SouthEastern Sports Blog

We're Moving!

2008-12-19T00:32:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen,

An opportunity has been presented to me that I'm very humbled by, and am excited about pursuing.

I started SouthEastern Sports Blog in June 2006 a couple weeks after moving from Knoxville to southwest Virginia. And ever since, it's been an incredible release and a great joy in my life. It's enabled me to continue to share in the same sports conversations I had with friends and family when I lived in East Tennessee, and has been a great fulfillment of my spare time living here in rural America.

In the past six months, through Bleacher Report and through an association with The Big Orange Roundtable websites, SESB has increased her traffic by picking up the same 16,000 readers we saw in the first two years combined. We've been linked to at ESPN.com, are a regular on the Knoxville News-Sentinel's blog links, I've gotten to collaborate with several people both online and on radio, and more importantly, we've expanded our community to a host of new viewers. It's been largely through the networking with a handful of the Big Orange Roundtable sites - specifically Gate 21 (and lawvol, who's responsible for the graphics on this site), Third Saturday in Blogtober, and Rocky Top Talk.

While the numbers are exciting, this has always been purely for fun and not in an attempt to gain any sort of notoriety or anything like that. As such, I appreciate so very, very much those of you who've been reading here from the very beginning.

The reality of my life is getting ready to include seminary, both online and on campus full time for the next four years. Concerns of keeping things in their proper balance and not getting burned out, or seeing the site fall apart if I got especially busy, have been on my mind.

And so weighing those concerns and, simultaneously, a new opportunity that was presented to me, I've decided to leave SouthEastern Sports Blog to join the team at Rocky Top Talk.

Rocky Top Talk has been the first Tennessee website I check each day for the last six months - the quality of not just the writing, but the entire site, is simply outstanding as you can see from their list of College Football Blogger Award nominations and wins. So I was honored to be asked and will continue to be honored to serve on the team over there. I am very, very excited about all this and can't wait to get started there.

So first - thank you. Thanks to all of you who've spent some time here, at any point over the last few years. Specifically, thanks to Kory & Amy, Webb, Coach Marsh, Justin & Caroline, Ryan, my parents and all the other people who've been continuing the conversation from Knoxville with me on here.

Thanks to my man Jeff, who's also in the balance of life between ministry and a few minutes on the keyboard, for contributing some great stuff on the site during these last few months. Outside the sports world, you can check out Jeff's personal blog here.

And thanks to the new faces I've gotten to share with, from the outstanding community at Bleacher Report, to Jay & Al at Gridiron Breakdown, to all the Big Orange Roundtable sites whose work I've enjoyed.

I hope all of you, if you're not reading there already, will join us over at Rocky Top Talk - you have to register a free account at SBNation, but then you can jump right in on any of the conversations (or the always entertaining in-game threads). The stuff you'll get from me will be the same, just with a different address. And the stuff you'll get from the other guys at RTT is already top notch. I cannot imagine a better team to work with.

I'm going on vacation from December 22 - January 3, so I won't be officially starting at Rocky Top Talk until Monday, January 5. If vacation gets boring, you might find a few brief notes from me on here between now and then, before we move over to Rocky Top Talk for good at the start of the new year. But there's still excellent stuff going on at RTT right now.

So thanks again. Please come join us. And I hope your Christmas and your New Year is full of joy and life.

Grace and Peace,

Will

Vols 80 Marquette 68 - Off the Deck

2008-12-17T00:13:00.000-05:00

We keep waiting to be disappointed by Bruce Pearl's teams, keep waiting for that fallout period...but the Vols just don't lose very often these days, and when they do, they come off the deck throwing punches.

Against a talented and experienced Marquette team with three senior guards that could've given them fits, the Vols wisely put the thin Golden Eagles in foul trouble from start to finish (taking advantage of a night where the refs clearly decided beforehand that every questionable contact call was going to be a charge), shook off a slow start to score 48 points in the second half, and continued to display that they're more than Tyler Smith to the national consciousness.

With JP Prince still out, the Vols turned to a re-inspired Wayne Chism, who went career high with 26 points and 10 rebounds, including an incredible seven-for-seven stretch in the second half capped by a h-u-g-e three. That gave the Vols a lead they would never relinquish, forcing the Marquette players who hadn't fouled out to jack threes instead of doing what they do best, and the end result was another 12 point win over a Big East team.

Last year, when the Vols were winning games by a smaller margin than I thought they should and Chris Lofton was struggling (and none of us knew about his cancer situation), I told several of my friends that I was worried we'd make the Final Four and I'd not enjoy it along the way. This year, I know we're young and expect bumps in the road (thought not quite the pothole Temple was)...but there's a level of grace with this team that makes it feel even better when the Vols pull out another big win like this.

With Chism's performance tonight, you have to put him and Prince in that group of three who can each take over a game under the right circumstances. Combine that with heady play at the point (Bobby Maze is 4-to-1 assist/turnover) and a group of shooters that, while not Lofton/JaJuan (and who would be?), must be respected. We're still growing.

The W puts Tennessee at 7-2, with Belmont and Louisiana-Lafayette in Knoxville between them and a 9-2 mark entering 2009, where they'll face the most difficult month in Tennessee basketball history: at Kansas, vs Gonzaga, at Georgia, vs Kentucky, vs South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs Memphis, vs LSU, vs Florida.

Welcome, once again, to bigtime college basketball.

Furcal back to the Braves?

2008-12-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

In a somewhat surprising move this morning, ESPN is announcing that Rafael Furcal, who spent six great seasons in Atlanta from 2000-2005, is ready to return to Turner Field for less money than the Oakland A's were offering him. Furcal has spent the last three seasons with the Dodgers and has continued to make a name for himself as one of the game's best leadoff hitters.

Once finalized, this move would make Atlanta shortstop Yunel Escobar one of the hottest shortstop commodities on the trade market, which should give the Braves what they need to go out and make a deal for a bigtime pitcher (read: Jake Peavy). Escobar's prowess and upside at shortstop is great, but putting Furcal back in the mix - and the Braves haven't made the playoffs since Furcal left Atlanta, for what it's worth - also puts more pop in the lineup. Adding an ace, resigning John Smoltz and putting Furcal in there makes Atlanta's chances for a postseason run in 2009 much better than they were a few weeks ago.

Random Thoughts - Monday December 15

2008-12-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

Where I've lost my third XBOX 360 to The Red Eye of Death, which also doubled as my DVD player, so we've been enjoying repeat viewings of The Dark Knight on my laptop...

"May your first child be a masculine child..."
The Family is coming together.

Monte Kiffin officially announced that he will be joining son Lane in Knoxville next fall as the Vols' defensive coordinator. The elder Kiffin has been the defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay since 1996, coinciding with Tampa's rise to football relevance and the implementation of Kiffin's Tampa 2 scheme, coming soon to SEC offenses near you. He'll inherit most of the talent from the nation's #4 defense in 2008. Good times ahead.

Monte was always a big part of the Lane hire looking good, and thanks to Gene Chizik and Charles Barkley, the Vols' hire will now be less scruntinzed everywhere but Knoxville. If there was anyway to ease the pain from John Chavis' departure, Monte Kiffin was it. I like where this can go.

Next stop - this guy. Tell 'em about it, Jo Jo!

#16 Tennessee vs. #24 Marquette in Nashville

The SEC/Big East whatever they're calling it features two teams that, at the very least, are fun to watch tomorrow night at 9:30. Check out the detailed preview from The Bruce Ball Blog.

The Vols will have to come off the deck fast after Temple reality checked them on Saturday. JP Prince is still doubtful at best with a severely sprained ankle, and the Golden Eagles use three guards at once better than just about anyone in the nation, which almost carried them deep into March last season. For the young Vols on the perimeter who just got lit up by Christmas in Philadelphia, they'll have to rebound quickly to slow Marquette in Nashville.

The Vols will leave Nashville and return to TBA for games against Belmont and the Rajun Cajuns before the non-conference madness continues. We're still not sure exactly what we've got with this team that beat Georgetown (who beat Memphis) and lost to Gonzaga (who lost to Arizona), and the last glimpse from the Temple game wasn't promising. Not that Belmont isn't capable and won't be ready to spring an upset, but the real proof will come in the three non-conference tests between now and the start of SEC play: Marquette in Nashville tomorrow night, at Kansas on January 3, and the Gonzaga rubber match in Knoxville on January 7. 2-1 in those three games would be great. If the Vols have it going well enough to win tomorrow night against this Marquette team after playing so poorly just 72 hours earlier against Temple, I'll be very impressed.

Titans: Two Weeks to the Playoffs

(Cortland Finnegan: SHORYUKEN!)

The bad news is that Al Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch are out for Sunday's AFC home field advantage showdown against Pittsburgh. The good news is, both will be back for the playoffs.

The Titans could backdoor their way to HFA if Pittsburgh beats them and then loses in Week 17 to Cleveland and the Titans beat Indianapolis in Indy...but right now neither route seems particularly desirable.

There are a few folks who are jumping off the bandwagon (and jumping on the "put Vince Young in the game!" ship, which is insanity.) Sunday's game will help decide not only home field advantage, but the real direction of this Titans team. The 10-0 start has turned into a 2-2 bump in the road in the last four weeks - and it may be only that - but the Steelers will be the best gage of that.

Sadly, the game won't be flexed to NBC's Sunday night slot, which goes to Carolina and the Giants.

The Celtics are on pace to win 75 games

Again, I'm just saying.

Since we've already mentioned several cinematic classics in this post, allow me to bring up another: Boston will be envoking Rocky IV next week by going into the belly of the beast on Christmas Day, for what is without question the first must-see Christmas TV NBA game for me, when the 22-2 Celtics travel to Los Angeles to face the 20-3 Lakers.

There's 3/4 of the season left to be played, and Cleveland is certainly hot as well - but if Boston beats Utah tonight, they'll match the all-time best NBA start of 23-2. That mark is currently held by the Jordan Bulls team that went 72-10, which is the best record in NBA history. For now.

...again, I'm just saying.

And finally...

You didn't really think we'd show one Ed Orgeron video classic and not show the other, did you?

The man. The legend. The next recruiting coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

Be afraid.

Titans lose to Houston; Haynesworth injured

2008-12-14T16:16:00.003-05:00

As Mike Keith stated as the game drew to a close, the difference between the Titans this year and last (when, remember, they were a playoff team) is that the '07 Titans kicked field goals and the '08 Titans score touchdowns. Untimely turnovers and the inability to do that today cost them in a 13-12 loss to Houston, which will now set up a home field showdown next week with Pittsburgh regardless of what the Steelers do with the Ravens today.

Playing without Kyle Vanden Bosch and struggling to slow Steve Slaton, who became only the second back this season to go for 100+ yards against Tennessee, the Titans took a potentially even bigger blow when Al Haynesworth was injured on the next to last significant play of the game - Slaton picked up a game-clinching first down on the next play.

I didn't see it because the good folks at CBS think people in southwest Virginia just love to watch the Jets and the Bills (...which was a good game), but Frank Wycheck broke a cardinal rule of announcing by speculating that Haynesworth has an MCL injury that will sideline him 4-6 weeks. So I'm breaking the cardinal rule of blogging by passing that assumption onto you.

The Steelers should be in a dogfight for sixty minutes in Baltimore this afternoon, so I'm unsure what they'll have for the Titans in Nashvegas next Sunday. But if Haynesworth is out for an extended period of time, Tennessee's chances of extending their January football just took a huge, huge blow.

With or without the loss and Haynesworth, the game with the Steelers will be the biggest game at LP Field since Steve McNair and Eddie George wore baby blue. Hopefully, the Titans will be playing it at full strength...stay tuned.

Just Kidding: Fulmer declines administrative position

2008-12-12T16:52:00.002-05:00

Apparently, this is all about retirement benefits, insurance, and the ire of a faculty and staff during a budget crisis and a hiring freeze. But Fulmer will not be an employee of the University of Tennessee; the article from the News-Sentinel claims, appropriately, that Fulmer will continue to volunteer his efforts for the university in a similar capacity.

Something big going down at Auburn?...

2008-12-12T10:36:00.002-05:00

We just don't know what it is yet.

A local affiliate in Montgomery reported that Steve Spurrier would be named Auburn's next head coach....but down in Mobile, they like their reporting with a dash of Will Muschamp.

Keep in mind that a small market Tennessee affiliate reported incorrectly that the Vols were offering their job to Mike Leach when we were going through this process last month. Obviously one of these reports is incorrect, and if they both are I wouldn't bat an eye. It is, however, fascinating to see the wildfire rumor spreading that's usually reserved for internet message boards make its way, probably in part because of them, to the affiliated mainstream media.

As always, stay tuned...

I mean, come on.

2008-12-11T22:51:00.000-05:00

- Eric Berry lost the Thorpe Award - supposedly for the nation's best defensive back - to a guy who had three interceptions all season. Berry, who apparently can only be stopped by voters (like most Tennessee players up for individual awards), had seven INTs this season, two touchdowns, 13 more tackles than Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins, and an infinitely better highlight reel. Others have written that Berry should be a Heisman candidate, but apparently he can't even be rightfully recognized as the best DB in the nation.

- Tim Tebow won the Maxwell Award as the nation's best player. The gag reflex here really goes to anyone around him with a microphone; I'm pretty sure Tebow could've gone home with anyone wearing a press pass in the greater Orlando area tonight. His play and his life, apparently, brought grown men to tears. Look, Timmy, stop telling me how blessed you are. My personal theology doesn't support it.

- Dave Clawson, who was the catalyst of Phillip Fulmer's downfall in my humble opinion, has gone from a head coach at lower-level Richmond, to offensive coordinator at Tennessee, to new head coach at Bowling Green. We call that a promotion around these parts. Because it makes total sense to promote this guy after the offensive season we had.

- Lane Kiffin has told Tajh Boyd and now Bryce Petty that they're not for us. So does this mean we're going to be playing quarterback with one of the same three guys who tried it this year? Surely there's a better option out there...

Dan Mullen to Mississippi State

2008-12-10T15:32:00.003-05:00

Pat Forde at ESPN.com is reporting that the Bulldogs will hire Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen as their next head coach. It is still uncertain whether or not Mullen will remain with the Gators through the National Championship game, or if he'll leave for Starkville to hit the recruiting trail right away (as did David Cutcliffe at Ole Miss in 1998 before the Vols played for the crystal ball).

I'm not sure you call it overcorrection, but hiring the playcaller for the Gators is a good start on curing what ails your offense. And whether Mullen stays or goes, I'd say nobody likes this news more than the Sooners today.

Picking the 2008 College Football Award Winners

2008-12-09T19:31:00.001-05:00

On Thursday night at 7:30, ESPN will once again televise the College Football Awards Show, which will see a dozen awards presented plus name the Walter Camp All-American team. And since the Heisman Trophy still gets its own night and I'll be celebrating 11 years of not watching it, here's the breakdown and my picks for who should win everything else on Thursday night:

Davey O'Brien Award - Best QB
Finalists:
- Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
- Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
- Colt McCoy, Texas

It's the Big 12 South's party and Tim Tebow isn't invited. And perhaps rightfully so, because the numbers on these three guys, with each playing in an elite BCS conference, are staggering. The same round robin argument can't really be used to pick a winner here because they split against each other, and the stats also leave you with questions: Harrell threw for the most yards, Bradford the most touchdowns, and McCoy had the highest completion percentage.

In such a tight race, you need something to stand out. Harrell will continue to be somewhat overlooked, even if unfairly, because of the system he plays in. Between McCoy and Bradford, the edge has to go to McCoy not only because Texas beat OU, but for the way McCoy has made plays with his feet as well all season. In other years the seasons Bradford and Harrell have put up would've been good enough to win...but in 2008 the nod has to go to Colt McCoy.

Will's Pick: Colt McCoy

Doak Walker Award - Best RB
Finalists:
- Shonn Greene, Iowa
- Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
- Javon Ringer, Michigan State

No disrespect to the SEC pick, but Moreno doesn't have the numbers to be in the conversation between these two. It's questionable where Donald Brown from UConn is in this race, but these are the finalists so we'll play the hand we're dealt.

Again, the numbers differ: Greene has more yards, Ringer more touchdowns. When the two teams played head to head, Michigan State won the game, but Greene outgained him by sixty yards. Therefore...

Will's Pick: Shonn Greene

Fred Biletnikoff Award - Best WR
Finalists:
- Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
- Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
- Jeremy Maclin, Missouri

Crabtree is going to win because he's developed a better name recognition than the other two guys, even thought they've both had outstanding seasons as well; Bryant has more receiving yards than Crabtree, and Maclin has done more from an all-purpose standpoint.

But Crabtree has the definitive play of the year in college football to go along with his name value, and outplayed Bryant head to head. All great players this season, but I see no way Crabtree doesn't walk home with the trophy.

Will's Pick: Michael Crabtree

Outland Trophy - Best Interior Lineman
Finalists:
- Michael Oher, Ole Miss
- Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
- Andre Smith, Alabama

An interesting mix that features the best lineman on the best offense in college football for a team that'll play for the National Championship, the best interior lineman on an Alabama unit that just missed the same prize...and Michael Oher, who's done more with less than both of them.

All three have NFL mega-dollars in their futures, and have had accomplished seasons, but Robinson and Smith are just part of the show...Oher is the show for the Ole Miss offense. That for me helps separate him from this crowded field (plus, did you know that an Oklahoma player has won the Outland Trophy five different times already?)

Will's Pick: Michael Oher

Jim Thorpe Award - Best DB
Finalists:
- Eric Berry, Tennessee
- Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
- Taylor Mays, USC

The other two guys are very good players with great name recognition. Eric Berry is a great player.

Berry owns the SEC records for single season INT return yardage and career INT return yardage. He's a sophomore.

Berry recorded seven picks this season and took three back for touchdowns, and tried to kill Knowshon Moreno, an Alabama wide receiver and three guys on South Carolina's offense during an INT return.

Even if I take off my orange-tinted glasses, Berry is a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2009. This will be a nice start.

Will's Pick: Eric Berry (son)

Chuck Bednarik Award - Best Defensive Player
Finalists:
- James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
- Aaron Maybin, Penn State
- Ray Maualuga, USC

If Maualuga was healthy all season, he wins this. But you can't overlook the insane production of Maybin, another sophomore who could take hom the trophy. Laurinaitis is solid and led the Buckeye defense, no surprise. But Maybin was much more destructive with 12 sacks and almost 20 TFLs. Laurinaitis may win on the career factor, but Maybin was a bigger force on a better team in 2008.

Will's Pick: Aaron Maybin

Maxwell Award - Best Overall Player
Finalists:
- Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
- Colt McCoy, Texas
- Tim Tebow, Florida

If Tebow wasn't good enough to make the O'Brien finalist list, and McCoy was a better choice than Harrell there...you have to go with McCoy again here. Plain and simple.

Will's Pick: Colt McCoy, Texas

Home Depot Coach of the Year
There are no finalists that I can find for this award, but let me throw some names at you:
- Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
- Brian Kelly, Cincinnati
- Mike Leach, Texas Tech
- Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
- Houston Nutt, Ole Miss
- Joe Paterno, Penn State
- Nick Saban, Alabama
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Now, as much as it pains me to say it...don't we have to give this award to Saban? None of the other guys on this list went further with fewer national expectations, and I'm willing to bet that Saban does more than Paterno these days, who is the only real comparison.

Will's Pick: Nick Saban

Walter Camp All-America Team
...or we could call it my own personal All-American squad:

QB Colt McCoy, Texas
RB Donald Brown, UConn
RB Shonn Greene, Iowa
WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri
OL Michael Oher, Ole Miss
OL Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
OL Andre Smith, Alabama
OL A.Q. Shipley, Penn State
OL Max Unger, Oregon

DL Aaron Maybin, Penn State
DL Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
DL Brian Orakpo, Texas
DL Terrence Cody, Alabama
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
LB Ray Maualuga, USC
LB Brandon Spikes, Florida
DB Eric Berry, Tennessee
DB Macho Harris, Virginia Tech
DB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
DB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest

K Graham Gano, Florida State
P Louie Sakoda, Utah

Agree or disagree? Feel free to leave your picks for any/all of these awards in the comments. You can also vote at ESPN.com on the awards to be presented Thursday night, where the fan vote helps determine who takes home the trophy.

I hope to be watching the Heisman presentation for the first time this decade next year when Eric Berry becomes the next Vol to be screwed out of the award. It can be a bitter time to be a Vol fan, folks, and sometimes it comes out like this...what can I say.

SESB @ Bleacher Report as Community Leader for Tennessee Football

2008-12-09T18:12:00.000-05:00

I've enjoyed posting some of the stuff from SESB over at Bleacher Report over the summer and fall, and agreed over the weekend to join Michael Shibley as the community leader for Tennessee Football on the site.

While you'll find a little bit of everything at B/R, in my opinion you'll also find some very talented writers and excellent discussion on the full spectrum of sports throughout the site. It's a great place to find good stuff about your favorite team in all sports...

And if you've been thinking "You know, I'd love to write about some of this stuff...", Bleacher Report is a great place to get started. Anybody can contribute, and we're looking to bolster the Tennessee section as we speak. As community leader I'll be filtering through all the Tennessee Football stuff to help highlight the best out there. I'll also continue to copy and paste relevant stuff from SESB to Bleacher Report (and you still won't find anything I do on B/R that didn't make its way here first), and will continue to engage in community outreach at B/R for the growth of the site and for SESB, using other writers and community leaders there in different ways down the road, hopefully much like the interview piece I did recently with LSU community leader Justin Goar (who just won a trip to the BCS National Championship Game as the best college football writer at B/R this season, so congrats to him).

So as always, thanks so much for reading here - we'll still be putting all our stuff on SESB first, but we're also looking to increase the quality of the Tennessee stuff at Bleacher Report. Come check out the community, engage in the discussion there, and feel free to contribute some writing as well. All in the name of free speech and Tennessee Football.

Still a Vol: Phillip Fulmer Accepts Administrative Position with University of Tennessee

2008-12-08T16:00:00.003-05:00

The University of Tennessee has announced today that ex-coach Phillip Fulmer will remain at Tennessee as a special assistant to the university president, John Petersen. Check out the full story from WBIR in Knoxville.

For me personally, this is great, great news. Any wounds that are still open as most of Vol Nation moves on with Lane Kiffin just got healed a little more, because we won't have to see Fulmer wearing anything other than the Power T and the right shade of orange. This certainly doesn't rule out Fulmer coaching in the future, but does keep him in the program, the family, and as anything positive he can be for Lane Kiffin. This is, to me, the best news the program has had in a long time - Fulmer detractors have their new man who's working hard on the recruiting trail, and Fulmer supporters still have him in the program. Let the healing begin...even if it's slow, the Vols are making steps in the right direction.

Vol fans will also get a chance to see Monte Kiffin's defense tonight as Tampa Bay takes on Carolina on Monday Night Football. Combined with today's news that Eric Berry was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, this is a great day to be a Tennessee Vol.

Eric Berry vs. Case of the Mondays

2008-12-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Eric Berry vs. SEC Defensive Player of the Year
The '09 Heisman campaign continues.

The real story here isn't that Berry was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The real story is whoever didn't vote Berry for first team All-SEC, as his selection there wasn't unanimous. This person should be hunted down and stripped of their vote. I'm sure Berry's on it as we speak.

Check out the full All-SEC teams (Anthony Parker and Robert Ayers named to the second team) and the other SEC awards from the News-Sentinel here.

In the morning hours that I've been up and enjoying my day off today, thus far I've channeled my rage into a Facebook group (Eric Berry > Charles Woodson), and have spent even more time reliving the one good thing that we've got - thought you might enjoy too:

Eric Berry vs. Knowshon Moreno & Georgia

Eric Berry vs. 360 (from Losers with Socks)

Eric Berry vs. Vanderbilt

Eric Berry vs. 2007 (via Rocky Top Talk)

SESB on Bleacher Report: Interview on John Chavis & LSU

2008-12-04T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to an interview piece I did with Justin Goar, the LSU Community Leader and lead writer at Bleacher Report. Justin's also one of the best overall college football guys at B/R, so it was my pleasure to share my ramblings - and believe me, that's what they are - on the potential of John Chavis joining the LSU staff.

AOL FanHouse: Eric Berry for Heisman NOW

2008-12-04T10:01:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Your Mom and Wilt Chamberlain for bringing this to our attention this morning - Ray Holloman at AOL FanHouse has a well written article on giving the Heisman trophy to the most outstanding player in college football (I know, right?).

His vote goes to Eric Berry. Not next year. Right now.

Check out the article...consider this the preliminary buildup for when we're talking about this award for real next year.

275 days.

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor: Tommy Tuberville Resigns at Auburn

2008-12-03T20:46:00.002-05:00

If this hasn't been the most volatile college football season I've ever seen, I'm sure all the coaches who are somehow still employed don't want to imagine it. Here's the story at ESPN.com.

Here's a resignation that, in many ways and in my humble estimation, makes even less sense than Fulmer's. If you didn't believe the Vols and Auburn were really just the same team all season, this confirmed it.

The ESPN report names Mike Leach as an early candidate, surprise surprise. Either way, this makes Mississippi State's search an even bigger grind since better jobs just keep coming open.

Set the early over/under at SEC coaches who aren't safe next year at five. But I hope the pendulum swings back towards stability for the sake of all these guys, their families, and the realistic expectations of SEC fanbases everywhere.

Random Thoughts - Wednesday December 3

2008-12-03T15:37:00.000-05:00

Where 45 degrees in Ceres is a heat wave baby!

I'm over it
I've been trying to find ways to feel good about college football this week, as we're in the beginning stages of our relationship with Coach Kiffin. I'm trying to allow interest to overcome hatred in looking towards the SEC Championship Game. I'm trying to live vicariously through Virginia Tech up here as they prepare for the ACC Championship Game.

But neither of those two things make me feel any better about Tennessee. And though I think Lane Kiffin continues to do a good job in his three days as our head coach, reading about him tearing up the state on the recruiting trail doesn't exactly fill the void.

I thought about going back through my massive Vol Network DVD collection and reliving the good times, but there's too much Fulmer there for me right now. Eventually I will make my way around to the Perfect10n DVD box set, available now just in time for the Christmas rush for the Vol fan(s) on your list. But not right now.

Even playing the 2009 season on NCAA Football 09 on my XBOX360 is ringing hollow, because I'm pretty sure those Vols are a little better than what we're going to see in real life next year.

(EDIT: Maybe now even moreso that the Vols have apparently told 4-star Hampton, VA QB Tajh Boyd, previously a firm commit, that they're going in a different direction. Lane Kiffin: testing your trust early. Story comes from Boyd's father via Mike Farrell at Rivals.)

I'm also getting ready to start seminary, both online and on campus during the summer months at Asbury Theological Seminary outside Lexington, KY (where my theory that Kentucky fans are the second most annoying in the SEC behind Georgia will certainly be put to the test). Friends of mine who are a step ahead of me in that process have told me I'd better do any pleasure reading I want to now before it's countless pages of theology that I may or may not care about on that particular day.

But since there's really nothing that jumps out and grabs me in that realm right now, last night I picked up Dixieland Delight again and went back to that old familiar feeling of the Vols being good, reading in the first chapter about Clay Travis' experiences at the Tennessee/California game in Knoxville '06. It's a similar situation, then and now, off the heels of something so terrible and yet clinging to any reason to believe that we're still Tennessee and we're still going to compete on a national level right away.

In talking about Kiffin on Monday I called for patience. Then last night I read this on page 35:

When I went to college on the East Coast I was amazed that people at George Washington University basketball games didn't fill their seats well before the ball was tipped. I remember asking another student from the Northeast where all the fans were before one game and he looked at me like I was crazy, "The game hasn't even started yet," he said. The game hasn't started yet? Please. In Knoxville, this game started over nine months ago, when the 2005 season ended. The stadium is full.

That's right. The Western Kentucky game - or UCLA if ESPN wants some Labor Day action again - has started. 276 days. Let's go.

In the meantime, we still have Bruce Pearl
I have a shirt that just says ROCKY TOP on it that I'm wearing today, because we're channeling all this football angst into something positive. So thank God for Bruce Pearl, who's giving us a reason to beat our chests as Vol Nation even when the best the football program can do right now is Lane Kiffin's wife and a Saturday nine months away.

The Vols take on UNC-Asheville tonight (7:00 PM - SportSouth), who are playing without that gigantic dude and just got beat by North Carolina by 68 points. You can check out the game preview from The Bruce Ball Blog right here.

I will say that it was nice to see the voters in the college basketball AP poll actually do pay attention - my assumption was that the Vols were going to drop after losing to Gonzaga, but instead the voters rewarded them for the 2-1 weekend in Orlando by jumping the Vols two spots to #10. The Zags soar to #5 and perhaps rightfully so; we'll see them again for the rubber match in Knoxville on January 7.

This may be asking for it, but right now the Vols are clearly the best team in the SEC - every game I've watched our competition play, I've been unimpressed. I've seen Kentucky get owned by North Carolina, Florida lose to Syracuse, Alabama lose to Oregon...and even Memphis stumbled against Xavier.

This goes together with the following SEC losses:

- College of Charleston over South Carolina, 82-80
- Loyola-Illinois over Georgia, 74-53
- VMI over Kentucky, 111-103
- Missouri State over Arkansas, 62-57
- Mercer over Alabama, 72-69
- Mercer, Dayton and Northern Iowa all beating Auburn

The conference as a whole is down, and even if the Vols are retooling, they're the best team right now and that shouldn't change between December and March.

After tonight's test, they'll take a ten day break for finals before two tests in four days away from Knoxville: at Temple on December 13, and against #25 Marquette in Nashville for the SEC/Big East Challenge on December 16. From there, it's back to Knoxville for two lightweights (Belmont and Louisiana-Lafayette) around Christmas, before January strikes with Kansas, Gonzaga and the SEC opener.

The Vols were a bad half away from winning the Old Spice Classic, and hopefully the performance against Georgetown will continue to look good as the season plays on. Scotty Hopson needs to play with a little more confidence, and Wayne Chism continues to not quite be all that he should be in my opinion. Still, I've liked Maze, Negedu, Woolridge and Tatum much more thru six games than I thought I would. They're going to have some lapses along the way, but I still believe this Tennessee team can be very competitive in March. Hopefully the growth process continues tonight against Asheville.

Giving more attention to the in-state football team that deserves it:
No, not Alcoa High School.

The Titans took about two seconds to get over the Jets game last Thursday, demolishing the hapless Lions 47-10 to move to 11-1 on the year. This means only an 0-4 finish for the Titans combined with a 4-0 run for the Colts would keep Tennessee from winning the AFC South for the first time since 2002. Beyond that, the Titans have two games on Pittsburgh for the best record in the AFC (though they'll play each other in Nashville in Week 16) - home field advantage would obviously be great and should be attainable, but just getting the first round bye is the matter of first importance, and like the division it would take an almost total collapse to prevent that from happening.

I say that in part because the schedule brings Cleveland to Nashville this week followed by a trip to Houston, two teams with nothing to play for. The Browns are on their third option at quarterback (Ken Dorsey, ladies and gentlemen!) and may have quit on their coach. So the Titans should have the bye locked up in the next two weeks, and then play the Steelers with home field on the line. Then maybe we'll get to return the favor by resting our starters in Week 17 and letting Indy slide in the playoffs this year.

