What a crazy season. I don’t even know what to think now, and I thought I didn’t know what to think last week or the week before.
I hope that one thing that’s fun when you read what I have to say is that I am a true fan in every sense of the word. I’m schizo. I’m very up some weeks and at some moments and very down at others. I think that I don’t support Fulmer pretty consistently, but that’s about the only thing I don’t waver about.
Like Boomtown saying today that he hopes the Vols win out so we get whipped by either LSU or Bama in Atlanta. He’s the definition of a delusional Tide fan, so I’m not even the least bit angry about that comment. It’s been a wacky year. The only reason he says it is because he can feel confident with the way UT has been schizo (like me) this year, it isn’t going to make it to the championship game. Plus, in his heart of hearts, he doesn’t believe Bama will beat LSU either, I believe.
Personally, it would not surprise me one bit if Bama beat LSU because anything can happen this year.
This is a season where UT was lambasted by Florida by 40, turned around and dominated Georgia who turned around and abused the Gators. We looked fantastic against Georgia and like we didn’t belong on the field with UF and UA.
On Saturday, from my viewpoint in Section Y-9, we looked like both of those teams — the one I was proud of and the one I wanted to shoot. We were two completely different teams. In the first half, the Vols were every bit as good as they were against Georgia, coming up with crucial plays on defense and methodically moving the ball on offense to build a 21-0 lead.
In the second half, the defense looked like the one that was clueless against UA, UF and Cal as Blake Mitchell (that’s what I said) picked apart the secondary under absolutely zero pressure. The Vols tried to give SC the game in every way imaginable including Butterfingers Foster fumbling the ball forward for what would have been the game-clinching blunder in a second half filled with them.
But the defense came up big when it had to, and LaMarcus Coker saved UT with a terrific, field-reversing kick return to set up arguably the best kicker in the conference (we at least have to boast something, right?) for the game-tying field goal before eeking it out in overtime.
Wow.
It was sheer pandemonium in Knoxville. And, unbelievably, the Vols control their own destiny again. Insanity. I don’t know what to think. I was proud of the Vols on Saturday, and I was ashamed of them. It was an odd, odd feeling, I’ll tell you that.
Believe it or not, I’ll be pulling hard for Alabama this weekend because I want another shot at them. And I don’t think anybody who writes here or visits here can really grasp the sheer magnitude of what an Alabama-Tennessee (yes, I put Bammer first because y’all beat us this year) SEC Championship game would mean. It would be epic, is the only thing I can think of to say.
Oh well, it’s nice to dream. The Vols still have to play Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. I don’t think UT is a good football team, but it was gritty Saturday. That at least made me feel good. Despite Phillip Fulmer’s inexplicable decision to try and ice a good kicker with 1:30 left, Foster’s ridiculous fumble and Erik Ainge being called for a fumble when he got sacked, tried to throw the ball and could have been called for intentional grounding, the Vols overcame.
This is a team with decimated talent on the defensive line and defensive backfield and a dearth of experience at receiver (and sometimes brains at quarterback), but it persevered at a had-to time. Now, UT has won three of four against Steve Spurrier. I’m really speechless.
Capstone King did just pm me and say something like, “Congratulations on the false start to send the game into overtime. In the NFL, you’d have lost that game.” Typical Bama fan. Whatever. Last I checked Tennessee and Alabama played college football. It’s hard for me to get angry about Bammer fans’ digs at the Vols. We were simply outplayed two weeks ago. I don’t have a leg to stand on.
So, all I can do is sit here, let the season play out and keep my fingers crossed that we get another shot at Alabama. It’s laughable to think UT gets to Atlanta, but this whole season is laughable. Until then, I just have to take my medicine.
Ghost of Neyland
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“Like Boomtown saying today that he hopes the Vols win out so we get whipped by either LSU or Bama in Atlanta. He’s the definition of a delusional Tide fan, so I’m not even the least bit angry about that comment. It’s been a wacky year. The only reason he says it is because he can feel confident with the way UT has been schizo (like me) this year, it isn’t going to make it to the championship game. Plus, in his heart of hearts, he doesn’t believe Bama will beat LSU either, I believe.”
You don’t understand me.
I am not playing games. If we make it there, we will wipe the floor with UT, AGAIN. This is not some front I am putting up. (Don’t think because you do that, that we all do that.) Ya’ll had a nice run. It ended in 2001, and some of you still don’t believe it.
Check the results from last Saturday if you are still in doubt.
You’re insane.
And flat-out wrong.
But OK. You can think that, and it probably won’t mean anything to Tennessee fans to argue about it because we probably won’t get a chance to prove you wrong.
You cannot believe that Bama is 24 points better than UT. You cannot. Not even you are that ignorant.
