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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- This is the season Tennessee has been pointing to for years.Tennessees revival started with the arrival of consecutive top-five recruiting classes in 2014 and 2015 that restocked the Volunteers talent base. Tennessee ended a string of four straight losing seasons in 2014 and finished last season with a six-game winning streak and a Top 25 ranking.The next step is to compete for a Southeastern Conference title and playoff berth. SEC media have picked Tennessee to win its first Eastern Division title since 2007.We want expectations high, Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. Thats why you come to the University of Tennessee. Thats why you coach here. To me, its a compliment of your program, no more, no less. Now its what you do with it.The Vols believe they can meet those expectations if they do a better job of protecting leads. Tennessee led in each of its four losses last season and was ahead by at least 13 points in three of them.Only five starters from last seasons 45-6 Outback Bowl blowout of Northwestern arent back this year. Depth and experience could help Tennessee produce better in close games this season.Youve just got to go into those situations with confidence, knowing that youre going to make a play, knowing your teammates got your back, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. Thats what we started getting toward the end of last year. We played with a lot more confidence at the end of those games.Perhaps the biggest challenge is to avoid getting consumed by the preseason hype.Honestly, all of thats just outside noise, defensive end Corey Vereen said. All were focused on is bringing it to work every single day.Here are some things to watch this year:RUNNING WILD: Jalen Hurd, Alvin Kamara and quarterback Joshua Dobbs return after combining to rush for 2,657 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. Hurd enters his junior season with 2,187 career yards rushing. Hes well within reach of the school record held by Travis Henry, who rushed for 3,078 yards from 1997-2000.SPECIAL-TEAMS SKILLS: Tennessee had the nations leading kickoff returner (Evan Berry) and punt returner (Cam Sutton) last season. Both are back this year. Tennessee scored a combined six touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns last season. Tennessee also returns its kicker (Aaron Medley) and punter (Trevor Daniel) from a year ago.NEW COORDINATOR: Bob Shoop takes over as defensive coordinator after previously filling the same role at Vanderbilt and Penn State. Shoop, a Yale alum and former Columbia head coach, said he wants to establish an in-your-face defense thats built on relentless pursuit and never-ending pressure. Vereen noted that Shoop is not real high on the swag-meter but added that the new coordinator has made a major impact with his philosophy that how were going to be as a defense is going to look better than whatever you have drawn up on paper.PASSING CONCERNS; Tennessee must upgrade a passing game that struggled with consistency. Dobbs completed 59.6 percent of his passes last season, down from 63.3 in 2014. Tennessee doesnt return anyone who had more than 405 yards receiving last season.FRONTLOADED SCHEDULE: Tennessee hosts Florida, visits Georgia and Texas A&M and hosts defending national champion Alabama on four consecutive weekends between Sept. 24 and Oct. 15. But the schedule gets much easier from there. Tennessees final five opponents (South Carolina, Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt) had losing records last season.-------AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Cheap Air Max Free Shipping . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Cheap Nike Air Max Clearance . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.airmaxcheapwholesale.com/ . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Air Max Cheap Wholesale . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Cheap Wholesale Air Max Shoes .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is a frustrated and embarrassed group after back-to-back losses against Miami and New England.One day after defensive end Cameron Heyward said he felt like his defensive teammates quit during Sundays home loss against New England, defensive coordinator Keith Butler disagreed.Regardless, the Steelers hope to solve their problems stopping the run and rushing the passer, all while taking a break to recover from injury during the teams upcoming bye week.We have to play harder, we have to play more physical, Butler said on Tuesday. I think were capable of playing harder and more physical, but I dont think we quit by any means.Its frustrating and were all frustrated at this point in time, Butler said.Heyward missed the first two games of his career with a hamstring injury during the Steelers most recent losses against Miami and New England. He wasnt happy with his defensive teammates after the Steelers kicked a field goal that cut the Patriots lead to 20-16. New England needed just three minutes to answer with a six-play, 75-yard drive, as a 37-yard strike to an open Rob Gronkowski set up LeGarrette Blounts second touchdown.It was like we just quit, Heyward said. I dont mean to say that lightly, but I feel like we had so many opportunities out there. I felt like after that, it was almost like the wind got pushed out of us.Linebacker Lawrence Timmons also feels the defense can do better.Thats not our best performance, said Timmons, a 10-year veteran. Thats definitely not a strong showing by us. Thats not a display of who we are.Miamis Jay Ajayi rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers two weeks ago. Ajayi was the sixth in history and first since Jacksonvilles Fred Taylor in 2000 to rush for more than 200 yards against the Steelers.Blount followed it up with a 127-yard, two-touchdown effort ffor the Patriots a week later, as Pittsburgh allowed close to 400 yards rushing in back-to-back weeks.ddddddddddddWe cant play like that as a defense, Heyward said. We let them run the ball. Too many times theyre falling forward and thats not what were supposed to do.You have to have some pride when youre out there. Guys have to step up, whoevers out there. There cant be a letdown.It doesnt help that the Steelers cant get to the quarterback either. Pittsburgh is tied for last in the league with eight sacks, one season after finishing third in the category. The defense is also tied for 26th with three interceptions after ranking sixth last season.Heyward said the Steelers problems arent for a lack of effort, but rather technique. Butler would like to see an increase in physicality.Some of it is that we have to be a lot more physical than what we are, Butler said. Were trying to correct that.The Steelers hope to take care of their problems during the bye week.Whoever is in there has to step up, Heyward said. We have to have a concerted effort from everybody and it has to show on Sunday. Thats the most disappointing for me because I know what this defense is capable of.Game notes Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a limited participant in Tuesdays practice, throwing passes during individual work eight days after surgery on his left knee. Its still unclear when Roethlisberger will return to action. . Tight end Ladarius Green practiced for the first time since signing a four-year, $20 million contract as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Green started the season on the physically unable to perform list because of offseason ankle surgery. The team now has 21 days to determine whether to put him on the 53-man roster. ' ' '