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Are we overlooking GA Tech? · Champions of Life

welcome to the champions of life podcast where 3 orangeblooded Tennessee alums discuss how there's always next year Hey, y'all.
Welcome back to the Champions of Life podcast.
We've got some usual suspects.
Laney is here.
Your boy, Noah, standing at 6'2", out of the University of North Carolina.
Yep, easily 250 pounds.
Noah Jordan.
Yep.
Excited to be back, week two.
And then special guest.
Special guest.
Judson the Juddy.
I am being called in today because everybody at this company thinks that Tennessee is gonna have a terrible season, and I disagree.
And as a disclaimer, he's not an employee of R&S Logistics and does not represent any of our corporate views.
That is true.
He's just a guy here to talk.
I sell cattle feed and any sort of cattle equipment.
I also, I wouldn't say that everybody thinks we're gonna have a terrible season Eight and four isn't, is not like glass half full.
That's like- Oh, Joe and I went seven and five That's, that's even, that's glass at quarter full.
That's realistic Tennessee- We also ended that we could see six and six, so- Well, five and seven that would be a terrible season.
I can also see like nine and three.
Yeah.
But I need to, I need to get Georgia Tech behind me to really- I just think this is- have a assessment a Hen and Hooker type year where we come out of nowhere.
Wow.
I, listen, you gotta act bold to be bold, and I'm acting bold, and I think if we can get our offense together, if it's clicking, I mean, think, like if we, if Faizon is who he says he is and we have the receivers that we do, and Deshaun Bishop can just absolutely go to town, I think we're gonna be scoring a lot of points.
And our defense, Knowles coming in fresh, new looks, have a deep linebacker core.
We have a decent front secondary Tennessee that's just always gonna be bad, so we just have to get to the quarterback.
I think we could, I think we should, I, we could shock the world.
Mm.
Shock the world.
We, we could or should? You were, you went- Uh back and forth Could.
Could, okay.
Could.
Well, you came out strong.
Could shock the world.
Okay.
Well, welcome.
I did.
Thank you.
I- That was pent up I think.
That was I've been waiting since last week.
So you're going nine and three? You're saying nine and three or 10 and two? No, I'm saying 12 and two, we lose in the second round of the playoffs.
Okay, so Judson is counting the playoff.
Okay, so he- Yeah so You are not a legitimate podcast contributor- at this point.
What do you mean? That's what I'm gonna say.
I'm serious.
Like what...
okay, I see no hang ups that like we are legitimately gonna be like, "Okay, we, we could win every single game that we play."
His, the one loss that you got us.
The one loss is at South Carolina at night.
That's what's gonna happen.
You're kidding.
Wow.
No, I'm serious.
So you have Tennessee, you have Tennessee beating Texas at home.
Yep.
You have Tennessee going to Kyle Field- That's the other questionable is South Carolina- max capacity in college football- Okay.
Hey, look, that doesn't matter at Texas A&M.
That doesn't matter with a freshman quarterback.
With a freshman quarterback.
True freshman quarterback.
No, but it's either gonna be A&M or we're gonna lose to some stupid Arkansas, South Carolina, like- Well, we usually- we should be- have one of those a season, so- Correct.
So- we'll see.
So you're saying this, year six of Josh Heupel is the year that he breaks the curse- Yep of winning every game that he is supposed to win.
Yeah.
Okay, so this one was technically slated to discuss Furman, and then actually the Georgia Tech game- Yeah because of scheduling conflicts- Mm and people being out of town.
Mm.
So Judson, is shooting the moon over here- Yep when it comes to the season.
But let's, how do we feel about Furman? How do we feel about Georgia Tech? Mm.
Bobby, what do you worry about with the opening season game against a team that's much, much, much worse than you? Injuries.
Stay safe.
Put up some points.
Wanna see some crisp decision-making by your freshman quarterback.
You wanna see confidence, and then you wanna keep the boys upright.
We don't want anybody laying on the ground.
Mm.
No, twisted ankles.
I mean, that happens maybe.
You can't just protect it from never happening, but it is systemic an- and maybe Mr.
Coach Owings, I don't know, maybe- Mr.
Coach maybe we've got a, a different, a different set of bodies out there that that's not gonna be an issue, but, I really wanna see...
I think all these fun records that we're throwing out there, we have no idea how good or how bad our quarterback play is going to be.
So that's what I'm really looking forward in game one.