The makeup of this team, especially on offense, continues to amaze me. Kerry Collins is just coming to work every week, completing around 60% of his passes with a 9-4 TD/INT ratio. He's doing this in a lineup where the top two pass catchers are still the tight end and the tailback.

That tailback, Chris Johnson, will get to 1,000 yards rushing this week while continuing to make every single one of us look stupid. If you find a Titans fan who liked this kid when they drafted him in the first round back in April, you've found a liar.

And the defense continues to be the weekly high scorer on my 5-8 fantasy team: Cortland Finnegan has five picks while Chris Hope and Michael Griffin have four each. And Al Haynesworth has 8.5 sacks and is on pace to have the most destructive season as a DT since La'Roi Glover set the NFL record with 17 sacks back in 2000. The only better defense than the Titans when you crunch the numbers this season?

Pittsburgh, again: thru 12 games the Steelers have given up 170 points, the Titans 175.

Two old AFC Central rivals appear on a collision course for the AFC's best record.

You want no part of the Indiana Pacers
A complete afterthought who was given no mention of playoff contention by neither Jeff nor I in our NBA Preview is 5-10 against the rest of the league...and 2-0 against the Celtics and Lakers.

Last night they laughed off a 15 point 4th quarter hole, held Michael Jordan to three points in the second half, then capped it off with South Bend's finest, Troy Murphy, who tipped in a shot as time expired to give Indiana the upset win.

A tip of the cap to Larry Legend and Jim O'Brien, but the real story here continues to be the Celtics and Lakers. The loss last night drops the Lakers to merely 14-2, and LA is still outscoring the opposition by a dozen points a night on average. Meanwhile the C's are 17-2 and continue to dispose of the Eastern Conference's challengers on a weekly basis, humbling Orlando most recently. 17-2 is a 73-9 pace, which would make the Celtics the best regular season team of all time. I mean, these guys have to have something to play for the 80 times they're not playing the Lakers.

Actually, we make that point to say this: not so quietly, Cleveland is also off to a torrid 14-3 start (they lost to the Celtics on opening night). All anyone wants to talk about is where LBJ is going to end up, but don't sleep on the Cavs right now. I still think you're not being rational if you think this season is going to end up with anything different than the Finals matchup we saw last season, at least until we see how the trade deadline plays out, but LeBron's story will continue to be interesting from a number of angles throughout the year.

Oh yeah: Celtics and Pacers, tonight at the New Garden, 7:30. They play again Sunday in Indy. Look out...

The Braves fill a spot in the rotation
Because it's always nice when all five of my teams are relevant at the same time.

An Atlanta rotation that right now looks like Jair Jurrjens, Jorge Campillo and lots of prayer will now add Javier Vazquez to the mix after a six player trade with the White Sox. In the last ten years Vazquez ranks second in strikeouts and third in innings pitched, and I'm sure he'll enjoy the more comfortable confines of the National League.

This isn't the ace Atlanta wanted when they almost got Jake Peavy a few weeks ago, which suggests to me that they're still out there. If not Peavy, AJ Burnett's name has popped up in conversation, who would also be a welcome addition at Turner Field.

So far the Braves have managed to keep their lineup intact without selling the future for a big name like Peavy. They still are in need of an outfielder, and are continuing to work out the situation with John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. Mike Hampton signed with the Astros this week, and I wish him all the best. Tim Hudson may be able to be counted on around September next season, which would be a nice bonus if the Braves were still in contention then.

The Vazquez deal isn't overly flashy, but I like it for Atlanta and so far Frank Wren has kept it together for an organization that would very much like to be playing in October again. Stay tuned...

From the Big Orange Roundtable: Helping a Child in Need

2008-12-02T15:13:00.000-05:00

Third Saturday in Blogtober is raising money and awareness for seven year old Caleb Gill, a little boy from south-central Tennessee who's battling a brain tumor. You can read more about Caleb, his family and his story at Third Saturday's site, where you can also make a donation to assist them with their medical expenses. They include a link to his Caring Bridge site where you can hear even more about what's going on.

Please take some time to check out his story, and support this family with your prayers and anything else you're able to give. We trust that God is with Caleb and all of us each step of the way, and hope you'll join in the journey with them.

Moving Forward: Lane Kiffin

2008-12-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

One of the most true things I know in life is that people will see what they want to see.

If you want to be negative today, you can use numbers like 33 or 5-15.

If you want to be positive, you see that 33 a little differently, and tack the word "experience" onto the 5-15 mark in Oakland.

Either way, as the 2008 season is officially put to bed and all Vol fans turn towards 2009 with literally the longest offseason in program history in front of us, we have to realize a couple of things.

One - putting Lane Kiffin over to the side for a moment, wasn't 2008 as bad as it's ever going to get in many ways to be a Tennessee Vol?

A team with championship expectations went 5-7. The games they won were against UAB, Northern Illinois, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Kentucky - nothing you'd write home about. The Vols fielded the worst offense in the modern history of the program that was literally unwatchable for many who just stopped coming to Neyland Stadium.

A Tennessee legend was painfully forced out after 35 years of service to his university, and a head coaching career that included a National Championship.

And Saturday night, one year after we were there in the Georgia Dome, the SEC Championship Game will feature #1 Alabama vs. #2 Florida, winner goes to the BCS National Championship Game.

This season has been in the depths of despair.

Three weeks ago the downward spiral stopped, at some point during the off week between the loss to Wyoming and the season ending wins over Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Beating our annual whipping posts doesn't signal that everything's going to be alright, but it certainly didn't make it worse.

And seeing Phillip Fulmer exit the field victorious - and with a smile on his face - helped me things more okay, at least for me.

We can all agree that 2008 was a disaster. And I will probably go my whole life without seeing a more difficult season on a holistic level than this one for the University of Tennessee. I certainly hope so.

But two - understand that this makes life very much easier for Lane Kiffin.

You'll see what you want to see. If you loved watching Kiffin channel Jim Tressel in the press conference today by talking about beating Florida next year (and astute fans will remember that Tressel's Buckeyes went 6-6 in his first season...but did beat Michigan. And then won the National Championship the next year. I'm just saying.) - if you enjoyed the press conference, if you wanna get all "There's gonna be CHANGE!" crazy the way many have experience in doing from early November, if you're already talking yourself into an instant turnaround whether you hated Phillip Fulmer or not...

...remember that Dave Clawson and Buzz Peterson won the press conference too. Then remember that the Clawfense was built up from that day until it hit the field in Los Angeles. Then remember where we are now.

The press conference is meaningless in September. And September is what counts.

The only thing I remember about Bruce Pearl's press conference was him saying that a number of guys had walked thru that door in the last few years and walked out 3-4 years later because they didn't get it done, and that if he didn't get it done he'd be walking out that way too.

Bruce Pearl didn't win us in the press conference. He won us in Austin, Texas. And he's been winning us ever since.

So whether you're already talking smack on the message boards, or if you're still clutching your autographed Phillip Fulmer picture close to your heart (mine's on my bedroom wall in my parents' house) - don't get pulled too hard towards love or hate based on what you know in 36 hours about Lane Kiffin.

If you're not sold on/talking yourself into Kiffin yet, that's okay. If we win, we'll all be on board. If we don't, we won't.

But no matter your personal feelings on Kiffin at this point, do understand that this is a very good time to be the new head coach at Tennessee.

Literally speaking, if the Vols go 6-6 next year, it will be an improvement.

The expectations we've built here and the bar that Kiffin referenced still exist. But don't let the pseudo-joy you might be feeling right now overshadow how bad it felt to go 5-7 this year. And don't let your disagreement with this hire get in the way of understanding that we have lots of room to improve.

If Kiffin goes 6-6 three times, he'll be walking thru that door too. But we don't know the full direction this program is going in. Right now, all we know is that we've just been through the most difficult football season of my lifetime, and we've got a young new head coach who can't possibly take us through something more difficult next time around.

There is plenty of room for this to get better.

And we'll see. I personally like to be positive. So when Pete Carroll was on SportsTalk today and called Monte Kiffin "the best defensive coordinator of any lifetime", I liked that. The fact that Steve Spurrier is already complaining about Kiffin's recruiting...I like that.

I like that Kiffin is straightforward. I think he's funny - especially when he pulled a Chandler Bing non-smile every time they tried to take his picture - and I think that 100% of the returning players on offense will be more bought into his system than they were Dave Clawson's.

Competition is good for everybody. So I think an open competition across the board makes the necessary effor to put the best players on the field. I liked that.

And I liked the respect he paid to Phillip Fulmer.

Ultimately, we'll see. Right now, I'm on board with this guy because he's our head coach. And every single other Vol fan should do likewise. This includes the ones who jumped off the ship just because they didn't like Fulmer.

We've woken up from a nightmare, no doubt. We're nine full months -and then some - away from tasting the proof no matter how your pudding looks right now.

We got a glimpse today. We'll continue to do so in recruiting, in filling out the staff and in spring practice. And as the passionate football fans we are at Tennessee, we'll enjoy the build up of that whole process.

Time will tell if this nightmare turns into a dream. But right now, no matter how you feel about Lane Kiffin, he deserves our support.

It's a new day for the University of Tennessee. You might be dancing in the streets. You might be cursing Mike Hamilton.

Wherever you are, remember what we've just been through, and then realize that this is a great opportunity, both for Kiffin and for Tennessee.

And realize we'll spend the next nine months seeing what we want to see...before the on-field result tells us everything we need to know.

It's going to continue to be interesting, that's for sure.

For what it's worth, he's got my support.

Go Vols.

Thanks, Phil

2008-11-28T01:12:00.000-05:00

It's after midnight and I'm sitting in front of this computer screen, full of turkey and trying to appreciate the moment.

I know what's coming. But now that it can be counted in hours and not days, it's catching up fast and I don't know how to handle it. It's approaching like Christmas, and likewise it too will be gone in a hurry. And I know that I want to say something and I wish I had more time to say it.

Because I also know that tomorrow afternoon our basketball team will play its first really big game of the season, and after today's win over Siena we're all looking forward to Georgetown even more. And then I know that Saturday will be Kentucky, and we'll watch and feel the emotions all day long.

It's Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day. But Saturday will turn into Sunday, where Fulmer will chime in one last time on his television show. And then Sunday will turn into Monday.

And Monday, odds seem favorable that we'll have a new head coach.

And Monday will be about the new guy, about his age and his father and how quickly we can all get a certain YouTube video up on our blogs if he brings one particular ex-Ole Miss coach with him. Monday will be December, and since we're not going bowling it'll turn full steam towards recruiting and basketball. December will lead to 2009, which promises the fresh start that we all want.

Which means that in less than 48 hours, Phillip Fulmer won't be our football coach anymore. And in less than 72 hours, we'll have to start talking about something - and someone - else.

Fulmer gets one day on Saturday, and then he's gone. And there won't be any time for fond remembrances or anything else special afterwards, we'll move on with the new guy the way that life and football do each off-season.

So as I sit here and try to figure out how to write about Fulmer for the last time as our head football coach, and as I continue to realize that next time I'll be writing about someone new and a new season with no time left to look back...there's so much to say and so little left to say it in.

I was 11 years old when Johnny Majors had heart surgery. Being from Knoxville the Vols were always my team and thus they always had my support. And when you're a kid, it's different.

I loved Coach Majors simply because he was our coach. When the Vols started 0-6 in 1988, which was really the first year I went to every single home game with my Dad, my grandparents mailed Johnny a card with some words of encouragement and some small bit about how much their grandson loved going to the games. Coach Majors wrote back with a personal note that said "Tell your grandson he's my kind of guy" and a t-shirt. We still have it somewhere.

Phillip Fulmer was just a couple years older than I am now when he started coaching at Tennessee. And it's been an interesting experience to think about someone in their early 30s as the new head coach at Tennessee - I trusted Johnny because I was a kid. I trusted Phil because he earned it. This new kid...

I remember the still-young Fulmer getting praise for calling a screen pass in the 4th quarter in South Bend in 1991. I remember Coach Majors going down and Fulmer's authentic smile on television when he was going to be the man to lead the Vols thru the T as the interim coach.

I remember two spectacularly surprising weekends in September that year, where the Vols first went to Athens and upset Georgia's best team of the 90s, then came home in the downpour and slaughtered Spurrier's Gators. We wouldn't enjoy that pleasure again for six years.

I remember as a child watching the whole Majors/Fulmer saga unfold, still feeling the heartbreak from the three straight losses to Arkansas, Alabama and South Carolina. I trusted Johnny Majors because he was our head coach. And when the mantle was passed to Fulmer, I trusted him for the same reasons.

I became a teenager, then a college student, and finally a man during Fulmer's tenure. As I got older, the blind faith in the head coach faded away (contrary to what you may still believe if you read here regularly). But it wasn't replaced with cynicism - it was replaced with an even deeper trust. Not just because he was our coach. But because he earned it.

Every Thanksgiving my family sits around the table and we go around and say what we're thankful for (except for tonight, because 2/5 of my family are too sick to be thankful right now...gotta love the stomach flu at Thanksgiving).

I remember September of '93, with Heath Shuler. I remember just totally destroying Georgia 38-6, and thinking for the very first time as someone barely old enough to understand, that Tennessee might have something special working. Thanks for that.

Thanks, Phil, for winning a living room in Louisiana later that year. For making the best of Jerry Colquitt's bad situation and turning it into four years of a guy who was so good, more than half of the people in Knoxville blindly followed him to his NFL team instead of staying true to the in-state one.

Thanks for giving John Chavis the job as defensive coordinator, even when he gave up 62 points in his first big game against Florida. Thanks for sticking with him for 13 years, no matter what others might say. The fact that The Chief will go off into some sunset almost totally uncelebrated is perhaps the greatest tragedy of this whole mess. And I'm fully prepared to defend that statement, so bring it on.

Thanks for setting us free from Alabama.

Thanks for October 1995 in Birmingham. Thanks for the next fall in Knoxville and letting all of us who didn't see it with our own eyes the year before enjoy one of the best nights in Neyland Stadium history when Jay Graham went racing down the sideline. Thanks for letting me walk down the concourse at Bryant-Denney Stadium in 1999 with all five fingers of my right hand held high. No matter how things have gone at the end, you leave Bama on the losing end of your reign, definitively.

Thanks for the way you handled yourself when we couldn't beat Florida. For every time you went to the podium and took the blame for a loss, from the Gators in the mid-90s to UCLA this year.

And thanks for finally beating Florida - because once was all it took.

Thanks for the way you recruited and coached up well enough to allow two untested sophomores to carry our offense to a National Championship in 1998, and two true freshmen and an LSU reject to carry us to Atlanta in 2004.

Thanks for keeping our program off probation during a span that many others can't say the same.

Thanks for Orlando in January '96. Tempe in January '99.

Thanks for beating Michigan senseless, because we all know you wanted to.

Thanks for sending Steve Spurrier out of Gainesville with a loss, even if he got to return the favor a little bit this year.

Thanks for that time on the Vol Walk in 1998, before the Florida game, when you walked past me and I said "Coach!", and you turned towards me, and the total seriousness in your eyes both scared the hell out of me, and let me believe that we might actually have a chance against these guys.

Thanks for letting John Ward go out on top.

Thanks for every Sunday morning you sat next to Ward and then Kesling when it was hard because we didn't play well. For every phone call you took on Vol Calls from people who wanted you fired, even when it was justified.

And thanks for last year, when you helped us appreciate each win a little more, and showed us some of that old backs-to-the-wall magic one more time. Thanks for letting me spend five December Saturdays in the Georgia Dome, and for letting me walk out with some new merchandise twice.

Thanks for 1998. For helping my senior year of high school be that much more special. For letting me and my Dad go to all the games together one more year before I went to college and his back betrayed him, and letting us see you come home a winner every single time. For that moment in Tempe when some guy I barely knew grabbed me and told me through tears that he'd been waiting his whole life for this, and that I was only 17 and I'd better appreciate it.

Thanks for making Tennessee good enough that I can lay here at 12:49 AM and write about them, and that enough people care enough about them to read it.

Thanks for giving your all for Tennessee today...even now, when we've decided that your all won't be enough anymore.

This is it.

Nobody loves writing about the last 20 years of Tennessee Football more than me. I incorporate modern era history into almost everything I write about the Vols. Because for me, after suffering through that first year as a kid at 5-6, Tennessee was great just about every single year afterwards. The Vols being great is just about all I know.

This year has been terrible. Next year, we'll wait and see what happens. Maybe it'll get worse, maybe it'll hover in mediocrity, or maybe the new guy will help turn it around.

But no matter what...for me that whole era is now over.

I can't go back and talk about how this reminds me of something from the 90s, or how a defense plays like a Chavis unit of old...not in the same way, not anymore. We're turning the page on Fulmer...but we're also turning the page in Vol history. We've celebrated ten years since our National Championship, and it's been great...but now there will be a disconnect between what happens next and what's come before. Because Phillip Fulmer's fingerprints won't be the dominant image on the next Vol teams.

It's exciting, turning the page. No one believes that what we've seen this season is acceptable, and we've made the change accordingly. And come Monday, we'll all be ready to talk about the new guy and where this thing could go. Hey, I'm ready for tipoff of the Georgetown game right now.

It's a forward moving business and a forward moving life. The now thing leads to the next thing. And we understand that.

And so right now, for one last time, we raise our best to Coach Fulmer. There'll be no more working like heck, no more hand clapping, no more grimacing. A new page is turned as the old chapter ends.

Many of us will be there Saturday. Some can't make it in town but will see him off from their couches. Others have chosen to stay away for their own reasons.

For me, I can't be anywhere else.

I'll be at the Vol Walk for the first time in years. I'll stay 'til the end regardless the score. I have to see him go - it's all I know to do.

And he'll go, and we'll go on. And in a few years, hopefully when things are going well, they can release a Best of Johnny Majors DVD, so they can then release a Best of Phillip Fulmer edition. And time heals.

I'm excited about the future. I'm still upset this season turned out as inexplicably bad as it did.

But right now, I'm thankful for our head coach. Phillip Fulmer deserves our thanks.

For all the wins. For all the players. For all the memories.

And for doing it the right way. Fulmer himself would probably tell you he has a greater desire to be remembered as a man than as a football coach. Phillip Fulmer the coach and Phillip Fulmer the man did it right at the University of Tennessee. When the Alabama fans say otherwise...it's because they're Alabama fans.

Fulmer took us to the promised land and brought home the prize as his greatest on-field accomplishment. There are more great wins and great memories for the Vols under Fulmer's tenure than most programs see in a lifetime. The 50 Best Vol Games feature we did here in 2006 and update annually bears witness to that. Fulmer was a winner, and we loved every single one of them.

But most importantly, both on and off the field, Phillip Fulmer was someone for this university, its fans, and the people of Tennessee to be proud of.

And he still is. And he always will be.

Thanks, Phil...for making it great to be a Tennessee Vol.

Mike Hamilton: "We have not offered the job to anybody."

2008-11-26T17:52:00.002-05:00

And round and round we go.

John Pennington: Lane Kiffin offered the job

2008-11-26T15:03:00.002-05:00

MrSEC.com, reported by John Pennington, is saying this afternoon that ex-Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin has been offered the job. This certainly goes along with all the chatter I've heard just about everywhere for the last 72 hours, and if true, is a hire that will bring with it questions and names like Ed Orgeron and Monte Kiffin, Lane's father who's currently at Tampa Bay.

Most believe the validity of this report, but I'm sure Tennessee has been/is working very hard to make the rest of this week about Phillip Fulmer, and deservedly so, while also having someone in place bright and early Monday morning to get this recruiting class back under control, and to move the program forward as soon as possible. So you still may not hear anything official until Monday, and I hope nothing takes away from Fulmer on Saturday. But right now, this appears to be the direction we're moving in at Tennessee.

Pearl to the Wizards? Not Buying It.

2008-11-25T17:42:00.005-05:00

Speaking of UT Basketball, check out this little nugget from the Charlotte Observer today:

I heard an interesting name Monday as a potential candidate for the Wizards job down the road: Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. Grunfeld is a Tennessee alumnus and was also around Pearl when he coached Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Grunfeld was running the Milwaukee Bucks.

Come on. The Wizards? This reads like pseudo-journalism; my suspicion is that the author thought "Hey, the Wiz have a front office guy with ties to UT!" and made a story out of it. I just don't see the hardest working coach in NCAA basketball enjoying a hook up with today's pro athlete.

Anyway, false alarm. No go back to reading Will's preview of the Old Spice Classic.

Old Spice Classic Preview

2008-11-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

Thursday, Friday and Sunday from Orlando, eight teams will compete in one of the better early season tournaments college basketball has to offer this year, including four ranked teams and plenty of big name talent.

Here's a look at the teams and Thursday's opening round matchups (all first round games on ESPN2):

#12 Tennessee vs. Siena - 12:00 PM
The Vols are off to a 3-0 start with impressive wins over in-state foes who are all picked to contend for their conference championships. Even without Chris Lofton and several other contributors from last season's SEC Championship team, Tennessee has looked good by mixing their returning experience with new blood.

The Vols are getting what they needed and then some from returning big men Tyler Smith (averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game) and Wayne Chism (averaging nearly a double-double with 11 points and almost 10 boards per game). The new faces have worked well at both ends of the floor in Bruce Pearl's controlled chaos system, led by juco transfer Bobby Maze at the point (9 points, 7 assists per game) and freshman Scotty Hopson (11 points per game). JP Prince continues to shine as the Vols' sixth man, and several other young faces have made key contributions. Sophomore center Brian Williams had 21 points and 12 rebounds against Tennessee-Martin.

Siena is best known around SEC country for dismantling a good Vanderbilt team in the opening round of last year's NCAA Tournament as a 13 seed. The Saints (as in Bernard) return all five starters from that team and are again favored to win the MAAC. They're 2-0 and receiving votes in the AP Poll after soundly beating Boise State and Cornell.

The Saints may not appear to have the size to challenge Chism and Tyler Smith, but they more than make up for it with experience and scoring: Kenny Hasbrouck, Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin are scoring 49.2 points per game between them from the guard/wing positions. Aside from the obvious experience questions in this matchup, a big question will be tempo: the Vols love to run and are built to do so, but Siena can also score in bunches that way. Teams that have tried to run with Bruce Pearl's Vols over the last three years have usually paid for it - if Siena can disrupt the pace just enough while still finding quality scoring opportunities for themselves, the Saints can easily make it two straight over ranked SEC foes. The tournament will be a great experience for the young Vols, but you have to hope that experience comes with some wins this weekend along the way too. A great opening round game.

#21 Georgetown vs. Wichita State - 2:00 PM
The Hoyas lost Roy Hibbert but replaced him with 6'11" freshman Greg Monroe, who put up 20 points and 8 rebounds in a big win over Drexel. Georgetown also won a closer-than-expected game against Jacksonville 71-62. Sophomores Chris Wright and Austin Freeman at guard also pace Georgetown's scoring, and they've been playing the same stingy defense they're known for so far this season.

Wichita State is 2-1 with wins over Florida A&M and Centenary around a three point loss to Missouri-Kansas City. The Shockers were a sub-.500 team last year that lost a lot of close games, and the opening round date with the Hoyas will be a big test.

#5 Michigan State vs. Maryland - 7:00 PM
They're largely untested, having faced Idaho and IUPU-Ft. Wayne, but the Spartans are the favorites in the Big Ten. This is an experienced team led by junior forward Raymar Morgan at 6'8", and the one-two punch at guard of Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen.

Maryland is 3-0 and has really drilled Bucknell, Youngstown State and Vermont by a combined 68 points. Junior guard Greivis Vasquez paces Maryland, currently averaging 22 points and almost 8 rebounds per game. The Spartans may be the highest ranked team in the field, but they may also face the stiffest opening test.

#9 Gonzaga vs. Oklahoma State - 9:00 PM
The Zags are here to stay, no doubt, and you know these names: Jeremy Pargo, Steven Gray, Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt have led the way early for the Bulldogs in a 2-0 start. Even without a singular superstar or a true post player, this might be the best Gonzaga team we've ever seen. The versatility of Heytvelt and Daye combined with the overall experience and the savvy play of Pargo at the point (avering 9 assists thru two games) makes Gonzaga a Cinderella no more, but a team to be feared and respected regardless of the competition.

The competition in this case is Oklahoma State, 4-0 with wins over Texas-San Antonio, North Texas, Tulsa and Grambling State. The Cowboys have scored 90+ in their last three games and have five players averaging double figures, with three players (James Anderson, Terrel Harris and Byron Eaton) scoring more than 17 per game. The opponents will get much more challenging for the Cowboys this weekend, but they've shown the horsepower to keep up on the stat sheet.

Each team is guaranteed three games in four days, playing Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The loser's bracket games Friday and Sunday will be shown on ESPNU; the semifinals on Friday will be on ESPN, with the third place game and the championship back on ESPN2 Sunday night.

Who's gonna win? ESPN would love the chalk, I'm sure, with the bigtime semifinal matchups between Tennessee/Georgetown and Michigan State/Gonzaga. Wichita State seems the most overmatched in the opening round, and Siena is clearly the most dangerous darkhorse, but Oklahoma State and Maryland won't be gimmies either.

If Tennessee survives against Siena, they'll face an entirely different sort of challenge in dealing with Georgetown's pace and size with Monroe. This would be a great learning experience for the young Vols, win or lose. Gonzaga comes to Knoxville in January so I'd love to avoid them in Orlando this week, but even though Michigan State is ranked higher I'm not sure you don't consider the Zags the favorites in that half of the bracket to make the finals.

For all of these teams, who operate on the outside of that super-elite group in college basketball right now (which is really North Carolina, then UConn and Louisville, then everybody else), these games will provide experience and a bump in the RPI when spring rolls around. Any of the four ranked teams, plus Siena if they get hot, are good enough to win it.

For the Vols, beating Siena would make the weekend a win to me. It's good experience even if they go 0-3, though let's hope that's not the case. If you get to the semifinals, you'll face probably a good Georgetown team, and then even if you lose there you'll face another good team in the third place game - this young team needs to work through its growing pains here, much the way they did against Butler and North Carolina two years ago, and again versus Texas last season in November tournaments.

The Vols haven't won a tournament of any kind since the 2000 Rainbow Classic, so it would be something new if they did, aside from the huge accomplishment of beating good teams along the way. We've believed thus far that this is a team that's got to come together and grow, and they'll be battle-tested and ready by March. If that's true, they may take some lumps this weekend, but it's for the greater good. Focus on beating Siena, and then we'll go from there. No matter the outcome, we'll learn a lot more about this basketball team in the next few days.

Holy crap, we're linked at ESPN.com

2008-11-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

Says the amateur blogger who can't act like he's been there before because he hasn't.

ESPN The Magazine online has a story today on Donovan McNabb, discussing the potential end of an era in Philadelphia after he was benched on Sunday against the Ravens. In their story, they list McNabb's all-time greatest performances and mention the 1998 game between the Vols and Syracuse, and then link to my feature here at SESB as an "excellent recap" of that game, from the ten year anniversary piece we did earlier this year on the 98 Vols.

Cheers, all.

The Final Week of Fulmer

2008-11-24T12:59:00.000-05:00

Even if they looked horrid on offense (again) in doing it, Tennessee proved that even at their worst, they can still beat Vanderbilt at will.

Saturday's game showed you a lot of things, including:

We'd all better hope that Tajh Boyd can come in here and play next season. It was no surprise that the Vols' quarterback situation didn't get any better Saturday against an above average Vanderbilt defense. But consider this: Tennessee's two most productive games of the year from an offensive standpoint are against UCLA (366 yards in spite of Crompton's 19 of 42) and UAB (548 yards). How in the world are your two most productive days offensively the first two games of the season?

It's not the competition - the Vols have played equally poor teams since (Wyoming, anyone?). This team has simply regressed, at both the quarterback position and in the overall offensive outlook. And this level of regression is unacceptable - and yeah, Fulmer's gone - but if the head coach had been more secure coming into this season perhaps, Dave Clawson would/should be the least liked man in Knoxville. The Clawfense will come to a merciful end on Saturday, and it has been an epic failure.

The only thing surprising about Jonathan Crompton throwing an interception on the second play of the game is that he didn't find a way to screw it up on the first one. That's harsher than what I'd usually say, but Crompton is and has been so much worse than what I'm used to dealing with. This kid cannot get it done at this university. End of story. I don't care who the new head coach is, if #8 is included in the quarterback competition or whatever we're going to have in the spring/fall, there's nothing about it that'll make me feel good.

BJ Coleman just isn't ready. He was third string for a reason and you saw it Saturday - whether it's the speed or the inexperience or both, this kid is not ready. Maybe by next season he could be more ready, and it's not really his fault that he's not right now. But he's not ready.

Nick Stephens, who I thought played the best for us all season, especially at Georgia, sees no snaps. He suffered a great play by a Wyoming defender and did make an inexplicably bad throw on the second INT in that game - but at this point, who hasn't? I'm not sure that Stephens can be a regular SEC game winner (unless Mike Leach was running the offense, more on that in a minute), but if we're talking about trying to beat Kentucky, I'm the most comfortable/least uncomfortable with Stephens. Gerald Jones and Eric Berry are nice, but if they don't throw it's not at all challenging to stop.

In a backwards sort of way, it's nice to have a game this week I care about winning one more time this year. I know we can't go to a bowl game and all that, but this is Fulmer's last game and we've got 23 years on Kentucky, the longest active streak in the nation. I want to win this one more than any we've seen this year since Alabama.

It's Senior Day as well, and it's interesting to point out that while we're potentially in the worst four year stretch of Tennessee Football in recent memory, when you watch these kids run through the T for the last time Saturday night, you may get a good idea why.

The list of contributing seniors on this Tennessee team includes Arian Foster, who needs 174 yards that he won't get to pass Travis Henry to become the Vols' all-time leading rusher. Here's an honest question that needs to be asked: is it wrong to hope he doesn't get the record?

The list also includes WRs Lucas Taylor and Josh Briscoe, the former who benefited heavily from Erik Ainge and David Cutcliffe and the latter who I still remember most for fumbling against Georgia when he was a freshman.

Anthony Parker will be missed on the line, as well as Ramon Foster, who rebounded well from a tough freshman year to become a solid contributor for us. The most damaging losses will come on defense, no surprise: Robert Ayers has played well and hard all season and really dating back to the Arkansas game last year, when he recorded three TFLs on Pig Sooie's vaunted rushing attack. Demonte Bolden is a solid tackle.

Ellix Wilson didn't get many opportunities to play until this year, but he's been very good at MLB. And the rotation of Adam Myers-White and Nevin McKenzie never really got worked out, but both will be missed, especially next year. DeAngelo Willingham got overshadowed some this year because of the talent in the secondary around him. And then there's Britton Colquitt, who's seen better years but still served his family name well when he was on the field.

There are some solid contributions in that group, but on the whole? There's not a single name in this group that you'll be talking about in four more years. I wish them all the best, and I'm sure the NFL will come calling for a couple of them...but when we talk about a decline in talent, this senior class has been an example of that. And when paired with a no-win quarterback situation and the Clawfense, it spelled disaster for us in 2008.

Still...I need this team to win on Saturday.

