Bleacher Report - Articles by Will Shelton

Picking the 2008 College Football Award Winners

Will Shelton — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:31:00 -0500

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.

Still a Vol: Phil Fulmer Accepts Administrative Position at Tennessee

Will Shelton — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:17:31 -0500

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...and there haven't been many of those lately.

Lane Kiffin and Tennessee Move Forward Together

Will Shelton — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:26:00 -0500

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.

1.) 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 No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 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 make things more OK, 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.

2.) 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 OK. 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 through 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 Knoxville radio 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 percent 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.

Lane Kiffin Offered the Tennessee Job, Multiple Sources Report

Will Shelton — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:03:00 -0500

MrSEC.com, reported by John Pennington, is saying this afternoon that ex-Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin has been offered the head coaching job at Tennessee. This certainly goes along with all the chatter I've heard just about everywhere for the last 72 hours.

Tennessee site Third Saturday in Blogtober, who broke the news of Fulmer's removal six days before it happened, is also reporting that Kiffin has been offered.

If true, Kiffin is a hire who will bring with him 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.

Old Spice Classic Preview: Tennessee Among Four Ranked Teams Vying for Title

Will Shelton — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:05:24 -0500

On 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).

No. 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, six rebounds, and four 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 (nine points, seven assists per game) and freshman Scotty Hopson (11 points per game).

J.P. 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.

No. 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 eight 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.

No. 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 eight rebounds per game.

The Spartans may be the highest-ranked team in the field, but they may also face the stiffest opening test.

No. 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 (averaging nine 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 big-time 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 dark horse, 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, is good enough to win it.

Brian Kelly Now Top Choice to Replace Phil Fulmer, Says Knoxville News-Sentinel

Will Shelton — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:23:56 -0500

Mike Griffith, sportswriter for The Knoxville News-Sentinel, named Cincinnati's Brian Kelly as the leading candidate to replace Phil Fulmer at Tennessee today in his Ask Griff feature at govols.com, according to sources within the Tennessee program.

Griffith also mentions South Florida's Jim Leavitt as a potential candidate.

The News-Sentinel reported earlier that North Carolina's Butch Davis was the leading candidate. Davis has since publicly denied interest in the job.

Kelly has a history of success, both at Grand Valley State and now at Cincinnati, with the Bearcats in contention to win the Big East and secure a BCS bid. He's also a young man in the coaching game at 48.

Look for the Vols to continue to pursue possible candidates into December before making any sort of official announcement.

Will Muschamp Named Successor to Mack Brown, Will Stay at Texas

Will Shelton — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:26:00 -0500

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 Will 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, 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.

Whoever we get, let's hope we all get behind him.

Go Vols!

The Idiot's Guide to a College Football Playoff

Will Shelton — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:40:15 -0500

(Updated from a November 2006 piece at SouthEastern Sports Blog)

Lots of times in life, you sit down and look at situations and you can clearly see and say, "this is the right thing to do, this is the best thing to do for all involved." And then you have to say "but in the real world..." and settle, compromise, or whatever word you want to put on it.

A playoff in college football is the right thing to do, and it's the best thing for all involved. Even if you can think of one or two minorities in this equation who would not benefit from a playoff (small conference teams, or teams in tougher conferences—which we'll deal with in a minute), a playoff is still the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few.

Now, in the real world, there are things like BCS contracts, university presidents, and other factors that get in the way. And sometimes, like in 2005 with USC and Texas, the current system does work.

But you don't even have to have three undefeated teams, as in 2004, to cause controversy. Right now, unless Texas Tech wins out, the BC-mess is only going to begin at who wins the Big 12 South, with multiple potential problems over the next three weeks in trying to decide who should play the winner of the SEC Championship Game. And that debate is resolved by human pollsters and computes.

In any sport, the true and final outcome deserves to be decided on the field.

So this is the best I can do. Some of these ideas are going to stretch the boundaries of the current reality in college football, but I don't think any of them step outside of them. This isn't a perfect plan...but it's a good one.

WHAT THE PLAYOFF SYSTEM MUST DO:
1. Maintain the integrity of every game of the regular season
The common saying, which I use a lot, is that "the regular season is the playoffs."

If you lose one game, you're in trouble and no longer in control of your own destiny. If you lose twice, you're out of the conversation unless there are truly unusual circumstances (Colorado almost pulled this off in 2001, LSU did last season).

When you watch the NFL, when your team drops a game, it's unfortunate, but you know it's not the end of the world because 10-6 will usually make the playoffs. In college football, every Saturday can be Armageddon.

The playoffs must not turn the life-and-death reality of every Saturday into anything less. The playoffs must not allow the statement "oh well, we'll still make the playoffs" after a loss to enter into the college football vocabulary—this is most essential. Because of this, the playoffs shall include no more than eight teams.

If you entertain the idea of a sixteen team playoff—no matter how awesome and exciting that would be—you invalidate the regular season. Teams that just have good years at 9-3 should not be allowed in the national championship conversation. If there was a sixteen team playoff, those 9-3 teams would be on the bubble.

You shouldn't get a chance to play for the national championship if you've just had a good year. The eight best teams in college football every year are all going to be great teams—no scrubs will sneak in. This year, you'd be talking about Texas/Oklahoma/Texas Tech, Florida and Alabama, Penn State, USC, and potentially a couple of others. All of those teams are great teams.

And yes, there would be debates about why the No. 9 team got left out and why they should've been allowed in. But the reality is, the No. 9 team is probably going to be a two-game loser...and if you've lost twice, you've probably also lost your real ability to argue about why you're a great team. An eight team playoff would keep intact the intensity and necessity of winning every Saturday of the regular season.

2. Be as fair as possible
We'll get to selection rules in a minute, but an effort must be made to put everyone on an even playing field. This begins with having somebody man up and tell Notre Dame to face facts and get in a conference, or at the very least removing any contract that gives them any special rights or automatic bids.

Rules also must be in place to make sure that small conference teams have at least a chance to make the playoffs. A rule would have to be written somehow that would ensure that 12-0 Boise State or Utah made the playoffs if they were in existence right now.

The biggest issue with fair and balanced is with conference championship games.

Simply put, it's terribly unfair that three major conferences have to play a championship game, while the other three don't. If a playoff was constructed, this issue must be handled. The issue of fairness is also what favors an eight team playoff over a sixteen team one, or a Final Four.

A four team playoff would mean that at least two conference champions got left out—and in the interest of maintaining the integrity of college football, a conference champion should get a shot in any playoff format. There would also be much more heated debate about "who's No. 4?" than there would over "who's No. 8?"

3. Schedule wisely
For all of the arguments about the season lasting too long, getting into finals, or anything else...the system must manage time well.

The one system that seems to work best is playing the conference title games the first weekend of December, then taking a week off, then playing the Quarterfinals the third weekend of December (all games on Saturday to avoid the NFL)—then playing all of the bowl games for the non-qualifiers—and playing the Semifinals on January 1.

Thisway, the National Championship could be played either January 8 or January 15, or on any Saturday that falls in between. You could also entertain playing the title game the week in between the AFC/NFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl for maximum exposure, though I'm not sure college presidents are going to go for that one.

The bowl system must remain for the remaining 111 teams that don't make the playoffs, and again, with an eight team playoff instead of a sixteen team, the bowls stay valuable. Right now, 10 teams make the BCS and are out of other bowl consideration. Eight teams out of bowl consideration wouldn't change the mix.

4. Make money
Well, duh. Hello TV ratings and advertising, because as much as the die-hard football fan loves to watch the January 1 bowl games, more people would watch any playoff game, because they would matter more. The fact that this would make money is almost as obvious as the fact that the playoffs would...

5. Give the people what they want
Which means no more segments on ESPN GameDay about what's wrong with the BCS, no more time wasted talking about who's getting screwed and left out of the national title picture, and all the time spent focusing on the product on the field. No other sport has a championship system that's decided by anything other than on-field performance. Give the people what they want.

With these guidelines in mind, here's the layout for an eight team college football playoff:

A. Make all six major conferences 12 teams with a championship game
This seemed wholly unrealistic until the ACC simply went out and made this happen a few years ago. And now, it's suddenly not so difficult to see this working out in the Big 10, Pac-10, and Big East. What would need to happen here:

- Add four teams to the Big East. The league already went shopping once and picked up Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida to replace the ACC defections. Picking up an additional four schools would help give the league more respectability if they did it right.

Now, here's where we get to talk about Notre Dame. The Irish play in the Big East in all other sports at the university. While the temptation would be for Notre Dame to jump to the Big 10, cooler heads may prevail there and see that the Irish might be a better fit—and find winning easier—in the Big East. Either way, the Irish are going to have to "lower" themselves and play the likes of UConn here or Illinois in the Big 10.

They'd still have four non-conference games to go out and schedule the big opponents, they could keep the Michigan and Southern Cal rivalries and then play a softer conference schedule if they went to the Big East.

For the sake of argument, in this scenario we're going to put the Irish in the Big East instead of the Big 10. Notre Dame doesn't want to go to a conference? This is where the NCAA needs to step in and make these rules official, and force the Irish hand. They might go kicking and screaming, but they'd go if it meant their shot at the National Championship.

Where else does the conference go? Raid Conference USA (again) is what they do. Marshall, thanks to their tradition and name, is an easy selection.

From there, you've got some options for the other two schools, but based on their strength over the last decade, and the fact that in this conference, you're only talking about taking a school for football only, I'd go with East Carolina and Southern Miss. This would give you a definite north-south split in the Big East. The new conference:

The New Big East
North Division: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse
South Division: East Carolina, Louisville, Marshall, Southern Miss, South Florida, West Virginia

- Add one team to the Big 10
With Notre Dame off the table, you lose that one sure-fire add to the conference, and force them to make a tough decision. Remember, here you'd also be talking about adding all the other athletic programs, which means you especially have to consider basketball when looking at a team to add and the divisional breakdown.