Yeah.
I agree.
I think crispness, I think you need to see a plan executed well.
And you need to put the game away probably by, or latest, probably midway through the second quarter.
Mm.
I mean, you don't want a team hanging around.
I'm trying to see what the, line is on Tennessee.
I wanna say it's, like, 50 plus.
It's, like, four- it, last time- 48, I think I heard it was 45 something.
Yeah.
So I think you wanna hit that, you know, you wanna blow a team out.
We did that last season, you know, with Joey.
He was airing it out, felt great.
I would agree, injuries.
Yeah, I'd like to see, honestly, personally, I'd like to see George starting in the second half 'cause we're so far out.
I agree.
I would prefer- We need that, though.
We need- Yeah we have two games early on to get our second and third stringers in, just to give them some experience.
Mm-hmm.
Furman and Kennesaw State.
After that, like- It's a gauntlet.
Yep.
It's a gauntlet.
So I would agree.
You wanna see good execution.
I would say the biggest, and we talked about this a little bit last time, the biggest question mark and determiner on this team is gonna be the defense, and I would love to see some schemes that look rather sophisticated and a step up from what we've dealt with.
Tim Banks had some, good players and some good production out of some really good players that, we did some great recruiting on.
You know, Byron Young back in the day was at Dollar General before coming to Tennessee.
You know, that's some great recruiting.
I wanna see some schematics of, you know, "Hey, we're actually out-thinking the coaches" Mm-hmm and I think that's what we hopefully went out and got with Knowles, and so I'd like to see that.
I do agree with Judson's take.
Our linebacking corps with Ariyan, obviously he's out for Furman but- Right I would, I think some of the main key players on defense were at linebacker and at defensive line f- that came from Penn State with Jim, so I'd like to see them make an im- immediate impact as well.
Yeah, I think T.
Lander, T.
Lander, Spillman, and, I can't remember the guy's name that came from Penn State, I think we rely heavily on them.
I believe it was Carter.
Let me see.
But yeah, it's, it's, it's great.
I like the 4-2 look, especially 'cause you just get more linebackers in there.
Amari Camel.
Yeah, Amari Camel.
I think that, that's gonna be the leadership for our defense.
I personally wanna see a shutout.
I don't know if it's gonna happen or not, but I mean, the biggest thing that I think the Heupel era has lacked is, General Sherman's maxim.
I'd have to look it up, but it's like, if the game to the breaks don't go your way at first, put on more steam.
Like, we cannot let off the gas pedal.
Like, I know that it's gonna be, like, into the fourth quarter, but I think if we see our second and third string guys putting up points, it's- Mm-hmm that's a good sign for me in this first game specifically, 'cause we just cannot get into the lull that loses us games because we take our foot off the brake, and this is a good practice.
Bobby, what do you think? I think looking ahead to Atlanta at night with, a Mendoza kid throwing the football.
Is it at Tech or is it in Mercedes-Benz? I believe it's at Tech.
It is at Tech.
It is.
Yeah, because- They play Colorado there Thursday night.
Yeah, two days from now.
Which will be- Coach Prime an interesting game to watch.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I think that, that will be the test is how does the defense look against a live arm in Mendoza, and I have no idea how good that guy is.
I know he's the backup in Indiana last year.
Obviously he didn't get an opportunity to play much because his brother was so good.
I am grateful they don't have Haynes King though anymore.
Golly.
Yeah, that would be a- He was pretty unstoppable tough.
That would be very tough.
He was so close to collecting Social Security too.
Yeah.
He's probably, I think he's 27.
He might be.
He's an old man playing the sport.
I, I do think we have a little bit of an edge there because, not that we can look past Furman- Mm-hmm but- We can.
It's true we sort of can.
Yeah, we can.
Right? Okay, we shouldn't say that, but we can.
But they don't have that same luxury with Colorado- Right I wouldn't think.
Mm-hmm.
It's true.
Yeah, I would say what does worry me is the start of the game, because they've had, A, more rest, B, they've had a true test, and if they win, which I think they will beat Colorado, they are a little battle-proven.
Probably the most battle-proven team going into week one, because this is still kind of week zero.
So they've actually played.
That's probably the best match up from week zero.
If they win, I would say even more than Mendoza, what scares me though is this guy from Michigan, Justice Haynes.
Yeah.