The defense will still be good enough to do it. The Chavis haters should again take a heavy dose of fact - through eleven games with an offense that's done nothing but put them in bad situations, here are the national rankings on the 2008 Vol D:

Total Yards: 6th
Points Allowed: 16th
Pass Defense: 8th
Rush Defense: 12th
Interceptions: 10th
Pick Sixes: 2nd

This is why the Texas Tech-Oklahoma game was a sobering reminder that the only way you want Mike Leach is if John Chavis comes with him. Because we shouldn't have to sacrifice championship caliber defense for a gimmick offense that's still never won a championship of any kind and now won't again this year.

The Vols might lose Dan Williams to an early NFL departure, but the good news is that Eric Berry isn't allowed to turn pro yet. Berry set the SEC single-season INT return yardage record with another spectacular play against the Commodores (and you have to love the interview-speak too: "I guess he thought he was going to be open."). EB needs around 40 yards of INT returns to set the single-season NCAA record. Which is just another day for a 2009 Heisman Trophy candidate. Seriously, he's so much better than Charles Woodson it's painful to even make the comparison. He probably won't win any awards this year, even though he's the best defensive back in the nation, because he plays on a seven-loss team. And I understand that. But next year, hopefully we can rectify that situation.

So a team with a great defense, a suicidal passing game and maybe...maybe enough horsepower to run to victory will face 6-5 Kentucky on Saturday night. They'll have to field questions all week about Randall Cobb - and I love the kid, he's from my alma mater and won us three state championships in three years as the starter at Alcoa - but the Vols didn't recruit him because Cutcliffe had his eyes on bigger prizes like Terrelle Pryor, and by the time Cutcliffe turned his eyes to Duke we had no shot at rekindling the flames with Cobb. He's up there throwing to another Alcoa product in Kyrus Lanxter, and I wish them both the best every week except this one. Vol fans who get overly critical for Tennessee not recruiting Cobb simply aren't appreciating the facts.

This is a Kentucky team that's become accustomed to success and winning, and aside from getting trounced by the Gators like everyone has, they've lost to Alabama by three, a touchdown to South Carolina, Georgia by four, and a touchdown to Vanderbilt. So when Vegas has the Vols -4.5 (???), don't believe it.

We need to win. But either way, you should come out and support Phillip.

It's funny, I'm conscious of the way I've been calling him by his first name in the last three weeks, which is something I never used to do. He was always "Fulmer". But no matter how wrong things have gone this year and how bad they've looked most of the time along the way, watching that press conference and watching him wear orange and know that soon you won't see him in those colors anymore...it's still very emotional.

I know it's going to be cold on Saturday night. I know we can't go to a bowl game. I know many of you stopped caring about this team and this season long before you even should have by the visions of Alabama fans in places they should never, ever have been at Neyland Stadium a month ago.

And if you're coming to boo Fulmer, sell your tickets because you've already sold your soul.

I shouldn't even have to type this, and my voice reaches merely hundreds on this blog and not the thousands who will show up in the grand scheme of things. But don't prove the Alabama fans right, who've been saying that Vol faithful will laugh and boo Fulmer off the field in his final game. Even if Kentucky beats us by a ton and we look and play terrible.

Phillip Fulmer has given us his life. We can give him Saturday.

Come to the Vol Walk. Stay for the whole game no matter what the scoreboard says. I hope to God we win and I'm excited about getting emotionally invested in a team that's hurt me plenty this year, but I just keep coming back one more time.

But win or lose, Saturday is bigger than that. Saturday is unique.

You give your all for Tennessee this week. Because that's what Fulmer's always given us.

SESB on Gridiron Breakdown This Week

2008-11-21T01:54:00.002-05:00

I'll be joining the boys live at Gridiron Breakdown once again this Saturday, probably sometime around 11:20 AM EST. You can check out their full radio show live from 10:30-Noon at the above link, where you can also find the archived versions.

Where to go with Brock Lesnar

2008-11-19T21:15:00.005-05:00

If you follow mixed martial arts to any degree at all you are aware that last weekend the elder statesman of MMA was hit by a truck named Brock Lesnar. We fans anticipated a classic match up of an intellectual veteran with a raw but physically dominant naïf. What we got was the UFC equivalent of Waterloo. It is cliché but accurate to say Lesnar was too big, too strong, and too quick for the badly undersized Couture to handle. Giving up 60 pounds and several inches was more than Randy’s skill and experience could compensate for. Couture’s background is in wrestling; when you as a wrestler can’t get your opponent off his feet (as we saw Couture try and fail multiple times against Lesnar) what is left is pure pugilism and, while Randy might be more skilled in that particular area, on their feet Lesnar’s sheer power was simply overwhelming.

After Lesnar/Couture we’ve got to start considering that perhaps sheer physical ability is superior to skill, at least in the current UFC Heavyweight division. What I’m not saying is that Lesnar isn’t skilled. I don’t know if I’ve seen a fighter improve more from fight to fight than Lesnar has from Lesnar/Mir to Lesnar/Gonzaga to Lesnar/Couture. What I am saying is that if you cut Lesnar’s game into “skill” and “physical ability” it is currently his physical ability that is winning fights for him.

Where I’m going with all this is a question. If we concede –as I believe to be true - that Lesnar is not just the most physically gifted combatant in the UFC Heavyweight division but one of the most gifted fighters in the world then what fight do we most want to see him involved in? We know what his next fight is going to be: the winner of Mir/Minotauro. I’ll just be honest: I don’t want to see a fight between Lesnar and whoever comes out of Mir/Minotauro. Now, I have to concede that Mir/Minotauro vs. Lesnar is the fight he should have to fight next. In fact, I would argue that both Mir (who obviously beat Lesnar) and Minotauro (holder of the interim title) should have both gotten a crack at Randy before Lesnar. However, that isn’t what happened. Dana (I doubt [insert UFC match maker] was behind the Lesnar/Couture match) hit fast forward on Lesnar’s career and in hindsight who can blame him? However, both Mir and Minotauro present another match up of skill verses Lesnar’s physicality. We’ve seen Lesnar/Mir already. Lesnar beat on Mir the whole time until Mir, being a smarter fighter, caught Lesnar trying to step across him and locked in a submission hold. Minotauro is, like Mir, a great fighter but replicates a lot of what Randy and Mir bring to the table. Yes, Minotauro has deep Jiu-Jitsu mojo and I know there is a difference between wrestling and JJ. What I’m saying is regardless of whether it is wrestling or JJ you are still looking at someone hoping that the thing they do best, their most developed skill, will be better than Lesnar’s Juggernaut impression. I’ve seen that theme explored twice (the Mir and Couture fights) and I’m ready for something new.

The best analogy I can think of is automotive. Let’s say you come out of your house and some generous benefactor has left you one of the new supercharged Corvettes that make eleventy million horsepower at the rear wheels in your driveway. You could take it over to a road course and run it against a bunch of souped up Civics and Skylines. You might even win on sheer horsepower. Or, on the other hand, you could take your new Vette to a high-speed banked oval and just let that monster run. I’m in the camp that heads for the oval. A Vette like that is built to run wide open, not be slammed into turns and switchbacks. You get my drift (pun not intended)?

I want to see the monster named Lesnar fighting another monster. Bring on Godzilla, bring on Jason Vorhees. Let’s see what happens when you put someone in front of him he can’t just overpower. And who is the one Heavyweight in the world which could possibly match him in the physically-gifted department? You probably saw this coming. None other than Fedor Emelianenko. The height and weight difference is reduced to the point of irrelevancy in a matchup between Emelianenko and Lesnar. You think Fedor will have the problem Couture did getting Lesnar off his feet? Not a chance. Lesnar is amazingly quick for his size but Fedor appears to be even quicker. Fedor’s physical ability should draw out the best in Brock as, for the first time, he faces an opponent able to meet him face-to-face physically. Of course Fedor is a skilled fighter too and his combination of physicality and skill might be too much for Lesnar. But wouldn’t it be fun to find out?

Maybe in the long run it is best for Lesnar to have the Mir/Minataro fight ahead of him. Maybe matching up with those guys will force him to continue his rocket-like trajectory or improvement from fight to fight. Possibly they can give the young fella some learnin’. If so it might mitigate the advantage Fedor’s skill set provides over Lesnar’s and make a possible match up between Brock and Fedor that much more entertaining. Really though, until the UFC gets Fedor in front of their fighters their entire Heavyweight division is de-legitimized by his absence and the resulting abundance of “what if” questions. I think Fedor/Couture was an incredibly compelling reason to get Emelianenko in the UFC. I think the potential for pure MMA joy offered by a Lesnar/Fedor fight is even more so. Make it happen Dana, make it happen. We want to see your new ride turn a few laps running wide open.

Mike Griffith: Cincinnati's Brian Kelly the Leading Candidate to Replace Fulmer

2008-11-19T14:49:00.002-05:00

Check it out today from his Ask Griff feature at govols.com, which is full of additional nuggets of information about the coaching search and is a great read in general.

Will Muschamp named successor to Mack Brown, will stay at Texas

2008-11-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

It seems we'll never know now about what would've been the biggest risk/reward candidate in the Vols' coaching search - the AP is reporting that Muschamp has been named the ever-popular coach-in-waiting at Texas, taking him off the list of candidates at both Tennessee and Clemson.

Muschamp, the Longhorns' defensive coordinator with previous DC stints at LSU and the Dolphins under Nick Saban followed by two years at Auburn, will see his salary more than double to $900,000 under this new deal. Mack Brown is 57 years old, and with the Longhorns currently ranked fourth and still very much in the National Championship chase, and just three years removed from their '05 title, it's safe to say right now that Brown has as many years left in front of him as he wants.

Texas joins Kentucky and Florida State as major conference programs who've gone down this road in naming a successor with the current coach still employed. This does help eliminate any distractions down in Austin, and should narrow the focus of the Vols' coaching search.

It was risk/reward, like I said, so we'll never know and thus it's hard to be really upset about this, though I know several of us around the community were on board in going in Muschamp's direction at one point or another. Muschamp and Butch Davis were at the top of my personal list when all this started, and so now as the fantasy Mike Leach/John Chavis combo moves atop it, I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before that one's shot down too...

Whomever we get, let's hope we all get behind them.

Go Vols

Random Thoughts - Tuesday November 18

2008-11-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

With morning temps here in Ceres in the single digits as the snow continues to fall...

#13 Tennessee vs. UT-Martin Preview
Head on over to The BruceBall Blog for tonight's game preview (7:00 PM - SportSouth). The Vols will head to the mid-state area this weekend, with Bruce and the boys in Murfresboro Friday night to take on MTSU, while Fulmer and the Vols are in Nashville Saturday at 12:30 to take on the bowl-eligible Vanderbilt Commodores. This sports weekend may not do it for you, but next week - with the Vols in Orlando for the Old Spice Classic, the Titans on Thanksgiving Day at Detroit, and Fulmer's last game in Knoxville, good things are on the way.

Also tonight, you can check out Kentucky's 0-2 start when they take on #1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. 9:00 PM, ESPN.

Barack Obama vs. BCS
Looks like the almighty dollar is going to demand that the president-elect win a second term before he'll get a chance to take down college football's bowl system in favor of a playoff. Obama said both before the election on ESPN, and in his first interview after winning on 60 Minutes, that he was in favor of an eight-team college football playoff, and that he might throw his weight around on the issue.

Well, here's some weight for you: ESPN and the BCS are close to inking a deal for the worldwide leader to televise the next rotation of BCS games, from 2011-2014. Fox has the package until 2010, but apparently chose not to match ESPN's offer this time around, which is certainly in the hundreds of millions.

If this deal is passed, don't look for anything concrete on a potential playoff until 2014, like it or not.

This, of course, gives me another reason to link back to this post from late November 2006: The Idiot's Guide to a College Football Playoff. Aside from being proved wrong about a two-loss team winning the National Championship under the current format, I still think everything else about this piece really holds up well, and is still the very best and most logical I can do on how college football should take care of this problem.

Meanwhile in the real world, if Oklahoma beats Texas Tech on Saturday night, you've already got something relatively unfair going on in the Big 12 South in a three-way tie. And what if a good Missouri team happens to upset the South winner in the Big 12 Championship? Could we see an instant turnaround SEC Championship Game rematch if the Gators beat Alabama in Atlanta? Will one of the Big 12 South teams that was left out now slide in? Or will Alabama and Texas Tech win out to keep everyone sane?

Do you think if Obama runs in 2012 on a platform of "I guarantee you a college football playoff", he's guaranteed re-election?

The Most Constructive Waste of Time on the Internet
If you're not familiar with sporcle.com, you should be - this website updates every day with multiple quizzes, ranging from "name all the US Presidents in 10 minutes" to "name all the Dungeons & Dragons classes in 7 minutes", which was featured today and I'm proud to say I scored a zero on. Because Final Fantasy is way more cool.

Anyway, they've got a plethora of sports-related quizzes on there, among many others to stimulate the mind and, more than anything else, brutally humble you. Today's update included 84 Athlete Nicknames in 8 minutes, where they give you the nickname and you name the athlete in seven combined sports. I got 71/84, including an almost perfect run thru baseball and basketball (cannot believe I missed The Dunking Dutchman). Play and enjoy, and remember - just because you don't know how to spell their last name doesn't give you an excuse to google it. No cheating.

Tennessee Football Decision '08: Know the Candidates

2008-11-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

The whole staff over at Third Saturday in Blogtober have been working hard over the last month putting together a detailed individual breakdown of each candidate or psuedo-candidate to replace Phillip Fulmer as the head coach at Tennessee. Basically, everything you'd ever want to know about these guys is here, written from a Tennessee perspective. This is great stuff - take a look and enjoy:

Will Muschamp - Defensive Coorindator, Texas
Butch Davis - Head Coach, North Carolina
Brian Kelly - Head Coach, Cincinnati
Jon Gruden - Head Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trooper Taylor - Assistant Coach, Oklahoma State
Mike Leach - Head Coach, Texas Tech
Gary Patterson - Head Coach, TCU
Lane Kiffin - former Head Coach, Oakland Raiders
Doug Marrone - Offensive Coordinator, New Orleans Saints
Mark Dantonio - Head Coach, Michigan State
Chris Petersen - Head Coach, Boise State
Troy Calhoun - Head Coach, Air Force

Wait 'til basketball season.

2008-11-15T01:42:00.000-05:00

Oops. Again.

Kentucky was supposed to be prepping for Tuesday night's showdown at #1 North Carolina. Instead, the boys in blue lost their home opener in embarrassing fashion...for the second year in a row.

While Gardner-Webb may have put a bigger beating on the Cats in last year's 84-68 stunner in Rupp, tonight VMI - picked to finish seventh in the Big South - put not only a W on the board, but a take-notice one as well: they scored 111 points. At Rupp Arena.

The 111-103 win saw the Cats try and come back from a 23 point first half hole, and credit Jodie Meeks for dropping 39 points. But Kentucky shot 54% from the field...and lost. They outrebounded the Keydets by 21...and lost. They had their fancy new uniforms and Patrick Patterson's fro...and lost.

For Billy Gillespie, here's what's troubling: 3 of 16 from behind the new arc, only 67% from the free throw line in a game that VMI put away late at the stripe, a staggering 25 turnovers, and only 8 points from the aforementioned Patterson.

Even if UK had won by 50 tonight, we'd all expect them to get trounced Tuesday night against the unquestioned best team in America. But now, could it be another long winter for UK? And can they really expect a quick SEC turnaround to save their season again? Is there a coach in the SEC who's more immediately on the hot seat than Gillespie?

Basketball season is here, and it's already in trouble in Lexington.

And it's nice to watch somebody else struggle in unfathomable ways.

The Vols get Chattanooga at 7:00 PM.

Random Thoughts - Friday November 14

2008-11-14T12:08:00.000-05:00

The shaken, not stirred edition...

Tennessee Football: Decision '08
This season has been a weekly, and now a daily practice in madness. There's a 99% chance that the Vols aren't going to hire anybody until the calendar hits December and all the active coaches finish their current regular seasons...but that's not stopping me nor anyone else from checking half a dozen websites first thing in the morning just to make sure no midnight deals were done, and then combing the message boards - something I absolutely hate doing - for any piece of information. So while I continue to dive deeper into the heart of insanity, here's today's mindless coaching search update:

- John Adams wants to lead you down the road to irrationality the quickest, by comparing anyone - in this case Cincinnati's Brian Kelly - to Bruce Pearl.

- From earlier this week...two of the most insightful Tennessee Football minds on the web both are in the post-development stages of a man-crush on Mike Leach: Joel at Rocky Top Talk gives a thorough breakdown, as always, of why Leach would be good here. And he links to Clay Travis, Vol fan and author of Dixieland Delight, who also supports Leach. Both reads are worthy of your time. And allow me to contribute to the madness: I'd be happy to fall in love with Mike Leach and buy a pirate hat...if he retains John Chavis as defensive coordinator. Crazy? Well, what's not these days?

- Speaking of decisions and madness, Jim Bob Cooter's Fightin' JVs took it to (previously undefeated) Hargrave last night, 37-21. Under center for the attack was BJ Coleman, who went 22 of 31 for 325 yards and 2 TDs. You can read the News-Sentinel's account here, or check out Oskie at Third Saturday for a better breakdown of the current quarterback situation.

As always...more to follow.

Tennessee Basketball: 08-09 Tip-Off
With an off week tomorrow on the gridiron, Bruce Pearl is here to save the day. The Vols begin Year Four of the Pearl Administration tomorrow night at Thompson-Boling, against Chattanooga. And allow us to take this time to wholeheartedly endorse The BruceBall Blog, the very best site devoted purely to Tennessee Basketball. Check out their preview of tomorrow's game, then head over for the real kicker: The Top 25 Moments of the Bruce Pearl Era, which is an exceptional piece of work.

Does the nation really believe in the 9-0 Titans?
I'm happy to be insulated here in southwest Virginia, spending more time with Mike Keith than CBS, and just living in the moment. In a true story that gets funnier every week, in the lobby of our fantasy football draft back in August, I said I thought the Vols would go 12-0 and the Titans would go 4-12. At that point, we were in love with the idea of the Clawfense, and the Vince Young-led first team offense in Nashville had scored zero touchdowns in their preseason games. Sorry Clawfense: it wasn't you, it was the thought of you.

So now the Titans are 9-0 and at Jacksonville this week. The AFC South is almost assuredly theirs, and when their schedule breaks easier after the next two weeks (at Jacksonville Sunday, the Jets in Nashville next week...then followed by at Detroit on Thanksgiving, Cleveland in Nashville, and at Houston before finishing with Pittsburgh and Indy)...they should be able to at least secure a first round bye, if not home field advantage.

But it's exactly this kind of looking ahead that I've/we've avoided thus far, and should continue to do so. If someone starts asking if the Titans can go 16-0, you punch them in the face, because they're probably a Colts fan. The question is not 16-0. The question for the nation at large, and maybe for the Titans people as well, is still just how good this team is exactly. You've seen them win a multitude of ways, including last week when the Bears refused to let them run...and they won anyway. You've seen them do it all with Kerry Collins, who's now getting into some MVP conversations (again, don't listen). This team has proven that they can win and do so against some of the NFL's best. Now, is this a team that can sustain this success and keep finding ways to win in January?

The questions go to Jacksonville this week...and let's keep trying to stay in the present, and the rest of those answers will come.

The Celtics and Lakers are partying like it's 1987
The full-strength and my-are-they-deep Lakers are 7-0, the NBA's last remaining unbeaten, with four of their wins coming by more than 15 points. They've embarassed Houston and beat the Hornets, and with the Spurs struggling they're done everything to clearly establish themselves as the West's best team right now.

Meanwhile, Boston is 8-1 (with an inexplicable loss at Indiana), but they've been carving teams up in a different, more emotionally painful way. They beat LeBron on opening night. They also won at Houston, and this week have beaten the AI-enhanced Pistons, came back from the dead to stun Toronto...and just when previously-undefeated Atlanta was getting chippy, The Truth came out to drain a fallaway with 0.5 on the clock for the 103-102 win. On PTI yesterday they debated whether or not Paul Pierce was the most clutch player in the NBA right now...I'll let you figure that one out, but nonetheless Boston is beating everyone in their path even with the bullseye on their back.

The Lakers and Celtics are clearly the two best teams in the NBA. Again. We'll just spend the next six months waiting for it to be official. But in a world where the Vols are 3-7 and Kerry Collins and Kurt Warner might be your two leading MVP candidates, it's nice that some things still work exactly the way they're supposed to.

And finally...
He's not for everybody, but he is for me. Ladies and gentlemen, Kenny Mayne (with an assist from Scott Van Pelt):

Chris Low: Lane Kiffin Interviews at Clemson

2008-11-13T10:56:00.001-05:00

Something new every day...check out Low's story here at ESPN.com.

Kiffin joins Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who have apparently both interviewed with the Tigers, with Will Muschamp and Bobby Johnson also being thrown around in the conversation. Low continues to report that the Vols have been in contact with Kiffin's people.

Stay tuned...

ESPN.com: Butch Davis has "absolutely no interest" in Tennessee

2008-11-12T12:24:00.000-05:00

The same way Chris Low continually updates his SEC blog at the worldwide leader, Heather Dinich covers the ACC. She reports that Butch Davis, during the weekly ACC teleconference today, said the following:

"I have absolutely no interest whatsover in the University of Tennessee job. It's a great job, but I have no interest in it. Like I've said for the last couple of weeks, I love being here, my family loves being at Carolina, we're building it with the administration."

Check out Dinich's full post here.

I'll say this - it hasn't been fun to be a Tennessee fan over the last few months, but it has definitely been interesting. This coaching search changes every day, and if Butch Davis was the Vols' first choice as reported earlier this week by Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tennessee now finds itself back at the drawing board.

The names you hear most frequently - Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, and Will Muschamp - are still out there. Kiffin is currently unemployed and if the Vols wanted to move in that direction, they could at any time. Leach and Muschamp are currently in the midst of a National Championship chase with their respective teams, so unless it's Kiffin (and I'd hope Hamilton would at least interview some of these other guys even if it does ultimately end up being him), don't expect a decision or an announcement until December. That would also hold true for the slew of mid-major names you hear - Brian Kelly, Tim Brewster (yes, I realize Minnesota isn't technically a mid-major), and Troy Calhoun. So even with the Vols off this week, there will be plenty of interesting television for those who wish to follow the fates of the potential future head coach.

I'll keep posting the official-sounding updates as they come in, as long as it takes...and even if it's not Butch Davis, may the best man win.

2008-09 Tennessee Basketball Preview

2008-11-11T01:52:00.000-05:00

In the early months of 2006, somewhere along the initial joy ride that Bruce Pearl took the Vols on, he made the comment on one of his postgame shows that "this basketball team carried us through the winter."

And he was right. A fanbase starved for success after the 5-6 debacle of the 2005 football season turned mere curiosity towards the basketball team and their new coach. Expectations were low, Pearl was an unknown quantity, and a team that underachieved with Buzz Peterson lost its two best players in Scooter McFadgon and Brandon Crump. The Vols weren't expected to do anything, and so that winter was especially depressing with no bowl game, a bleak outlook in football and a fanbase who needed a reason to care about basketball.

We were bought into the multi-year rebuilding process. But instead, Bruce Pearl gave us the world overnight.

Pearl changed everything. He woke a sleeping giant fanbase at a university that was excelling at every other sport they played. He took average players and made them key contributors like Dane Bradshaw, and made good players NBA ready: CJ Watson currently averages 7 points and 24 minutes a night out in Golden State.

Pearl changed the perception and the reality the way Kevin Garnett did in Boston. And he shot down the idea of a multi-year rebuilding project, something that may not pay dividends for our next football coach...especially after the '06 football Vols responded to Pearl's hope by blasting Cal right out of the gate. He's created a landscape and a culture of instant success.

Because that first team got us through the winter.

And now, in his fourth season, we need him to get us through again.

The football team is inexplicably even worse than it was back then. And make no mistake that the two are connected on major college campuses; in Gainesville, Columbus, Austin and many other places, there's always a connection, even if it's small.

And so a starved fanbase in Knoxville turns once more to Pearl to save us.

Only this time, we're not expecting a multi-year rebuilding project.

This time, the Vols are ranked #13 in the preseason poll. This time, the Vols are the defending SEC Champions. This time, we're coming off back-to-back appearances in the Sweet 16. And this time, there's a clearly established culture of winning, and one that's ready to take the next step in basketball.

And keep in mind that all of this has been done and created, all these expectations in place for 2009, all without the services of Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith, Jordan Howell, Ramar Smith, and Duke Crews.

Tennessee graduated one of the very best to ever put on a jersey in Knoxville, his partner in crime, 95% of the point guard minutes between Howell's graduation and Ramar's dismissal, and a firecracker in Duke Crews. That's all kinds of multi-year production that just left the still-growing program.

Most would catch their breath and rebuild. The Vols? Preseason #13 and SEC favorites.

Because of Pearl.

Because Pearl brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Because Pearl convinced Tyler Smith to stay in school one more year. Because Bruce Pearl has changed everything. Everything.

And now, with a new cast of characters in a more experienced SEC that the Vols are still expected to win...now we'll see just how far this change can take us.

Because we need it to make it through the winter one more time.

Point Guard
Well...there are more encouraging places to start.

Bobby Maze steps in from the unknown in an attempt to provide both spark and stability to a position that really hurt the Vols last season. Ramar Smith's lack of productivity and Jordan Howell's ice cold shooting touch gave way to JP Prince earning some minutes there, but none of it worked the way the Vols needed it to in March. The news today that Daniel West is academically ineligible puts a dent in expectations and even more weight on Maze's shoulders, because he is now the only "pure" point guard on this roster.

Two years ago, Maze overcame a broken foot to average 5.6 points per game for Oklahoma. Landing at Hutchinson Community College last season, Maze was a first-team junior college All-American with 20.7 points and 6.8 assists per game. There will be some growing pains here and we won't know fully what we've got in Maze until SEC play gets underway. But the Vols need him to be good. Prince should continue to provide the backup minutes now that West is out, with Josh Tabb another possibility.

Shooting Guard
Without Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith bombing threes, it's going to feel different.

But thanks to the gem of the recruiting class, 6'7" Scotty Hopson, that might be good different.

Hopson - ranked as the 5th overall player in the 2008 class nationally - can shoot the three, but will give a whole new dimension to the Vols offense from the wing. The Hopkinsville, KY native looks to follow in Lofton's footsteps in more ways than one, while establishing his own legacy in Knoxville. The fact that Hopson finished third in the McDonald's All-America dunk contest should give you an idea that we're dealing with a different animal here.

Hopson is still a freshman, so we'll try and keep expectations hovering below the stratosphere. There is experience at the position: defensive specialist Josh Tabb returns, though as stated he'll see some point guard minutes potentially. And then there's Cameron Tatum, back from a redshirt season but ready to contribute. The Vols need Tabb and Tatum to display some stroke from behind the arc to compliment Hopson here.

Small Forward
At the most versatile position we start with JP Prince, who might be the Vols' most versatile player. On a more crowded team last season as the new guy, Prince showed flahses of brilliance - carrying the Vols to a win at Xavier with 23 points, and coming up huge in the showdown game at Memphis with 13 points and 8 rebounds. His productivity will again be hampered by injury and playing out of position with his PG minutes, but he's clearly a factor no matter where he plays. When Prince moves to point guard, it opens up an opportunity for freshman Renaldo Woolridge, a California grab who was a Top 50 recruit, another young face the Vols need to contribute right away.

Power Forward
Tyler Smith proved he was the real deal last year, both in terms of versaltility, dependability, and the ability to hit the big shot and make the big play. In what's widely believed to be his last season in Knoxville, the junior picked up not only first team preseason All-SEC honors, but received some votes for preseason All-America. With Lofton gone, Smith becomes the Vols' definitive go-to player, and outside of the three ball jacking with many of the shooters gone, his numbers should go higher this season. Tyler Smith has a chance to really shine on this team.

Speaking of versatility, Ryan Childress doesn't get enough credit for his, having shown both a three ball stroke and more toughness than expected at both ends. He'll be fighting for minutes with newcomer Emmanuel Negedu, a Top 40 recruit who fell into the Vols' lap late in the process.

Center
With Ramar Smith and Duke Crews gone, Wayne Chism becomes the face of Pearl's first recruiting class, now in his third season. More of the offense should be run through the post this year, so there's pressure on Chism to step up and play to his full potential night in and night out. When he's doing so, he's one of the best big men in the SEC, and the Vols need that on a regular basis. We'll see if he's still jacking threes this season.

While freshman Philip Jurick progresses, the Vols will continue to turn to Brian Williams for minutes, who was impressive in spurts and usually very productive last season. The media guide puts BWill down at a svelt 267 lbs...might need to be seen to be believed, but he's a force either way.

The Schedule
Bruce Pearl does a better job of scheduling than just about anyone I've seen - the early "cupcakes" are always with in-state teams, which I like, and the Vols rarely play an out of state mid-major that isn't a favorite in their own conference. The tuneups this year start Saturday against UT-Chattanooga, followed by UT-Martin before giving the Murfresboro crowd something to cheer about in a trip to MTSU.

Then the Vols head to Orlando for the Old Spice Classic on the last weekend of the month, where they'll open with Siena (last seen destroying Vanderbilt in the opening round of the dance). The field includes Michigan State, Maryland, Georgetown and Gonzaga, who will also show up at Thompson-Boling Arena in January.

The big non-conference games are everywhere. There's the SEC/Big East Challenge in Nashville against Marquette. There are road trips to Temple and then to Kansas to play the defending champs on January 3. That begins the most loaded men's basketball month I can ever remember, which will go like this: at Kansas, vs Gonzaga, at Georgia in the SEC opener, vs Kentucky in the ill-scheduled SEC home opener, vs South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs Memphis, vs LSU, vs Florida. Five of the first seven SEC games will be played at TBA.

The schedule calms down a bit in February in terms of opponent quality, but a four-of-five road swing in late February/early March that includes trips to Lexington and Gainesville should make up for that. The Vols close the regular season on March 8 at home against Alabama, before heading to Tampa for the SEC Tournament.

And in case you're curious, the Final Four is in Detroit.

Final Thoughts
Chemistry is always a concern in college basketball, especially when you're shuffling out five key contributors from last season, replacing them with four freshmen and a juco expected to see minutes, and fitting those guys in with a solid group of returning players, including several potential all-conference stars. Rotations will be key, and the point guard issue must be resolved early lest it come back to bite the Vols in March again.

These things take time.

While the youth is growing, this team may take some bumps early. Tennessee hasn't won a tournament of any kind since Jerry Green was here, and there's plenty of talent in Orlando that will look to prevent that again this year. The Vols are guaranteed three games either way, but it would be great to just start with a win against Siena. Kansas and Memphis may be down but Gonzaga is up and Marquette is very good. I will say that Pearl has lost only one non-conference game he shouldn't have lost in three years, against Wichita State in the '06 NCAA second round.

Tennessee is picked to again be the best team in the SEC. Florida is the most likely challenger with plenty of options led by Nick Calathes. Kentucky has talent in Patrick Patterson but also must replace key losses, as does Vanderbilt with AJ Ogilvy but no Shan Foster. And the SEC West should continue to be an exercise in the dartboard, but Alabama and LSU are both receiving votes in preseason Top 25s. The conference will have its surprises and disappointments...but right now the Vols are the favorites, and as defending champs they've earned that right. Now they have to carry it forward.