You right.
It would be sort of ignorant to believe reality.
Look. This is the same GARBAGE that you presented as “fact” after the Cal game and the UF game. You were wrong then and you are wrong now.
Why do UT fans always try to argue with the result on the field?
All I said in so many words is I hope UT gets another chance at UA.
I don’t want to hear this garbage all year because, honestly, I don’t believe it.
I know UT is a flawed team. I know it. But I think Bama is, too.
Listen, I don’t have anything to support that I think UT is as good if not better than Alabama. I sure don’t have a 41-17 score like Bama fans do.
I can’t help what I think.
I don’t know that UT is a better team than Georgia. I don’t think we’re 40 points worse than Florida.
It’s been a crazy year.
And I think you guys will think the same thing if/when you lose to LSU, Auburn and Miss State.
It may or may not happen, but I mean, what can I say? Right now, Bama is certainly better because of the 41-17 win.
I just want UT to get another shot.
Look, I know I’m going to lose this argument.
I just want UT to get another shot at Bama. That’s all I want.
It’s not going to happen, but it would sure be nice.
It’s like a double-or-nothing game. LOL
You actually hit on a point that is right on in there.
From a UT fan perspective, a SEC title game win over UA would right all the wrongs associated with the program.
It means just that much.
It wouldn’t right “all the wrongs.” It would help.
What are “all the wrongs” associated with the program?
Chavis is gone. Fulmer can still save his job. What other “wrongs” are “associated” with the program??
I’m just curious.
You still think there’s a bunch of thugs up there or we can’t recruit or what? What is it? Just curious to see how a delusional Bama fan views the ills of Tennessee.
I think if UT makes the SECCG, Chavis keeps his job.
The horrible dilemma for the UT fan (and one Bama fans know intimately) is that there’s a real possibility of perceived success in a year when the SEC East champ is going to have 3 losses. Do you hope for one more loss that will force change ? It’s an easy jump from leader in the SEC East to “Why didn’t we take advantage of a year when the SEC East provided so much opportunity?” Or, do you go for immediate gratification and hope for the SECCG knowing that the teams around you (other than UK) will be getting stronger while you are mired in a program that currently is seeing it’s recruiting territory shrinking?
It’s not necessarily a good thing, but Tennessee doesn’t have a “recruiting territory.” We’ve been forced to recruit the country, which we’ve done quite well.
Chavis doesn’t keep his job under any circumstances, I don’t think.
And, believe it or not, I picked UT to go 10-3 this year. I don’t think it’s going to happen, but if it does, I’m not sure it’s “perceived success” for a team in Tennessee’s situation this year.
I think 10-3 was a realistic expectation. Four losses or five losses means fans are unhappy, but is it enough to get rid of Fulmer? Then, you get into the sticky territory.
Three losses is not a terrible season. I think Bama will have more. I think Tennessee will have more, unfortunately.
You lost your right to call me delusional when you said the UA-UT “game” was a fluke.
I will still address the rest, because I am a nice guy.
The wrongs that the UT fan would think are fixed would include Fulmer, his assistants, any immediate future recruiting snafus and UT’s position in relation to UA, the SEC, and the rest of the country.
Whether or not a victory would simply mask problems or actually fix them is anyone’s guess.
Basically, it would be exactly the same thing that is happening now just on a much larger scale.
LOL
TFiT basically hit the nail on the head.
We have a Dubose situation here.
Discuss Tennessee’s failures among yourselves.
I’m going to enjoy a good win by a Tennessee team that controls its own destiny.
And any year you can play for an SEC championship is a good year, so whatever.
And you’ve never, ever been a “nice guy,” Boom. Don’t fool yourself.
LOL
By recruiting territory, each of the states that were profitable for UT before are being locked down. Cali has too many good teams now and those kids are mostly staying home. Butch Davis (if he stays) is going to lock down NC, Spurrier and Bowden have closed the door on SC, and Saban is going to keep all the Huntsville kids in state. Tennessee as a state doesn’t produce that many good kids, and a lot of them are leaving. Fulmer made his mark by finding small niches out of state, but those are disappearing as the quality of coaches in the area is improving.
That’s always been said.
Tennessee has always found a way to get quality kids.
One thing those coaches have proven they can do is recruit. Look at last year’s class.
I won’t believe that until I see it.
It’s just a shame that this year is a year when the top player in the state of Tennessee has a Daddy who went to Bama and the No. 2 player in the state has been here one year after coming from Georgia.
So, it’ll look like we’ve “lost a hold” of the state when Jones goes to Bama and Jordan goes somewhere else.