Who played three seasons at Michigan, and they're, already their running back is a senior, so he's a fifth-year senior, and you add this kid from Michigan.
I think they could run it potentially down our throats if we're not careful.
I think what it would come down to is defense.
I don't really have a question that our offense couldn't, we couldn't outscore them, but if we have any holes defensively, I think they could throw up some points as well.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
So at the end of the day, it could come down to what's going on on the defensive side of the ball, and if it's in their stadium- Just a little bit more.
Do we know the time? Is it- It's a night game.
7:00 PM- That's right kickoff.
But is i'm not disparaging Georgia Tech, but don't they kind of have a smaller stadium, like, kind of Vanderbilt, or are they bigger than Vanderbilt? Not that that matters, but I- I wouldn't say it's big.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's not big, but it's known to be rowdy.
Yeah.
That's what I've- It's gonna be re- Especially if they beat Clemson.
That's my biggest fear.
Yeah.
It'll be rowdy.
But, and I think secondary, I want to see some good play from our secondary.
That's the biggest question mark on the defense.
I think our, our front seven is solid.
Good depth there, especially at linebacker, like we discussed before.
But it really, it's the age-old thorn in the side of Tennessee is is the secondary in the Josh Heupel era.
Something to watch in Georgia Tech, they have a tight end who's 6'9".
Ooh.
I could see them stack up really similar to us where they want to run the ball quite a bit.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
And then utilize that in the red zone because typically, correct me if I'm wrong, a safety would be out of the backfield, a tight end match up or a linebacker.
You would imagine he's quicker than a linebacker and a match up nightmare for Redmond or whoever's playing alongside him.
Yeah.
So.
Who's the giant guy for Georgia? Washington? Yeah, Darnell Washington.
Darnell Washington.
Yeah, on the Pittsburgh Steelers now.
Where they just play him they had a lot of packages to get him in scenarios where they have advantageous, guys marking him.
So I feel like Georgia Tech runs a p- pretty sophisticated system.
Mm-hmm.
I think Mendoza, just from good stock and also good coaching all of last year at Indiana, is also going to be able to call some plays and maybe make some reads at the line.
They're definitely going to slow the ball down, though.
Yeah.
I think it's going to be a very frustrating night for Tennessee if we can't control the run.
If we can't control the run and they can keep us, you know, off the field- Noah's throwing things.
He's really adamant about this point.
Yeah then we're in trouble.
And then, you know, if you start compiling that with some three and outs, that's when Tennessee starts getting nervous.
Well, what's your hedge if Tennessee's offense is going to come out and look like it did against, like, your Hendon Hooker year where you're hurry up versus what we've seen the last two and a half seasons where it's just, it's a slow? If it's a slow, methodical offense- Great.
But if we do try to run the ball, get back up on the ball and snap it in a hurry and we're going three and out and they're controlling the ga- I mean, these are the games that it's just extremely painful to watch- Right 'cause Tennessee can't do anything.
And reminiscent I think of what Kirby Smart does against the Tennessee team time- Mm and time again, where he's fine for you to go quick.
He welcomes it.
He'll let you get a couple 10, 20-yard plays, but he's gonna have a defense that really stiffens in the red zone and doesn't let you- Mm-hmm do anything once you get down there, except kick field goals.
And, that is Tennessee's kryptonite matchup-wise is teams that can weather the punches and hold the ball.
Well, I mean, I, I definitely think you have to be playing, if you're gonna be doing that quick stuff, if it works, I mean, you've gotta play it in three downs.
Like, you gotta play third down as your fourth down because, if you're not getting first downs first, like if you're, it's first and 10 and you get another first down or second, like you gotta get it first or second down.
Like, third down is okay, this is a last ditch effort, because that's when it dies is, okay, it's third down, we throw a little quick slant that doesn't get anywhere, we drop the ball or we run a just halfback up the middle.
Thinking that they'll, they're playing pass, then we, like you said, we get stopped, and then we, we just, the brakes just seem to fall off.
We either need to control the ball, play that on offense, let our defense rest, or I mean, I think our, one thing about our defense last year, I think they were in really good shape, and it'll be the same this year.
I mean, just because if we do get into that three and out, three and out, three and out, they gotta be able to hold.
The offense is so much like a basketball team in my opinion, because it is about rhythm.
It's about getting good, good looks, and you've gotta, once you hit a couple shots, you get confident.