It's hard to say how far this team should go because you just haven't seen the youth and the chemistry. We trust Pearl to take care of the latter, but you'll need to see them against the SEC and the big non-conference players before we know anything with greater certainty. The Sweet 16 still exists as the ceiling for this program; the Vols have never been to the Elite 8. As we celebrate 100 Years of Tennessee Basketball, Pearl will continue to try and write new traditions. In today's college basketball world it's hard to think to the future because so many players leave school early, and the Vols will probably see their share of that in the spring. But right now, Pearl has assembled a mix of talent and youth that, over the course of this season, could gel into something very dangerous by the time March rolls around, and are already in the conversation ranked 13th in the preseason. The journey is the fun part.

Above all else, we believe in Pearl. In three seasons he's done what no one, probably not even Bruce himself, thought he could do. The Vols have won the SEC East twice and are now the defending SEC Champions. They've cracked the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament two years in a row. They've recruited McDonald's All-Americans, put a player in the NBA and probably another in the rafters someday. They've developed talent to the point that the preseason All-SEC Player of the Year resides in Knoxville. And the Vols are the favorites in the conference itself. Again.

From no expectations to here, and what a ride...now, can the Vols take the next step?

All our hopes and all our rewards of the last three years have been wonderful. Tennessee Basketball has come to a new place. And now, with faces young and old, we turn to Pearl again to carry us forward, over the course of this season, to that next step. To take us from this place, through growth and teamwork, to the next step on this journey. Through the winter. Because he's already given us something to believe in. And beyond the winter, to March, where a team's ultimate success is determined.

Bruce Pearl has taken us this far and delivered the goods in greater quantity and quality than we ever thought possible in only three seasons. Our hope springs eternal, from the deathbed of a football season gone so wrong, to Pearl and the basketball Vols once more. And this time, there's a little more proof in our pudding.

Yes we can.

News-Sentinel: Butch Davis is Vols' first choice to replace Fulmer

2008-11-08T20:28:00.003-05:00

Check out the story from Dave Hooker here.

Davis certainly has the best collegiate pedigree out of all the choices and names we've heard in the last week, and I'd be for it. I'm still not entirely certain he's going to want to leave Chapel Hill for many of the same reasons David Cutcliffe won't leave Durham: at UNC, you can be a hero with 9-3 at a university that's always competed on an elite national level at every other sport they play, making you the face of their football program. It's what Bruce Pearl has done with Tennessee Basketball. In Knoxville, 9-3 - in spite of what we've seen this season - means grumbling.

While we're watching Texas Tech play whichever team has the ball last wins, maybe we should pull for this outcome. Davis walked into a difficult situation at a proud program at Miami, and turned the whole thing around. He even put the Browns in the playoffs once before things went sour there. No doubt Butch can get the job done. But we won't know if he will or not until he accepts it.

See, you're thinking about something besides Wyoming already. Just wait til we start talking about basketball.

Rock Bottom

2008-11-08T16:02:00.001-05:00

Wyoming 13 - Tennessee 7

A couple of questions:

- Is this the worst loss in the history of the University of Tennessee?

- The 2008 team has now tied Johnny Majors' initial squad for most losses in one year, with two games still to play where the Vols will almost certainly be underdogs. I'll save one sliver of hope that the troops might rally against Kentucky for Fulmer's finale, but what do they have to play for in two weeks at Vanderbilt if they didn't play for anything today? And if this does become the worst team in the history of the program, isn't it pathetic that we'll have to tag that with Fulmer for the rest of his life? "Forced to resign after leading the Vols to the worst season in the history of the program." If he took us to the mountaintop, don't we also have to say that he left us in the valley?

- Is there a single soul who regrets the move now?

- On the bright side, isn't it impossible for whoever comes in here next now to not have a season that's considered an improvement in 2009? If we'd won out and won our bowl game for the coach that these players said they cared so much about, there would be some positive momentum to live up to for the new guy. Now, anything resembling an offense and anything more than 0-12 would be something to improve upon. So you can be sad that 6-6 in 2009 would be favorable...or you can try and hope this makes everything easier in general for the next head coach.

"Rock bottom is a college education." - Danny DeVito, Death to Smoochy

Let's hope so.

From the 110th Row at Lane Stadium...

2008-11-07T12:22:00.001-05:00

My friend Kory and I both moved from Knoxville to Virginia in the last few years - he lives outside Charlottesville, and I'm outside Blacksburg. So every now and then during Tennessee off weeks or Thursday night games, we'll check out the in-state talent. Last night, Virginia Tech continued their usual Thursday night dominance in a 23-13 win over Maryland, highlighted by the breakout performance of redshirt freshman RB Darren Evans: 32 carries, 253 yards and a touchdown. When you're Virginia Tech and you're playing without the injured Tyrod Taylor, and you can get by with a 14 of 20 clean performance from Sean Glennon, combined with the usual ferocious defense (Maryland -12 rushing yards)...you're in good shape.

As Tennessee fans, it felt nice to go to a college football game at a place where they love the sport and have plenty of their own traditions and such...and not get angry. Watching a team with a tailback who falls forward, a quarterback who (at least on this night) is efficient, a relentless defense that tackles really well (which we also have this year)...and to sit in a stadium where the fans are still involved even though the rebuilding Hokies have lost thrice, to know that the game mattered and to sense the excitement...I miss this. And I hope it gets back to Knoxville real soon.

I'll say again that Virginia Tech does an excellent job with what they have. Although there's just another level of noise that Lane Stadium never gets to simply due to body count, the atmosphere is still hostile (especially by ACC standards) and the crowd and students are very much into the game. We were on the 110th row...and stood up most of the game. And we loved it. Hopefully their win last night pushes them further away from potential Music City Bowl opponent territory, and I can continue to keep my job as a Tennessee pastor with a Hokie congregation.

College football can still be fun.

The Four Horsemen of Forced Resignation

2008-11-05T15:39:00.001-05:00

As we wander into uncharted territory at Tennessee, history as always provides lessons and examples on how to replace a legendary head coach who's been at the same traditional football school for more than a decade with great success in the past. Whoever Mike Hamilton tabs as the next head coach in Knoxville faces a tall order and a unique situation. Here are four examples of how similar moves have played out for other schools:

THE TOTAL DISASTER - SYRACUSE

The Old Coach: Paul Pasqualoni
Career Tenure: 1991-2004
Record at Syracuse: 107-59-1 (.644)
Accomplishments: Only one losing season, 4 Big East titles, 6-3 in bowls

Why he's no longer the coach
Donovan McNabb went to the Eagles. Really, the program's decline can be traced from the 1998 season where they won the Big East. After that, the 'Cuse went 7-5, 6-5, 9-3, 4-8, 6-6, 6-6.

The New Coach: Greg Robinson
Previous Position: Defensive Coordinator, Texas
Record at Syracuse: 9-34 (2005-present)

What happened
In Robinson's first season, Syracuse went 1-10. The program still hasn't recovered, their offense has been consistently unwatchable in Robinson's tenure, and a school that sent Qadry Ismail, Marvin Harrison, Olindo Mare, Donovan McNabb, Keith Bulluck, Dwight Freeney, and David Tyree to the NFL under Pasqualoni has become devoid of talent and energy.

What now
You could make a case that Syracuse is the worst football program in the BCS conferences. There are parallels - they play in an area devoid of recruiting talent that necessitates doing a good job on that front. They're a university with a fanbase that is rabid about basketball. Robinson will exit after this season, making the job open again...but for this once proud elite Big East school, their opening will find itself among the least desirable in the nation. Syracuse is a frightening picture of how bad things can get.

Last elite season: Never
Last very good season: 1998

THE FALSE START - MICHIGAN

The Old Coach: Lloyd Carr
Career Tenure: 1995-2007
Record at Michigan: 122-40 (.753)
Accomplishments: 1997 National Championship, 5 Big Ten titles

Why he's no longer the coach
Appalachian State. What the Mountaineers started Oregon finished, as the massive weight of expectation Carr built at Michigan between the 97 championship and the 06 almost all crumbled down in two weeks last September. Michigan also lost four straight bowl games before the decision was made, and is currently four in the hole to Ohio State, meaning the Wolverines lost four straight games between Ohio State, USC, AppState and Oregon that erased all the good vibes from the great 2006 start.

The New Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Previous Position: Head Coach, West Virginia
Record at Michigan: 2-7 (2008)

What happened
RichRod had to deal with a massive exodus of talent from the Chad Henne/Mike Hart/Mario Manningham Michigan offenses of the last few years, and it hasn't gone well. The opening loss to Utah set the tone, and Michigan really should be 1-8 without a comeback win over Wisconsin.

What now
It's still too early to call on RichRod at Michigan, and I'm sure he'll get the standard three years that everyone at big schools gets before they're fired if it's not working. And he needs time with his system and his players. But what's reality is Michigan fans who complained about the declining state of the program under Carr have now had to deal with a 2-7 season in the immediate aftermath.

Last elite season: 2006
Last very good season: none since

THE SAME PROBLEM - TEXAS A&M

The Old Coach: RC Slocum
Career Tenure: 1989-2002
Record at Texas A&M: 123-47-2 (.723)
Accomplishments: 3 SWC Championships, 1 Big 12 Championship, 3 Top 10 finishes

Why he's no longer the coach
The new millennium. The Aggies haven't finished in the Top 25 since 1999, and fell off more each season following. Their bowl destinations went Sugar-Alamo-Independence-Galleryfurniture.com-none from 1998-2002, and the 6-6 finish in '02 sealed Slocum's fate.

The New Coach: Dennis Franchione
Previous Position: Head Coach, Alabama
Record at Texas A&M: 32-28 (2003-2007)

What happened
Farmer Fran was touted as the savior of the A&M program after taking a probation Alabama team to a 10-3 mark in 2002. A bumpy road awaited right away with a 4-8 opening campaign. The Aggies responded the next season with a 7-4 mark, but were thrashed by the Vols 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl. Expectations were still high in 2005 with a preseason ranking, but the Aggies finished 5-6. Fran looked to save his job with a 9-4 campaign in 2006, but last year it was back to 7-5. Texas A&M went 19-21 in Big 12 games under Fran, never finished ranked in the Top 25, went 0-3 in bowls and 4-14 against rivals Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech.

What now
A&M is currently coached by Mike Sherman and is 4-5 in 2008. But the Aggies spent four years and lots of money on Franchione for essentially the same mediocrity that cost Slocum his job. The program hasn't regressed, but it hasn't gone anywhere either.

Last elite season: 1993
Last very good season: 1998

THE UPGRADE - OHIO STATE

The Old Coach: John Cooper
Career Tenure: 1988-2000
Record at Ohio State: 111-43-4 (.720)
Accomplishments: shared 3 Big Ten titles (none outright), 5 straight January 1 bowls (94-98)

Why he's no longer the coach
Michigan. Going 2-10-1 against the program's biggest rival puts the writing on the wall. Even more damaging were the seasons where the Buckeyes ran roughshod over the rest of their schedule, only to trip at the finish line against the Wolverines. Three times in four years between 93-96, the Buckeyes went into the Michigan game with National Championship expectations, only to choke them away. The Buckeyes were 6-6 in 1999, and when they followed up with an 8-4 mark and an Outback Bowl loss to South Carolina, Cooper's days were over.

The New Coach: Jim Tressel
Previous Position: Head Coach, Youngstown State
Record at Ohio State: 80-18 (2001-present)

What happened
The Buckeyes made a risky hire in Tressel, who made noise immediately by more or less promising a win over Michigan in his first season. Despite an average 7-5 campaign on the whole, he fulfilled his promise. The very next year, Ohio State won the National Championship. Since then, Ohio State has played in four additional BCS bowls, two of them the BCS National Championship games in the last two seasons, which they lost. He's won the Big Ten four times in seven years, and the Buckeyes have finished in the Top 5 five times.

What now
Though they won't play for the title this year, Ohio State will still secure an at-large BCS selection if they win out. The Buckeyes are one of the two or three best football programs in America, and have continued to produce the talent that was there all along under Cooper, only with more success and a complete reversal of the Michigan rivalry. Tressel took Ohio State to the promised land and has kept them in reach of it ever since.

Last elite season: 2007
Last very good season: 2008 (so far)

A couple things we can point out for Tennessee:

- Fulmer is leaving for a program's decline and a refusal to settle for mediocrity. It's important to note that the new head coach struggled in his first season at all four of these schools. In fact, no one has come into an elite BCS program from the outside and had championship success in their first year. Those are the facts.

- The Vols haven't had an elite season since 2001, and haven't had a very good one since 2004. Last year was good, but the losses to Florida and Alabama also helped get Fulmer gone. It's a disturbing trend that the last three times Tennessee has gone to the SEC Championship Game, we've lost, then won our bowl game, then took high expectations and turned them into 8-5, 5-6, and 3-6.

- Fulmer's situation is also different than Ohio State's - Cooper never got Ohio State over the hump. Fulmer is Lloyd Carr. If our next head coach starts 2-7, how will we react?

- Nonetheless, if RichRod is a portrait of a need for patience and Robinson is a glimpse of how bad things can become...and if there are lots of guys who can simply duplicate four loss seasons over the next three years...Tressel's hire does offer hope. The talent returning and incoming to Knoxville next year helps foster it. We can hire the right guy and go forward. But we all need to understand that there are ZERO guarantees with this process.

We're blowing in the wind now boys. Only the hire and then time will tell if we're blown away, will duck our heads and hold our ground...or if this program can push forward and return to the Promised Land.

You won't find this again

2008-11-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

Say what we will about the need for a change, the program's decline, and the unacceptable performance of the football team and specifically the offense in 2008.

But whoever comes in here next won't give as much as Phillip Fulmer gave us.

You saw it in the press conference and we knew it was there, you'd just never seen it this clearly.

Phillip Fulmer loves Tennessee in a personal way that you will not find with the next man who comes in here.

Doug Matthews was on SportsTalk earlier today, and made this point: Nick Saban is a fantastic coach, but he's not personally invested in the University of Alabama the way that Phillip Fulmer was and is invested in the University of Tennessee. Not even close.

Urban Meyer's not. Neither is Les Miles or Mark Richt.

And the next man who comes in here won't be either.

Meyer and Miles have won National Championships. And we absolutely hope whoever comes in here next will do the same.

But what we gave away today we won't find again.

And I hope and pray that Phillip Fulmer finds a meaningful place in the University of Tennessee family, right now. It's always eluded Johnny Majors, who also needs to be a part of what we do in Knoxville. Fulmer's a young man in an old man's game, who clearly has a desire to keep winning. But the thought of this university being without the man who cares more about it than any other individual makes this a very sad day.

Let's be clear too: there's one of two ways this ends.

Things can always get worse. If the Vols lose any of the next three games, it'll be another watershed loss. Either Fulmer loses his first home game against a non-BCS opponent, or loses to Vanderbilt in Nashville for the first time, or loses to Kentucky for the first time period. Any of them mean there's no bowl game, and say what you will about not caring about the Music City Bowl, but December is awfully lonely when there's not another game to play. And you don't think this team needs the practice?

This offense is so bad that it's not going to magically turn around by rallying around Coach Fulmer. But the Vols, even as bad as they've been, are capable of winning each of the next three games. And that's how it needs to go.

Losing to either Wyoming or Vandy would taint the Phillip Fulmer Day against Kentucky, and losing there would be worse. These games still matter. This team needs to send Fulmer out the right way.

And I wish Fulmer personally nothing but the best, because that's exactly what he gave us.

And I hope that he continues, now and as long as he's working, to be a part of the University of Tennessee.

VolQuest Reporting Fulmer Era is Over Today

2008-11-03T11:10:00.007-05:00

Brent Hubbs' paysite on Vol athletics is breaking, as far as I know, the story on Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer stepping aside as Tennessee head coach at a press conference later today. If you're a member, you can check the story here: http://tennessee.rivals.com/

More developing on a monumental day for Tennessee Football...

UPDATE 11:18 AM - Press conference scheduled for 5:00 PM EST

UPDATE 11:22 AM - ESPN.com and Chris Low have the story now, saying Fulmer will remain to coach the remainder of the 2008 season...not sure if that would include a bowl or not.

UPDATE 12:37 PM - If you're out of the area like me, you can catch live streaming video of today's press conference at the official site at http://www.utsports.com/. That's if their site doesn't buckle under the traffic the way the News-Sentinel's govols.com apparently has.

UPDATE 12:43 PM - This is why SportsCenter goes live from 9:00-3:00 every weekday now - here's video of Chris Low talking to Josh Elliot on SC this morning about the move, the how and why, the finances and the future:

Eric Berry could intercept a nuclear missile

2008-11-02T16:55:00.001-05:00

...and other thoughts, with apologies to Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer, in their appropriate football context in an attempt to brighten the dark times.

- 1/4 of earth is covered by land. Everything else is covered by Eric Berry

- Eric Berry is suing MySpace for infringing on what he calls everything around him.

- There is no "ctrl" button on Eric Berry's computer, because Eric Berry is always in control.

- For every action there is an equal an opposite reaction. Except a hit by Eric Berry, for which there is no equal.

- There are no Eric Berry jokes. Only Eric Berry truths.

(Join the Facebook group)

A Thousand Words

2008-11-02T08:45:00.002-05:00

It keeps getting worse

2008-11-02T00:15:00.002-04:00

Have you ever seen a Tennessee team give itself no chance to win against a team as average as South Carolina before?

Me neither.

Sigh.

And that's really all that's left.

College Basketball Preseason AP Poll

2008-10-31T21:19:00.003-04:00

Those media types spring into action on the heels of the coaches' poll...

Preseason AP Top 25
1. North Carolina
2. UConn
3. Louisville
4. UCLA
5. Pittsburgh
6. Michigan State
7. Texas
8. Duke
9. Notre Dame
10. Gonzaga
11. Purdue
12. Oklahoma
13. Memphis
14. Tennessee
15. Arizona State
16. Marquette
17. Miami
18. USC
19. Florida
20. Davidson
21. Wake Forest
22. Georgetown
23. Villanova
24. Kansas
25. Wisconsin

Random Thoughts - Halloween

2008-10-31T13:02:00.000-04:00

Where I'm going as a Virginia Tech fan tonight.

SESB on Gridiron Breakdown
Saturday morning, I'll once again be joining the boys at Gridiron Breakdown on BlogTalk Radio. The show airs live from 10:30-12:00 EST, and you can catch me live somewhere around 11:45. We'll probably talk about the good Tennessee team some - and because they're good, those very Titans are popping up more and more on my local affiliates here in southwest Virginia, which means I'll get to see them take on the Packers this Sunday just six days after enjoying Monday Night Football. Life is good.

JP Prince out 3-5 weeks
The Vols' hybrid has a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder, meaning he'll miss the season opener and then some. This plus the increasingly mysterious academic situation surrounding freshman Daniel West means the Vols are paper thin at point guard, and Bobby Maze is going to be on the receiving end of 35 minute performances early on. Chemistry is always one of my biggest concerns with college basketball teams that shuffle in dynamic new talent so often, so the Vols will once again be working with it on the fly as the season opens, when the West situation resolves itself, and when Prince finally returns.

Links from the Big Orange Roundtable:
- Rocky Top Talk: Q&A with Garnet and Black Attack, offering proof that some people do still want to talk about this week's matchup against South Carolina.

- Third Saturday: If Fulmer is gone, why you want Will Muschamp as your next head coach. Hard to disagree with anything in this piece.

- Third Saturday would also like to wish you a Happy Halloween, SEC Style

- Gate 21, where lawvol is out of trial and reminding us all why it's still great to be a part of the Big Orange Nation: 21 Things That Make it Great to be a Tennessee Volunteer

- Your Mom and Wilt Chamberlain have a suggestion for Fulmer's next pursuit after coaching.

Enjoy your weekend.

College Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

2008-10-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

On the doorstep of November, the 2008-09 preseason men's coaches' poll was released this morning...observe:

1. North Carolina
2. UConn
3. Louisville
4. UCLA
5. Duke
6. Pittsburgh
7. Michigan State
8. Texas
9. Notre Dame
10. Purdue
11. Gonzaga
12. Memphis
13. Tennessee
14. Oklahoma
15. Arizona State
16. Miami
17. Marquette
18. Georgetown
19. Florida
20. Davidson
21. USC
22. Wisconsin
23. Kansas
24. Wake Forest
25. Villanova

Some thoughts...

- The Vols are the clear choice for the best team in the SEC again this year, though the Gators also crack the poll. Vanderbilt and Kentucky were each near the bottom of the "also receiving votes" list.

- North Carolina is the clear choice for number one, unanimous in this poll.

- The poll is littered with future and potential Tennessee opponents, with Gonzaga and Memphis just above the Vols, while Marquette and Kansas hover below. Meanwhile, the Old Spice Classic field includes Michigan State, Gonzaga again, and Georgetown.

- I'm sure we'll talk more about this in the next 17 days...but consider the accomplishment of Bruce Pearl, who, in his fourth year on the job, lost Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith, Jordan Howell, Duke Crews and Ramar Smith...and has the Vols ranked 13th in the preseason poll. Well done, sir. Well done.

Random Thoughts - Wednesday October 29

2008-10-29T10:45:00.007-04:00

Where we now spend every morning checking govols.com first thing to see if we still have a head coach...

Where is this going? - 2008 Edition
The 3-5 Vols play in what's still considered the toughest conference in college football, but that may change at season's end. The Big 12 at least gives the appearance of having more good teams, and they've played more enjoyable football, which makes a real difference in fan perception. The SEC's biggest games have been blowouts - Florida over Tennessee, Alabama over Georgia, Florida and Georgia over LSU - while the Big 12's marquee matchups have turned in some of the best performances of this season between OU/Texas and Texas/Oklahoma State. The showdown matchups in both conferences this week should both be entertaining.

But we say all that to say this: the SEC is top-heavy with four good teams, but from there the dropoff is significant. So when the bowl bids get handed out a month from now...it's going to be more interesting than you think.

Let's say Alabama goes on and wins the SEC West - which they'd do at this point even if they lost to LSU and didn't lose again - and plays the winner of the Cocktail Party in the SEC Championship Game. The winner in Atlanta goes to the Sugar Bowl, the loser goes to the Capital One Bowl. The loser in Jacksonville plays in either the Cotton or Outback Bowl, and LSU plays in the other.

Now...where is everybody else going?

Among the other eight teams in the SEC, here's how things currently shake down:

5-3: Kentucky, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
4-4: Auburn, Ole Miss
3-5: Arkansas, Mississippi State, Tennessee

As you can see, this presents the blessing and the curse. The good news is, there's no one team out of this field of eight that jumps out at you, meaning that any of them still have a shot at playing in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (which for all of these teams at this point would be a major accomplishment).

The bad news is, there's eight teams in the field.

The SEC has non-January 1 bowl tie-ins with the Chick-Fil-A, Music City, Independence, and the coveted PapaJohns.com Bowls. So you've got eight teams playing for five spots, all of whom must get to 6-6 to be eligible.

Now, let's take a look at the remaining schedules, and factor in "almost certain losses", where teams from this lower eight are playing teams from the upper four:

Arkansas: vs. LSU
Auburn: vs. Georgia, at Alabama
Kentucky: vs. Georgia
Ole Miss: at LSU
Mississippi State: at Alabama
South Carolina: at Florida
Vanderbilt: vs. Florida

You'll notice, of course, that the only team here that doesn't have a game remaining against the upper echelon is Tennessee.

So...if Tennessee wins out and finishes 7-5, the bowl destination is probably going to be better than you think.

Now...our apathetic fan base certainly hurts us. Our television draw (and potentially the Fulmer situation) helps us. If I was a betting man and the Vols get eligible, I'd pencil in the Music City Bowl, especially considering it's in state and the Vols have never played in it. But the Chick-Fil-A Bowl isn't totally out of the question.

This is an even more interesting conversation if the SEC gets an at-large team into the BCS. That would bump all the other SEC teams up one bowl essentially, meaning that if that happens, one of these lower eight is going to play on January 1.

And it's not too farfetched - the rule that each conference can only have two teams in the BCS looks to screw the Big 12 this year the way it's done the SEC in the past. That means you can guarantee that two of the three between Oklahoma/Texas/Texas Tech are in, because they all play in the same division. It means you can put Ohio State there too as an at-large.

If Utah and Boise State both finish undefeated, then you might have an issue. But if not, the other spot would almost certainly go to either the loser of the SEC Championship Game, or the loser of the Cocktail Party if they won out from there.

If you just played the odds - and currently, the Vols are six point dogs at South Carolina - you'd have a projected bowl slate that I think looks like this:

BCS: Alabama (SEC Champion)
BCS: Georgia (at-large)
Capital One: Florida
Cotton: LSU
Outback: South Carolina
Chick-Fil-A: Kentucky
Music City: Tennessee
Independence: Ole Miss
PapaJohns.com: Auburn

So we're not playing for championships or a good season or any of that stuff...but we are still playing this week, and aside from building for the future (which is important), the Vols are playing for some real bowl positioning this week...even if it's among the lower tier.

Where is this going? - 2009 Edition
No matter who the head coach is next year, the Vols don't lose much. They've currently got the #7 recruiting class in the nation according to rivals.com. If all of this really is a talent deficiency issue, then bringing all these guys back isn't that much of a positive. But if it's not - and I still don't know what percentage to put on 2007 between "we were good!" and "we were lucky!", which would play into this argument - well, either way, here's what we'll be playing with next season:

QB Nick Stephens/Tajh Boyd
RB Montario Hardesty/Lennon Creer
FB Kevin Cooper
WR Gerald Jones/Quintin Hancock/Ahmad Paige
WR Denarius Moore/Austin Rogers/Je'Ron Stokes
TE Luke Stocker/Jeff Cottam/Brandon Warren
OT Chris Scott
OT Ramone Johnson/Jarrod Shaw
OG Vladimir Richard
OG Jacques McClendon
C Josh McNeil

DE Wes Brown
DE Ben Martin/Chris Walker/Gerald Williams
DT Dan Williams
DT Chase Nelson/Andre Mathis/Donald Langley
LB Rico McCoy
LB Nick Reveiz
LB LaMarcus Thompson/Savion Frazier/Jerod Askew/Marlon Walls
CB Dennis Rogan/Marsalous Johnson
CB Brent Vinson
FS Demetrice Morley
SS Eric Berry

K Daniel Lincoln
P Chad Cunningham

Major Lossses:
RB Arian Foster
WR Lucas Taylor
WR Josh Briscoe
OG Anthony Parker
OT Ramon Foster
DE Robert Ayers
DT Demonte Bolden
LB Ellix Wilson
LB Adam Myers-White
LB Nevin McKenzie
CB DeAngelo Willingham
P Britton Colquitt

You're weaker at offensive line and have a huge need at linebacker (which has been recruited to fill)...but otherwise, the Vols have most of the pieces back and should be competitive no matter who the head coach is. Now, competitive by definition should be 6-6 every year, so take that for what you will. But the cupboard won't be bare. Could Tennessee still be good next year?

The sun will come out...

(18 Days)

Tomorrow...

(Eat it up, Vol-Colts fans. We'll keep the bandwagon warm for you when you all come running as soon as #18 retires.)

Bet your bottom dollar...

(Okay, this last one's maybe just for me.)

SESB 2008 NBA Preview - Part II

2008-10-27T18:54:00.000-04:00

Earlier, Jeff and I combined forces to breakdown the incoming rookies, some potential sleeper teams, and gave our overall thoughts on the health of the league. With the season tipping off tomorrow night, we round out our NBA preview with Jeff's thoughts on each team and our picks for the playoffs, MVP and the Finals.

Jeff: A quick (as quick as I’m capable of) team-by-team evaluation to set the stage for my playoff predictions:

In the West:
Dallas Mavericks – the Kidd trade sent them into a downward spiral and I don’t know what they have done to address it, counting on time to jell the team. Still talented enough for a 6th seed.

Denver Nuggets – they simply lost too much. Camby was their only defensive presence and he’s gone. Will probably rebuild next year.

Golden State Warriors – Also lost a lot but Ellis and Maggette should do a decent job of replacing B.Diddy. In the running for the 8th seed.

Houston Rockets – Please, please, please let them get out of the first round. Artest will either launch or sink the team; crossing my fingers for “launch.”

Los Angeles Lakers – Rotation and chemistry will be an issue but on paper the cream of the crop.

Memphis Grizzlies – Ownership has demonstrated a commitment to failure; they don’t want to win and their city deserves better.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Too young, no identity. Maybe in a few years (if any of their young guys re-sign which is a big if).

New Orleans Hornets – They have the best player in the West from last year and added Posey. I’m expecting big things.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Watch them for Durant and Westbrook but not wins. Karma also a significant threat to this franchise.

Phoenix Suns – I just believe Nash and Shaq plus Grant Hill can make one more legitimate run. Maybe it’s nostalgia. These Suns will be heartbreakingly worse to watch though; I miss D’Antoni even if they don’t.

Portland Trailblazers – I came this close to putting them in the playoffs but I think perhaps they are a year too young. I would happily be wrong. I will say I don’t think anyone will enjoy playing them; they’re going to be good.

Sacramento Kings – Too young, too little talent. Kevin Martin is worth watching though.

San Antonio Spurs – Aging rapidly but players and coach are almost perfect compliments to one another. They are still elite but purists need to enjoy them while they can.

Utah Jazz – The more you watch Deron Williams the more you want to. This is a well built and well coached team. They could potentially make a run at a title if chemistry is there.

In the East:
Atlanta Hawks – They lost a lot, have the worst front office in the league (take that Clippers!), the coach is shaky and doesn’t get along with the team’s 2nd best player. Still, Joe Johnson is the most underappreciated player in the league and they might make the playoffs in this conference.

Boston Celtics – I worry about age, Doc Rivers’ “strategy” and rotations, and whether or not the hunger that drove them has been satiated. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt though.

Charlotte Bobcats – The pieces are there if a bench can be developed. They will be well coached. I know I’m crazy but I think maybe…

Chicago Bulls – they have talent and some experience but what were they thinking with that coaching hire? A steady hand was needed, not someone who needs on-the-job training.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Lebron is the best player in the NBA. Stick him with the pu-pu platter and he can make a run at the Eastern Conference title. In fact, he’ll do just that this year.

Detroit Pistons – Dumars does a remarkable job adding quality young guys to keep the windows open. Top 3 in the East, perhaps a contender if the young guys grow up fast.

Indiana Pacers – They are trying to rebuild and will be an afterthought when the playoffs arrive.

Miami Heat – I wish I was in a fantasy NBA league this year so I could draft D-Wade; he’s going to have an ENORMOUS year. His team has copious amounts of talent but I don’t know how they’ll fit together on the floor. That’s irrelevant; Wade will get ‘em up in the Eastern rankings.

Milwaukee Bucks – Hmm…a roster of underachievers, minus their best PG, plus a Nazi head coach? Has potential as a sitcom premise I guess. My counsel to Bucks fans is abandon all hope. Enjoy that WI winter though!

New Jersey Nets – “Heeey Lebron. Look at all the nice pieces we have Lebron. Sure would be better than what suits up in Cleveland, huh Lebron?”

New York Knicks – In writing notes about this team’s hopes this season I just wrote “Are still the Knicks.” The state of this franchise is the longest running tragedy in the NBA. Hopefully D’Antoni enjoys counting money because that will be his only fun this year. At least with Donnie Walsh there is hope for the future now.