The conference could have its pick of the MAC litter, but there's just not one school there that would be an overwhelmingly positive addition in either football or basketball.

So we stretch the boundaries here, and look west—the geography is going to be a factor here, but that didn't stop Miami in the Big East. The one small conference college football team in the general north/midwest area that's been consistently strong in this millennium?

How about Boise State?

Again, each conference needs 12 teams, and Notre Dame makes more sense in the Big East to give that conference more instant credibility. So it's Boise State (don't get hung up on this part and throw the whole scenario out of the window), though if you can pick one of those average MAC teams at random and throw them in it'll still work. The divisional breakdown would then look like this (again, also must make sense for basketball):

The New Big 10 (because having 11 teams didn't force a name change, why would 12?)
East Division: Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
West Division: Boise State, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin

- Add two teams to the Pac-10
Lots of options here - perhaps Boise State or Fresno State, or even Hawaii if you want a more exotic flavor. However, when you consider basketball and tradition as well, the best possible option by far is taking BYU and Utah. The Utes will be a nice addition to your basketball strength as well as being a solid program on the gridiron, while BYU is BYU. This makes for another easy divisional split:

The New PAC (Pacific Athletic Conference, anyone?)
North Division - California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State
South Division - Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Southern Cal, UCLA, Utah

Now that we've got six leagues with 12 teams, here's how we set up the playoffs:

B. Conference champions get automatic playoff bids
This means that the goal of each team, every season, is win your division. If you win your division, you play in the conference title game, and that means you'll have a shot to play for the National Championship.

This also means that, alongside the eight team playoff, you also get essentially another week of playoffs with the conference championship games. If you win your conference, you get to play for it all.

Six conference champions, six playoff spots leaves room for two at-large selections. These two spots will help protect two teams in exceptionally strong divisions (like back in the day when Florida would go 12-0 and the Vols were 11-1), and also protect against a team that finished the regular season undefeated and then was upset in its conference title game, to not throw away the whole body of work in one week.

The two at-large selections would be made using the BCS formula—two highest non-conference champions get in.

Stipulations are also made for any undefeated conference champion from C-USA, MAC, MWC, and WAC leagues. To help keep this honest, during championship week, the champions of Conference USA and the MAC will play each other, and the champions of the Mountain West and WAC will play each other (giving us a Boise State vs. Utah play-in game this season if Boise wasn't placed in a new Big 10).

No automatic bids for these leagues, but if a team goes undefeated, including the conference vs. conference title game during championship week, they get one of the at-large bids. No stipulations are made for Notre Dame or anyone else.

C. Playoff seeding is determined using the BCS formula
Because it's gotta be good for something, right?

The day after the conference title games (the first Sunday of December), the final BCS poll is released, selecting the two at-large teams and seeding all eight playoff teams. The bracket is then restructured to eliminate any regular-season rematches in the opening round.

Quarterfinal games are played at the higher-ranked team's home field. Neutral sites are good and all, but it's way too much to ask the average fan to travel to a neutral site for the conference title game, then to as many as three straight other sites for the playoffs.

The quarterfinals are played on the third Saturday in December. The seminfinal games will be played at two of the BCS bowl sites (Sugar, Orange, Rose or Fiesta) not being used for the National Championship Game.

After the seedings are announced, the remaining bowls make their selections. The one BCS bowl that is not being used on a rotating basis for one of the three seminfinal/final games that year selects the two highest-ranked teams remaining in the BCS poll that did not make the playoffs (the No. 9 and No. 10 teams).

The playoff Final Four semifinal games are played on January 1, along with all the usual bowls. The National Championship Game is played on the second Saturday following January 1 - the day before the AFC/NFC Championship Games - anywhere between January 9 and January 15.

How would this look in 2008?
(All of this part, of course, is in theory...)
ACC Championship: North Carolina over Boston College
Big East Championship: Cincinnati over West Virginia
Big 10 Championship: Penn State over Boise State
Big 12 Championship: Texas Tech over Missouri
PAC Championship: USC over Oregon State
SEC Championship: Florida over Alabama
At-Large Selections: Texas, Alabama

Playoff Seeding:
1. Texas Tech
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Penn State
6. Alabama
7. Cincinnati
8. North Carolina

Playoff Bracket (Quarterfinals)
North Carolina at Texas Tech

Penn State at USC

Alabama at Texas

Cincinnati at Florida

The potential year in, year out is outstanding. More than anything else, it just makes sense.

With playoff bids on the line in all of the conference championship games, and the ensuing matchups...you'd watch. Odds are if you're reading this, you're watching anyway...but especially in years where there are no undefeated teams, which will happen, this is the only way to go.

More than anything else, you would eliminate controversy and human opinion from the equation, where only the on-field results count as they should. Win your division, you get your shot.

You would get a college football postseason that more people would talk about and watch, you would get three meaningful weekends of football alongside most of the currently-existing bowl games. The eight best teams would get their shot, and the best team would win at the end of the day. This is the way it's supposed to be.

College football needs a playoff. This is the best way I can come up with to do it, and realistically it's not impossible. The point of this isn't necessarily to talk about how realistic this or any other scenario is, but just to show what can be on the table. This could happen. We need it. College football is already the best sport in America—this is the only way I can imagine to actually make it better.

Yes we can.

ESPN.com Says Butch Davis Has "Absolutely No Interest" in Tennessee

Will Shelton — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:24:00 -0500

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 whatsoever 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.

Knoxville News-Sentinel: Butch Davis Is Vols' First Choice to Replace Fulmer

Will Shelton — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:28:00 -0500

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.

The Four Horsemen of Forced Resignation

Will Shelton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:39:00 -0500

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.

Is Phil Fulmer's Job at Tennessee Beyond Saving?

Will Shelton — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:11:00 -0400

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 Knoxville 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 up for 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 that 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 No. 10 Georgia, followed by home dates with Mississippi State and No. 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.

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 also 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.

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.

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.

A schedule that should bring an Alabama team ranked no lower than No. 2 to Knoxville on Oct. 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 Five Most Cruel Events in Sports

Will Shelton — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:32:00 -0400

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, just 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 No. 16 seed has ever beaten a No. 1 seed in the opening round, in the last two decades, 10 No. 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 season, 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 front-loaded 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 Two at home against the Red Sox tonight—the AL/NLDS is the only place in any sport where the phrase "must-win Game Two" 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 Olympics 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.

Dave Clawson, Tony Franklin at Crossroads In Tennessee-Auburn Matchup

Will Shelton — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:14:00 -0400

When David Cutcliffe left Tennessee for the second time to become the head coach at Duke—where the Blue Devils are currently averaging 252 yards passing, 158 yards rushing, haven't thrown an interception, and are scoring 31 points per game—many in Knoxville welcomed the new hire of Richmond's Dave Clawson.

Clawson was outside the Tennessee Family, where the same "vanilla" scheme had been run for the better part of the last three decades. Clawson promised to get the ball to the playmakers. And the words that've spread through the SEC like honey on our lips—the spread offense—began to be whispered in Knoxville.

We hadn't seen it, but we loved it.

Down on The Plains, Auburn got a glimpse of it.

Al Borges, whose arrival at Auburn in 2004 coincided with the Tigers' 13-0 season and the sudden maturation of Jason Campbell, resigned late last season as offensive production had declined. In Auburn's nine losses from 2005-2007, the Tigers averaged only 16 points per game.

Whether it was depleted talent, coaching, misfortune, or all of the above, Borges gave way to the one and only Tony Franklin.

Franklin came from Troy with a previous stint in Lexington and a history of installing "his offense" on the high school level, and what he did in two weeks of practice in preparing the Tigers to face Clemson in last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl was remarkable: Auburn put up 423 yards of offense against the No. 6 defense in the nation, War Eagle won, and undoubtedly optimism was high in the state of Alabama.

As Tennessee and Auburn prepare to face off on the last Saturday of September, things have changed.

In Knoxville, the Vols had a fairly decent day against the worst defense in the FBS. But that performance against UAB was bookended by two separate exercises in futility.

At UCLA, the Vols had nine three-and-outs, couldn't convert on four first half interceptions, and watched a pass-heavy offense go 19-of-42 and ultimately lose to the Bruins, 27-24.

Last week against the Gators, Tennessee picked up only 258 yards and looked completely lost at times, especially in the red zone, where the Vols made it to the three-yard line twice and came away with nothing.

Throwing out the UAB performance and Nevin McKenzie's interception return for a touchdown against UCLA, the Vols are averaging only 312 yards of offense and 12 points per game. That includes the performance against a UCLA team that's been shredded by BYU and Arizona for a combined 90 points.

Auburn has only lost once, and even that was in a close game against the defending National Champions. However, the Tigers defense and special teams have been opportunistic, scoring three touchdowns.

Take those away from the totals, and the Tigers offense is only slightly ahead of Tennessee, averaging only 16 points per game. That includes the brutal 3-2 win over Mississippi State. The yardage has been better, at 355 per game.

But it's not what either of us wanted.

Now the two paths cross on Saturday afternoon, and honestly, I have no idea what to expect.

But I know it's a tremendously important Saturday for both teams.

A solid Auburn defense gave up 178 yards rushing to LSU last week, giving Vol fans some hope. But for Tennessee, there's no solid evidence that this offense can move with consistency and efficiency.

For Auburn, even with slightly better efficiency, the presence of Chris Todd and Kodi Burns leads to the always frustrating quarterback controversy.

Chris Todd has been the trigger man for the last three weeks, though many of his completions have been dumps to the backs and tight ends. But in talking with Jay Skipworth at Gridiron Breakdown, I get the sense that Auburn's quarterback situation is still a large point of contention among the fanbase, even though Kodi Burns hasn't taken a snap in the last two games.

