like I admitted right off...6-6 is a possibility. However, 12-0 is also a possibility. Realistically, I think 10-2 is where they'll land. If anyone surprises them, it'll be Southern Miss as they look ahead to Florida.

[KENVOL]

Yellowhammer wants us 6-6 so well be as good as Alabama.

[Tuck4Bama]

If The Vols can beat California on the road for their first game the rest of the season should be a winning season.

[BaltimoreVol]

To say that the only key offensive loss is Meachem is really far off base. We are losing one of the best offensive tackles to ever play at UT in Aaron Sears. We will either have a first year starter or someone playing the position for the first time ever at left tackle this year. I shudder to think about the abuse Ainge might take because of this.

In addition, as we saw in the Outback bowl, Meachem was not nearly as effective without Brett Smith and Jason Swain drawing attention away from him. It was very smart for Meachem to leave when he did. Without Smith and Swain, he'd be a marked man next year and his draft status would most definitely have fallen.

Ainge can be all Universe, but without experienced receivers to throw to, he may end up being 3rd team all conference. The same thing happened to Casey his senior year when Witten and Kelley Washington left, not to mention Stallworth.

Someone previously mentioned that if Tennessee beats Cal at Cal at the start of the season, I wholly agree. Last year we dominated Cal, although we were at home, and finished the regular season 9-3 I believe. That was a pretty big turn around after a 5-6 regular season in 2005, especially after losing to the National Champions by 1 point and LSU by 4... Ainge has rapidly been improving- I think you could tell that from some of his "up" performances last year. Then again, like every reborn quarterback, he's going to have his downs. Now, as his second year with Cutcliffe, I think those downs are going to rise. Yeah, we lost some good receivers, Mechem in particular, but I really think we can compensate the loss. Our running backs are going to be fresh, and we just got the #3 High School prospect Eric Berry at Cornerback. I think we have a really good chance at getting through the season unscathed, but if we did lose, @ Florida and @ Bama are probably going to be the games that do it. All in all, I see the regular season going 11-1 this year.

[RabidVolsFan]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

If The Vols can beat California on the road for their first game the rest of the season should be a winning season.

Tuck, Im with you on this one, if we can take California on the road we could take nearly anyone. But we allways seem to hit a bump in the road. And as allways, Florida is a toss-up whenever we play them. God I hate the gators. Will Arkansas be the same team this year? I say 10-2.

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by RabidVolsFan

Tuck, Im with you on this one, if we can take California on the road we could take nearly anyone. But we allways seem to hit a bump in the road. And as allways, Florida is a toss-up whenever we play them. God I hate the gators. Will Arkansas be the same team this year? I say 10-2.

If the Vols win against Cal they have a shot at a good season which I think best case 9-3. Arkansas has almost all of their starters returning Georgia will be better than last year Bama will be better and will upset some teams South Carolina will be better.

Let's face it the SEC is going to be stronger than ever. I would be suprised if any SEC team can go undefeated. Even 11-1 will be hard to do in SEC play.

[RabidVolsFan]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

If the Vols win against Cal they have a shot at a good season which I think best case 9-3. Arkansas has almost all of their starters returning Georgia will be better than last year Bama will be better and will upset some teams South Carolina will be better.

Let's face it the SEC is going to be stronger than ever. I would be suprised if any SEC team can go undefeated. Even 11-1 will be hard to do in SEC play.

What a year this is going to be. It will be tough, so who do you think will be SEC champs?