There was never really a hold in Tennessee. As a state, Tennessee usually only produced one or two kids worth a darn, and there was always an excuse for them to go elsewhere. Fulmer has done well outside the state because he has to. Not knocking that, just pointing out how much harder that is getting and how much harder it will be this year with his firing all but in writing before this weekend.
UT has never had much of a hold on Tennessee. Alabama will take 3 out of the top 5 if they want this year and this isn’t the first time it’s been like that for UT.
For reference sake see Michael Oher, Pat Turner, Brandon Warren, Golden Tate, Alex Watkins, and Harrison Smith.
We’ve recruited pretty well despite those guys, I’d say.
And, in my opinion, the talent level in Tennessee is getting better.
That said, it’ll never reach that of Alabama, much less Florida, Texas, Miss, La., Cali or Ga.
And “never,” Boomtown?
You just went back about four years.
It used to be stunning when UT lost a Tennessee player like Antonio London.
So, I wouldn’t say “never.”
If you include Memphis as a part of Tennessee then the answer is, indeed, never.
Some of Tennessee’s best players have come from Memphis.
Now we own Memphis. As soon as y’all quit buying players from there, we locked down the borders.
LOL
Sure.
LOL
In my humble opinion, I think UT should recruit more in-state players. Like GON said, Tennessee will never have the caliber of HS players that Alabama and the other states have. However, Tennessee has some very good HS football programs (Riverdale, Maryville, Oak Ridge, MBA, Brentwood Academy, etc.). I personally do not like getting 70% of our players out of state (and moreover out of region). I’d much rather have a 3 star player who bleeds orange as opposed to a 5 star player using UT as a stepping stone to the NFL.
I agree.
My dad and I have this conversation all the time.
I’d rather have a bunch of in-state three-stars who want to play for UT than a bunch of four-stars from Hawaii and Cali.
Though some of those guys is nice, I don’t think we’ve emphasized in-state recruiting in the recent past.
So I’ve been gone all day and am trying to catch up, and as I’m reading through this post and all the comments, I get to one in particular and cringe because I happen to agree. With tidefanintn.
Does it irk me? Yes. But a good point is a good point. A win is a win, regardless of its beauty (or lack thereof). but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Stop talking about running the table; it was ballsy at the beginning of the year and it’s ballsy now. I’m all for being excited over the prospect of winning - really, I am - I’m just not feeling the need to exhaust myself emotionally over the highs and lows of Tennessee Football, version 2007. I prefer “cautiously optimistic” and I fail to see how that might make me less of a fan.
I would agree Amy, but I’m only “Talking about it.”
I don’t actually think it’s going to happen. But it’s OK to dream.
UT fans have a dream…..a dream that they could defeat that historical powerhouse………ULALA (Ooh-la-la, Obla Di Obla Da, or something like that.)
Then if they make it through that mind numbing matchup, they hope to overtake the unfathomable nightmare that is the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Let us wish upon a star and suppose they do the impossible and defeat the ‘Backs. What should await? Those swash-buckling pirates, the Vanderbilt Commodores! (Eeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarg! I’ll cut off ye Buffalo leg with me hook and feed it to yonder damsel! Yarg!)
What if UT walks that plank? Would they dare to advance? How could they? It is the Empire itself. The Kentucky Wildcats. Even if they use the force to overcome Darth Randy Sanders, they would still have to face the Emperor………Darth Rich Brooks.
With that kind of impossible schedule, I can see why UT fans think it’s a dream.
LOL
Everything seems impossible with three true freshmen starting in the defensive backfield — or two true freshman and a JC transfer who plays like a freshman.
I shudder to think of having to play LSU if we luck up.
I don’t understand that.
Alabama’s passing game is much much better than LSU.
Yet you think you win that game.
Go figure.
I don’t agree. I don’t think Bama’s passing game is as good as LSU’s with Doucet back.
I think those young receivers have had to carry the load, and with him back, they’re going to be excellent complimentary receivers.
I do think Bama has a fine passing team, but I just want another shot at them.
We’re not going to get into this again. I just think the outcome will be very different.
Regarding LSU’s passing game, I don’t think they have the attack that Bama does. Flynn reminds me of Patrick Nix. He looked brilliant one game in relief and so expectations for him are sky high, but the LSU ground game is making him look good. And even then, he doesn’t look that good. There is a reason that even when Jamarcus Russell was a shaky gambler who made bad decisions, he still started over Flynn. Doucet is a great receiver, but we can match him with Hall (if not out-match him). Caddell and McCoy have been both under-utilized and under-appreciated and it’s obvious with the fact that when they are called on in the clutch they always, always make the play.
It’s OK to disagree, right?
Sure, it’s ok to disagree. As long as we agree that it’s because you are wrong.
LOL
Only one of us can be right ALL the time.
Dibs