And when you've got a freshman quarterback, that third and eight, and Georgia just had the ball for, Georgia Tech just had the ball for nine minutes on a drive, it's third and eight, and you overthrew it.
That feels heavier than it does when you just miss an out route- Yeah and you, and you snap the ball again.
And so when you go back to the sideline and you're holding your head kind of down because you overthrew it- Yeah.
The, the next series feels heavier.
Mm-hmm.
It feels like you've got to connect on those things.
Mm-hmm.
And I think that's what makes Heupel's offense so good is that he gives the quarterback the ability to play loose, play free, and if you're tight, those reads are gonna be harder.
Yeah.
I will say something that Faizon has that we haven't seen in a long time is long ball ability.
Mm-hmm.
And- But Joe Milton could throw an orange 90 yards We've heard he has that.
Yeah.
We've heard he has that.
I would say I'm, I feel fairly confident that he's a- ahead of the curve as far as- Mm-hmm true freshmen, for sure, at minimum.
The best we've seen Josh Heupel's offense is when we could throw the ball over the top- with Hendon.
Yep.
So I think that is gonna add an element.
Maybe not in the first couple weeks, maybe it takes a while.
And we're gonna have to be patient, and we talked about that a little bit last time, the psychology behind a true freshman quarterback.
But if you can hit over the top with that offense, Tennessee's- Mm-hmm almost impossible to play against if you're- Mm-hmm opposing defense.
Okay, so let's wrap it up.
Quick answers on two questions.
We obviously feel good about Furman.
Where are you at with Georgia Tech, and what other SEC team that is projected to have a great year do you see not hitting the mark? Hmm.
That's a good question.
I think when we reconvene, we will have eked out, we'll have a, a great dominant win against Furman.
We'll have eked out a win in Atlanta, which we're never gonna complain about wins, but our optimism level is maybe gonna be not as high.
So I think we get two wins, and I think it, the second game may be ugly.
And I think the next team in the SEC, I could see South Carolina cratering, which would be fine with me, as well as Missouri, I think a lot of Tennessee fans have just gone ahead and just marked the Texas, except for Justin of course, have marked the Texas game as a loss.
I'm telling you.
But the pressure's so high over there.
They've got the best quarterback they've had in years.
The fan base is obviously always invested.
Sark is maybe in a very Heupel-esque position of like, "Hey, buddy, we kind of need to see something."
I don't know, the pressure for, for Arch and that team, I could see them maybe getting hung up on a couple of very winnable games, like Florida last year.
So I would put, I would put Texas in there.
You asked me for one.
I would put LSU in there.
And I would put South Carolina in there.
And if I had to pick one, I'd probably pick Texas.
Yeah.
Okay.
Hmm.
You stole my answer, so- Sorry I'll pivot.
No, but I do, to your point, I do think Arch hasn't really looked like what he was supposed to look like, and obviously he was young.
But I think your third game of a season where you're supposed to challenge for a national championship and probably be one of the Heisman candidates, and you're coming into Neyland with heavy history of a Manning wearing 16 in the stadium.
Best stadium in the country it is.
I think that's gonna hang heavy.
I really hate that that's a noon game.
I think a night game in Neyland- It's brutal would've, would've set it up better for us.
But, you know, we'll be up, ready and rowdy at noon.
It's gonna be crowded.
My prediction, I would say we beat Furman by 60.
I think we win 34-27 in Atlanta.
Hmm.
And I think, two interceptions from Faizon, all running touchdowns.
Wow.
So, maybe a special teams if I could throw that out there.
Wow.
Maybe a special teams touchdown.
Okay.
I like it.
But I think Faizon struggles, which I think is okay.
But I think we're, we're just a better team and a better match up.
And I'm gonna choose Bama.
I think Bama struggles this year.
Ooh.
New quarterback, DeBoer is, is not Saban and has already also heard, you know, the chatter- of not living up to expectations.
I think he really got bailed out by that Georgia game, covered a lot of blushes on the rest of the season.
So, Bama's my choice.
Where'd they want him to go at the end of the season? I forget.
They wanted him to go to Michigan? Yeah.
The fans being they? Yes.
I would kind of agree with you on Alabama.
I don't know why, I just have this gut feeling of like this could be a year that they lose some close games, and then Auburn comes in there and, and beats them in the Iron Bowl or something like that with Go-- I mean, you see Golos at U- USF.
I mean, he was taking it to Nick Saban, so like auburn scares me this year.