Orlando Magic – Dwight Howard. Watch him. Enjoy him. They don’t have enough to win it all but they’ll win quite a few games.

Philadelphia 76ers – This should be a fun team to watch. Brand, AI2, and Miller are a great foundation with Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams bringing the energy.

Toronto Raptors – Possibly the most perfect team conceivable for Mike D’Antoni or Don Nelson and of course neither is the coach. If you can, watch the Raptors.

Washington Wizards – Would be an exciting team if they could stay healthy. Should pay whatever Phoenix’s training staff wants to come to the Capital.

Playoff Teams in the East:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Philadelphia 76ers
5. Orlando Magic
6. Miami Heat
7. Toronto Raptors
8. Atlanta Hawks (Hey, this is the Southeastern Sports Blog).

Darkhorse: Charlotte Bobcats (see note on the Atlanta Hawks @ 8).

Playoff Teams in the West:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. New Orleans Hornets
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Utah Jazz
5. Phoenix Suns
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Houston Rockets (no way they beat the Hornets in a 7 game series. @#$%!)
8. Golden State Warriors

Darkhorse: I don’t think they technically qualified but the Portland Trailblazers are the most likely to mess up my list of playoff teams.

Will's Playoff Picks
Eastern Conference
1. Boston - There's no other logical choice in the East. They'll miss James Posey, who hit the biggest shots in the Finals. But all the people who question the desire and intensity necessary to repeat keep forgetting that Kevin Garnett plays for this team. Age is not a factor with the Celtics yet.

2. Cleveland - LeBron plays out the string with a roster of guys that just aren't good enough. How Ben Wallace is still a starter is baffling. Still, LBJ is an absolute beast. Can't wait to see what he does with some real talent around him next year.

3. Orlando - If the East is Boston and then a crowded field of four or five teams who could all finish 2-6, and you can't have LeBron, you want the team with Dwight Howard. Orlando is actually probably fewer pieces away from a title run than Cleveland, even though they still wouldn't take them in a seven game series right now. The conference finals by way of avoiding Boston in the playoffs until then is a good goal for them this year.

4. Detroit - Promised changes never materialized, but this is still a team that has played in the conference finals five years in a row. A starting lineup of Billups, Hamilton, Tayshaun, McDyess and Sheed is still impressive, but none of them are getting younger. Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey and Amir Johnson don't have that problem, but the East is getting better and they may not make it back to the Finals' doorstep this year.

5. Philadelphia - Finally, some good division competition for the C's (please excuse the use of the word "finally" after only one year of success). These guys will be fun to watch, and have put Elton Brand in a position to get the recognition he deserves. Not a team I want to see in the playoffs.

6. Toronto - Finally, some good division competition for the C's, part two. How do teams deal with Bosh and O'Neal on the floor at the same time? If Jose Calderon and Anthony "don't call me Candace" Parker continue to improve, this team could beat out Philly as the second best in the Atlantic.

7. Washington - If the window hasn't closed already, it's definitely on its way. Arenas can't be counted on full-time, though I guess the rest of these guys are used to competing without him at this point. You look at a potential lineup of Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler and Antwan Jamison, and you still like what you see...but given that it hasn't materialized yet, I'm not sure it ever will.

8. Miami - I agree that they could rise even higher than this, but for now we're keeping expectations hovering around just making the playoffs. D-Wade can be the most valuable player in the league, if he's healthy. The rookies have to grow up fast, and Erik Spoelstra will be an interesting adjustment...but there's too much talent here for me to put them outside the playoffs.

Western Conference
1. LA Lakers - While there's a part of me that could envision this team imploding some - I read the other day that Kobe's played over 1000 career games and his best "Jordanesque" moments are probably behind him now, but I'm also sure that his ego isn't ready to adjust to that reality - the Lakers still have more than anyone else in the West, even if it's by a slim margin.

2. Utah - Might be this group's last chance together, and you never know how that's going to play in...but Utah was a surprising 5th in the NBA in scoring last season to go with the always solid defense they play, and it's hard to deal with Williams and Boozer. The West is probably going to be just as crowded, which means we're really throwing darts here, but Utah could be the best Finals darkhorse in the league.

3. San Antonio - SI's got the Spurs as World Champions, and really there's only that poor performance against the Lakers to keep me from really buying into it. The names and faces are the same, and we're a couple years away from me feeling safe doubting them.

4. New Orleans - I love this team. I can't rationalize picking them over a San Antonio team that beat them and I don't think Posey is the critical difference there...but maybe with more favorable playoff matchups this year, or with that year of experience under their belt...Chris Paul is a revolution, the rest of this team plays incredibly well together, and while I dislike Byron Scott personally, the dude can coach. If the Hornets won it all I wouldn't be surprised.

5. Phoenix - One more time? Grant Hill doesn't get enough credit for still producing after everything that's happened in his career, and it's a shame that Steve Nash may go his whole career without a ring. And I hate to say this...but I'm going to miss watching Shaq and just having him in the league, and you don't know it yet, but so are you. Kobe couldn't do without me.

6. Houston - Good grief...you forget how loaded the West is, because here I'm like "Houston can't be this far down, can they?" I just don't like the entire dynamic here to put them any higher - they're talking about trying to win a title but not getting out of the first round is their thing. And maybe it worked for Sheed in Detroit a few years ago, but adding the likes of Ron Artest to an already unstable mix doesn't inspire me. Good team. But they're playing golf in May again this year.

7. Dallas - Here's where I think the bottom falls out in the West. I liked Avery Johnson, but then again I'm not playing for them. I don't like all these pieces together, and I think it's an early demise again. Jason Kidd isn't going to win any playoff series for them.

8. LA Clippers - Apparently, we both have a need to be different and not put Portland in the playoffs. Now, I did earlier run down LAC when talking about Eric Gordon...but IF the Baron Davis/Marcus Camby shotgun wedding works, then the Clippers are a playoff team.

Alright, let's take this home with the MVP conversation and our Finals picks. I think you've got a small but obvious group of guys who are in the mix for MVP this season - LeBron, DWade, Kobe (just the way the league wants it), plus whoever has the best year between Chris Paul and Deron Williams...and we'll throw Dwight Howard in the mix just because he's unique and qualifies if Orlando is as good as I think they'll be. I think if Kevin Garnett was going to win it, he would've done so last year, and now people fully realize that Boston has the best team, but not the best player.

The NBA moreso than any league brings into question the "What do you mean most valuable" conversation...because taken literally, LeBron should win this award every year he's in Cleveland. Take LBJ off the Cavs, and you've got a lottery team. Now that Beasley and Marion are in Miami, and the whole supporting cast of characters are still playing in Staples, Bron-Bron will easily be the most valuable to his team.

I do think Chris Paul should've won it last year, but the charm may have worn off some in 2008-09, and if so Paul won't be able to hold his own in that LeBron/Kobe/Wade group. Wade has a chance to be the most dynamic of the three (see the Olympics), and he's working with a lower bar coming back from injury on the team predicted to do the worst of the three.

Still, if Cleveland struggles and Miami hovers around the eight seed, and the Lakers sport the best record in the West - all of which I expect to happen - then I have no doubts that it'll be Kobe who once again wins the award. We can't get enough of the Jordan comparisons, and LeBron frankly doesn't need a huge contract year to make him the most valuable free agent in professional sports history, he's already there right now, so there won't be any extra urgency on that front. They should just give it to him with a hug and kiss from the Cleveland faithful right now...but I think Kobe's going to bring it home again in the end.

Jeff: My take on the MVP issue is also literal. If the NBA hit the reset button on the league, kept all their franchises, and put all the current players in a pool to re-draft who would be the first player taken? The answer couldn’t be more obvious. The only player would I think would legitimately be involved in the conversation other than Lebron is Dwight Howard and even so, Lebron would be taken 100 out of 100 times. So Lebron is the Most Valuable Player. If we redefine MVP as Best Individual Player or Most Important Player to His Team the discussion picks up a few more names. In reality the NBA’s MVP award is actually a combination of BIP and MIPTHT.

You are right that Kobe will be in the discussion. Whatever. I think the Lakers are going to have legitimate problems figuring out how to play Bynum and Gasol at the same time (or at least that is what I’m telling myself). Hopefully that difficulty will produce some unexpected losses, cause Kobe to show his true colors more often, and take a bit of shine off his candidacy. If not, it’ll be hard to unseat him as MVP; as in political elections it is hard to unseat an incumbent (see: Steve Nash).

The fundamental rules of the universe dictate that Lebron must always be in this conversation. He is the MVP-in-reality, BIP, and in the running for MIPTHT. Of course, this should make him a lock but the awarding of the NBA’s MVP award is historically off the reservation (see: Shaq’s ONE - !!! - MVP Award).

Chris Paul’s biggest advantage over Deron Williams might just be the attention he gained last year nationally. I wouldn’t say Williams is as good as Paul but I might not argue against that point either. Either way, as good as Deron Williams is I don’t see how he can compete in terms of exposure playing in Utah. So go with Paul over Williams.

You mentioned Howard and I agree he should be in the conversation. However, I think he’s still a year’s worth of exposure away from being a real competitor for the MVP. I suppose he could have a monster year and make a run at it but in my opinion it would have to be a historical-level run. It’s also possible that Amare takes Dwight’s place as the big-man MVP candidate. I say that because Shaq has promised to make Amare great and Shaq has a history of making the next best player on his team look like the best. I’d say Dwight’s the frontrunner for this slot and Amare a dark horse but don’t count him out.

I also want to add in Dwayne Wade. This pick is purely on the basis of his performance in the Olympics. The pick also stands on an incredibly shaky foundation, namely that Wade can hold up for 82 games. But this is a new season and everything is rosy in the glow of high expectations so I’m going to believe. I’ve been calling for a monster year for D-Wade, thus not only is he in my field of potential candidates I’m going to go with him as my pick for MVP this year. I’m expecting big numbers and lots of highlight plays. Don’t let me down Mr. Wade.

In regards to the finals, I don’t know how anyone can pick anyone other than the Lakers and Celtics as the season begins. The bottom line is that they look the best on paper and that’s all that counts before the first tip off takes place. My heart longs for a New Orleans coup in the West but I can’t honestly say that is what I anticipate at this point. I also see a lot I like in the East - particularly in Philly, Detroit, and Toronto but – again - nothing that would trump the Celtics’ combination of talent/passion/camaraderie.

In the interest of full disclosure let me confess that I think the Lakers are the Celtics’ equals (if not superiors) on paper. They have an incredibly talented first four, a roster that all of a sudden became the deepest in the league (let me say one more sardonic thank you to Memphis), and one of the greatest coaches in sports history. However, my worldview compels me to believe that ultimately evil will be defeated by good. There are few things in sports that I am completely assured of but one of those things is that Kobe Bryan is evil to the core. Thus I re-board the Celtics bandwagon for one more trip.

Will: Glad the Celtics can be considered the "good" portion of that equation once again.

I still just think there's nothing that logically says it won't be Boston in the East; you can say that LeBron took them to seven games and now they've added Mo Williams, but based on what I saw in The Finals from a team finally playing on all cylinders, Boston was clearly the best team in the league and that hasn't changed in the offseason. In fact, if I may be so bold, I would be surprised to see another team take them to seven games before they get to the Finals, if they stay healthy.

Out West we're still throwing darts, but I agree that by default you have to go with the Lakers. San Antonio can't be counted out yet and we both like New Orleans, but if there's anybody trustworthy to manage that roster in LA, it's the clean shaven Phil Jackson. If Kobe is over the hill, he's still got enough for one more Finals run in him, at least.

That said, Boston was clearly better than LA in the Finals last year no matter how it looked on paper to most of the experts going in; I think it was Mike Wilbon who called it a six game sweep, because Boston had spurts where they were just on another level and all there together. James Posey will be missed, and the Lakers do have Bynum in the conversation...and as a result, I'll give it seven games instead of six this time. But still, Boston is the team to beat, and there's no reason they can't and shouldn't repeat as World Champions. It feels strange to make such a bold optimistic statement about my own team, only to realize that this one's also factually correct.

As always, if you agree or disagree with our picks, or want to add to the conversation with your playoff picks, MVP thoughts and Finals prediction, feel free to do so in the comments. The season tips off tomorrow (Tuesday) night in blockbuster fashion, with LeBron and the Cavs in Boston for the Banner 17 raising as the quest for Banner 18 begins at 8:00 PM (EST), followed by Greg Oden's regular season debut with Portland taking on Kobe and the Lakers at 10:30, with both games on TNT. Enjoy.

Alabama 29 Tennessee 9 - The Crimson Flame

2008-10-26T15:23:00.001-04:00

Denial, meet Anger.

We've had a good run, Denial. These last few months have been great. I know you've been interested in me for a long time, you've wanted this relationship to work for probably the last several years. And after I saw you again on Labor Day, I couldn't resist.

And the truth is, you're probably better for me than Anger. I'm probably a better person when I'm around you instead.

But see, I hadn't seen Anger since I was young. She's a part of my childhood. And last night...well, I'm ashamed to say it, but she's just more attractive than you. Dressed in red and singing those songs...I can't resist anymore, Denial. I'm sure you'll find somebody else. I know some guys up in Columbus who are interested. But me...I've gotta go where my heart leads me. And right now, my heart is full of Anger. She burns in me with a crimson flame.

I hope we can still be friends.

I've got a word to describe what happened in Neyland Stadium last night:

Unacceptable.

In the last two seasons, the Vols have been beaten 59-20 and 30-6 by Florida. And now, we've been on the receiving end of a 41-17 thrashing in Tuscaloosa, and a 29-9 slow death in Knoxville from our biggest rivals.

Unacceptable.

And it's nothing new. The Vols have no running game despite every ounce of the same talent that was on the field last season. They miss more field goals than they make, pick the worst possible times for penalties...

And when they finally, finally made something good happen by leveling Javier Arenas on a punt return...it didn't matter.

First and goal at the five? Field goal. Blocked punt that gives you the ball at the Bama 32? Nothing. First and 10 at the 14 on a drive that could've given you life in the locker room? More nothing.

It's the same sad song and dance we've seen against UCLA, it's the reason the Vols were dead at the half against the Gators, it's the reason the Vols couldn't get one - ONE - first down to beat an Auburn team that looks just as lifeless, and it's the reason that Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer simply did what they do and ended us, nice and slow.

I hate watching them celebrate in our building. I hate hearing their song. I hate seeing that many of them in our student section and where our season ticket holders should be.

And I hate this:

"It was like a home game out there for us." - Alabama OL Andre Smith

Unacceptable.

I love Phillip Fulmer.

But this has to change.

Because there's no more room for Denial. You'd have to be certifiable to think that this team is good. And you have to imagine reasons that it will get better in 2009.

Getting most of the pieces back from an inept - because that's the best word to describe it - offense really doesn't mean much. And the Vols are wasting a once-in-a-generation talent like Eric Berry.

Fulmer has a losing record against the head coaches of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, and the ghost of Steve Spurrier.

Spurrier's Gamecocks, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are left on the SEC slate. Fulmer is 43-2 against those teams. But at this point, will it really matter if he goes 46-2 against them, and then the Vols beat Random Average Team in Random Average Bowl?

And what's worse...even if the Vols lose to Carolina/Kentucky/Vandy, a significant percentage just doesn't care anymore. We've been saying all year that you can't be this frustrated for too long, because eventually you pull the plug. Basketball season is three weeks away. And we'll gladly give our money to Bruce Pearl. Apathy is at the doorstep and knocking for many.

As for me...what I saw in there last night was unacceptable. Credit the Vols for playing hard. Credit Alabama for doing what it had to do. Credit lots of things for Tennessee simply not having enough talent to be in the same sentence as the SEC's elite right now.

But regardless of any factors, what we've seen is unacceptable. I'm furious. And the entire Tennessee Football program has to do what it has to do to make this right.

SESB on Gridiron Breakdown

2008-10-24T14:48:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning, I'll be on live with the guys at Gridiron Breakdown, which airs from 10:30-12:00. The show originates from Alabama, so I'm sure it'll be lively.

And now, some motivation for your weekend:

That was last year. In Neyland Stadium it'll sound even worse.

But Rocky Top would sound even better.

Tennessee-Alabama: 5 Keys to the Upset

2008-10-23T22:46:00.001-04:00

48 hours before kickoff, we're in the last stages of rational mode before the full blown hatred and blind optimism kick in...allow me to submit that objectively, you can't look at this Tennessee offense and this Alabama team through seven games and pick the Vols. But...this is why we play the game. So if the Vols are going to make a little magic on Saturday night, here's what would help us along our way...

- A Running Game
The performance the Vols got from the running game against Georgia was totally unacceptable, and will lead to a similar outcome this week. I still believe that Tennessee has the talent in the backfield and the experience up front to put a dent in Alabama's defense, especially playing without Cody in the middle. But they're running out of opportunities to prove me right. This part also includes whatever combination of Foster, Hardesty and Creer is most conducive to success - Fulmer seems to suggest that they're going to play in that order on the first three drives again this week, and then we'll go from there. If the Vols can't run, we're going nowhere.

- Who makes the big play?
Gerald Jones is slowed. And no matter how outmazing Eric Berry may be, you can't pencil in a pick six every week and his offensive potential is just that. So who will provide the offensive spark when Tennessee needs it? Will it be Denarius Moore on a deep ball again? Will one of the backs break a big run? Will Brandon Warren finally be a factor? When the Vols have beaten Alabama under Phillip Fulmer, there's always been one big play: Joey Kent, Jay Graham, Peerless Price, Travis Stephens, Casey Clausen, Parys Haralson...the Vols need a name to join that list, especially in an offense that struggles on a team that needs something good to happen, against an opponent that's never played from behind. It's going to take a big play. Who's it gonna be?

- The trenches: Alabama's o-line vs. Tennessee's d-line
The most important matchup of the game. Alabama's offensive line is the real deal. If Tennessee's d-line would like to be in that conversation, they have to get some push against the Tide. Ayers, Bolden, Williams, Brown and the reserves - all of whom have improved and played well this season - must slow down/shut down Alabama's multiple rushing options, put pressure on John Parker Wilson, and thus make JPW beat you. If the Tide can find room and time behind the line, the same way they did last year in Tuscaloosa, and the same way Georgia did two weeks ago, then it's going to be a long day for the Vols.

- Turnovers
The most important stat in any football game, and the one to give Vol fans the greatest sign of hope: Tennessee's secondary leads the nation in interceptions and have plenty of athletes to make something happen. Alabama has some talent at WR, but it's nothing the Vols haven't seen already this season. Conversely, Tennessee is yet to recover a fumble this season - the only team in FBS with that distinction here in late October - so it's more of a push situation at this point. Nick Stephens has gotten away with some bad/forced decisions but is yet to throw an interception, and Vol backs haven't fumbled in the last several games too. Something's gotta give in the turnover battle, and it needs to turn the Vols' way. The defense must give the offense opportunities, and the offense can't be any better to Alabama than we've already been with a sputtering scheme and an inexperienced quarterback combined with two high ankle sprains. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes our way score.

- Sixty minutes of that old Phillip Fulmer magic
And you're welcome to come back here and make a sarcastic comment about what Fulmer's magic is if we lose. But we've been waiting all year for that back-against-the-wall, out-of-nowhere performance that the Vols have turned in numerous times before under Fulmer. That combined with his success against Alabama, which currently stands at 10-4-1, a number you really won't hear anything positive about again if the Vols fall, because it'll be replaced with the more relevant 1-4 against Nick Saban. If the Vols have a special game in them, this is the last chance to see it. The stage won't be any bigger all season, nor will there be a better chance to keep the direction of this program going forward and build towards something substantial in 2009. All Vols, including Mike Hamilton, aren't so much looking for a magic number like 8-4, but moreso evidence for hope that things will get better. The Vols provided a hint of that last week against Mississippi State. No better chance to do it again than this week. If Fulmer's got anything left, now is the time.

The most relevant question: how many points will it take to win? Is this a game the Vols can win 13-10? Or will the offense need to get in the 20s? While I'd love to see this defense put all the clamps down in another 6-3 showdown, I think Alabama is too good and the Vol defense isn't quite what it was in 2005, despite the similarities. So I think you're going to need to see something with a 2 in front of it on the scoreboard if the Vols are gonna win.

If that's going to happen, starting with these things would be good. Find a running game. Find a big play. Don't let Alabama's offensive line dictate the pace of the game to your defense. Win the turnover battle. And give your all for Tennessee today, so that one more time under Phillip Fulmer, the Vols come off the deck and hit the opposition in the mouth.

And there's no one - absolutely no one - we'd rather deck than the Crimson Tide. If we can't be champions...there's nothing better I can think of than making sure those lying, cheating, need to be put in their place like only Tennessee can Bammers watch their dreams die at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night.

Buckle up.

Crimson & White & Orange Roundtable

2008-10-21T12:35:00.000-04:00

The whole staff over at Third Saturday in Blogtober are your hosts this week, and we've put together a special joint session between the members of the Big Orange Roundtable, and the Crimson & White Roundtable websites, with Third Saturday the common link between. They're your source for all things Crimson & Orange this week, so you'll want to check there early and often for a wide array of opinions and analysis on this week's showdown, as well as plenty of hatred brewing in the comments already.

The questions are the same for all members on both sides this week, so away we go with the SESB answers:

Both teams at some point or another have been described as an Evil Empire. If your team is the Death Star, what is it’s planet-destroying weapon?

The Vols right now appear to be the Return of the Jedi version, in need of obvious repairs and in a frustrating state of rebuilding...so to the outward eye, it would appear that we don't have a planet-destroying weapon right now.

However, if we're going into "It's a trap!" mode this week, it'll probably be because of...

Eric Berry.

It has to be him, right? He's the only thing on this team that seems to fit with the word "destroying". With Gerald Jones slowed, maybe Lucas Taylor could have something flashy in him, or perhaps Denarius Moore will go deep again...but if there's one guy on the field who can make a game-changing difference for the Vols, it's Eric Berry. He's the SEC's all-time leader in interception return yardage in just 21 games. He's capable of delivering the knockout blow on the opposition's best player (see: Moreno, Knowshon or Donovan, Tyler). He's approaching mythical status in Knoxville...and helping turn the Tide would only add to his legend.

And who knows...maybe, just maybe, the Vols can go into fully armed and operational mode against the Tide this week.

What is it’s two meter wide exhaust port?

Nick Stephens.

I like Nick Stephens. I love him when you put him next to Jonathan Crompton. So far he's done exactly what he's been asked to do.

But Stephens is simply still very young and very raw, and limits what the Vol offense can do. Our talented backs and veteran offensive line are getting very tired of eight and even nine man fronts at times, because Stephens isn't respected. And I hope that one day soon that changes, because I do think eventually this kid can grow into a really nice option at quarterback. But right now, his inexperience limits us more than anything else, which makes us more vulnerable than anything else.

Ask Alabama fans what it was like to try and beat the Vols with Spencer Pennington.

Everyone is looking forward to Eric Berry vs. Julio Jones. What is the next matchup you’ll be keying on in this game?

Tennessee's defensive line vs. Alabama's offensive line.

The Tide are very strong up front and pushed the Vols around last season in Tuscaloosa when they weren't at full strength. The Vols are getting better d-line play now than they were last season, and are coming off a great performance against Mississippi State. The tackles have been solid and there are four viable options at end playing well right now.

If the Vols can get pressure on John Parker Wilson the way they did on MSU's quarterbacks, it enhances the already good potential that the talented secondary can get a pick. Forcing bad decisions against a determined and methodical Alabama offense can take them out of their rhythm. Allowing the safeties and backers to play in coverage by getting enough pressure from the front four will help the defense immensely.

Conversely, if Alabama can drive on the Vols the way Georgia did, both on the ground and through the air, and the defense has to stay on the field all day, it's bad news for Tennessee all around. The key to success starts up front with Ayers, Bolden, Williams and Brown against a great offensive line. Tennessee has to make its presence known.

The Tide and Vols will scrap it out under the lights at Neyland. Do you like this arrangement and does the later kickoff time provide an advantage to either team?

I don't think it's advantageous to either team...I personally always like the 3:30 CBS game because it means you're the biggest one of the day, plus I have to drive back to Virginia immediately following which is always a killer on night games.

But the orange looks better under the lights, and there's something even more special about seeing it mixed with that crimson in Neyland. So I'm excited about the late start...it's a full day of football enjoyment before going to war at 7:45.

Since the Tide had a bye week and the Vols didn’t bother to play that weekend either (zing!) we’re going to say this is the Third Saturday in October just to justify the name of one of the greatest rivalries in college football. In three thousand words or less, turn over the kettles of white-hot liquid hate upon thine enemy.

An interesting observation: I think the difference between Alabama and Florida for Vol fans is respect - you respect the history and tradition of the rivalry with the Tide, you just flat hate the Gators.

I also think it's the reverse dynamic for Alabama between Auburn and Tennessee: a measure of respect mixed in for Auburn, but flat hatred for the Vols, thanks most recently to the on and off the field exploits of Phillip Fulmer.

When Florida comes to town, I want blood. When Alabama comes in to Neyland, there's a momentary pause...it never fails, when you look around just before kickoff and see that beautiful mix of orange and red, when you hear those first strains of Yea Alabama, when fall is in the air and the ghosts of Bear and Neyland hover over the playing field...it never fails, just before kickoff, to make me smile.

And then the ball is teed up, and the hatred ensues.

For my generation at age 27, Alabama is a horrible childhood nightmare. I was 14 when Peyton Manning and Phillip Fulmer put it to bed. And from there, Alabama was seven years of utopia. It didn't feel any less special when the rebuilding Vols beat Alabama in 2000. It still felt right.

A year earlier, I was in Tuscaloosa for the first time when the Vols beat Alabama 21-7 in the last Third Saturday that was nationally relevant for both teams. And maybe it was a jerk thing to do, but I walked every step down that long spiral from the upper deck at Bryant-Denney with my right hand held high and all five fingers extended, one for each year (at that point) the Vols had beaten the Tide consecutively. And I felt those glares of hatred from the Bammers all around me...but I also knew that they knew that there was nothing, absolutely nothing, they could say. I knew it because it was the way I felt every day of my childhood until I was 14. And now I'm worried that I might feel that way again after Saturday.

This rivalry is built on streaks, and the last six years with a 3-3 split have felt different. In today's SEC you probably won't see streaks like those of old again on either side. But I need Tennessee to be even with Alabama.

All the things I don't like about Alabama fans are the same things I found myself doing and being when we had the upper hand on them: self-righteous, sanctimonious, arrogant and just mean. You never really dismissed the Tide because of who they were, but you just pretended like you did because you knew it would piss them off. I have a "WE OWN ALABAMA" t-shirt (thanks, Fernando Bryant). And if we win on Saturday night, and our band strikes up that song, there's a 100% chance that I'll yell every word of Rammer Jammer at the visiting fans that sit just below me. Because I had Rocky Top sung back at me by Alabama fans every year of my youth. And I'll never get over it.

We trade hatred of equal portions. But nonetheless, what makes this rivalry special is still those few moments before kickoff, when we all look around and remember how special it really is, that these are the two most tradition-rich programs in the SEC, how Tennessee and Alabama really need each other to define themselves...and how there's only one Third Saturday in October.

Ray of Hope vs. Oncoming Train

2008-10-20T13:20:00.001-04:00

Much like Denarius Moore's fingertips, the Vols gave themselves just enough room to believe that something good might happen on Saturday night.

Emphasis on might.

Before we dive headfirst into our annual lovefest with the Alabama Crimson Tide, let's point out the good that took place against Mississippi State. The Vols put the clamps on the Bulldogs to the tune of 189 total yards, intercepted three passes for an NCAA-leading 14 through seven games, and took two of them to the house on consecutive drives, something I'm not sure I've ever seen Tennessee do before. Some of that is attributed to a stronger pass rush than we've seen in awhile, with five sacks on the evening.

Nick Stephens continues to do his job, while Lennon Creer ran the ball 12 consecutive times on the final scoring drive, finishing with 17 for 68, which is a nod both to his productivity and the coaching staff for continuing to feed him. Fulmer said the rotation with Foster/Hardesty/Creer will continue, which I have fewer problems with as long as the best back is getting the important carries late.

Denarius Moore has 7 catches for 195 yards this season, because apparently they don't like to use him for anything under 40 yards. His adjustment on the pictured catch up there was an incredibly savvy play for a young guy who doesn't see much playing time.

And the offensive line showed a renewed energy, even when Anthony Parker left the field. They'll need to amp that up this week, but it was an improvement.

And look...Eric Berry now goes in that super elite group with Chuck Webb, Carl Pickens, Dale Carter, Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning, Leonard Little, Al Wilson, Peerless Price, Jamal Lewis, and John Henderson: guys who are both insanely talented and incredible playmakers, and all on their own level on both counts. That's the group you tell your grandchildren about, and EB belongs in it just a year and a half into his college career. The boys at Rocky Top Talk - who were the first I know of to unleash the "Clawfense" moniker - have started calling him Crunch Berry, which means we're one photoshop away from his 2009 Heisman campaign. And that's not a joke. Because Eric Berry would destroy Charles Woodson.

It felt good in there Saturday night. The first half was a telling sign of how bad things have gotten, when you're up 6-3 at halftime on Mississippi State and you're okay with that. The second half was a reminder of how good things could be when Tennessee is playing well.

The Vols did enough to find a spark in the 2008 season. This week, we'll find out if that light is enough to carry us out of the tunnel, or if Alabama's train is going to run us over anyway.

Because we also have to talk about the bad news from Saturday night: Tennessee still only managed 275 yards of offense and 20 points from that side of the ball. Gerald Jones and Anthony Parker, otherwise known as your best offensive playmaker and your best offensive lineman, are both questionable with high ankle sprains, and both will probably be slowed even if they play. Nick Stephens is still the quarterback, which means he'll once again have a chance to manage, but remember this is the kid's fourth start and he's not Erik Ainge by a longshot.

Brandon Warren continues to be a tease, not because he's not talented, but because they run him on the field about once every two drives for one play.

And it disturbs me that we can't find someone to kick the ball deeper than the 10 yard line.

And all of our flaws become magnified against a team like Alabama, who's interesting in their own right. Crimson Daddy at Third Saturday made a solid statement today when he said that Alabama is the best team in the country in the first half, and might be outside the Top 40 in the second. But despite their bipolar tendencies, this Alabama team is tough, physical, and clearly knows how to win. They'll bring a #2 ranking and control of their own crystal football destiny into Knoxville. They're a touchdown favorite at the open and methinks you'll see that grow.

We'll talk more about this during the week, but a couple of observations to start:

One, come to the game.

I'm not going to lecture anyone for not showing up against Mississippi State. I am absolutely going to show my disgust at any Vol fan who has tickets for this one and doesn't come.

You don't need to go any further than "it's Alabama". It's added bonus that they're #2 and undefeated, making this the last nationally relevant game the Vols will play this season. Ignore the bad vibes from that last sentence and get to the game.

Because if you don't...they will.

That giant swath of empty seats in the Neyland Stadium upper deck last week? It's solid red next week if you don't come. Mississippi State didn't travel. Alabama will. There's already going to be a ton of them in there in the first place. You come and be loud. We need the hostile environment, because this team clearly feeds off it. Tennessee needs the best crowd of the season on Saturday night, no exaggeration, and no reason for you not to be a part of it. Get to the game.