When things aren't going well, a dual-quarterback system or a quarterback controversy is an absolute nightmare. No matter who is ultimately responsible, the minds of fans and media will always immediately jump to "the other guy should be playing!" in the face of turmoil.

Tennessee learned this lesson in 2005 with Erik Ainge and Rick Clausen, Virginia Tech is learning it right now, and Auburn will find themselves in a tough situation if the offensive inefficiency and losses continue.

More from Jay on the Auburn offense:

Having seen this offense installed at Troy, I know it works when you have the right personnel. And right now, Auburn is trying to run an up-tempo offense with a bunch of converted power players. Chris Todd has the intellect of the offense down; he's like a coach in what he knows about it....

I fear Auburn is feeling such a push from the competition (particularly that in the state) that they may not be patient enough to get it in place. I know the fanbase is running out of patience. And in spite of his ardent support, we all wonder when or if Tuberville will run out of patience for it as well.

One thing I like about Franklin is how he's blunt and direct. When the Auburn offense isn't playing well, he says so. There's no hidden coachspeak or generalities. He says the things the fans are thinking, and for that I like him.

There's precedent for a team winning with a new system and old players—the Gators did it two years ago. And it's only September, with plenty of time still for success in 2008.

Which is why Saturday is so important for both teams.

No matter how it looks, one team is going to win and one is going to lose. For the winner, the season still carries hope and the team is still relevant. No matter how many yards are gained, it's another week for that offensive system to gain its footing.

For the loser, you're unranked and suddenly unimportant in the SEC picture. And especially if that offense continues to struggle, even against what are probably good defenses on both sides, it's another huge step backwards.

If Auburn needs patience, losing to Tennessee won't provide it. If Tennessee needs more rhythm and consistency, a 1-3 start will bring the biggest difference between the two to further light.

Franklin might be disliked by some, but Tommy Tuberville is safe.

Dave Clawson might be disliked by some, but Phillip Fulmer will be the target.

The winner Saturday gets another week for their new offensive system to gain strength, and for Franklin or Clawson to prove that their systems are better than the shockingly low numbers they've produced thus far. Expectations were too high and the on-field result is too low on both sides right now.

The winner on Saturday gets to take a big step in the right direction, both for their season and their offense. The loser takes a backseat ride through the rest of the SEC race and is nationally irrelevant.

Both teams desperately need this win—and for Dave Clawson and Tony Franklin, one man's offense will earn a week's reprieve, while the other's goes further into the depths of fan frustration and football irrelevancy.

Tennessee-Florida: Five Keys to a Vol Victory

Will Shelton — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:40:00 -0400

It's only lunchtime Tuesday, but I'm heading to the Outer Banks for a wedding tomorrow morning and then heading into Knoxville from there on Friday. Since we're uncertain of Internet availability and certain of 18 hours in the car, here's what I've got.

The Vols and Gators have met 37 times, with Tennessee now holding the slimmest of margins at 19-18. Florida has won three straight, coinciding with the arrival of Urban Meyer on the scene in Gainesville.

Once the Vols broke Steve Spurrier's death grip on them in 1998, this series enjoyed an entertaining and highly competitive run of games: In the nine meetings from 1998 to 2006, six of the games came down to the final drive, and the Gators held a 5-4 advantage over that time period.

But last year, the floodgates were opened anew—Florida trashed the Vols 59-20, scoring the game's final 31 points in the last quarter and a half. It was the worst loss the Vols had suffered since 1981.

In 2008, a new quarterback and new offensive coordinator have Vol Nation in mass uncertainty, still frustrated by the season opening loss at UCLA. Meanwhile, Florida is ranked No. 4 but has a few questions of its own.

This game, as it always is, will be the pacesetter in the SEC East race.

Florida is favored by a touchdown in Knoxville, though many on both sides are predicting a much larger number. If the Vols are going to win on Saturday afternoon, they'll need to do the following five things.

1. The Auburn Offensive Blueprint

No team has given Florida more trouble recently than Auburn. The Tigers were the only team to beat the National Champion Gators in 2006, and they got the best of them again last year in Gainesville. How has Auburn done it?

Brandon Cox was the quarterback of both of those teams, and he's not a guy that beat you by himself or put up big numbers. Playing styles aside, Jonathan Crompton should take heart in the fact that a QB of Cox's reputation beat the Gators twice.

The key factors in those two games:

Run/Pass Ratio

What every Vol fan knows and hopes Dave Clawson also believes: You have to run the ball to beat Florida. In 2006, Auburn ran it 40 times and passed 27. In 2007, Auburn ran it 44 times and passed 26.

The Tigers didn't put up jaw-dropping rushing yardage: 133 yards in '06, and only 99 yards last season (both numbers were hampered by sack totals). But what they did do was...

Win Time of Possession

Even with moderate success at three or four yards per carry, the Tigers were able to keep Florida off the field...which is generally the best way to stop them.

Auburn had a sick 13:26 advantage in 2006, which means they had the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game. They had a 5:54 advantage last season, which is also substantial. Florida's offense can't score if they don't have the ball. Which also means...

Don't Throw Interceptions

Here are the numbers on Brandon Cox in those two games:

2006: 18 of 27, 182 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

2007: 17 of 26, 227 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

Again...the quarterback doesn't have to be the man. He simply has to be efficient. For Tennessee, all of this should be familiar...

Remember the History of this Rivalry

The team that wins the rushing yardage battle has won the Tennessee-Florida game 16 times in 18 years. Every Vol fan knows this and will be screaming for Tennessee to run, run, run.

I can't really say this any better than I did in the preview piece on this game last year, but it's all still true. Every Tennessee team that's tried to outscore Florida or throw for a ton of yards has lost. Heath Shuler threw five touchdowns against Florida and lost in 1993. Peyton Manning threw for over 400 yards against Florida and lost in 1996.

The Tennessee teams that have beaten the Gators—1998, 2001, 2003, 2004—were all committed to running the football. Sometimes it was by necessity, such as when using inexperienced quarterbacks in '98 and '04. It seems awfully necessary right now.

David Cutcliffe never fully understood this, and I think it was his greatest flaw as an offensive coordinator. Cutcliffe teams were 1-7 against the Gators.

Randy Sanders, for all his flaws, understood this and made it a point of emphasis. His teams were 3-4 against the Gators (and his 2000 offense is one of the two that won the rushing battle and still lost the game on a day the Vols had no business even being in the game, but Travis Henry's 175 yards almost got it done).

Does Dave Clawson know this? He keeps saying we've got to find what we're good at, we've got to find our fastball. In two games, our fastball is a rushing offense that's averaging six yards per carry, with Arian Foster averaging 7.8 yards when he gets it. That's your best option.

Learn from Auburn. Keep Florida off the field. Don't ask your quarterback to do anything other than not get you beat. And above all...run. Run. Run. Run. Run.

Run.

2. The Georgia Defensive Blueprint

How did the Dawgs beat Florida last year? Yeah, they scored 42 points...but they also sacked Tim Tebow six times and kept Florida from throwing all over the place.

Tebow finished the day with only 22 pass attempts and ran the ball only seven times. Part of that was due to his banged up shoulder, but Georgia was relentless in coming after him.

You saw it again two weeks ago with Miami. The Canes made it a point of emphasis to harass Tebow at every turn. By the fourth quarter, penalties helped finish off what little momentum they had built, and when Tebow found more time he tore them apart. But both defenses sent everybody after Tebow and trusted their secondary to make plays.

Does this put you at risk to give up the big one? Yes. But it also means your defense can turn some big ones of their own.

Tennessee's secondary is trustworthy. DeAngelo Willingham hasn't been beat all year, and Eric Berry/Demetrice Morley should be the best safety tandem in the SEC. Berry is the best individual player in the Vol secondary since Deon Grant, and he's only a sophomore. And the Vols are deep and experienced.

Playing a soft zone to keep everything in front of you is a terrible idea. Florida's speed will make defenders miss, and they'll eventually pick the Vols apart and wear down the defense, again. The priority has to be putting everything up front, stopping a Florida run game that's been largely subpar from the tailback spot, and putting contact on Tebow.

The biggest thing the defense that gave up 59 points last year could do early is hit Tebow.

It doesn't have to be a sack. Just a hit of consequence. Something to get that big roar from the Neyland crowd, which will be full of fans who are highly skeptical but will still be there if the Vols do something good.

One of the biggest plays in the 35-14 stunner against Georgia last year was the opening kickoff, when a finally-healthy Britton Colquitt kicked it into the end zone for a touchback for the first time all year.

No matter how angry and upset the Vol faithful were about what had happened earlier in the season, from that play on they were locked into the game at hand because the team gave them something to cheer about—even something small and seemingly insignificant.

A hit on Tebow early would both restore some swagger in the Vol D that was toyed with last year, and put the fanbase in the moment and make them the factor they should be.

Trust your secondary. Play up front and don't let Florida find its running game. And make Tebow the target.

3. "Johnny, don't be a hero!"

If the Vols ask Jonathan Crompton to beat Florida the way they asked him to beat UCLA, it's going to be a long day for him and us.

As mentioned earlier, Crompton needs to be enrolled in the Tee Martin School of Quarterbacking: Don't get us beat, throw it away when you need to, manage an offense that should be run-oriented. You don't need to make those laser rocket arm throws. You need first downs, not touchdowns.

Crompton has a good connection with Lucas Taylor and Gerald Jones, and we're all excited to see what Brandon Warren can do with more touches.

This one starts with Dave Clawson not asking him to do too much and emphasizing the run, and Crompton playing wise football instead of hero football. Keep it simple, and you won't look so stupid.