Auburn scares me a little bit just 'cause Golos is so unpredictable.
Like, I mean, he's- He's been around if he's calling the offense, I mean, you saw what he did with our offense.
So we'll see.
That's a sleeper team to watch.
But I could, I could see Alabama going down.
I could see LSU, kinda having a Florida State-type arc where they had-- they brought all these players in, they did really good one year, and then the next year they like just completely, you know, ate it and tanked.
So I don't know.
It's either this year or next year I feel like they're gonna have some sort of I think Kiffin's rope's gotta run out at some time.
Maybe it's LSU.
I think that we beat Furman handily.
Like I said, I don't wanna see them score any points.
I'm happy with fewer points on our end if we shut them out.
I could see Georgia Tech being like a Virginia or NC State game for us, where it's a really tough struggle the first half and then we kinda pull away second half.
This is an overgeneralization.
That's how a lot of ACC teams are that we play against.
And like I said, I'm not super familiar with Georgia Tech, but it just with Mendoza, he's a new quarterback down there, I think that game, we struggle at first, we find our rhythm, we go, we take care of business.
I'm not saying like 50 to 10, but I'm saying like, you know, maybe like 35-21, something like that.
So it'd give us a good comfortable lead All right.
I'm with y'all.
So I think obviously we get Furman.
Georgia Tech is gonna be ugly.
I do think we will eke out a win.
I know I went seven and five, so at some point I'm gonna have to be like, "No, this is a game where we're not."
So part of me feels like I should just go ahead- But not yet and get it out of the way.
Not yet.
But I don't wanna do it yet.
I will say if we lose to Georgia Tech, my prediction- Okay is in grave danger.
But this, I think this is a must-win game I do think Texas, they're, all these projections, you know, Georgia's gonna have the year that everybody expects them to have.
Texas could be it.
Sark has all these expectations every year.
He's a sabanite, da, da, da.
He's got, you know, Manning number two.
But until he does it, I'm not gonna believe he can do it.
However, I'm gonna go with LSU- Hmm because all the money they've spent, all the expectations that's there from the governor, like, everything that's on Lane, and he is just going out of his way to be just the worst.
I mean, this NFL stuff legitimately, they could be kicked out of the SEC.
Yeah.
Like, we may not even be playing then.
Which would be amazing, honestly.
Come- which would be unbelievable.
Oh, yeah, that'd be pretty great.
So I'm gonna say, I'm gonna go with LSU.
So- LSU Tigers.
Go Tigers.
Yep.
Go Tigers.
I would, I'd vote for FSU or Clemson to take their place.
I think that, or North Carolina, I think those would be fun.
North Carolina would be fun.
I can't say Endabo, but I want Endabo to beat Lane this week.
Yeah.
Oh, they play this week? Yeah, they play Clemson.
Also- Yeah did anybody watch the Virginia game? We gotta- Yeah wrap this up.
Tony.
Yeah, I mean, good- Tony not.
Sorry they looked good.
They- We poo-pooed you, Tony We did not want you as our coach, but- The, the old Missouri kid, like- Yeah.
Mm-hmm he looked- Bo really good.
Bo looked good.
Pretty good.
And then Peyton Lewis, I mean, he didn't do that much.
Fun stadium.
I just want to be clear, I was laughing at Lane Kiffin's 'cause you're like a recent development, he's just now the worst.
No, no.
Like, this is- This man has a history he's been the worst, but he's just doubling and tripling down on the fact that he is the worst, and that's only gonna last him.
You're only gonna be able to put up with that for so long.
I'd still take him.
Sell out.
I'd take him back in a heartbeat.
Don't you dare.
I would take Lane in a heartbeat.
I want that on the record.
What's crazy is we've got a player who's gonna sit out the fir- he's a fifth year senior.
Exactly, exactly.
He's gonna sit out the first game, and Lane is bringing in practice squad guys from the NFL.
Yeah.
This is stupid.
Yeah.
Yeah, and I mean, the courts are involved, so.
And somebody told me, he said, with the Aaron Carter deal, he said, "We got the only judge with morality in the South when it comes to college football."
He was handling our case.
Just fix NCAA and help us.
But it's I'm still watching.
I'll buy the ticket and- Yeah.
That's right.
That's it.
Anyways.
Balls by Fitty.
That's right.
Balls by Fitty.
Go Vols! Go Vols, baby.