Second...this is the last domino to fall for Fulmer's modern perception.

If the Vols lose to Vanderbilt again or Kentucky for the first time in 24 years, it'll suck and it'll be more gloom and doom.

But it won't hurt as much as losing to Alabama for two straight years for the first time ever under Phillip Fulmer.

It's been sixteen years - 1991-1992 - since Alabama won two straight against the Vols. Since that time, Tennessee is 10-4-1 against the Tide. What everyone has forgotten is what Phillip Fulmer did to the Alabama rivalry, including every Alabama fan who says "I hope Fulmer stays forever!"

Maybe you're too young to know this, but you think losing to Florida five straight times was bad?

Trying losing seven straight to Alabama, then watching them drive the length of the field to tie you, then losing again the next year. Those nine years from 1986-1994 were so, so much worse than what Florida was doing. And the Vols fans older than me would love to enlighten you about the misery of this rivalry in the 1970s.

When Florida beat Tennessee five straight, only the first one was close and the Gators were ranked in the top five every time. They were simply better than us and they showed it.

Against Alabama, it didn't matter how bad they were or how good we were. They just always found a way. And more often than not, it involved the scalpel instead of the hatchet: slow, painful, unexpected yet familiar heartbreak. They always found a way to beat us.

When Alabama ended seven years of their own misery against the Vols in Knoxville in 2002, I remember sitting on row one in the student section in the end zone, and looking across the field at that mass of crimson, those shakers and hearing "Hey Vols!"...and it was like a bad dream from my childhood that I'd repressed from 1995-2001.

That's the only time in the last six tries the Tide have won in Neyland Stadium. Alabama got fortunate in 2005 and got mean in 2007 in Tuscaloosa. As a result, the balance of this rivalry is up for grabs on Saturday night.

The series in Knoxville is deadlocked at 20-20-1. Ties are made to be broken.

If Alabama wins...they'll have suddenly taken three of four from the Vols, two straight, 2-0 for Saban...and we'll be right back there. Right back to the late 80s and early 90s, where Alabama is better than you, and you have to deal with those insufferable Bammers, and life is just worse. Make no mistake, we've spent 16 years keeping it at bay. The Tide may have pulled even in this rivalry since 2002, but they're not ahead. Not yet. If you thought last year was bad, you have no idea what it's like when they've got something on you and there's nothing you can say in return. 16 years of freedom isn't long enough. I want to stay free from the Crimson oppressors for the rest of my life, because my childhood experiences were bad enough. Adult Will won't know how to deal with it.

But if Tennessee wins...then 2008 has its high note. The Vols pull even for the year, maintain the current even nature of this rivalry, make some national noise, and can start thinking about maybe slipping into a bowl game outside the state lines. Phillip Fulmer's job will be safer. And the direction of this program keeps going forward.

And oh, the joy of ruining their season.

The Vols found some light on Saturday night. A strong Alabama train is coming towards Knoxville. Is there enough light left to escape this tunnel, or will our one true rival keep us in darkness?

This is the Third Saturday in October. And there's no better week on earth.

Quote of the Year

2008-10-16T16:14:00.001-04:00

"I'm a great guy. A great, humble guy." - Vince Young, on how the media is tarnishing his legacy.

SESB 2008 NBA Preview - Part I

2008-10-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

For the first time, we're combining forces here at SESB to bring your our thoughts on the 2008 NBA season, which unfolds in just two weeks on October 28. This is the first in a series; Will will be speaking in Celtic green, while Jeff gets Carolina blue:

Will: Alright, so right away I'm in need of the opinion of someone who's capable of being more objective than me...because for me, last season had everything. The most competitive playoff race in professional sports history in the Western Conference, where all eight teams won 50 or more games. The most interesting MVP race in recent memory, featuring two of the best to ever play the game in their prime (and the guy who should've won it down in New Orleans). An insane trade deadline. And some classic playoff moments, from the opening Spurs/Suns game, to the Pierce/LeBron Game 7 duel, to the ultimate Celtics/Lakers Finals payoff. And as a Celtics fan, winning Banner 17 with the new big three means I'm reluctant to even start talking about a new season because I'm still enjoying the last one.

Factor in the Olympic gold medal, and it's been an incredibly good year for professional basketball. It seems like an in credibly healthy moment for the league, and with good timing to overshadow the dark clouds of Tim Donaghy and the Sonics. So having said all that, what do you think about the overall health of the league, and what are you looking forward to this season?

Jeff: Whoa. Not given to hyperbole are we? "The most competitive playoff race in professional sports history in the Western Conference…" – that, my friend, is a big statement. In all honesty though I really don't disagree with anything you've written. I'm as excited about professional basketball today as I have been at any point in my life (yes, that includes the heyday of Michael, Magic, and Larry).

I spent the preseason last year telling everyone who would listen that the league had reached a talent level on par with the early 90s. It is no secret that the league hemorrhaged fans just after Jordan, the middle class just unable to connect with Iversonian players. However, I think the league would have been able to maintain much of the profile built by Jordan even with the generational gap if the talent level would have remained high. Alas, just as Iverson's generation became the face of the NBA the talent level dropped precipitously (remember the year when Kenyon Martin, Mike Miller, and Stromile Swift were the first three picks?). The combination of gangstas and mediocrity became a poisonous cocktail for the NBA.

The good news is that now not only is the talent back but the players themselves seem to be cut from the same material as the luminaries of the early 90's. It is now safe to like the NBA's biggest stars again.

This was clearest during this year's Olympic Games. The players carried themselves with class and played with passion. If you don't think that can win fans you didn't see me cheering for Kobe Bryant even though I mortally oppose everything that he is. You can be cynical – and perhaps correct – and say that it is merely marketing awareness that is behind the change in how players approach the fanbase. Whatever the reason, it is great for the league, great for basketball as a sport, and great for me as a fan.

So to answer what I'm looking forward to I'm going to cop out and just say the NBA being back on. I love basketball, professional basketball, the way fat kids love candy – there are simply too many elements to pick just one as the thing to look forward to. I can, however, give a few quick-hits on what I am intrigued by:

- The further exploits of Lebron James and Dwight Howard. I will argue to the death that these two young men represent the pinnacle of physical basketball ability and maybe even the potential of the human body. There has simply never been a physical specimen comparable to Lebron. Add in his skill level and if you aren't watching him you are intentionally missing athletic history. Dwight Howard is perhaps comparable to a young Shaq but only in the in the way Windows 98 is comparable to Windows XP – and that is no insult to Shaq. He and Shaq are in the same genre but the execution with Dwight is simply more advanced at comparable stages.

- We have this year the rare season which sees two number-1-overall picks make their debut at the same time. I'm a sucker for potential and adding Greg Oden to the Derrick Rose/Michael Beasley/OJ Majo rookie class offers almost more than I can take.

- Finally, welcome to the return of parity. As was previously noted, the West is so evenly matched and loaded with talent that the addition of Shaq and Jason Kidd actually hurt their respective team's chances. The East is no longer the ugly secret of the NBA (although the league should still change their playoff format to get the best teams in, regardless of conference). The defending champs probably have one more elite run in them, the Pistons continue to find ways to stay young and thus extend their window, the Sixers have Elton Brand now, the Raptors continue to grow, and the Heat added Michael Beasley to a roster which welcomes a newly healthy Dwayne Wade back after he put on a show against the world's best talent. I'm not afraid of run-on sentences because it takes a lot of commas to express how radically the East has improved in a very short time.

I have questions I’m more interested in seeing you answer (Example: can the Celtics' old legs survive another year of Doc Rivers' rotations?) but I'm going to start off on a less personal subject: tell me about the rookies. Specifically, who will be the ROY and who from the lottery will be the biggest bust?

WILL: Dodging that personal jab at the C’s – well, not completely dodging it, because I’ll say that despite all the NBA Finals love he got last season, Rivers will be the first one to get blamed if the Celtics don’t make it back there this season – I’ll also say that I’m officially on the Michael Beasley bandwagon. I think the kid is a production machine and you haven’t seen anything in preseason yet to dispute it, his body and his role are more NBA-friendly than what Kevin Durant saw last season, and as I’m sure we’ll get to, even though they only won 15 games last year, a healthy Miami team should be a competitive Miami team. I think Beasley has a shot to both make the AM SportsCenter highlights on a regular basis, and actually be a good player too.

When dealing with the rookies, I tend to swing back to my collegiate emotions with nothing else to go on, which instantly makes me against guys I didn’t like in March, like the Lopez thugs (the sort of guys I’d enjoy if they were on the Celtics, but since they’re not I can’t help but hate them). In talking about busts, I was thinking about OJ Mayo because I’m just not sure he’s in the same class as Rose and Beasley (and because it’s not very professional to type “Rose, because he went to Memphis and I hate those guys”)…but then Mayo hit six threes the other night, so we’ll back off.

But what about Eric Gordon? Doesn’t he seem to be the perfect scenario for disaster? He comes out of one of the more tumultuous college situations in recent memory at Indiana. He plays for the Clippers, which would be bad enough, but they unintentionally reshuffled their deck this offseason, and while they might be good…they’re the Clippers, so I’m still gonna lean towards not-so-much. And Gordon is the fabled “combo guard”…and in a league where the word combo is best used today to describe 6’10” guys who can shoot the three, I’m not sure a 6’3” guy who won’t run point on a team with Baron Davis is gonna find his role real well. He seems to be the highest pick I’m least sure about…not counting guys from Italy that I haven’t seen.

What about you – who do you like and dislike among the rookies? And do you agree about Miami being potentially dangerous in the East, or do you see someone else rising from the ashes?

Jeff: Your Beasley comments are spot on in terms of what he could (and most likely will do) on the court. I do have reservations about how mentally ready he is to live in South Beach. If you are hooking fellow players up with weed at the NBA Rookie Transition meetings what will you get into when you live in Vegas South? When the character concerns were raised before the draft I thought they were unfounded. After the stuff with Chalmers and Diogo I'm not so sure. However, just as his potential for self-destruction in Miami is limitless, so is his opportunity for success on the court. This really could be the perfect storm of intrigue around a young player. He could absolutely go either way just as easily. If he was woken up by the meeting incident and dedicates himself to ball he might not only win the ROY but also make an All-Star debut as a rookie. At this point I would label him my pick for ROY as well but I have to acknowledge that he could possibly end up being Michael Ray Richardson 2.0. I'd add Russell Westbrook in as a dark horse. He earned his ticket into the NBA surpassing expectations and I think he'll have all kinds of opportunity alongside Kevin Durant.

Your commentary on Gordon does indeed read like 10 minutes before basketball apocalypse. Still, I'm going to hold out hope for Gordon. As you mentioned, he played in one of the most challenging college basketball environments in recent memory and played well when healthy, even developing as a player. No, the Clippers didn't do enough to replace Brand and no, I wouldn't want Baron Davis mentoring my young combo guard. Even so I just don't want to jettison hope for Gordon yet.

My pick for bust remains Kevin Love. I have serious reservations about his ability to compete athletically in the NBA and I do not understand how he fits in Minnesota with Al Jefferson. I have no doubt he'll be a serviceable NBA rotation player for years (12 points, 7 rebounds, and enough beautiful chest passes to give Bill Walton a coronary) but he was the 5th pick in the draft. If that is what you want why not trade back and get a Lopez brother at a cheaper price?

Also, as I mentioned, how do you play him with Jefferson? They both need to be PF and neither has given any reason to believe they can be productive playing up as a C. Love is just entirely out of place on that team. The rest of their rotation is built on athleticism (see: Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, Rodney Carney, Rashad McCants); Love stands out like a sore thumb. Maybe they think he'll be the rebounding-passing initiator but playing him with your best player
compromises your interior defense. I don't know, maybe I'm reading the situation all wrong. Or maybe (and this might be more likely) Kevin McHale has fully embraced the T-Wolves as a Triple-A feeder program for the Celtics and is grooming Love to eventually play in Boston.

In the east I see 7 clear cut playoff teams: Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Orlando, Toronto, and Miami. Then you are left with Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington competing for the final spot. Those final three have serious issues – Chicago: chemistry, Atlanta: being Atlanta + the loss of Childress, Washington: injuries (again!) – and I don't know which will rise. To answer your specific question, yes, I think Miami can rise in the east. D Wade was the guy who I couldn't take my eyes off of in the Olympics. Not only was his play startling after watching him play crippled last season but also because he seems to be more polished and motivated than ever. If he plays like he did in China you could probably stick him on a good D-league team and they'd make a run. We've already covered Beasley. Miami, however, is another team that confuses me and that's why I list them toward the bottom of the playoff teams. 3 of their best 4 players should be playing PF. Marion is a good SF, no doubt, but he's truly special when he can use his quickness to create match up problems as a PF. So not only do you have he, Beasley, and Haslem needing to play the 4 spot but if you play Marion at the three you are only getting 85% percent out of your second best player. I also don't know who plays in the back court with Wade. Chalmers? Wright? I have no idea. It probably doesn't matter because I have a feeling Wade is going Supernova this year but if I were Riley I'd be calling Chicago to see if Haslem (and possibly Wright or Chalmers) would get Heinrich.

To finish up this section let me switch conferences: last year Dallas and Phoenix did what fans wish their teams would do: pull off gutsy moves at the deadline to make a run at a title. Obviously, it worked out poorly for both squads. Neither team made radical changes in the off season, apparently thinking more time to gel will fix the problem. So which (or both, or neither) bounces back this year?

Will: Dallas hasn't gotten over Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals yet. What the Heat started on that night, Golden State finished off in 2007, and that desperation move for Kidd couldn't resurrect it. I think the worst thing for Kidd's career at this point was to put him on an Olympic team with Chris Paul and Deron Williams - glad he got the gold, but he's 35 and it's showing. I like Nowitzki but I don't think he's a guy who wins you a title without someone better around him than anyone currently on the Dallas roster. And I guess it shows the difference between fan and player perception, since I keep reading about how many Dallas players threatened to quit if Avery Johnson was retained as coach. The West is too tough; I think Dallas is a borderline playoff team.

Phoenix, on the other hand, can't get past San Antonio, which may not be a problem for either of them as they continue to age. Part of me just thinks that as Shaq knows in full that his career is winding to its close, he's got one more strong run in him. Part of me wonders what percentage of the Suns' massive regular season success was the product of Mike D'Antoni. But given the choice between the two, I think Phoenix has one more run in them, while the window in Dallas is closed (if only temporarily, because what Mark Cuban wants eventually I think he'll get).

Agree/disagree? Leave your picks for rookie of the year, lottery busts, and teams rising and falling in both conferences in the comments. We'll be back with more later on the MVP race, as well as our picks for the playoffs and the NBA Finals.

No fate but what we make

2008-10-12T16:41:00.000-04:00

I remember.

I remember thinking about how it was going to be the best weekend I'd had in a long time. I remember taking advantage of a day off to be in Knoxville with old friends. I remember that first hint of Autumn.

I remember how much I enjoyed that first Saturday, with no Tennessee on the schedule to overly influence me. I remember trying not to enjoy it when Virginia Tech lost. I remember being pissed that Mississippi State lost to Louisiana Tech, because how dare they taint the name of the SEC.

I remember watching the Tide roll over Clemson, with that faint internal smile that said maybe, just maybe, this would be the year that Alabama would hold up their end of the bargain and bring the Third Saturday back to national prominence.

I remember gameday. I remember that Chick-Fil-A was giving away free strips, and how nice it was to be five minutes from one instead of an hour and a state away like I am now in Virginia. I remember my friend there at lunch asking me what we'd do if Jonathan Crompton got hurt, and me saying something about how that would be the worst possible thing that could happen, and if that if he did we'd probably go exclusively to the G-Gun because Nick Stephens wasn't ready.

I remember hearing Arian Foster interviewed on the radio - in English, not pterodactyl - and how he playfully ducked a question about how this year, this team, might be special.

I remember thinking that it should be special, because it's the 10th Anniversary of that which was most special. I remember how great it felt after those long summer months and all those words I'd typed - words that described the Vols with promised accuracy, like "underrated" and "dangerous" and "capable" - that finally, finally, my favorite three months of the year were here.

I remember saying "football season will make anything better".

I remember my friend's new apartment, pizza and Mountain Dew. I remember his gigantic television and crystal clear HD. I remember those familiar strains of ESPN's college football telecast, and that inward thankfulness that it was finally here.

I remember being excited about seeing the Clawfense.

And I remember seeing those orange pants.

And we should've known.

I remember feeling genuinely sorry for Kevin Craft. I remember thinking at halftime that we'd just put them away. I remember having a quiet admiration for Craft for pulling it together in the second half.

I remember trying to remember the last time we ran the football.

Then I remember saying "why don't we run?"

Then I remember shouting it.

I remember using the phrase "They're hanging around..." at least a dozen times.

Then I remember the assumption that our defense would stop them, and the cold reality when they didn't. I remember the moment I first thought we would lose.

Then I remember how swiftly that was taken away with a couple completions and a trip to overtime. I distinctly remember saying "If there's one thing we do well at Tennessee, it's win in overtime."

Then I remember saying "Alright, let's just score a touchdown so we can all go home" after UCLA's possession.

Then I remember making an assumption about Daniel Lincoln.

And I remember the moment that kick sailed wide, and everything came unraveled.

It's still unraveling.

How do I remember it all so distinctly?

Because it was only seven weeks ago.

Seven weeks - less than fifty days - a number that, on the other end of the calendar when we say "there's 49 days 'til it's FOOTBALL TIME in TENNESSEE!", we know it's getting close.

And now we know it's gone.

I so look forward to college football season, like many of you who're reading this. Just the promise of it gets us through the summer. I even missed missing it this year while I was preoccupied with the Celtics.

And the reality for Vol fans now is, we probably spent more time breaking down and looking forward to the season than the Vols did being relevant in it.

The season's not over, because there are six games left to be played. Which means it's only halfway done, less than if you assume a bowl game.

But as for the existence we've known as Vol fans for the last two decades...2008 is over.

And that entire existence might be too.

Think, for a moment, about what we take for granted.

Like starting the year in the preseason AP Top 25. The Vols have done that for twenty consecutive seasons.

Or sooner than that, playing in January. We've been disappointed to go to the Outback Bowl in each of the last two years. Now we'll probably be starting our new year watching somebody else's team.

Are you depressed yet?

I love playing EA Sports' NCAA Football video game series, where the Vols have been on the short list of "six star programs" in their dynasty mode - a list that included only eight other teams in this year's game. Right now, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who agrees with that ranking.

See, here's the thing: we can all admit now that things have changed.

The Vols were playing at one level from 1989-2001. They were dominant. We were proud. We were the team you tore your goalposts down for when you beat us...except you probably didn't beat us. The Vols won four SEC Championships in that span, won the division again in 2001 and were a heartbeat away from the big prize, and of course, captured the 1998 National Championship.

Since 2001 - and this is an argument someone else can make somewhere else - either the Vols have regressed, or the talent around them got better, or (most probably) both.

From 2002-2007, the Vols weren't dominant. Some goalposts did get torn down against us. But they were still very good. Two division titles, plenty of big wins.

And each of the three times in the last six years that the ship looked lost, Fulmer saved her.

After the injury-filled debacle of 2002, Fulmer went to Gainesville and made us believe again the following September.

After the tragedy of "We're the best 5-6 team in the country!" in 2005, Randy Sanders was no more and Fulmer and the Vols obliterated Cal, and instantly, all was forgiven and we were in attack mode again.

And when last year looked dead, the Vols responded by winning every game they had to have down the stretch to become an unlikely SEC East Champion.

But this time, there's nothing left to save us.

And what's worse - what's left to believe that it will be saved?

Things are bad right now. What makes us believe that next year will automatically be better?

Because I also remember, more than anything, that every-offeseason belief that the Vols would be among the best teams in the country/conference when the year started. Because with greater consistency than just about any other college football program in the last twenty years, we have been.

Everyone under 30 doesn't know how to deal with this, and that includes me. Because Tennessee is an elite football program that wins. And what we've seen on the field this year...that's not Tennessee Football.

But it is.

The last two years have already killed that thing in me that says "We'll beat everybody but Florida", because that's how I was trained and that's what I lived and enjoyed, for the most part, for the last 20 years. Before it's out, this year might kill the assumption that the Vols will beat South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Whether Fulmer is the head coach here or not in 2009...what do we have to stand on that says it's all going to be okay?

There was this brief moment of doubt a few years earlier, in the aforementioned Cal game. I remember how strange it felt that day, because you just didn't know. And the Vols did everything right away to ease your pain, and in 2.5 quarters we went from not knowing to "Screw Florida, we're going all the way!"

Then there was David Cutcliffe to ease the distance between the two, that long lost season and the fragile promise of the next one. This year there won't be.

And what if Fulmer does go, on his terms or otherwise? If a new coach comes in here, do we just accept a rough start (like Saban last year) because that's what new coaches deserve? And if so, isn't it tragic that 8-4 will become okay?

The mantra of this blog since its beginning has been "The SEC is good enough to beat everybody any week, and Tennessee is good enough to beat anybody every week."

Is that true anymore?

If the Vols were in a class by themselves from 1989-2001, and four or five SEC teams were all bunched in there together from 2002-2007, are the Vols even in that grouping anymore? I like to make the joke about Georgia not belonging at the adult table...but have the Vols worn out their welcome?

We're spoiled in Knoxville and we take everything for granted.

But now everything we take for granted could be getting ready to change.

It starts now, with this team. Is this a 3-9 team? Because the relevant bowl question is no longer "where?", but "if". With the dream of a championship lost in just seven weeks and more external pressure on the program than ever before, does this team have the desire and the will to keep playing?

And even if they do, are they actually good enough to beat anybody that's left?

Because he's the most stinging comparison: say what you want, but the 2005 Vol team still had some talent.

They were better at shooting themselves in the foot than any UT team I know of. And they too struggled on offense. But they had some talent.

The 2008 Vol offense is much worse than the '05 group, with the only potential future bright spot in Nick Stephens' right arm. We keep hearing about talent that's still here...but is it?

And talented or no...does this team have what it takes to finish the season?

And if they don't...what happens next year? Because there's no guarantee that the Vols will bounce back with a 10-2 season that we'd all probably take at this point.

2005 made me angry. 2008 makes me worried. Really, genuinely, watershed worried.

When does Tennessee stop being Tennessee?

The identity of the program hangs precariously in the balance. This season is lost. As for the future of the program...while some of that will lay in the hands of the head coach, present or future, it ultimately falls to all of them - players, coaches, administration. And fans, for what they can do - staying loyal and faithful to the program, for better or for worse. Because the "for worse" part might become a more present reality. Anyone who says they're cheering for us to lose is a waste of orange. And anyone who openly does so when we play Alabama should be shot on sight.

Tennessee can still lay an important foundation right now, while everything seems lost in the moment and potentially for the future. Don't quit. Get better. Give yourself a chance next season to be Tennessee, no matter who the coach is. Keep hope alive.

We've lived a charmed life for 20 years. If it's over...God, we'll miss it. And maybe one day it'll come back.

But Tennessee people need to understand that nothing is guaranteed. Much of what we take for granted has been earned on the football field for the last two decades.

Remember the Syracuse program that's sent Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney to the Pro Bowl and played in early BCS bowls?

Today they're the worst program among BCS conferences in my opinion, and it took less than a decade to get there. Nothing is guaranteed, it's earned.

I don't know where Tennessee Football is going from here. If there is still enough talent in Knoxville to compete with the Florida, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, and yes, Alabamas of the SEC, the Vols need to lay the foundation for that talent to compete again next year. Fulmer needs to do what's best for his team while it's still his team, whatever he believes that to be. And the administration needs to do likewise.

And again, we as fans need to stay true to the orange.

We might disagree about Fulmer. We might not all spend our hard earned dollars on Tennessee vs. Mississippi State on pay per view. And we'll all question that which needs to be questioned.

But the Vols have been very good to us. Now's the time to return the favor.

The future is not set; there is no fate but what we make. The Vols will either go further in the hole or keep playing and lay a solid foundation for what's to come, whatever that will be. And it's the responsibility of everyone involved with the program to do what they can to make it something good.

Because no matter what...it's always great to be a Tennessee Vol.

Georgia 26 Tennessee 14 - Frustration Reigns

2008-10-11T20:13:00.000-04:00

Well, Nick Stephens showed enough to put faith in him for the forseeable future, and Eric Berry added to his own personal legend with another critical interception, while adding Knowshon Moreno to his attempted murder list.

But at the end of the day, it's another loss with more offensive frustration. And with this one, the Vols fall to 0-3 in the SEC, 2-4 on the year, and out of the relevant college football conversation for 2008...you know, except for that whole head coach business.

Georgia ran 81 plays in 42:09. Tennessee ran 45 in 17:51. The Vols finish with 15 carries for 1 yard. Georgia puts a dent in the idea that the Vols have a dominant defense with a 309 yard day from Matthew Stafford, and a 101 hard earned yards effort from Knowshon Moreno.

From here? Well, since it would appear that everyone left on the schedule is capable of beating the Vols, you'd still best take them one at a time and try to get bowl eligible. Mississippi State will come to Knoxville next week elated after beating Vanderbilt, while Alabama might roll in the week after at #1. Either way, can an embattled coach and a struggling offense find the spark to keep playing with no championships left to play for?

These are the dark times, my friends. But we remain faithful throughout.

Go Vols.

(EDIT: It's clear from the postgame Fulmer show that the head coach is upset/frustrated with the offensive coaching staff, or at least that's how I'm interpreting the coachspeak when he talks about things from a systematic viewpoint. And he's not pointing fingers, because he mentioned that he sits in there with those guys. But I do always like it when the coaches say what we're all thinking.)

Stop copying us!

2008-10-11T12:43:00.000-04:00

...okay, I know these are really supposed to be inspired by all that horse racing nonsense they love up there in the bluegrass and not our checkerboard end zones...but my word, these are ugly:

Only five weeks 'til basketball season, should things go wrong later today in Athens...

Random Thoughts - Friday October 10

2008-10-10T16:27:00.001-04:00

While the undefeated Titans enjoy a weekend off, it's a loaded weekend for the Volunteer program, as we take a look at what's going on around Big Orange Nation...

SESB on Gridiron Breakdown - Saturday 10:30 AM
It's once again my pleasure to join Jay & Al at the Gridiron Breakdown on BlogTalk Radio this Saturday - the show airs live from 10:30-12:00 EST, where we'll be talking Tennessee-Georgia and I'm sure they'll have some insight on Tony Franklin's firing and the whole Auburn situation.

Johnny Majors is at it again
Allow me to say first that the guy should've never agreed to go on Paul Finebaum's show. That in and of itself goes against that "being true to the Tennessee family" bit we've talked about so much here. But now he's saying that hiring Fulmer was the biggest mistake he ever made, and reiterating some of his other previous claims about John Chavis and the Vols...all while still saying that he really doesn't want to say anything. You can find the complete interview with Majors at this article from the News-Sentinel.

Hey, college basketball!
Since plenty of us may just want to talk about this after Saturday anyway, let's note that practice is just around the corner for Bruce Pearl's Vols, and the season opener is now just five weeks away. Dick Vitale ranks the Vols #14 in his preseason Top 40, while The Sporting News has the Vols at #21. Both operate on the assumption that most are this preseason: that Tennessee is once again the best team in the SEC. Stay tuned...

Hey, NBA basketball!
Check out SESB next week, where Jeff & I will be combining forces for the first time to bring you the SESB 2008 NBA Preview. Preseason is underway, and the regular season opens with The World Champion Boston Celtics hosting LeBron James and the Cavs, in just eighteen days.

Five Keys to Beating Georgia
Alright, enough with all this Fulmer talk...what's it going to take for the 13-point underdog Vols to go Between the Hedges and come away with another upset win?

1. Nick Stephens doesn't get Tennessee beat
Forget what you saw from Stephens against Northern Illinois, this is the real test. While there's plenty of precedent here on relatively untested quarterbacks going into Athens and winning (Heath Shuler, Todd Helton, Tee Martin and Erik Ainge all did it), Stephens hasn't seen a snap of SEC football in his young career and is surrounded by an anemic offense. I like the kid's confidence and open realism, but we really won't know until we see him against the Georgia D. Most importantly, Stephens needs to manage the game and not get the Vols beat - costly turnovers at inopportune times and painful field positions have killed the Vols in their three losses. Stephens needs to use his head and his skills to keep Tennessee in it, but not get them beat.

2. Maximum efficiency from the (double-barrel?) G-Gun
Reports of discombobulation from the top-down continue to swirl around the Tennessee offense, with questions about who's really calling the shots between Fulmer and Clawson, and issues surrounding which running back is going to get the most carries. And plenty of rumors and inefficiency surround the G-Gun package, which seems like a perfect remedy for a young inexperienced quarterback. Gerald Jones' lone pass against Auburn that was dropped by Lucas Taylor was critical in the flow of that game, and the Vols never went back to the passing game. Rumors this week have included a double-barrel G-Gun that puts Eric Berry in the backfield with Gerald Jones. However it's used, it must be an efficient counterpunch to the regular Tennessee package, instead of a cheap gimmick that ends up as a wasted down. The Vols used the package brilliantly in the SEC Championship Game last year, but so far that's been the exception. It needs to become the rule on Saturday.

3. Put pressure on Matt Stafford
This is a two-fold solution: both that the Vols could use some heat on Stafford, and that their chances of winning are much higher if the game's outcome is put on the shoulders of the Georgia passing game. An interesting article from Bryan Grantham at Bleacher Report this week leads us to an interesting stat: Georgia is 17-1 when Stafford throws less than 30 passes, but only 3-4 when he's thrown it 30+ times. The Dawgs prefer to lean on the running attack, but have less success when forced to rely more on Stafford. Some of those losses have been in situations like last year's Tennessee-Georgia game, where the Dawgs fell behind so fast they didn't have much choice but to throw. But no matter how opportunistic the Vol offense may or may not be in putting points up, the Vol defense can also influence that outcome by...

4. Containing Knowshon Moreno
Watching this kid run, you know he has the potential for something special on every single Saturday. However, the Vols shut him down last season (13 carries for 30 yards). This will be the game that tells you definitively whether Tennessee has a good defense. Florida really didn't have to do anything, and Auburn's offense is just as bad as UT's, so it's hard to put a tremendous amount of weight on the statistical numbers that are overwhelmingly in Tennessee's favor:

- UCLA: 29 rushing, 259 passing, 288 total, 17 offensive points (non-OT)
- UAB: 108 rushing, 167 passing, 275 total, 3 offensive points
- Florida: 147 rushing, 96 passing, 243 total, 24 offensive points
- Auburn: 97 rushing, 129 passing, 226 total, 7 offensive points
- Northern Illinois: 76 rushing, 118 passing, 194 total, 9 offensive points
Season Avg: 91 rushing, 154 passing, 245 total, 12 offensive points

This combined with Tennessee's nine interceptions in a loaded secondary, and with the memory of last season's dominant performance against the Dawgs still fresh, I have every reason to believe that Tennessee's defense is good enough to give the Vols a chance to win. Containing a banged-up Moreno is the most important part of that.