4. Turnovers

Usually the most telling statistic in any game. The Vols are tied for second nationally with seven interceptions...and they've only played two games with an off week in between. If a ball comes loose, the Vols need to be there.

Florida is a great team that requires the opposition to make the most of opportunities given them. What the Vols failed to do against UCLA, they must do if Florida gives it away.

Likewise, this needs to be a two-hands-on-the-football day for the Vol offense. The biggest play in the Florida game last year was Arian Foster's fumble on a drive that—remember?—saw the Vols with the ball down 28-20. In one moment it was 35-20, and then it was over.

Crompton can't play the hero. Foster can't fumble. The Vols must be opportunistic to win.

5. Finding The Rhythm

This is really all of them combined into one. Vol fans aren't going to wait until 2009 for the Clawfense to start firing on more cylinders than not. We're neither blind nor stupid and when you say you're still looking for your fastball, we all know it's the running game.

Sure, hitting some deep passes would keep the defense honest. But you need to force-feed them some honesty with the tailbacks and the offensive line.

Playing this game at home, the crowd can make a difference in disrupting Florida's rhythm. It's very important for something good to happen early for the Vols—it'll give those who doubt a reason to believe, and it'll make this team play with the confidence necessary to beat Florida.

More importantly, early rhythm is key. Crompton has started really well in both games this season, whether that's due to scripted plays or something else. But the key, again, isn't 300 yards passing—it's consistency.

Run the football. Keep Florida off the field. Go after Tebow and trust your secondary when they are on the field. Keep everything simple for Jonathan Crompton and make sure he plays within himself. And if the Gators give you an opportunity, take advantage of it. This is the rhythm we're looking for.

Look, we're still Tennessee, and nobody is going to leave Saturday shaking our heads at a loss but proud of our effort. No one is going to shrug their shoulders and chalk up a loss to less talent, because it's not a talent issue.

The same people who are all upset right now still, deep down, have a level of expectation with this football team that will surface on Saturday afternoon. They get pissed because they expect to win. Because at Tennessee that's always the expectation.

Don't sell me on we can't or that Florida's automatically five touchdowns better than us. If the Vols come out throwing and play soft zone, we're going to get buried under an avalanche of three and outs and find ourselves in a three-possession hole in the second quarter that will negate the ability to run the football.

So yeah, if that happens, we could get beat, and beat badly.

But if the Vols focus on doing what they do best, and then actually go out there and do it...then we're in for a fight.

An early turnover and an early score give the Vols hope and momentum to play with confidence. A good Florida team battles back, but a game Vol team stays with them. Daniel Lincoln knocks one home to give the Vols a tight lead late, and Eric Berry saves the day by forcing a turnover on the final drive. Son.

Will's Pick: Tennessee 23, Florida 21

Why Expectations are Worthless in the SEC

Will Shelton — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:10:49 -0400

In eight days of college football, here's what we've learned at the expense of everything we thought we knew:

Alabama was a young underdog at a neutral site against a potential National Championship contender with the best backfield in America in Clemson. The Tide spanked the Tigers 34-10 by holding James Davis & CJ Spiller to 20 yards combined, and are now on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Arkansas brought in Bobby Petrino from the NFL after his incredible stint at Louisville. The Hogs had to overcome a 24-14 hole in the 4th quarter against an FCS school before squeaking out a 28-24 win.

Auburn was a preseason Top 10 pick with a new offense under Tony Franklin that generated plenty of optimism. Quarterbacks Kodi Burns and Chris Todd combined to go 13 of 27 for 85 yards against Louisiana-Monroe. Said Franklin: "We stink, and it's my fault."

Kentucky had to go to Louisville with most of their playmakers from the high scoring bowl teams of 2006 and 2007 having graduated. The Cats blasted the Cards 27-2 with their defense holding U of L to 205 total yards and forcing five turnovers.

Ole Miss brought in Houston Nutt, who left the cupboard bare in Arkansas. But then he found Dexter McCluster in Oxford, who got 125 yards and the Rebs ran away from Memphis 41-24.

Mississippi State had experience back from a bowl team last year, with some calling Slyvester Croom the best coach in the SEC because he did the most with the least. The Bulldogs watched Wesley Carroll throw four interceptions and lost to Louisiana Tech 22-14.

South Carolina believed this could be the year Steve Spurrier got them over the hump, and Steve Spurrier believed in Tommy Beecher. Then he believed in Chris Smelley after week one. Then he lost Kenny McKinley. Now he believes in Vanderbilt for the second year in a row.

Tennessee brought back lots of experience as defending SEC East Champions, with a highly anticipated new offense and new quarterback. That new quarterback went 19 of 41 against UCLA, whose quarterback threw four interceptions in the first half...and the Bruins still beat the Vols in overtime. Clawson failed to echo Tony Franklin's sentiments following the game.

Vanderbilt is 2-0.

Even those who've gone according to plan on the field have had major issues:

Florida lost Cornelius Ingram and Georgia lost Jeff Owens, two potential first-team All-SEC players whose absence will be missed and who'll reshape the season outlook, even if only slightly.

In fact, the team only team whose preseason expectations are now largely unchanged are the defending National Champions at LSU.

Think things have changed after just one Saturday? Check this out:

-Last year, Alabama was 6-2 in October. They finished the regular season 6-6.

-Florida beat Tennessee 59-20 in September and looked like the best team in the conference. The Gators went 6-4 from that point and lost to unranked teams twice.

-By the first Saturday of October 2007, Georgia had lost to South Carolina and had gotten blown out by the same Tennessee team that was blown out by Florida. At that point, the Dawgs had lost six straight games to SEC East opponents. Then they won seven straight games, beat four ranked teams and finished the year No. 2 in the country.

-Kentucky started the year 6-1 and ranked in the Top 10. The only team they beat the rest of the regular season was Vanderbilt.

-South Carolina did them one better: They started 6-1 and were ranked in the Top 10. They lost to everybody from that point, including Vanderbilt.

-The same Tennessee team that lost to Florida 59-20 and Alabama 41-17, beat Georgia 35-14, won the SEC East and held a lead in the 4th quarter of the SEC Championship against...

-LSU, who lost twice...and still won the National Championship.

Those cliches about every game counting and taking them a week at a time have never been more true.

Whether by injuries, inexperience or simply over/underestimated expectations, you never, ever know what's going to happen until you see your team on the field. And as we saw last year, what you see in September, no matter how good, bad or unexpected may not hold true in October, and those who play well in November usually make it through to January.

The SEC: At least we're never bored.

What's Next for Tennessee After Losing to UCLA?

Will Shelton — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:49:47 -0400

When I was a student at the University of Tennessee, I took a class on US Cold War Foreign Policy. During our investigation of the Vietnam War, it seemed to me that when you examined each individual step and decision along the way, they all made sense at the time and in those moments.

But when you put all of those decisions together, it was a mess.

Tennessee fans have been complaining about the vanilla flavor of the offense for years. It made sense when we've been all in the playcalling family for the last two decades.

When Urban Meyer walks into the SEC with his spread option and picks up a National Championship in only two years, even if it was won on the strength of the defense and an uncanny ability to win close games, you start to covet. Instead of two tight ends and running on 2nd and 10; and screen passes and throwing for four yards on 3rd and 7, we wanted something else. Something sexy.

When David Cutcliffe left us again, we all felt pretty good about the hire of an FCS head coach with an offense described as "get the ball to the playmakers" (doesn't that sound silly this morning?) because it was something new and it sounded sexy.

We believed that if a man from Wisconsin-Milwaukee could take our basketball program forward, a coach from Richmond could easily do the same.

Most of us fell in love with the idea of this offense. You couldn't have really fallen in love with the offense itself, because you hadn't seen it.

At the center of this lovefest was Jonathan Crompton.

Crompton became the latest in a long line of Vol QBs post-Manning who we all believed were going to be better than the last guy: Casey Clausen was thought to be more NFL-ready than Tee Martin, and Erik Ainge even more so.

It's always been true, but never more so than this morning: all three of those guys were pretty good quarterbacks.

The next best thing, who is now 0-3 in games where he takes the majority of snaps, went 19-of-41 for 189 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT. At one point, he threw eight straight incompletions in the second half.

So you can already hear the swing of the pendulum.

I understand the dissatisfaction with the old offense. I understand the excitement over Dave Clawson's hire. I understand being in love with an idea, anointing a new quarterback because of what he's supposed to be, and the general and often total optimism that runs rampant on every college campus in August.

But in September, when you put all that together, the Vols are 0-1. Again.

After watching the travesty unfold last night, I also understand why Vol Nation may want to hang Clawson, Crompton, and anyone else they can find.

I hope we're jumping to conclusions again.

Crompton is an inexperienced quarterback who's learning on the job. We hope he'll get better. But last night...well, he didn't look good.

He didn't throw four interceptions like his counterpart, but the Vol offense did make those four interceptions a complete non-issue, because if you're Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow, all you have to say in the locker room is, "Hey, it's 14-7 and we get the ball. We're fine."

He did make two throws to set up a Daniel Lincoln field goal to send the game to overtime, a sequence which should now and forever erase the thought that a squib or pooch kick is a good idea in that situation.

But then the same Daniel Lincoln missed on his easiest attempt of the night, and a Vol team that was 7-1 in overtime coming in left with a bitter, frustrating defeat.

While the whole team shares in the loss, and you can maybe blame the defense for playing too conservatively and not making adjustments in the second half, the reality is UCLA got only 288 yards and 17 offensive points in regulation. They had 29 yards rushing.

There are always little things, and there were lots of them in this game: a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, another Arian Foster "worst possible time" fumble, a safety that wasn't a safety, two missed 50+ yard field goals, nine penalties to UCLA's two...the beat goes on.

But my greatest disappointment still comes back to that which we'd believed but hadn't yet seen: the offense.

More specifically, the playcalling.

