Volstothewall’s Video Clip of the Week

What a great week to start a new tradition. So many good things happened this weekend, which made it tough to pick just one clip. As great as it was to see Bama get physically whipped by the Seminoles, I had to go with an even better moment. The Gators finally lost, and I for one could not be happier. Congrats Auburn. Enjoy your victory and rub it in as much as possible, you deserve it.

Second-chance Saturday

Today will have many names, the most generic of all will be something like “Upset Saturday” or some crap like that.

To me, it’s simply Second-Chance Saturday. And no, I’m not drinking Orange Kool-Aid again.

I know what it’s going to take for UT to get in the SEC Championship Game (Think Phillip Fulmer wouldn’t sacrifice what Robert Johnson did to play the blues?). I know the Vols have a defense that has allowed an average of 34 points per game and two opponents were Arkansas State and Southern Miss. I know the chance of UT running the table is the equivalent of Volstothewall getting a call-back from all the drunk dials he gives Jenn Sterger.

But after today, when half the top 10 is left in a crying heap, the Vols — like so many other teams in the country — have a second-chance. They at least have a shot, because the Gators aren’t the world-beaters the Vols made them look like. That game got out of hand in a hurry because of momentum or UT “quit” as my esteemed Bama buddies say. Whatever. An ‘L’ is an ‘L’, and Florida should get another of those against LSU.

But who knows? Even the Bayou Bengals looked vulnerable against Tulane.

Bottom line is there’s hope, and UT should come off the bye week rejuvenated. They were off while all the carnage ensued. So, the gloom and doom won’t be felt in Knoxville till next week, at least. If you can’t get up for Georgia, you can’t get up. And LaMarcus Coker is full-speed, Ben Martin and Chris Walker are ready to help at end and DeAngelo Willingham and Brent Vinson appear to be decent options at cornerback. Glimmers of hope in a deep, dark, defensive cave.
Oh well, like I said, a second chance. After giving up 59, a second chance is more than UT deserves.

As for the SEC, let’s take a step back. An Auburn team that lost to potentially the best Big East team upset the best SEC team from the East IN THE SWAMP. There were no flukes in that game. Auburn got ahead, gave up the lead, got zero calls and endured painful and killer injuries and just willed itself to a win off the foot of a true freshman kicker — twice. Twice because Urban Meyer is a gutless prick even though he’s the best coach in the conference. He called that timeout, sure, but ol’ Wes boomed the kick again. It was the perfect ending to a game filled with so much passion from a team with so much heart.

Guts. Guts. Guts.

Meanwhile, the class of the conference struggled mightily for three quarters against a 41.5-point underdog. Georgia was tied with a suddenly-scary Ole Miss team before storming away, South Carolina proved it won’t be the same defensive team since it’s injury-riddled opening to the season and Kentucky let Florida Atlantic hang around.

Oh yeah, and how could I forget? (You knew I wouldn’t). A middle-of-the-row SEC team lost to a middle-of-the-row ACC team while setting a school record for punts down in Jacksonville. We all know who that team is.

What does all this tell us about the conference? Well, to paraphrase the great (um, not-so-great) Denny Green: “It is what we THOUGHT it was. It is what we THOUGHT it was.” Yes, this conference is parity-driven. Teams can look like world-beaters one week and knocked off the top of the world the next.

So, listen up Bama fans: I hope every one of your Auburn buddies rub it in your faces this week after all the crap they’ve taken from you through your “3-0 start.” Y’all have been pretty decent to the Vols fans, at least on this board, but Aubies need to let you guys hear it. I would.

Now, you’re 3-2 and Nick Saban is bound for one of his patented seasons.

“We all knew it would be this way THIS year. Things are changing. You wait and see. Things are different with our program now.”

Spare me. I’m not saying it won’t happen. I personally think Saban’s a great coach, but it’s the freakin’ SEC. Tennessee’s dose of what it’s like playing in this conference is yearly. Your dreams of dominance are far-fetched. At least you have a competent coach, which is more than y’all had last year and more than we have this year. I’ll give ya that.

Another thing that we may be realizing is the conference may be evenly-matched, but not nearly as good as we thought. It’s possible that the SEC isn’t the class of the country this year. Ponder that. I know my team doesn’t belong in the top 25 and may not for a while. I know Crimson Daddy’s and Boomtown’s team doesn’t belong there. If the Vols somehow pull an upset next week (which, for the record, I don’t think will happen), Double Dog’s team won’t belong there. Even with a monumental upset, Auburn doesn’t belong there. SC will be there, but with the defensive hits, does it belong there? Arkansas doesn’t.

It’s pretty obvious that Kentucky should be at least considered the third-best team in the league right now. (And they’ll be the second-ranked SEC team in this week’s polls). Wow. Now THAT’s all you need to know about this conference craziness.

The SEC’s motto could be “Florida, LSU and Then Who?” It’s that kind of season. This column is not to poke fun at Bama. It’s not to boost up the Vols’ chances (I don’t think there are many) or to promote Auburn as a serious contender.

It’s to put college football on a pedestal. Days like THIS are why it’s the greatest thing ever to watch. You have your favorite team, but every game draws you in. You find yourself pulling for a team in EVERY game, and EVERY game has a chance to be an upset. Years like this in the SEC are the most frustrating, but aren’t they the most fun?

Well, if you can get past the fact that UT blows, I’d say heck yes.

Ghost of Neyland