5. Rhythm is gonna get you
Either the Vols find it and give themselves a chance to win, or they continue to struggle and Georgia adds to our loss column. This team doesn't need to look spectacular on offense, they just need to look consistent. Can Nick Stephens manage the game? Can the G-Gun package be used efficiently? Can one tailback, or two or three, establish a consistent running threat? Can the Vols get the ball to Brandon Warren? Both for this Saturday, and for the rest of the season, this offense has to come together and find its rhythm, or this won't be the only game the Vols lose from here on out. If the defense gives Tennessee a chance to win, the offense needs to take advantage.

Final Thoughts
As we've said all week, the relevance of the season is on the line. A 2-4 start means we'll keep talking about our next head coach and the future. An upset in Athens means we can keep living in the present. Tennessee needs this win more than any they've faced on their schedule thus far. Fulmer has been money in situations like this in the past. And the Vols, who are better at ruining Georgia's season than anyone else, have beaten the Dawgs three of the last four, two straight in Athens, and spanked Uga in each of the last two seasons.

Again - if the defense gives us a chance, can this offense capitalize? Is there any magic left in Fulmer or the 2008 season?

As Ghost of Neyland at Third Saturday put it best...we'll win because we have to.

Tony Franklin fired at Auburn

2008-10-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

Remember when we said the Tennessee-Auburn game was a crossroads for both offensive coordinators?

Auburn won. Tennessee lost.

And Tony Franklin was fired today, seven games into his tenure with the Tigers ranked #20 and sporting a winning record.

Dave Clawson remains employed.

Is Fulmer's job beyond saving?

2008-10-08T12:11:00.000-04:00

The enemy of any football season is apathy, and the danger with the Tennessee program is that one season's misfortune (or several seasons to hear some of the Fulmer haters tell it) could bleed into the entire program: if some Vol fans have already given up on this season and this coach, what guarantees their same passionate return (and their same passionate dollars) for the next season no matter who the coach is?

This thought process reveals itself in a common thread that's emerged in the words of AD Mike Hamilton between Fulmer's current situation and the downfall of Buzz Peterson as men's basketball coach in 2004: concession sales.

Though Roy Williams joked that Peterson was fired because we weren't selling enough popcorn, apparently it's a real enough concern in the minds of those who matter, because it's popped up in the last two articles I've read in the News-Sentinel that have contained quotes from Hamilton.

But beyond bottled water, stadium dogs and dwindling attendance...the overall outlook on Fulmer and the Vols right now is ugly no matter how you slice it.

Fulmer probably saved his job last year in dramatic fashion a number of times, as the only thing that made losing at Cal and losing to your two biggest rivals 59-20 and 41-17 was winning the SEC East. It would've been a lot more interesting had Arian Foster's final drive fumble against South Carolina not been recovered by the Vols, or if Vanderbilt's final field goal hadn't bounced off the upright, or if Kentucky had found a way in any of those four overtimes to put the Vols away.

But Tennessee won each of those games, won the division, and Fulmer was rewarded with a contract extension and a fancy new guarantee that we all took passing note of over the summer, but now has become incredibly relevant:

Eight wins in the regular season guarantees a new extension.

For this reason first and foremost, perhaps we should pump the brakes on the fan-driven search for a new head coach. Not because the voices of the masses that scream for a new leader are necessarily all wrong.

But because that's what the contract says. Eight wins = another year.

The Vols are currently 2-3. The remaining schedule includes Saturday's test at #10 Georgia, followed by home dates with Mississippi State and #2 Alabama, a trip to South Carolina, a homecoming affair with Wyoming, a suddenly-interesting trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt, and the season finale in Knoxville against Kentucky.

If Tennessee navigates those seven games with only one loss, the Vols will be 8-4. And Fulmer's contract will call for an extension. Those are the facts.

When Mike Hamilton and Phil Fulmer sat down to work on that contract, I think the assumption we all shared was that Hamilton wanted to send the message that Fulmer would be the man until he retired, and Fulmer in turn gave Hamilton some sort of timetable on how long that would be. They cited recruiting as a key incentive so kids would know that Fulmer would be the man in Knoxville, and could quiet the voices of other coaching staffs in the SEC that were telling the same kids otherwise.

Today, those voices have never been louder and they're coming from almost every corner.

But the language of the contract remains. Eight wins in the regular season guarantees an extension.

Let's say Tennessee does finish 8-4, losing either this Saturday at Georgia or later this month against Alabama, the two most likely culprits. Fulmer's contract would call for an extension. Then let's say Tennessee plays in the Music City Bowl and loses to a mid-level ACC opponent to finish 8-5. Fulmer's contract would still call for an extension...but with that outcome, fan frustration would have spilled over for many into fan apathy. Because you simply cannot stay this frustrated for that long. People will just give up on the team instead. And when they do, they'll stop buying popcorn.

Under that scenario, the worst possible for Fulmer to still earn his extension...could Mike Hamilton go back on his word and the terms of the contract?

The buyout information we know: six million dollars. But beyond that, would Hamilton pull a 180 less than a year after laying out that contract, and go back on the terms he agreed to?

If that scenario plays out and the Vols finish 8-4 with a loss in the bowl game, it's going to be an even uglier scene in Knoxville than what it is now. Because for so many fans (and probably some of the high dollar donors who keep the wheels turning) Fulmer is beyond saving. 8-4 shouldn't save him, and neither should 9-3 in their minds. They've crossed the line.

It was easy to put a positive spin on last season's 10-4 finish because the Vols won the SEC East and won their bowl game. If those unlikely circumstances don't break the Vols' way again this season, there won't be anything left to spin. The naysayers will continue to cry out with plenty of evidence, and even those who want to support Fulmer wouldn't have much to stand on with an 8-5 finish...except that eight wins is good enough for a contract extension.

That scenario would create even more division with less positive in the conversation than ever before. Mike Hamilton would be put in an awkward and difficult place. And Phillip Fulmer would be caught in the crossfire, much like his predecessor Johnny Majors. Both men did tremendous things for the University of Tennessee. But both men may end up going out the hard way under the manipulation of the athletic director (and say what you want, but if Fulmer wins eight games and Hamilton decides to go in another direction, contract manipulation is exactly what it will be).

The projected outcomes don't look good. And we're already plenty frustrated.

Of course, Fulmer could put an end to all this. I retain the position that the best possible scenario for all involved would be for Fulmer to announce that 2009 will be his final season as head coach, which would put something definitive on the table and usher in a new head coach while still allowing the current one to go out on the terms and in the way he deserves.

But since I don't see that happening, it brings us back to the present moment of frustration with a potentially darker future ahead.

It brings us this week to Athens, which might be the final game of significance for the Vols this season.

Consider this: knowing the language of the contract, if the Vols lose at Georgia, where they're 13 point underdogs, Tennessee will be 2-4.

That means one more loss would free Hamilton from the language of the contract.

It wouldn't free him from the six million dollar buyout. But it wouldn't put him in a potentially unethical situation - it would free him with a clear mind and conscience to pull the trigger on a move if that's what he deemed best for the program.

What it would also do is create a perverse second half of the season.

Ever seen those movies where the troubled head coach is told he has to win every game or he'll be fired?

Truth can be stranger than fiction.

The least of us who are already cheering for Tennessee to lose so we can get a new head coach might have a more tangible reason to do so after Saturday. If the Vols lose to Georgia, Fulmer would have to finish 6-0 to get that guaranteed extension.

And look, we don't know if Tennessee is good enough to score enough points to beat Georgia. Or Alabama. Or Vanderbilt. Or anyone else on the schedule that's left. And we won't until we see it play out - Tennessee will be the underdog at least twice more and probably rightfully so, but you just don't know until you see it. It's pointless to discuss Tennessee's odds of beating Alabama right now. All they can do is play Georgia.

So finally...having said all the negative...it remains true that if the Vols somehow find a way to beat Georgia, they remain relevant for another week. Not waiting for next year or the next head coach, but still relevant in 2008. And relevance is the best cure for apathy.

And if the SEC football gods are even kinder and LSU beats Florida on Saturday night, the Vols will be just one more Florida slip-up (and an assumed Vanderbilt collapse) from being back in the driver's seat in the SEC East. Stranger than fiction indeed.

Beating Georgia won't save Fulmer's job. But it can keep it alive for another week. Whether it builds towards eight wins and a contract extension, or the potential to be a player in the SEC East race...all that will have to work itself out each and every week. But Fulmer, and the Vols, would still be alive in the present moment, for 2008. And a schedule that should bring an Alabama team ranked no lower than #2 to Knoxville on October 25 will offer an additional opportunity to make some noise in 2008.

Every season tells a story, and while this one has been a nightmare for the Vols thus far, it's going to be interesting to the finish either way. Will Fulmer get to eight wins, and if he does what will Hamilton do with the state of the program as it currently is? If he doesn't, then is that it - and if so, who's next in Knoxville? Or can Tennessee pick up an upset in there somewhere to stay relevant in the SEC East race? Can we still somehow play for a championship this season while we're playing for Fulmer's future?

All the tension, emotion, and both the present and future direction of the Tennessee program come together in Athens on Saturday.

Lose, and the apathy grows and you're one more loss away from your guaranteed extension. Lose and more fans cross the point of no return, which sooner or later Hamilton is going to cross if the losses keep piling up. Lose and the opportunity to leave the university you've done so much for on your own terms slips further and further out of your own hands.

But win...

Win, and we live to play this game all over again next week.

But at least we'll have something to play for.

Go Vols.

The Crossroads of Tennessee Football - 2008 Edition

2008-10-06T12:25:00.000-04:00

Last season, one of my favorite weeks to write about was the seven days surrounding the Georgia game. The days leading up to the game were full of doubt and negativity after the big losses at Cal and Florida, with Fulmer's career and standing seemingly hanging in the balance. Then on gameday, the Vols obliterated Georgia, and when combined with LSU's win over Florida, Tennessee found itself in first place in the SEC East. Everything changed in one day. And those Vols went on to win the Eastern Division.

One year later, Georgia week rolls around again. And here we are again.

It's the same and it's different. The Vols haven't been blown out twice, but did take a beating from the Gators again inbetween two excruciating close losses. It hasn't been a paper-thin defense that's been the problem, it's been an almost completely inefficient offense.

In many ways it's worse. The Vols have lost thrice instead of twice as they meet Georgia, and are still two games behind the Gators (and Vanderbilt) in the SEC East race. Erik Ainge is gone, and we're still getting to know Nick Stephens. And all of these factors have led to a percentage of the fanbase (and probably the donors and the power brokers) having given up on Fulmer already, no matter how many games he wins the rest of the season.

But it's also still true that if...IF...the Vols somehow find a way to win in Athens on Saturday, 2008 isn't over yet.

Make no mistake: if Tennessee loses at Georgia, by 1 or 100, their chances of winning the SEC East are zero. 0-3 in the conference is a death sentence, especially when two of those losses are to Florida and Georgia. If the Vols lose and drop to 2-4, this year becomes a lot about next, and the Vols will simply scramble to try to get bowl eligible.

But if...if...Tennessee can beat Georgia, they'll be alive for at least another week. This season will still be relevant instead of just a glimpse of what might happen next year. And the Vols would need two losses from Florida - who still has LSU and the rest of the East Division to play - to get back in the race.

I'm not at all saying Tennessee is likely to finish with eight straight wins and miraculously win the division again. I'm not talking about our odds of beating Alabama because all we can do right now is play Georgia. I don't know what's going to happen with Nick Stephens or Phillip Fulmer.

But I do know that it's always important to be relevant. Win on Saturday, and you still are. Lose, and we spent all summer waiting for a season that flamed out in six weeks, and we'll be playing out the string from this point on.

Fulmer may already be lost (though keep in mind, his contract calls for an extension with an 8-4 regular season, which is still on the table). But this season doesn't have to be. Not yet.

The crossroads aren't as dramatic now as it was then...but it's still become the most important game of our season.

And while there's nothing much to like about the Tennessee offense, let's also remember that Tennessee has outscored Georgia 72-23 in the last six quarters. And this defense, I believe, is good enough to win every week. There's nothing I've seen that makes me afraid of Stafford, Moreno or any of the other guys on offense. Georgia had been living on a false sense of entitlement since last season, and against Alabama it caught up with them. They're good, yes, but they weren't nearly as good as originally advertised. So how good are they really?

Frankly, our offense is frightening enough without even having to worry about Georgia's defense. Tennessee will need something special to win, no doubt. The Dawgs are 13 point favorites.

Can Tennessee make it three in a row and four out of five against Georgia? Will the Vols keep their season alive, or stay comatose?

We arrive at the crossroads again and stare Georgia in the face across the street.

Can the Vols make Georgia blink again?

WWE No Mercy Live Blog

2008-10-05T22:46:00.000-04:00

World Title Ladder Match - Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels 5
Jericho's back in the ring, and HBK is on the top turnbuckle with a ladder...Jericho dropkicks the ladder and HBK falls spread eagle on the top turnbuckle.

Jericho climbs the ladder in the corner, takes Michaels up on the opposite side...superplex over the ladder? Michaels counters and throws Jericho back down...and he'll go elbow drop, but he caught the ladder too.

HBK wants chin music and the crowd - most of them anyway - loves it. HBK goes for it but Jericho turns and decks him with a ladder before he can get it off.

Jericho goes lionsault into the ladder with Michaels beneath. Both men selling hard but still moving quickly.

Y2J sets up the ladder with Michaels underneath it. Jericho climbs up top, but Michaels tips it over and Jericho goes flying outside...awkward landing and Jericho is hard selling a knee injury. Michaels sets up the ladder and can win it...

Shawn gets fingertips all over it but Y2J crawls back in and tips the ladder again, and Michaels goes spread eagle on the top rope.

Now Jericho's going up top...the belt is swinging back and forth where Michaels grabbed it....they'll both climb now, both fighting on top of the ladder...

Here comes Lance Cade! He knocks Michaels off the ladder and the impact takes Y2J off too, but he catches himself with his knee. Sweet Chin Music on Lance Cade!

Jericho's got it...Michaels is quickly back up though!

Trading blows on top of the ladder, they BOTH unhook the belt! Both are holding a strap! And still standing atop the ladder...Jericho leaning back!

Then Jericho lunges forward and headbutts Michaels, who loses his grip and falls off, and it's over! Jericho retains.

The finish was unique even if it wasn't as exciting as other ladder finishes. Though I'm personally disappointed, it's probably the smart move for the company to keep Jericho on top. He'll get Batista next. I hope somewhere down the line, Michaels gets a shot again.

Winner, and still World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho
SESB Rating: 8.7 (HHH/Hardy was more exciting to the finish)

Overall, you got what you expected from Y2J/HBK and a classic, classic finish from Triple H and Jeff Hardy, and a big push for the Big Show. Not a bad night. We'll see where they take it from here.

World Title Ladder Match - Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels 4
Jericho's down on the announce table...and HBK's going to the top of that 15 ft. ladder. High spots are coming....

Jericho's up! He climbs the ladder too...oh....

Back suplex from Jericho off the 15 foot ladder and both men go through the announce table!

World Title Ladder Match - Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels 3
Michaels puts Jericho's knee into the ladder again, and follows up with a figure four! The crowd loves it...Y2J turns it over and Michaels has to break the hold. Then Jericho kicks the ladder into Michaels' face! These guys are doing all the small practical things in the early stages of a ladder match to hopefully build to the major falls later.

Michaels is now selling that injured eye again off the ladder hit...Jericho smashes Michaels' face in the ladder, who sells it hard. Jericho has been busted open inside his mouth from that initial hit the whole time, which gives him a crazy mouth-full-of-blood look. Jericho goes for the belt, Michaels takes the ladder away.

Michaels counters a bulldog and throws Jericho into a ladder who then rolls outside. Michaels has a chance here, which might means we'll see Lance Cade....but instead HBK picks up the ladder and throws it at Jericho on the outside!

Now Shawn goes for that big ladder.

World Title Ladder Match - Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels 2
Most of the crowd behind HBK, but there are a few Jericho hold outs, who's also in that group of heels that get cheered because they're just so great. Michaels goes for chin music right away but no, instead with the Flair chops. Jericho puts Michaels into the ring post on a counter, and a clean shoulder breaker from Jericho takes them both quickly to the outside.

Jericho with an irish whip into the ladder...but Michaels climbs it in stride, turns and hits Jericho with a splash, very nice very early. Jericho recovers and puts HBK into the ring post. Jericho brings the ladder, Michaels with a drop toe hold and Jericho's face into the ladder on the outside. Michaels brings the ladder, but Jericho counters the strike and locks on the Walls of Jericho on the outside! Lots of action early.

Jericho sets up the ladder on the apron but Michaels see-saws it hard into the face of Chris Jericho. Which now and forever causes WWE fans to point out this video on the dangers of that exact scenario.

Y2J wants Walls of Jericho again, Michaels counters and bounces off the ropes and hits the ladder in-ring in stride! Nice again...Y2J tips it over and Michaels is down in the ring. Jericho is busted open on his lip from that earlier ladder see-saw.

More ladder violence leads to a running bulldog attempt that's thrown into the ladder, followed by Jericho's knee getting caught in there. They're not wasting any time.

World Title Ladder Match - Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
(Triple H is confronted by Vladimir Koslov backstage. This dude is Ivan Drago 2008)

Here's how we got here...

Shawn Michaels retired Ric Flair at WrestleMania in April. He had a short feud with Batista afterwards that Jericho got involved in as a special guest ref, where Michaels faked a knee injury to catch Batista sleeping, then dropped him with the superkick for the 1-2-3.

Jericho commended Michaels for winning hurt, then Michaels dropped him in the ring to prove he wasn't. So Jericho went on and on about how Shawn was a self-righteous liar while Batista destroyed him in a rematch.

Then on Raw, Jericho put Michaels' face into a television screen, setting up the injury angle in their match in July where Y2J busted Michaels open up ugly on his eye. Michaels came to SummerSlam to announce his retirement with his wife at his side, Jericho came out and refused to let him go out as a self-righteous fraud. Michaels tried to walk away after a great exchange about "I may not be some things, but you'll never be Shawn Michaels", Jericho turned to hit him but accidentally hit his wife (and really hit her too). Classic 80s stuff but done very well and fully intense.

Then last month, HBK destroyed Jericho in a non-sanctioned match. However, the main event at September's Unforgiven was a five man Championship Scramble for the world title. When CM Punk was beaten up by Randy Orton backstage, he had to forfeit the belt and his spot in the match...which was filled by Jericho...who stunningly won and became champion about an hour after Michaels beat him senseless.

Don't you love wrestling.

So that brings us to tonight, where they meet again in a ladder match with Jericho's title on the line. Six titles and a lifetime of epic matches between them, you can take Shawn Michaels to the bank on great matches, and when paired with Jericho with a ladder and a title inbetween...this should be special.

WWE Championship - Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy 3
Jeff Hardy off the top rope connects, then goes for a Twist of Fate that's broken, and H destroys him with a clothesline. Still not as many as I thought behind Hardy, which might bode poorly for him as a champion if he wins (and at this point, I'd hate to see the kid win it and then job it away on the first SmackDown).

Jeff Hardy counters Triple H with a facebuster suplex for a loooooong two count. We're moving to the finish now.

Hardy bounces off the corner and goes up high, but Triple H catches him in a slam, two count. Spinebuster from Triple H, and he's still feeling some love. H wants the Pedigree...

Oh we're getting good now...Hardy counters with a slingshot into the top turnbuckle, followed in rapid succession by a Whisper in the Wind and a 2.90 count before a kickout! Hardy again takes him down, goes up top, swanton....but Triple H moves! Pedigree...countered! Twist of Fate!

Swanton again?! YES! Cover him!

1...
2...

REVERSAL!

Triple H with the cover!

1...2...3!

Good stuff right there boys and girls!

A great, great sequence there at the end of the match - Hardy hit both of his finishers in succession, but Triple H still kicked out and, essentially, just rolled over for a quick 1-2-3 counter pinfall.

Jeff Hardy gives Triple H respect after the match...Hardy's going to get plenty of applause too after that finish. But still...oh for five in the title chase.

Winner, and still WWE Champion: Triple H
SESB Match Rating: 8.9 (last two minutes are a 9+, last 30 seconds are a 10)

WWE Championship - Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy 2
Triple H takes control back on the inside and continues to work Hardy's spine methodically. I'm still sold on this crowd going pro-Hardy when we move towards the finish. Triple H with a facebuster off the knee for a two count.

He drops a knee for another two count, and Trips is getting frustrated. Another Hardy chant breaks out and is quickly gone. Hardy counters in the counter, but Triple H locks up an abdominal stretch and they'll take a breather for a few seconds. H uses the ropes like a heel to add leverage. He follows up with a sleeper hold.

Now here comes the crowd behind Hardy....he breaks it off and takes The Game down, and they're still behind him. Hardy reverses another slam and then hits an enziguri, followed by a double leg drop to Triple H, who kicks out...still plenty of folks behind Triple H too.

Hardy sends him outside again...going high risk again? Yep....and this time it connects, flipping high over the top rope and taking both men down on the outside.

WWE Championship - Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
Triple H is a 12-time world champion, trailing only Ric Flair in wrestling history. Jeff Hardy has been in WWE for ten years, and has wrestled for the world title four times and come up empty four times. He's had personal/substance abuse problems that have led to one dismissal and one suspension in the past, which would make one reluctant to put the belt on him. Still, you have to think that sooner or later he's going to have his night. Is it tonight?

I don't care what the fan poll says, H got the loudest cheer early. Still, if this is close with near falls at the end as it should be, they're going to pull for Hardy.

Here we go...and Triple H goes heel right away! He shakes Hardy's hand, then when his back is turned he levels him and goes for the quick 1-2-3...but Hardy kicks out, of course. Triple H laughs as a quick "HARDY!" chant breaks out and is quieted.

These two guys are almost exactly the same height...but Triple H is a beast, while Hardy is traditionally light on his feet. Lots of counters after the early exchange. Hardy creates some "unique offense" according to JR, because he too doesn't know what to call it, with a leg-extension counter/hurricanrana-looking thing. Both men go to the outside. Then back in, with Hardy going with an over-the-top-rope leg drop for a two count.

The crowd is definitely mixed...Hardy counters Triple H and goes outside on the apron, but Triple H counters and grabs him for what would've been a between-the-ropes Pedigree, but Hardy flips him over the top rope to the outside. Then Hardy goes for a an over the top rope plancha but lands square on his spine, and I bet that hurt.

Big Show vs. Undertaker - Post-Match
Credit Taker, he's hard selling this knockout. He takes forever to walk back up the ramp, is unsteady and glossy-eyed. Big, big night for Big Show...maybe a gimmick-match rematch at Cyber Sunday, followed by Big Show meets the champ at Survivor Series?

The text-message poll results show a surprising 72% of the fans are cheering for Jeff Hardy tonight against Triple H. An opportunity for H to go heel again, which I guarantee you he prefers? Maybe...but I don't think they'd do that, because faces are in short supply on SmackDown and they just moved to My Network. Nonetheless...that match...is next.

Big Show vs. Undertaker 2
It's what you'd expect - slow and physical. Taker gets beaten up on more than I'd expect for a man who's been doing this for two decades. He goes hard into the barricade outside early.

I've never been a Taker fan, but you have to respect the guy. He lays Big Show out on the apron and drops the leg. It's weird to see him as the small guy, but he's definitely shorter and smaller than Big Show and I'm trying to remember the last time these two guys went against each other. (Wikipedia says it was 2006 and has only happened three times)

The pace of this thing surprisingly quickens with multiple counters, and both these guys make each impact seem more powerful than it is. Taker goes for Old School but Big Show catches him, and drops for a chokeslam!...and 'Taker kicks out. I'm fine with this thing going longer, but I'm not fine with Taker cleanly kickout of of Show's finisher and not returning the favor.

They both go for a chokeslam, Big Show wins, Taker reverses it into a nasty DDT that dropped Big Show right on the crown of his head. He barely had enough strength to kick out. Again, not very clean, but at least that looked cool in the process.

Big Show sends Taker into an exposed turnbuckle, then cold cocks him with a stiff right hand (which has been one of his things since he faced Floyd Mayweather at WrestleMania). Taker gets up and Big Show straight drops him again with another right hand. I like this aspect of his character.

Big Show drops him a third time with the stiff right hand, and Little Naytch calls for the bell! Holy crap, Big Show gets a stunning win by knockout! Not the direction I thought they were going to go, but I like it!

Winner: Big Show
SESB Match Rating: 8.0

Big Show vs. Undertaker
Here's what you do with Big Show, who's the biggest guy in the company and absolutely shouldn't need someone like Vickie Guererro to get to the top (though she's still got that Stephanie McMahon heel heat working every time she speaks):

Let him beat Undertaker tonight. Put him against Triple H or Jeff Hardy at Survivor Series. Put the belt on him. And leave it there til WrestleMania. He doesn't need a gimmick, he doesn't need Vickie (though she can help the heel heat). He's a believeable champion because he's 7'0" 431 lbs. Let Triple H or Jeff Hardy chase him.

But they'll probably job him to 'Taker.

Who still has the coolest entrance in the history of wrestling.

Post-Match: JBL & Cryme Tyme
More filler...JBL takes five minutes to talk about how the financial bailout keeps the rich (like him) rich. Cryme Tyme is no longer getting the massive pop they used to. And didn't they and Cena already bust up his limo?

They party with all the WWE Divas in the spirit of The Godfather. Then Sgt. Slaughter randomly shows up and gets in the limo too. Mickie James also looks out of place with these guys.

So. Much. Filler.

#1 Contender's Match: Batista vs. JBL
Winner will face the winner of tonight's ladder match, though I'm not sure if that's tomorrow night on Raw, in three weeks at Cyber Sunday, or at Survivor Series.

If the ladder match isn't the main event, I'm going to be super pissed. Because if it's not, you won't see a title change. And if Jeff Hardy is going to win, maybe that becomes the main event. But let's not be fooled about what people really want to see most. It's the ladder.

If JBL wins here - which would stun me - you can bank on Michaels winning later. JBL is one of the classic stiff workers in WWE. Batista is hung in that "almost" space...fans love him, but he's about an inch shy of being the guy who can carry the company like John Cena. That said, he did beat Cena at SummerSlam.

Early back and forth exchange leads to a JBL Clothesline from Hell attempt that's countered hard by a Batista spear. We go outside, we come back inside. And now JBL's gonna play offense for a few minutes.

Batista counters a sleeper hold with a slam that puts both men down. An ugly clothesline reversal goes Batista's way - this hasn't been a very clean PPV - followed by a spear attempt that's countered with a boot. But Batista is quickly back with a spinebuster. Followed by a Batitsa Bomb! 1-2-3, good grief, he squashed him!

That was the shortest match of the night. JBL deserved better, perhaps...but the people are happy.

Winner, and #1 contender: Batista
SESB Match Rating: 7.1

In-Ring Interview: MVP
This guy isn't terrible, has decent heat with the crowd...but he's merely the pawn that leads to Randy Orton's appearance.

Orton is, unquestionably, the future of the WWE. He's the heel that still gets that initial crowd pop when his music hits, because people are so excited just to see him, before they remember they're supposed to be booing. That's a very select quality - DX, nWo, Rock and Austin, Edge, Kurt Angle and Ric Flair are the only other ones I've ever seen pull that off.

The people are actually cheering Orton and chanting "RKO!" Orton, remember, has played the full heel for as long as I can remember. But since his injury, he's done a good job of saying what fans are thinking: that CM Punk as champion might've been a joke, that Santino Marella is the biggest joke IC champ in history, etc...now he's calling MVP a joke.

Now here come Team Priceless (Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, and Manu)...this could be some four on one beatdown action, which might actually make them momentary faces.

...but now it appears they're going against Orton.

A few fans start chanting "boring"...which I hope is just directed at Cody Rhodes on the mic and not the whole segment, which has promise. Rhodes doesn't seem to fit with the rest of this crew, though he's not bad on the mic...but he just doesn't look the part. He looks like a babyface. DiBiase is the real future star.

Orton is walking. MVP keeps calling him out, no response. Now we've got a ring full of people that most people really don't care about. And now it is "boring". This segment belongs on SmackDown or Raw, not PPV.

I'm confused by the point of all this.

Now here comes CM Punk...and Kofi Kingston.

And here comes an impromptu match. And this would be a great opportunity for MVP to punk these guys.

Oh, but instead they punk him! They let Team Priceless beat the crap out of him before they jump in later. This is all for naught, lots of filler...but there's six guys with a future out there, methinks.

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane
The stipulation here is that if Rey loses, he'll have to unmask. I guess we're all forgetting the time he unmasked in WCW, right? Wanna see what he looks like?

(He's the one in the middle)

Kane tries to scare me pre-match with a soliloquy about how beating "everyone's hero" Rey Mysterio - a comment that might've been true three years ago - and unmasking him will expose all of us as monsters. See, cause Kane's supposed to be a monster. He's saying we're a different kind of monster. Shakespearean.

This feud has gone on for like two months, which is about six weeks too long.

Kane makes Rey pay early with a big boot. Then we go outside and quickly back in...Kane takes a drop kick to the spine to set up an early 619 attempt which is shiftly clotheslined. Rey counters a powerbomb attempt and has a chance to do something cool, but his attempt to flip Kane over the top rope doesn't come off well, which draws boos from the Portland crowd.

A sleeper attempt outside sees Rey dumped over the barricade into the crowd. Kane brings him back and sends him into the ringpost outside. Hey, remember when Kevin Nash lawn darted him at a WCW pay per view?

Why is Kane asking the referee to ask Rey if he wants to quit? Do you really think the Kane character should be trying to get an early exit from his opponent? Or talking to the referee at all?

Mysterio is taking a complete beating through the first ten minutes, which makes sense. A mid-ring backbreaker continues the punishment (followed by more referee questioning). Rey punches his way out of it, counters off the rope, and finally does something cool that neither me nor Michael Cole know fully how to describe...he swung completely vertical around Kane's body and then brought him down from behind, which describes about 10% of what actually happened there.

Then Rey goes backwards off the top rope for more momentum. Dropkick to the knee cuts him down to size, says Mitchell Cole. Do we really think Rey is going to lose and unmask? Sideslam counter from Kane, kickout.

Kane's calling for the chokeslam...Rey breaks the hold and takes down Kane in another sloppier-than-usual move. Rey's knee looks banged up...goes up top but Kane simply punches him out of the air.

The pace is quickening for the finish...Kane goes boot to the corner but misses, Rey hits a reverse 619 to Kane's back to knock him out of the ring.

Rey goes off the top rope...and Kane belts him with a chair from outside in free fall! Impressive end, even if it's a DQ finish that the crowd doesn't like. That was the first true "OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!" moment from the crowd tonight. Kane walks away, Rey is dead on the outside.

Winner by DQ: Rey Mysterio
SESB Match Rating: 7.4

Women's Championship - Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle
Santino Marella, ladies and gentlemen! Santino makes his way to the ring with BP...no Honk-a-Meter tonight. Yet.

Candice Michelle was part of another legit injury that I saw live back in December, falling off the top turnbuckle and messing up her shoulder and knocking her self senseless, which was more entertaining to watch than I'd like to admit. This match is actually moving faster than the opening bout with the men.