I'm not throwing Crompton or Clawson under the bus. But when your quarterback is 19-of-41 and throws eight straight incompletions, it's the job of the playcaller to look at the following numbers:

Arian Foster: 13 carries, 96 yards, 7.4 yards per carry

Montario Hardesty: 12 carries, 66 yards, 5.5 yards per carry

It's his job to say "Hey...maybe we should just run the football."

It's vanilla. It's boring. But it was working. Crompton was clearly struggling.

But the Vols kept throwing.

It resulted in an offense with no rhythm, little success and no identity.

The Vols learned last year that you can look really bad, lose games early and still play for championships. The loss last night was not an SEC game (though it does put the Vols in that uncomfortable position with Mississippi State of owing the rest of the conference an apology), and if the Vols somehow find a way to beat Florida in 18 days, things will be good again.

It'll take until then to make it right, because beating UAB 200-0 won't make believers out of anyone.

But my greatest concern going forward still comes back to Crompton and Clawson, two guys unfamiliar with the full glare of life as the play- and signal-callers at the University of Tennessee, but two guys who are feeling it full blast this morning.

Clawson's a man. I'm not worried about his confidence or him second-guessing himself. It's still Phillip Fulmer's ballclub. He is quite familiar with righting the ship, even as we'd all like him to be better at making sure the ship doesn't need quite so much righting in the first place.

But an offense without an identity is an ineffective offense. When you've got two running backs averaging more than 5.5 yards per carry and a veteran offensive line, maybe it's time you put the west coast down and don't make Jonathan Crompton win it. Maybe it's time for a little more vanilla.

Meanwhile, Crompton used my absolute least favorite phrase for a Vol to use after a loss: "We don't need to get our heads down, because we played good."

Your head shouldn't be down, you're right. It also shouldn't be in the clouds, which is exactly where it is if you think we played good.

Can Dave Clawson and the Vol offense find an identity that works, no matter which playmakers we're getting the ball to and even if that includes two tight ends (or more Kevin Cooper at fullback, a bright spot) and consistent carries for Foster and Hardesty?

Can Jonathan Crompton find the same rhythm and consistency, and improve as a quarterback while keeping his confidence? Can Crompton still be the one to lead us to realize the championship potential we were all so sure of one moment earlier?

Every season tells a story.

This one did not start well.

But it doesn't have to end the same way. Hopefully, Clawson and Crompton become the positive factors we all believed them to be, and not the greatest concerns we feel them to be this morning.

Go Vols.

UCLA-Tennessee: Vols Should Temper Expectations Despite Being Favored

Will Shelton — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:28:31 -0400

It seems every day that passes brings more good news for the Vols—and more bad news for the Bruins.

As more crutches show up in Westwood and more players are declared eligible in Knoxville, many in Vol Nation have worked themselves into a frenzy that envisions Dave Clawson's new offense ripping into a vulnerable UCLA defense. Meanwhile, the Vol D puts the clamps on UCLA's third team quarterback in a game Tennessee wins by scoring at least 40.

But let's pump the brakes for a second.

Kevin Craft wasn't the primary option at quarterback for the Bruins, true. They also haven't fully sorted out the offensive line, which could spell trouble for their most viable offensive option in RB Kahlil Bell.

However, Tennessee's biggest problem on the West Coast last year—tackling in space—has been a concern in a few preseason scrimmages as well. UCLA doesn't have Cal's offensive weapons from last year, but if Rico McCoy and the rest of a somewhat inexperienced front seven don't make the tackles they should make, UCLA is going to find some yardage.

The Vol secondary is being counted on as the strength of the defense, and that should hold true from the first snap. But don't look for Norm Chow's offense to try to throw over the top of Eric Berry and Demetrice Morley either. If UCLA plays disciplined, mistake-free football, there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to find some production.

Tennessee struggled all year in 2007 to get pressure on the quarterback. Anyone good enough to play at a BCS conference school is going to find success if given enough time. The Vols will look for marked improvement in the pass rush with more speed and a better secondary in coverage, but even Kevin Craft can hurt you if he's got all day to make decisions.

And what effect will Rick Neuheisel's home debut in powder blue have on the game?

On the other side...really, no one knows exactly what we're going to see from the Vol offense. UCLA's defense is equally inexperienced at key places, and the Vols are breaking in (again) Jonathan Crompton at quarterback.

While some have made rash comparisons to Tim Tebow based on Crompton's playing style, toughness, and effort in a 2006 game against LSU...let's give him a chance to just go out there and see what he can do before we anoint him.

The Vols do have Arian Foster and a host of solid wide receivers. TE Brandon Warren is eligible from Florida State, where he was a freshman All-American in 2006, but again, let's wait and see exactly how he's going to operate in this offense. Yards will be there, even if we're not exactly sure how they're going to be gained.

I'm very curious to see the offensive line in action. Five players with starting experience are back on a unit that allowed four sacks in 14 games last year. But how much of that was David Cutcliffe's "Throw it away!" offense, and what'll happen now that Dave Clawson is calling the shots? Can UCLA's defensive front get penetration?

This brings us back to Crompton, who jacks up the risk/reward issue for the Vol offense by a factor of at least 10. Erik Ainge and David Cutcliffe were disciplined, and so was the Vol offense. Dave Clawson repeatedly emphasizes getting the ball to the playmakers, while Crompton's got some playmaker in his blood too.

As a Vol fan, my hope is that Crompton is educated in the Tee Martin School of Quarterbacking: Make the plays you have to make, don't get your team beat, and win games.

The Vols probably don't need Crompton to turn into a Heisman candidate. They do need him to play within himself and lead the team to victory on the strength of 11 guys, not the strength of his arm and legs. While you may not learn a lot about the Vols as a whole, I think you'll learn (or remember) an awful lot about Crompton Monday night.

There's no doubt this is a game Tennessee should win. Generally speaking, however, I think UCLA isn't being given quite enough credit despite the injuries, while an offense that none of us have seen is already facing way too many expectations for the Vols.

If you're looking for the definitive answer on how good this Tennessee team can be, wait for Florida, no matter how good it may look Monday night. Any win, no matter how bad it may look, will be a good one coming out of the season opener on the road. If Vol fans didn't learn to value each victory after last season, they'd better learn it now.

I think you'll see some questions and some answers coming out of this one from the Tennessee offense. I also think the Vol defense is good enough to take care of most of what UCLA, in their limited capacity, will throw at them.

So color it orange...just maybe not quite as bright as Vol fans would like it to be. We'll see.

Will's Pick: Tennessee 27, UCLA 13

Vanderbilt's Baby Steps Continue After Season Opening Win

Will Shelton — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:49:38 -0400

It used to be that you could count on death, taxes, and Vanderbilt losing.

And granted, the 'Dores haven't played in a bowl game since the Reagan Administration, have never threatened in the SEC East and probably won't again this year. A handful of upsets along the way are all Vandy's had to show for its football program at a university without an athletic department.

Bobby Johnson took over in 2002, and the above facts haven't changed. No bowls. No winning seasons. A few upsets to pass the time.

But even if the Commodores haven't won the war, they're winning some battles along the way.

Good players like Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett have come through Nashville under Johnson, and Vandy has flirted with a breakthrough. Last season, though they still finished outside the bowl landscape, they won five games. Which wasn't anything new in the last few years.

But they won those five games by an average of almost 17 points. That was new.

Granted, they played Richmond, Eastern Michigan and Miami (OH). But they also beat Ole Miss and South Carolina by double digits. Even if they weren't winning six, they weren't finding a way to lose all the time. Even if you couldn't take them seriously, you couldn't take them for granted either.

However, graduation losses, especially the departure of WR Earl Bennett, made many this offseason say that Johnson had missed his window and it would be back to the doldrums in 2008.

And maybe it still will be. But on the first night of the college football season, Vanderbilt made a point.

It's still a small point, and those outside the SEC and Miami (OH) may not understand it, but when the 'Dores went on the road tonight and ran for 275 yards and won by three touchdowns 34-13, they proved that maybe it's not just the every now and again surge of talent with a player like Bennett, and it's definitely not a fluke.

Vanderbilt has made progress. Real progress.

A team that was supposed to be the old Vanderbilt instead won a road game by three touchdowns. And Miami (OH) isn't Miami (FL), who isn't regular FL, whom the 'Dores will see along with the rest of the SEC East soon enough. But the RedHawks aren't terrible either, and Vandy was impressive. Or at least they were impressive enough.

QB Chris Nickson won't win the Heisman, but his day with 138 yards rushing and playing mistake-free in the passing game was great. The Commodores picked off three passes. They did what they had to do to win and win comfortably, which used to be the polar opposite of a program that would do anything it took to lose.

So maybe Vandy goes 1-11. Maybe they miss another bowl game. And maybe another talent like Cutler or Bennett doesn't roll around again. But tonight proves, at the very least, that even without those marquee players, Bobby Johnson has progressed this program away from the automatic circled victory on the opposition's schedule to a team you have to look twice at.

The steps may be small, but they are steps nonetheless. Johnson has done a good job. Vanderbilt cannot be taken for granted.

And if that can happen at Vanderbilt, it can happen anywhere.

College Football: Who Should Be the 10 BCS Bowl Participants?

Will Shelton — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:43:05 -0400

Next week is game week, so we'll finish up the preseason stuff here before turning our attention to kickoff and who's not on UCLA's injury report.

The most prestigious of the preseason picks is to "guess" the National Champion. But since I've now crossed the threshold into the realm of the completely irrational and don't want to write another impassioned post about how the Vols are going to win every game, only to see it go up in flames on the West Coast in Week One, I've instead cleverly channeled my insane and boundless optimism this way: selecting the 10 BCS participants.

The four BCS bowls plus the National Championship will once more be comprised of the champions of the six major conferences, plus four at-large bids. A mid-major conference champion is eligible to receive one of those bids if it finishes in the top 16 of the final BCS standings. And no conference is allowed more than two teams in the BCS, which means lots of unhappy campers in the SEC and Big 12 this year, and more equal revenue sharing.

So, with that in mind, and with no determining factors here like which are the conference champions or who's ranked No. 1, these are my 10 picks for the 10 teams that will be playing in the BCS bowls come January:

Florida - Do you really think they'll lose four games again this year? Head-to-head, I still don't trust Georgia to beat them with any consistency, and the Gators actually have an easier schedule.

Ohio State - Even if you don't think they'll play for the whole thing or beat USC, there's simply way too much returning talent for the two-time runners-up to not see them as the overwhelming Big 10 favorite.

Oklahoma - As I've mentioned elsewhere, I think this is the team with the best combination of fewest questions, most answers, and most manageable schedule. Whether they win or not once they get there is another issue.

South Florida - The best-looking Cinderella from '07, the Bulls have a home date with stepsister Kansas and then the same old same old. Even with a loss, I think they get in simply because only two are going from the SEC and the Big 12.

Tennessee - Because it's always a good idea to pick two teams from the same division in one conference, since the loser of the conference championship game almost never goes to the BCS. And because I dare you to find me a Tennessee fan who'll tell you that they're afraid of Georgia with a straight face.

Texas - Picking two teams from the same division, part two. Kansas stole this spot last year only when the Horns lost to Texas A&M. Missouri will be better than both of them again this year...but Texas will get the spot because that's who people want to see on TV, and the Horns didn't lose in the championship game.

USC - Somebody has to win the Pac-10, and guess who it's going to be? Again. I think the Trojans are at the bottom of the National Championship contenders list, but they'll still get in the BCS.

Wake Forest - Because I don't trust Clemson at all, Virginia Tech has zero experience, and Wake Forest has a bunch of guys with 2006 ACC title rings still walking around campus, plus they catch Florida State while their players are still suspended.

West Virginia - Like South Florida, even at 11-1 I think they'll still get in even if they need the at-large. Beating Auburn would ensure their name in the National Championship race.

Wisconsin - Are Wisconsin and South Florida better than LSU, Georgia, Missouri, and any of the other teams you're asking about? Nope. But, again, two teams per conference...plus, I don't think any mid-majors are going this year, so it's the Badgers making it to the big time.

Disagree? Of course you do. Feel free to leave your picks in the comments.

Tennessee Football's 10 Most Exciting Games, 1989-2007

Will Shelton — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:26:38 -0400

And now for something much more exciting.

As I've discovered CBS College Sports Network over the last month and their nonstop run of classic SEC Football in August, my TiVo continues to seek out classic Tennessee games that I haven't seen in their entirety since they were initially played.

With almost a dozen Vol games on tap on the network over the next two weeks, there are some that I have a passing interest in...but there are others that I find myself incredibly excited to see roll around on the broadcast schedule because they're simply such great television.

That got me to thinking about the most exciting Tennessee games in the modern era.

Now, this list is not about the most memorable or the greatest comebacks, and it puts a much smaller emphasis on rivalry. You won't find the National Championship on this list or any emphasis given to games that were played in that season, nor will you find any blowouts or games that weren't any good until the finish.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive list of the biggest overall wins, check out The 50 Best Vol Games feature at SouthEastern Sports Blog that ranks the biggest wins.

You can find the first part of this feature from yesterday here: The 10 Most Heartbreaking Games.

These 10 are simply, in my opinion, the greatest individual football games, the most exciting and dramatic from start to finish. They're the ones I'd want to watch right now more than any others—the ones where you can take any football fan, sit him or her down, and say, "Watch this."

(And yes...the Vols win them all.)

10. 1991: No. 13 Tennessee 35 - No. 5 Notre Dame 34 (South Bend)

All right, I said none of the greatest comebacks, but you have to include The Miracle at South Bend.

It really is good television throughout because it's fascinating to see how it goes completely wrong at every turn for the Vols in the first two quarters. One year after the Irish broke Vol hearts in Knoxville, Notre Dame built an inexplicable 31-7 lead in the second quarter and was kicking a field goal to end the first half.

The Vols blocked the kick and ran it back for a touchdown, setting up a furious rally in the second half.

An Aaron Hayden screen pass on the heels of a Dale Carter interception would complete the rally and put the Vols in front, but Notre Dame drove downfield to set up a game-winning field goal attempt. Jeremy Lincoln blocked the kick off his hind end—no joke—and the miracle was complete.

9. 1990: No. 10 Tennessee 23 - Virginia 22 (Sugar Bowl)

Playing in the Sugar Bowl as SEC Champions for the first (and last) time since 1985, the Vols met a Virginia team that had been ranked No. 1 in October before their starting quarterback Shawn Moore was injured. With Moore back on the field for this one, the Cavs played like the No. 1 team for three quarters, building a shocking 16-3 lead on the Vols heading to the final period.

This game contains the most exciting fourth quarter I know of, starting with the Vols intercepting Moore at the nine-yard line. Andy Kelly played the final quarter everyone dreams of (14 of 18 in the fourth), leading the Vols downfield for a score to make it 16-10.

Virginia kicked a field goal—the Vols scored a touchdown. Virginia kicked another field goal to make it 22-17 with 2:31 to play, but Kelly calmly drove the Vols 75 yards, with Tony Thompson punching in the final go-ahead score with seconds left on the clock.

8. 2006: No. 13 Tennessee 51 - No. 10 Georgia 33 (Athens)

You look at the score and it doesn't seem very exciting, but this game had everything.

Georgia was undefeated and sporting the number one defense in the country; the Vols' only loss was by one point to eventual national champion Florida. Leading 10-7 in the second quarter, Mikey Henderson raced 86 yards on a punt return for a score for UGA. When the Vols punted again, Georgia went 85 yards in eight plays for another score to make it 24-7.

Tennessee got a crucial score before the half to make it 24-14, then intercepted Joe Tereshinski on the second play of the second half to set up a score and instantly make it a game again, 24-21. The teams traded field goals before the Vols got Tereshinski again. They entered the fourth quarter trailing 27-24, but driving.

The Vols finally got the lead on a TD pass, and Georgia would probably like to forget most of what happened next.

The Dawgs went three and out, and the Vols blocked the punt and recovered it for a touchdown (and the cover of Sports Illustrated).

Then Georgia completed the special teams madness by running the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown. At 38-33, there was still plenty of game left.

But from there, the Vols put the hammer down: touchdown, fumble, touchdown, interception. A game that Georgia led 24-7 turned into a spectacular Vol victory and 51 points against the nation's best defense, featuring two kick returns, a blocked punt, a 35-point turnaround and 84 total points.

7. 1998: No. 10 Tennessee 34 - No. 17 Syracuse 33 (Syracuse)

This game is historically significant for the year it takes place in, but it is still an outstanding football game in any year, especially for a season opener. In Tee Martin's starting debut, the Vols built a 24-13 lead behind Jamal Lewis but couldn't hold off Donovan McNabb, who finished with 300 yards.

The 'Cuse took the lead 33-31 before the Vols used a fortuitous pass interference call to set up a Jeff Hall game-winning field goal. More on this game here.

6. 1998: No. 1 Tennessee 28 - No. 10 Arkansas 24 (Knoxville)

The definitive '98 game that saw Anthony Lucas and the undefeated Hogs build a 21-3 lead on the No. 1 Vols in their first week at that position before Tennessee started the comeback. The second half included a critical blocked field goal, a botched punt for a safety, a big Arkansas stop on fourth down, Clint Stoerner's fumble, and Travis Henry doing the rest for the Vol win. More on this game here.

5. 1995: No. 8 Tennessee 30 - Georgia 27 (Knoxville)

Any thoughts the Vols had of disposing of an unranked Georgia team were erased by Robert Edwards, who was on pace to have the greatest day by an RB against the Vol defense in history before he got hurt in the third quarter (with 15 carries for 155 yards). His score off the opening kickoff gave Georgia confidence and a 7-0 lead.

Not to be outdone, sophomore Peyton Manning led the Vols right downfield on their first drive and ran (yes, ran) for a score to tie the game. The Vols took a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, but Georgia simply wouldn't go away. The Vols led 20-17 before Georgia scored on the drive that would end Edwards' day but gave UGA a 24-20 lead.

With :35 to play in the third quarter, Manning hit Joey Kent on play action to put the Vols back in front, 27-24. Georgia would threaten in the red zone but couldn't get in without Edwards. Instead they hit a field goal to tie the game at 27-27 with 4:51 to play.

Then Manning threw one of his four interceptions—not on the day, but for the entire season—and Georgia had the ball at the Vol 35 with 2:25 to play. But again, there was no running game without Edwards. There was also no overtime in 1995, so as the clock ticked, Georgia was thinking about a tie as the worst possible option.

When Brice Hunter dropped a third down pass, Georgia was left with a 53-yard field goal with 1:34 to play.

The kick went wide right, and now the Vols had life.

On the first play, Jay Graham broke two tackles on a screen pass and went 28 yards to instantly put Tennessee in field goal range. The Vols would get another first down to set up freshman Jeff Hall with :15 to play. From 34 yards, Hall snuck it inside the upright, and the Vols survived 30-27.

4. 1992: No. 24 Tennessee 34 - No. 14 Georgia 31 (Athens)

All the way down at number four is a game, like No. 2 on yesterday's heartbreak list, that I didn't think would ever be topped.

In the first year of the new divisional format, the Tennessee/Georgia game instantly moved from a once-a-decade meeting to an annual rivalry—and this Georgia team was loaded: Eric Zeier, Garrison Hearst, Andre Hastings, and Shannon Mitchell. The Vols had graduated most of the talent from their 1989-1991 run where they went 29-6-2 and won the SEC Championship twice.