Beth Phoenix - who's the only dominant female athlete in the WWE today and thus should never, ever lose to prove this point and build heat - wisely works the shoulder from the get-go. Seriously...she's not Chyna (or Russia), but she's big...certainly big enough to dominate all the other pretty faces, especially with Lita and Trish Stratus long gone. Not only are there no other big girls, there are no solid athletes or crazies either. All of these other girls are the same.

Beth Phoenix goes top rope but falls...Candice goes to capitalize but Santino pulls Beth out of the ring a little too hard and she crashes to the floor. More discord between the two leads to a near fall for Candice...but that's followed by a swift reversal, her awesome-for-a-girl finisher that I don't know the name of, and a quick 1-2-3. Another sub-10:00 performance that ended the way it should have.

Winner, and still Women's Champion: Beth Phoenix
SESB Match Rating: 7.2 (yes, more entertaining than the men. yes, good for a women's match)

Interview: Triple H & Jeff Hardy
Whoever this girl is, she's just a pretty face. A terrible interview.

And H and Hardy aren't much better. Triple H just isn't as funny without someone else to play off of, and every Jeff Hardy attempt to talk tough always comes up short. Telling Triple H that he'd better focus on the challenge right in front of his FACE!, then making a little head bob move...that sold me.

ECW Championship - Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry
After a terrible opening package that operated on a Leave it to Beaver theme, we kick the night off with the ECW title match, live from Portland.

Tonight's theme song is brought to you by Metallica off their new CD, which has been heavily pimped by WWE and ESPN...and I've gotta tell you, I like the little short thirty second bursts I've heard of it. That might become the first post-napster Metallica purchase I make.

I don't watch ECW Tuesday nights on Sci-Fi - who I'm striking against until they put season four of Battlestar Galactica back on the air - so I'm not sure who the giant black dude that comes to ring with Mark Henry is. Crowd always pops huge for the opening match, so they're loving Matt Hardy right now. Two guys with simple names and M.H. initials. We'll go with the old "The World's Strongest Man" nickname to refer to Mark Henry.

I also think he's got an elephant print on the back of his unitard. I mean, whatever works for you.

In fact, Todd Grisham (...wait, Todd Grisham? What happened to Joey Styles?) tells me that Flex Magazine recently said Henry was the second strongest man to ever walk on the face of the earth. My trip to Flex's website reveals no answers as to the obvious "Who's number one?" question, but does reveal that they too have a story highlighting Barack Obama. It's his thoughts on steroids, not his workout plan. And I didn't read the article...but I'm gonna guess he's against them.

Slow match as expected...keep wondering if they'll do that classic "OMG he picked up The World's Strongest Man!" finish.

This big dude on the outside has a shirt and tie on...with the sleeves cut off. I think we've seen that somewhere in the WWE annals before...

Matt Hardy gets limited offense, targeting his legs, but Henry is mostly dominating. Henry catches Hardy in a bear hug, and we'll slow down even more. Sunset flip but Hardy can't turn him over, but TWSM misses a leg drop. Hardy goes top rope and connects, then hits a Side Effect!...kickout.

Henry counters a Twist of Fate attempt, followed by a splash...but Henry's selling a knee injury hard. Hardy with a late kickout...Todd Grishman is not quite cut out for this gig, methinks. Maybe with more time...

Hardy's up and reverses quickly into another Twist of Fate...and it's over folks. Less than ten minutes start to finish, but the last couple were good.

Winner, and still ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
SESB Match Rating: 5.8

Pre-PPV Thoughts
- John Cena, Randy Orton and Edge - three of the five most important stars in the WWE - are injured and on the shelf. We might see Edge come back tonight, and we've seen Orton on Raw for several weeks, though he won't be cleared to wrestle until next month after his broken collarbone. But even with the depleted roster, WWE has done a nice job setting up tonight's action and moving the storylines forward. Both title matches are intriguing. The business is supposedly hotter right now with the SmackDown move to My Network TV last week.

- At the same time, ratings and attendance for WWE are both way down. This has always been a fluctuating business, and I think they're doing well with what they have right now as stated. With WrestleMania XXV looming in early April, maybe they'll be able to carry some momentum forward.

- Tonight, other than wanting to see Shawn Michaels win the title one more time, we could see Jeff Hardy's first title reign begin. The other names seem to just be thrown together - the Big Show's current gimmick as Vickie Guererro's lackey is totally ridiculous - and there are entertaining guys right now who aren't on the card, like Santino Marella, so I hope we get them some face time tonight.

- Though I'd love to see a DX title reign with Michaels and Triple H winning, I think Jericho is too solid as the heel right now for them to take the belt off him. And I just don't see Triple H - who's been champion ever since he came to SmackDown - dropping the belt to Jeff Hardy on a non-classic four PPV (ie, Hardy's first title win will probably come at the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam or Survivor Series).

Check back with us at 8:00 PM EST for match-by-match coverage of tonight's PPV event.

The lineup for tonight:

World Heavyweight Championship - Ladder Match
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

WWE Championship
Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy

Big Show vs. Undertaker

#1 Contender's Match
Batista vs. JBL

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

ECW Championship
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry

Women's Championship
Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle

Random Thoughts - Sunday October 5

2008-10-05T16:26:00.000-04:00

Where all is not lost...

Nick Stephens: 1-0
That really says a lot, and says all you want to hear. Because there wasn't much pretty about it.

I was at a wedding reception here in VA last night, so I only saw the last seven minutes because I'm not disciplined enough for the TiVo. But even in only hearing about Stephens' biggest plays and while watching him take what could've been a crucial sack before Daniel Lincoln missed another disturbingly easy field goal...I still like the way this kid looks.

It's his presence more than anything else. He doesn't look nervous. He doesn't look consistently ineffective. He looks like a quarterback. And granted, you need to go Between the Hedges go get a more full understanding of what Stephens (and, by proxy, this offense) might be able to do, but there was just enough on display Saturday night to give you a presence to believe in next week.

The direction of the season comes to its crossroads once more against Georgia. Tennessee has been at their absolute best for the last six quarters against the Dawgs. Will we be in store for something similar next week?

Quick Thoughts on Titans-Ravens
I did finally get to see the Titans, many thanks to my CBS affiliate in Roanoke. Jeff might have more to say here later, but it's a jarring thing to watch this Vols team for five weeks, then watch the Titans today. Because they're just similar enough to be heartbreaking.

Kerry Collins has become the ultimate game manager. He's good enough that Heimerdinger and the boys could turn the passing game a little loose in the second half, looking especially sharp on the two second half scoring drives. And let's just say that I've never been happier to have Bo Scaife on my fantasy team than after his seven catch performance today - Collins goes to him more than half of the time.

Chris "Will's still sorry about all that" Johnson had a tough day against a tough Ravens' D, but this kid runs unlike anyone I've ever cheered for. He's both explosive and fast, if that makes sense. That combination to this degree, potentially, I haven't seen in a running back in Knoxville or Nashville since Chuck Webb, and even he wasn't quite this way. Hopefully, this kid keeps getting better...because his potentially is amazing.

And boy, it was good to see the Titans and the Ravens get after each other again. And they did get after each other - the Titans even got after themselves a little bit, and Cortland Finnegan's willingness to take on Keith Bulluck, who looks like he could destroy him with a thought, might make me love him even more if he didn't cost us 30 yards in penalties - but that was one of the fastest and most punishing defensive football games I've seen in awhile.

The Titans have a manager at quarterback, with sparse talent on offense and a defense that won't quit. They're 5-0.

Maybe the Vols can learn something here.

WWE No Mercy - Live Blog TONIGHT
At 8:00 PM EST, we'll start bringing you live match-by-match coverage of tonight's No Mercy PPV event. On the docket for this evening:

- Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (World Championship - Ladder Match)
- Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Championship)
- Big Show vs. Undertaker
- Batista vs. JBL (#1 Contender's Match)
- Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry (ECW Championship)
- Rey Mysterio vs. Kane
- Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle (Women's Championship)

This could be the night that Hardy finally wins his first title, and there's some other decent stuff on board...but every penny should find its worth in the ladder match. Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, two of the best in-ring performers in WWE history and who've been carrying the best ongoing feud in wrestling in the last several years since April, collide in their first ladder match against each other.

This will be Michaels' first ladder match since 2002 - he's the originator of the match from way back in 1994 against Razor Ramon (where the title belt is suspended 15 feet above the ring, first man to climb the ladder and retrieve it wins). He and Jericho have already put together some epic contests. And since HBK has always been my favorite wrestler, this might be the last chance to see him compete for what would be his fifth world title, should he win.

There's good drama across the board here, so we hope you'll join us tonight.

Video: Chris Johnson Finds the Endzone Again

2008-10-04T15:34:00.002-04:00

Here's a little video I made of Chris Johnson's second touchdown last week against the Vikings. No, it's not that great of a video. Yes, you can find many better videos of the same play. However, you can't find any other videos made by me. So there.

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Now: all SESB attention back on the beginning of the Nick Stephens (?!?!) era in Volunteer Football history.

It's Stephens.

2008-10-03T16:15:00.002-04:00

So say "sources" from the News-Sentinel's article, with an official announcement expected later today.

Also of note...Rocky Top Talk has picked up on this as well, but Clay Travis, Vol fan and of Dixieland Delight fame, has posted his list of the most hated athletes in UT sports history. Normally, this is the sort of conversation I'd like to just avoid...but right now I can't help myself. He's taking nominations for an expanded list.

Enjoy your weekend...we hope it's a good one on Saturday night.

The Five Most Cruel Events in Sports

2008-10-03T14:32:00.000-04:00

In honor of the Chicago Cubs...

5. March Madness
College basketball runs for four months before the real show begins in March. And no matter what you've accomplished in the regular season, you need six straight wins in March like everyone else to win the big prize. A good season earns you a high seed and a (supposedly) easier road...but that's about it. All the emotion and energy you put into your entire season can come crashing down in one shining moment.

This is especially painful for teams that have outstanding regular seasons, only to be bounced on the tournament's opening weekend. Making it to the Sweet 16 extends your season by another week and at least gives you some sense of accomplishment. But for many teams, the whole season can come to a sudden halt when Cinderella comes knocking in the first or second round.

While it remains true that no #16 seed has ever beaten a #1 seed in the opening round, in the last two decades, ten #1 seeds have gone down in the second round.

This includes the defending National Champion UNC Tar Heels in 1994, Paul Pierce's Kansas squad in 1998, both Stanford and Arizona in 2000, and both Kentucky and Stanford again in 2004. A great body of work sometimes doesn't make it out of the first weekend.

4. AFC/NFC Divisional Playoff Round
The two teams with the best record in each conference have gotten first round byes in the NFL Playoffs since 1990. But it also creates the opportunity to have achieved greatness over a 16 game regular seaosn, only to see it all end in one game against a quality opponent in your first playoff game...in front of your own fans. The ultimate one-and-done insult.

Seven times, the team with the best record in the AFC has gone down on their home field in their first playoff game in the divisional round:

- 1992 Steelers, routed 24-3 by the Bills
- 1995 Chiefs, beaten 10-7 by the Colts
- 1996 Broncos, upset in a classic 30-27 by the upstart Jaguars
- 1997 Chiefs, beaten by Denver who earned redemption by winning the Super Bowl
- 2000 Titans, beaten by their hated rivals Baltimore, who also won it all
- 2005 Colts, losers in the epic Bettis fumble/Vanderjagt miss game to Pittsburgh
- 2006 Chargers, who fell to the Patriots

And finally, last year, the Dallas Cowboys became the first NFC team to finish the regular season with the conference's best record and then lose in the divisional round, to the eventual champion New York Giants.

3. College Football
This is applicable every single Saturday.

In no other sport is every win so valuable and each loss so costly. Parity has increased so much in the last few years that LSU won the National Championship last season with two losses, but so often just one loss can ruin your season.

This is especially cruel when you consider the unrivaled passion that college football produces in a sport that plays only 12 regular season games per year. Fans can spend all summer waiting and dreaming big dreams, only to see it all come crashing down in the first meaningful game of the season (Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Clemson, West Virginia, Kansas and Ohio State fans are all feeling this one right now).

Simply put, no sport has a higher risk/reward factor for every single game, from the season opener to the championship.

2. ALDS & NLDS Baseball Playoffs
The saying goes that over a 162 game season, there are no cinderellas and you always get the four best teams in each league in the playoffs.

But once the playoffs start, anything goes.

This is especially true in the incredibly cruel short series that have opened the baseball playoffs since the wild card was added in 1995. You can build all kinds of hope from April-September, but three days in October can bring that all to an end, especially against a team with frontloaded pitching:

- In 1996, the Cleveland Indians looked primed to return to the World Series after winning 99 games. They were derailed by the 88-win Orioles, 3-1.

- In 2000, the wild card Mariners swept the best-record White Sox out in the first round. Meanwhile, in a highly competitive National League field, the wild card Mets took out the top-seeded Giants.

- In 2002, the wild card Angels beat the Yankees 3-1, shockingly ending NYY's four year run of playing in the World Series. Meanwhile, the 101-win Braves fell to the Giants in five games.

- In 2003, the Braves repeated their frustration by ending another 101-win season with a five game NLDS loss, this time to the 88-win Cubs.

- In 2006, the wild card Tigers beat the Yankees 3-1 (though all four playoff teams were separated by only four games in this season).

This is especially true in the moment, with the Cubs in an 0-2 hole against a team they were 13 games better than in the regular season, while the Angels play a must-win Game 2 at home against the Red Sox tonight - the AL/NLDS is the only place in any sport where the phrase "must-win Game 2" rings true.

A summer's worth of hope, gone in an instant. I bet it's an interesting experience to have been a Chicago Cubs fan last week, and still try to be one today.

1. Summer & Winter Olympics
If you think a summer's worth of hope lost in three nights in the baseball playoffs is cruel, try four years of preparation gone in one heartbeat in the Olympics.

In the sports we most closely associate with the Olympics themselves - track & field, swimming, gymnastics, speed skating & figure skating - young athletes devote their entire lives for one opportunity on four year intervals. The Olymics are the one and only time those sports receive any sort of attention; then an athlete can go from total obscurity to the cover of Sports Illustrated and you don't have to be Michael Phelps to do it.

You can make fun of me for watching women's figure skating if you want, but you cannot deny that there's no bigger trade-off in all of sports than watching four years of someone's entire life hang in the balance of whether or not she sticks one landing in one moment. It's an all or nothing, be remembered or be forgotten moment.

And what holds true for each of these is even stronger in the Olympics: it's incredibly cruel if you lose.

But it's even more joyous if you win.

Johnny Majors is on the attack, attack, attack

2008-10-01T22:35:00.001-04:00

Clearly, we still have some issues unresolved. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has a story up with Majors' comments on Fulmer and the current state of the Vols that he made at the Huntsville Quarterback Club last night.

I like Coach Majors, like his massive contribution to the program here. But I don't like it when anyone says they're going to refuse to comment because they're above it and that they don't know what's going on in the program right now, then follows up with things like "John Chavis has saved his job for ten years." Go read it.

Clearly Majors feels mistreated. He probably has good reason to be.

But that was sixteen years ago.

There's nothing about what he says here that I like. Whether he's been able to move on in his personal life or not, I fail to see the good or the maturity in any of this. Others may have a different opinion about it, but I don't see how any of what Majors is saying is good for the Tennessee family that he may, or may not, feel he's still a part of.

I certainly hope he does feel among us, because he and his family name are part of the backbone of the University of Tennessee.

So is Phillip Fulmer, who remains the head coach.

And so I also certainly hope that if Majors does still truly consider himself a part of Tennessee Football, he backs off the selfish comments despite what happened to him, and shows a level of maturity in keeping it to himself. This isn't doing us, or him, any good.

Travis Henry arrested for "multikilo" cocaine deal

2008-10-01T16:25:00.000-04:00

Former Vol RB Travis Henry was arrested yesterday on what appear to be federal drug charges in Denver, according to this story from SI.com. Yes, that Travis Henry, the father of nine children by nine women. Yes, that Travis Henry, essentially retired by the NFL after he failed a drug test (marijuana) and received a one year suspension in August.

Not funny: trying to blame this on Fulmer.

Funny: trying to compare him to Tony Montana. Multikilo? Good times are ahead for this guy, in more ways than one.

In all seriousness...Travis Henry's story is a sorry one, especially for a player who won the hearts of Vol fans with his furious, will-not-be-denied running style who saved the day as a backup in 1998, ran hard when Jamal Lewis stopped in 1999, and put an entire offense on his back in 2000. This is a kid who was injured diving head first over the pile in a game against Vanderbilt in 1999, and had every ounce of emotion in Neyland Stadium on his side as he was stretchered off the field. He wasn't just beloved, he was great. And he was a key factor in the greatest team we've ever known. Henry was special.

Special in the NFL too. The dude averaged over 4.0 yards per carry in a seven year career, gaining over 6,000 yards. He ran hard and played well in Buffalo, Nashville and Denver. And he was still good enough in 2007 to be the league leading rusher through the first four weeks of the season, before injuries and "other factors" led to him never seeing the field on a consistent basis again.

And now, he's in big trouble.

The nine children by nine women and the rumors of his financial burden despite being an elite, Pro Bowl back throughout his career and the contracts that went with that...all of that was troubling already. But now it seems certain not only that his career is over, but will end with him heading off to prison for a heavy federal offense. Removed now from football and faced with the consequences of his off-the-field actions, it's uncertain what will become of the man we all loved so much. Wherever his life goes from here, it appears it'll do so from behind prison bars if he's convicted.

I and the rest of Vol Nation, I'm sure, hope he gets his life straightened out while facing the consequences. The Cheese was great on the field. He may be forgotten in the NFL ranks but he won't be in Knoxville.

But either way, I hope he eventually becomes great off the field.

What Does 4-0 Mean?

2008-09-29T18:56:00.002-04:00

Go ahead.

You can get excited.

As I’m sure you’ve heard 100 times by now, our beloved Titans are 4-0 for the first time ever (!). This is most definitely a cause for celebration.

[This wonderful start has been made even sweeter compared to the disaster that has been the 2008 University of Tennessee Football season. That’s all I’m going to say about UT; it hurts too much to talk about it more.]

When the Redskins beat the Cowboys yesterday the only team which has looked consistently dominant through four weeks dropped back into the pack. In a season where no team has distinguished itself as best-in-class isn’t it easy to see this Titan team grinding its way to the top? Sure, the Cowboys are good. The Steelers will most likely bounce back. The same could be said for the Colts and Jags. But the point is that the Titans are right there man. Any conversation about the best teams in the NFL today has to include our boys in blue.

It is even better in division. As of today the Titans enjoy a 2 game lead over the Jaguars and 3 games over the Colts (alongside a 48 game advantage over the Texans). As already mentioned, Indy could indeed get better and the Jags won the 2nd meeting with the Titans last year after loosing the first. Granting all that, the Titans most definitely control their own destiny and that is a position we’re not accustomed to enjoying.

I’m so giddy I’m even going to ease up on the Collins criticism. He did a great job yesterday of not trying to be great. He simply moved the ball down the field where the defense was weak (that weakness generally being CB Cedric Griffin). Kerry playing game-manager doesn’t appear to be nearly as bad as Kerry playing integral role in the offense.

The situation is better than we could have hoped for. There a few qualifiers but by and large this is a sweeter day than any Titans fans can remember.

Quickly, the qualifiers:
1. There is still a lot of season in front of us. Despite what the Lions and Rams would lead you to believer, NFL coaches are good at what they do. It is entirely possible that one (or more) of the remaining 12 Titans opponents figure the Titans out to some degree.

2. The leading candidate to reveal itself as the Titans’ Achilles heel is still the passing game. Kerry Collins has already been much better than I had hoped. In fact, the WRs seem to have found some life when he’s behind center. That doesn’t take away from the fact that we have no legitimate deep threat. The ceiling on passing plays for the Titans is approximately 25 yards and that length is only reached once every other blue moon. I anticipate this becoming a factor; mitigating the consequences will be key.

3. Tied right in to number 2 is the fact that Kerry Collins is largely immobile in the pocket. The play of the Titans O-line has allowed Kerry to be the best Kerry he can be and here’s to hoping the trend continues. I have a suspicion, however, that an athletic, intelligent, veteran defense (like the Ravens next week) will pin their ears back and come at Collins over and over. Kerry can’t get out of the way and the Titans don’t have a deep threat. The Titans will have to depend on the O-line and the draw play to take the heat off. I know our Offensive linemen are top notch but they can only block so many people. Considering it could be the Ravens who expose the Titans in this area makes my stomach hurt.

Still, the feel-good vibe coming across the river from The Coliseum remains. Let’s say that Baltimore comes in and does just what I’ve said. The Titans would be 5-1 going into the by week with Kansas City waiting when they return. If I could have told you at the beginning of the season the Titans would be 6-1 going into their home game against Indy late in October what would your reaction have been? What if I added we’d be leading the division with wins over Jacksonville and Houston while Jacksonville had already beaten the Colts?

I for one might have broken out in Riverdance.

There’s no guarantee the Titans will even make the playoffs, let alone win their division. However, we’re setting pretty four games in, prettier than we ever have. It’s hard not to think of 1999 from this position. The only thing I can say is drink it Titans fan; this is new ground for us. There is no guarantee it will last but that is no reason not to revel in what we have while it is here. 4-0 means our favorite team has earned us the right to saturate ourselves in the pleasure rooting for a very good team brings.

As an addendum, I went to the Vikings/Titans game yesterday so here are some post game thoughts:

1. Paul Kuharsky has lost his mind. We know this because he asked if Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson are comparable. He seems to conclude no but to even ask the question is laughable. However, his article does provide the most accurate player comparison for Chris Johnson, courtesy of none other than Kerry Collins:

'He's got as many skills as anybody I've played with, including Tiki [Barber],’ Kerry Collins said. ‘He just gives you that burst, gives you that speed that just comes along every so often. He's a football player. He's got all the physical skills, no doubt about it. But the guy's also got a knack for knowing what to do with the ball.’

There you go! The Westbrook comparison never squared with me because Chris Johnson plays bigger between the tackles than Westbrook, not to mention that Johnson’s receiving skills – while good – aren’t in the same league as Westbrook’s. You also can’t compare Johnson to Reggie Bush because Johnson is already a better running back than Reggie Bush; Bush’s receiving abilities also outpacing Johnson’s. The Tiki comparison is spot on; he was fine running the ball (contra Reggie Bush) but could be used out of the backfield as a receiver (like Chris Johnson) but wasn’t quite the receiver Brian Westbrook is. Way to go Kerry. At this rate I’ll be opening a Collins fan group on Facebook.

Speaking of Chris Johnson, the guys at Music City Miracles have taken to calling him Crazylegs and I like it. I’m calling for an official adoption: Chris Johnson = Crazylegs. Let it be written.

I noticed yesterday at the game that LenDale White was introduced as the starting running back and gave one of the best intro performances of the day. It was sort of like Ray Lewis’ Murderer’s Twitch dance but LenDale added something from Triple-H’s playbook when he spewed water into the air. However, after introduced LenDale as the starting running back the Titans proceeded to give Chris Johnson the first [eight] carries of the ball game. Interesting, no?

2. Before the game my friend Kenny and I at the Big River Grille on Broadway. It’s not a bad place to take in a pre-game meal. The stadium is within viewing distance and the food is good. I only bring this up because I want to introduce a story about something Kenny observed. When I returned from a bathroom trip Kenny told me he had been watching a guy out of our booth’s window. This guy had been sitting on a street bench for sometime before he started talking excitedly to no one in particular. Once he had commenced chatting with the invisible he abruptly stood up, reached into his trousers, and began pulling his underwear out piece by piece. Once this task was completed he walked hurriedly down the street toward the river. After recounting these events to me Kenny went on his own restroom journey. I found out later that the stall he had chosen contained another discarded pair of underwear, these being thoroughly soiled. When we left the restaurant and headed toward the stadium we passed the underwear-ripper who was gazing across the water laughing hysterically. Kenny’s theory is that the gentlemen discovered his underwear were haunted and had a good laugh after putting the ghosts in the trashcan. The only thing I could definitively conclude is that underwear was much too great a factor in Kenny’s trip to see the Titans.

3. What gives with the Titans fans booing? This is beneath us and should stop posthaste. Yesterday our fans, including the section I set in, booed Gus Frerotte when he went down in the fourth quarter. I said to my section “You are booing a guy who got hurt!?!?” and thankfully no one threw a beer on me. What I was told is “Well, we’re booing because he’s faking.” His subsequent return to the game appeared to justify booing the dirty faker. Arriving home, I queued up my DVR and fast-forwarded to Frerotte’s injury on the recording. Clearly Vanden Bosch hit Frerotte late. Not only was it late but the hit landed in Gus’ groin courtesy of Vanden Bosch’s helmet. Show me the man who can take a football helmet to the crotch and not need a few minutes and I’ll show you… someone I doubt is a man. The lesson, as always: STOP BOOING! We have more class than that.

4. Far be it from me to perpetuate the Vince Young drama but I’ve got to include a note about our once and perhaps future QB. I sat near some gentlemen with binoculars who gave our section their observations on Vince’s sideline behavior. These fellows told us Vince was standing away from everyone else, perhaps listening to the chatter between the OC and Collins. One of them remarked – much to his own delight – that Vince probably wasn’t listening to the play call but rather “Nelly or Little Wayne.” I rolled my eyes and went back to watching the game. Now Kuharsky is reporting basically the same thing I heard from the guys with the binoculars and it is all quite depressing. I’ve said it before: I’m a Vince guy. I still think he represents the best of the Titans QB depth chart. Even being firmly on the Vince bandwagon this is getting hard to stomach. I realize that there is no real way for us to accurately interpret just what Vince’s behavior on the sideline means or what impact it carries with the team. What we can say is that standing apart from your team never looks good and feeds into Vince’s image problems.

Going solely on what I read on Titans message boards and the conversations in the stands it appears that the fan base’s attitude toward Vince has reached toxicity. I didn’t hear a good word all day about Vince on site and the conversation online doesn’t provide much better. I really don’t see light at the end of the tunnel unless Vince will specifically address the fan base, profess his love for them and the game, apologize for the events of the past several weeks, and then go out and play well. I know that is next to impossibility. I don’t even think this is necessarily what Vince should do. I just don’t see how anything less will reconcile Titans fans to Vince. This whole thing remains one of the saddest set of circumstances between a player and his team’s fans that I can remember. I hate that it has come to this.

Jonathan Crompton vs. Nick Stephens - Tennessee Quarterback Battle is On

2008-09-28T19:32:00.001-04:00

The News-Sentinel quoted Fulmer tonight as saying that Crompton and Stephens will split playing time with the ones during practice this week, and whoever is most consistent will get the start against Northern Illinois on Saturday night. It didn't include a statement about both playing or BJ Coleman or anything like that, but more details are sure to follow.

At the earliest stage of this quarterback "controversy", I'd simply caution to not make the same mistake with Stephens that Vol fans made with Crompton (and most fans make with a new QB) - don't expect the world out of a kid who, until Crompton went 8 of 23 yesterday, wasn't good enough to get a sniff as the starter. Nick Stephens has been the backup for a reason, and any game action he sees, whether it's against NIU or UGA, needs to be heavily tempered with low expectations. In part, a 1-3 start has done that for us. But let Stephens be Stephens and it won't take long to see what the kid's got against our schedule. Don't lean heavily on his one completion to Brandon Warren for 42 yards against UAB, because the most important parts of that sentence are "one completion" and "UAB". Just because Crompton has been that bad doesn't mean Stephens will automatically be that good.

And if it turns out that Crompton is back under center again Saturday night, we need to support him too. The season is bad enough already without a divisive quarterback situation. The whole Tennessee family - no matter who Crompton thinks that consists of - needs to find the good in what's already a bad situation. And hopefully, the Vol offense will find its life somewhere along the way.

I'm running out of words to describe it.

2008-09-27T19:15:00.000-04:00

To celebrate 500 posts here at SESB, allow me to present the 4th quarter drive charts in today's Tennessee-Auburn game.

- AUB (own 20) 4 plays, punt
- TEN (opp 38) 3 and out
- AUB (own 11) 3 and out
- TEN (own 43) 3 and out
- AUB (own 20) 3 and out
- TEN (opp 46) 3 and out
- AUB (own 20) 3 and out
- TEN (own 46) 3 and out
- AUB (own 5) one first down, ballgame

Hats off to John Chavis and the defense, seriously. You cannot ask your defense to play any better than they did.

The Tennessee offense is indescribably bad and almost totally inept.

They were definitively inept in the 4th quarter. Seriously, how long do you think we could've kept trading punts? Because I think it would've gone deep into the night unless Gerald Jones ran one back.

Here's a totally legitimate question: is Jonathan Crompton - 8 of 23 for 67 yards - the worst quarterback to play under center of the last three decades? Don't we have to put him now in the group with CJ Leak and Joey Matthews?

While most are still likely to target Fulmer, and the concerns coming into this game are still completely valid...say something good about the Clawfense.

Go ahead.

I'll wait.

No?

Florida gave the Vols a gift. At halftime, I told my friend on the phone Tennessee just needed to get out of there, didn't matter if it was 15-14 with six field goals. Just get back to Knoxville with a win by any means, and we can work on improving later.

But instead, the Vols eat a loss that ranks right up there with UCLA in terms of indefensibility.

Combined with another blowout to Florida and a quarterback who inspires zero confidence in anyone, and the rest of the SEC schedule looming ahead...

The decision to make students pay for tickets is going to look real good next Saturday night against Northern Illinois. How many of them are going to show up for that one? How many of any of us?

The schedule will present the Vols an opportunity to play at least one top five team in October. But right now, it's almost impossible to look at the rest of this season in a positive light.

Because the reality is, UCLA is about to give up 40+ points again, Florida beat us by 24 and then got exposed by Ole Miss in Gainesville today, and Auburn hasn't looked really good all season.

Two teams that are incredibly similar, as shown by the game and the drive chart, have an important difference:

Auburn looked offensively inept against Mississippi State and Tennessee. They won both games. The Tigers still have work to do, certainly, and Tony Franklin's system may not ultimately have any better fate than Dave Clawson's. But Auburn gets to deal with all this mess on the sunny side of a win.

Tennessee has looked offensively inept when they weren't playing UAB. They're 1-3.

Winning wouldn't have made Tennessee's offense any better than it actually is. But the Vols should, without question, be 3-1. You can't defend either loss. And yet, here we are.

It always takes more strength to have hope than be cynical. It's easy to be cynical, even when there's plenty of reason to be.

But hope is awfully fleeting right now in Knoxville.

SESB Live on the Air - Take 2

2008-09-26T14:48:00.002-04:00

I taped a short segment today with Gridiron Breakdown - you can check out the live broadcast and call into their show at BlogTalk Radio on Saturday morning, 10:30-12:00 EST. The show originates from Alabama and they'll have a ton of stuff this week on Alabama/Georgia and the Auburn/Tennessee game as well. The show is also available at their website in archived format if you miss the live broadcast.

Check them out - also thanks to Jay from the show for his help on the Dave Clawson/Tony Franklin piece we did that was the featured story on Bleacher Report yesterday afternoon.

(Note: You can still check the archived broadcast at their website, where they talk Tennessee-Auburn from about the 35:00-55:00 mark with myself and Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser, or you can grab just my part here)

That's enough shameless self-promotion for one day...

Go Vols.