What's more, Johnny Majors was in the hospital, and young interim Phillip Fulmer was coaching in his first big game. Sophomore Heath Shuler and the Vols were heavy underdogs down between the hedges.

Georgia fumbled the opening kickoff, but the Vols only got three points. After the teams traded field goals, Garrison Hearst found the end zone to give UGA a 10-6 lead. When the Vols scored just before the half to make it 13-10, things looked good, but Georgia converted a 3rd-and-23 on a deep bomb from Zeier to Hastings to give them the locker room lead.

People who think Tennessee's been running the same offense since the late '70s should remember that the Vols were running lots of power I with the inexperienced Shuler in this game. The Vols grabbed a 20-17 lead and Georgia kept turning it over, four in total, heading to the fourth quarter.

Heath Shuler scrambled for 40 yards on third down to put the Vols in position, then took it in himself on a draw for a score that gave the Vols a 27-17 lead. It wasn't safe.

Two plays after fumbling out of bounds, Garrison Hearst took a simple counter play 60 yards to put the Dawgs right back in it, 27-24. To further demonstrate Hearst's ability, despite the fact that you've got Zeier and Hastings, on 3rd-and-10 from the 17 on their next drive, what does Georgia do?

Straight up the middle with Hearst, who goes the distance with a wicked stiff arm, and behind his running the Dawgs are back in front 31-27 with under 6:00 to play. Give three TDs and 161 yards on the day to Hearst.

Heath Shuler led Tennessee downfield but was sacked at the 40-yard line. After an incomplete pass, the Vols faced 4th-and-14 with 2:15 to play.

The Vols suddenly went from power I to five wide, and Shuler threw a bullet to seldom-used Ronald Davis for 25 yards. Shuler threw another strike to J.J. McClesky at the four-yard line and then took it in himself for the score. 14 plays, 80 yards, 34-31 Vols—but with :50 to play, we still weren't done.

From the 10-yard line, Zeier fired complete to the 28, then on one of the greatest roller coaster plays in Tennessee history, Zeier dodged a sack twice and then found Hastings at the Georgia 45. Hastings broke two tackles and went upfield to the Tennessee 35, but he was hit from behind on the second tackle and fumbled. The Vols jumped on it, and with :17 to play they had sealed the win.

It was an incredible individual day from Zeier, Hearst, and Shuler. 569 yards of offense for Georgia...six turnovers.

3. 2007: No. 19 Tennessee 52 - Kentucky 50 (4 OT—Lexington)

Unlike Tennessee's six-overtime affair with Arkansas in '02 and the five OTs they played with Alabama the next year, this game was also very good in regulation.

A Tennessee win would secure the SEC East title. A loss would put Georgia in Atlanta and give Kentucky their first win over the Vols since 1984. Tennessee looked to put it away early, scoring on the first play from scrimmage on a dump pass to Arian Foster. Then the Vols used a healthy dose of the tight end to set up another score and a 14-0 lead that had everyone in Orange breathing easy.

A missed field goal opened the door for UK, who scored early in the second. Down 17-7 late in the quarter, UK caught a break with an interception, but then Andre Woodson was picked off on the very next play, and the Vols went for the throat, scoring to take a 24-7 lead into the locker room.

At halftime, I said "Wait 'til basketball season" to just about everyone wearing blue who looked at me for more than two seconds in the upper deck at Commonwealth Stadium.

UK opened the third quarter by driving 80 yards in 14 plays to make it 24-14. They got the ball back but fumbled, and UT capitalized, again putting the Vols up by 17 and again causing little to no stress.

But Kentucky responded quickly to make it 31-21 heading to the fourth. Ainge was intercepted, but Kentucky got nothing. The Vols drove to the UK 30 but turned it over on downs. The Cats found the end zone again to make it 31-28, and when the Vols went three and out, all of a sudden we were sweating in the 30-degree temps.

But Woodson was picked off again, and all seemed well. However, again the Vols couldn't get a single first down and punted Kentucky back to their own eight-yard line with 3:32 to play. I looked at my friend and said, "If they drive 92 yards in 3:32 to beat us, we don't deserve to be champions."

Instead, they drove 91 yards. On the way, they converted on 3rd-and-11, 2nd-and-15, 3rd-and-15 with :38 to play, and then picked up 23 yards on the very next play to set up 1st-and-goal at the six with :22 to play.

A pass interference call in the end zone made it first and goal at the two. Rafael Little ran for no gain and UK called their final time out with :08 to play. Then Andre Woodson dropped a shotgun snap, rolled out, and barely missed his man. UK elected to kick the field goal, and off we went to overtime.

After a relatively tame start to OT where both teams scored a touchdown, in the second OT Ainge was intercepted and Kentucky lined up to kick the game winner from 35 yards off the foot of Lonas Sieber, a Knoxville native. With Kentucky on the precipice of their first win over the Vols in 22 years and Georgia on the verge of Atlanta...

...the Vols blocked the kick, and we played on.

Two touchdowns and two missed conversions in the third OT led to number four, where the Vols scored from the 40-yard line and got the two. Kentucky scored, but Andre Woodson was sacked from behind on the two-point conversion.

Tennessee escaped as SEC East Champions. The stats: 102 total points, 1,084 yards of total offense, and a title for the Vols.

2. 2004: No. 13 Tennessee 30 - No. 11 Florida 28 (Knoxville)

New names were writing themselves into the Tennessee/Florida rivalry: Chris Leak was the starter for Florida, while freshmen Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer got the nod for the Vols. This was simply a spectacular back and forth football game with something eventful on almost every drive.

Off a Tennessee fumble on their opening drive, the Gators went down and scored. Then Tennessee kept it simple and went 12 plays, all runs, for 80 yards behind Cedric Houston, Gerald Riggs, and Brent Schaeffer for the tying score. A poor decision by Leak led to an interception, and an Erik Ainge TD pass to tight end Justin Reed gave the Vols a second quarter lead.

The Vols pinned Florida at the three, but that didn't stop Leak, who took Florida 97 yards to tie the score at 14-14. When Ainge was intercepted, the Gators scored again to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room.

In the third quarter, the Vols drove to the Gator 15 and fumbled. Florida drove to 1st-and-goal but missed a field goal that would've given them a critical two-possession lead. In response, with the freshman Ainge under center, the Vols drove an absurd 14 plays and 96 yards, finishing with one of the most beautiful "at the pylon" TD passes in Tennessee history as Ainge hit Bret Smith.

The teams traded punts before Leak went deep and Vol DB Brandon Johnson mistimed it, and just like that Florida regained a 28-21 lead. But the Vols were immediately equal to the task, going 80 yards in 11 plays, finishing on a Jayson Swain TD. All that was needed was the extra point to tie...

...but James Wilhoit inexplicably missed it.

Reeling, the Vol defense gave up a first down but then stiffened, halting the Gators at the 39-yard line and getting a crucial break from the officials, who hit Florida with a 15-yard personal foul penalty on a "second guy gets caught" scenario and then failed to restart the game clock.

Tennessee got the ball back with :43 to play at their own 38-yard line. Ainge needed two completions, and he got them both to Chris Hannon, for 21 and for seven, to set up James Wilhoit again from 50 yards.

Wilhoit, who couldn't make an extra point, drilled a 50-yarder to give the Vols a 30-28 win—the last time Tennessee has beaten Florida.

1. 2001: No. 4 Tennessee 34 - No. 2 Florida 32 (Gainesville)

Two of the best teams in the country, with a (supposed) trip to the National Championship on the line, surpassed the hype and played the greatest minute-for-minute football game I've ever seen.

Tennessee hadn't won in Gainesville in 30 years. The game was moved from September to December following 9/11, which only increased the drama.

Best stat I can use to tell you about the awesomeness of this game? Total punts: three.

The Vol defense held on the opening drive (punt number one), then took a lengthy trip downfield to get a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing drive, a Rex Grossman pass was deflected by Al Haynesworth and intercepted, leading to a Travis Stephens score, and the Vols led 14-0 in The Swamp.

Putting to rest any Vol dreams, Grossman went deep to Reche Caldwell, setting up a QB sneak for a score to make it 14-7. On the first play of the next drive, Jason Witten fumbled, and all those bad Swamp vibes were alive and well. The Vol defense held, Florida kicked a field goal, and it was 14-10.

On the next drive, Witten again was the culprit, as a ball off his hands was intercepted. When the Gators scored on a pass from Grossman to Jabar Gaffney on the very next play, that 14-0 lead was a distant memory at 17-14 Gators, and that old familiar feeling of "if it can go wrong, in Gainesville it will" was fully present.

When the Vols missed a field goal and Jeff Chandler made another one heading to the locker room, it was 20-14 Florida—and hope was on life support.

Enter Travis Stephens.

Off the second half kickoff, Stephens burst through the left side and went racing downfield, putting Jabari Davis in position to punch it in on a five-play drive that quickly put Tennessee back in front 21-20. Hope had a pulse.

The Gators answered with three to retake the lead, then intercepted Casey Clausen on his only poor throw of the night. The Gators committed to shutting down Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington, which they did. But slot man Bobby Graham found room for seven catches and 71 yards, and Clausen played within himself all night outside of this one throw.

Leading 23-21, Florida drove off the pick to the Vol 34 and went for it on fourth down, but Grossman was dumped by Will Overstreet for one of four Vol sacks on the night. Tennessee went back to the run, and it worked, scoring early in the fourth (but missing the two) to take a 27-23 lead.

Florida drove downfield, where Grossman was again sacked and fumbled. However, he was ruled to have been throwing the ball, so it went down as an incomplete pass and Florida kicked another field goal. Tennessee still led 27-26 and was just trying to hang on.

That's when Travis Stephens made the run, breaking through the linebackers and then absolutely destroying Guss Scott in the secondary before finally being tracked down inside the 10. Jabari Davis finished from there, and the Vols led 34-26. Stephens ran for a sick 226 on the night.

If you're scoring at home, that's 18 consecutive drives without a punt. Read that again.

So then we had two in a row: another sack forced a Gator three and out. Tennessee had the ball and an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter in The Swamp, and quite frankly they didn't know what to do. They went backwards and punted it right back to Florida—the first and only Vol punt of the night—giving Rex Grossman one more chance.

Rexy was good for it. Playing for the Heisman, Grossman marched the Gators 67 yards in 10 plays and just over two minutes, finishing with a Carlos Perez reception for the score with 1:10 to play.

Playing without the injured Earnest Graham and subsequently no running game, Grossman went 33 of 51 for 362 yards, one interception that wasn't his fault, and three total touchdowns. Jabar Gaffney caught seven balls for 101 to go with Reche Caldwell's eight for 115, all this against a secondary with three future NFL players in it—unreal and incredibly impressive on offense.

But...the Gators needed the two-point conversion to tie.

Grossman got pressured again and fired away, and the ball sailed behind the intended target and out of the back of the end zone. The Vol defense bent and bent and bent all night long, but they never fully broke and made the one play they had to make. When John Finlayson pulled down the onside kick, unbelievably the game was over...and the Vols had won.

This game doesn't hold up as well in overall Tennessee lore because the Vols went out the very next week and blew their chance at the title by losing to LSU in Atlanta. Steve Spurrier left for Washington soon after, and the rivalry was never really the same.

But as the capper to a decade worth of nationally relevant Tennessee/Florida bloodshed, they just don't get any better than this.

Tennessee Football's 10 Most Heartbreaking Losses, 1989-2007

Will Shelton — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:10:00 -0400

Part one of a two-day piece, where tomorrow we'll look at something more uplifting...but as the 2008 season closes in, here's one more look at the past.

You can't fully appreciate the joy without the heartbreak, and so here's a painful reminder of what might've been: the 10 most heartbreaking losses in the modern era of Tennessee football (we use 1989 as a starting point both because I'm only 26 years old, and because the Vols' 11-1 SEC Championship season that year served as the modern genesis of the success the Vols have enjoyed in the last two decades).

10. 2002: No. 10 Florida 30 - No. 4 Tennessee 13 (Knoxville)

The worst five minutes of my life. One year after finally beating Florida in The Swamp and sending Steve Spurrier packing, the Vols looked poised to take the SEC mantle from the Gators. Florida had been beaten badly by Miami the week before.

As a driving rain fell in Knoxville, the teams were scoreless with under five minutes to play in the first half when the Gators scored on 4th-and-goal from the one-yard line. From there, Casey Clausen put the ball on the ground three times in four minutes, and a defensive standoff turned into Rex Grossman taking advantage of the moment.

A game that was tied at zero with under five minutes to play in the second quarter became a 24-0 Florida lead at halftime. The Vols never recovered.

9. 2000: No. 6 Florida 27 - No. 11 Tennessee 23 (Knoxville)

With most of the players from the national championship runs now in the NFL, the Vols started A.J. Suggs at quarterback and were given little chance to win. But behind Travis Henry's 175 yards and a defense that didn't allow a first down until late in the second quarter, Tennessee gave themselves every chance to win.

However, those chances kept turning into field goals instead of touchdowns—five of them on the day—and Florida had life. When the Vols couldn't get one first down to ice it late, Florida drove the length of the field as time wound down, and Jabar Gaffney caught/didn't catch a pass in the end zone to give the Gators the win.

8. 1996: Memphis 21 - No. 6 Tennessee 17 (Memphis)

The one and only time in history the Tigers have beaten the Vols. Peyton Manning threw for 296 yards but had two interceptions. Memphis had only 153 yards of offense, but (illegally) ran a kickoff back for a touchdown late in the third quarter to tie the game at 14, and then got the yards they had to have on their final drive.

It's my understanding that this is still the single greatest event in the history of the Memphis Athletic Department.

7. 1995: No. 4 Florida 62 - No. 8 Tennessee 37 (Gainesville)

The one you absolutely can't blame on Peyton Manning. The Vols went to Gainesville and jumped all over Florida, scoring in two plays on the opening drive to begin a run that culminated in a Raymond Austin return of a Danny Wuerffel fumble for a score that put the Vols up 30-14 late in the second quarter.

But the Gators scored before the half to pull closer, Tennessee missed a field goal to open the third quarter, it started raining—and everything went wrong.

Consecutive fumbles by Jay Graham started a Gator run that saw them take the lead in the blink of an eye. Then they simply kept scoring, putting 41 points up in the second half. Quite possibly the worst half of football in Tennessee history.

6. 1992: Arkansas 25 - No. 4 Tennessee 24 (Knoxville)

Under interim head coach Phillip Fulmer, the Vols had stunned Georgia and Florida to become the lead horse in the first-ever SEC East race. Johnny Majors had returned to the sideline by October, where Heath Shuler's Vols were undefeated and staring down the barrel of a showdown with eventual National Champion Alabama. Only 1-4 SEC newcomer Arkansas stood in the way.

The Vols held a 24-16 lead with under three minutes to play when Orlando Watters returned a punt 71 yards for a score. But when Todd Kelly absolutely murdered the Arkansas quarterback on the two-point conversion, all seemed well.

Then Arkansas recovered an onside kick, drove inside the 30, and nailed a 41-yard field goal with :02 left to break the hearts of the Vol nation. This was the beginning of the end for Johnny Majors.

5. 1999: Arkansas 28 - No. 3 Tennessee 24 (Fayetteville)

Clint Stoerner used all his karma in two seasons, going from the goat of the dramatic '98 game to the hero in 1999. The Vols were third in the polls and second in the BCS, on pace to play the winner of Florida/Florida State for the title, and hadn't lost an SEC game in November since the 1980s.

After the previous season, you knew this game would be tight, but a Travis Henry TD put the Vols up 24-14 in the second half. The lead wasn't safe though: Stoerner found Vol nemesis Anthony Lucas on a beautiful throw and catch to put Arkansas ahead 28-24 with under 4:00 to play.

Tee Martin drove the Vols down close, but a fourth down pass into the end zone was incomplete—and Tennessee's hopes of defending their National Championship were dashed.

4. 1990: No. 1 Notre Dame 34 - No. 9 Tennessee 29 (Knoxville)

Back before National Championships, losing to Florida, or Phillip Fulmer, this game was just about as big as they came in Knoxville. Notre Dame was still Notre Dame and loaded with talent, but the Vols were very good too. Tennessee stood toe-to-toe with the number one team in the country, holding a lead in the fourth quarter of an incredibly well-played football game.

Rocket Ishmail simply wouldn't be contained all day, finally breaking loose to put the Irish ahead. Notre Dame built their lead to 34-23 before Andy Kelly led a frantic drive downfield for a score. The two-point conversion failed, but then the Vols recovered the only onside kick I can ever remember them being successful on.

Kelly again drove the Vols in range, and everyone in Neyland Stadium knew we were on the verge of something monumental. But his final pass was intercepted in the end zone, and Notre Dame held on.

3. 2001: Georgia 26 - No. 6 Tennessee 24 (Knoxville)

After gaining revenge on LSU the previous week, the Vols looked to do the same to Georgia as they jumped on a wounded Dawg team early. But Georgia held fast and played their way back into the game thanks to a punt return, and as the second half unfolded, this turned into a classic.

Georgia took a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter, but Casey Clausen and the Vols picked up a critical fourth down conversion to keep a drive alive. However, Clausen was intercepted, and Georgia needed first downs to ice it. The Vol defense held behind a roaring Neyland Stadium crowd, giving Tennessee the ball back with a minute to play.

On the best call of Randy Sanders' career, Travis Stephens took a screen pass 62 yards down the left sideline with 44 seconds to play in one of the loudest moments in Neyland Stadium history. But after an ill-fated squib kick, freshman David Greene and new head coach Mark Richt wrote their names into the lore of this rivalry, as Tennessee played prevent and Greene picked the Vol D apart.

At the six-yard line with 10 seconds to play, the Dawgs snuck the fullback into the secondary and Greene fired a touchdown pass. Allow me to just say that you'd never hear John Ward talking about stepping on someone's face and breaking their noses.

2. 1990: Alabama 9 - No. 3 Tennessee 6 (Knoxville)

I didn't think this one would ever be topped. Ranked third and the owners of an unusual 4-0-2 record after tying eventual National Champion Colorado and No. 5 Auburn, the Vols were thinking SEC and National Championship. Alabama, who'd won four straight against Tennessee at this point, was struggling at 2-3 under new head coach Gene Stallings.

If there was ever a year to not just beat Alabama, but crush them, this was it—and you could tell right away it just wasn't going to materialize. Tennessee couldn't move the ball at all, and when they did, they turned it over soon after. Alabama wasn't moving either, but they hung around and hung around. Greg Burke was asked twice early to kick field goals of more than 50 yards, and he hit one of them.

Late in the contest, with the score tied at 6-6 and Vol fans thinking about a possible third tie in seven games, Tennessee finally got good field position when Alabama was forced to punt from their own end zone and Dale Carter returned it to the 35-yard line.

Burke was called on again from 50 yards, and for Vol fans, the worst that could happen at this point was a tie if he missed—except Alabama blocked the kick, and the ball went flying 20 yards downfield, giving the Crimson Tide a shot at their own field goal. Phillip Doyle from 47 yards as time expired completed the stunning heartbreak.

1. 2001: No. 21 LSU 31 - No. 2 Tennessee 20 (SEC Championship)

The Vols had survived the heartbreak of No. 3 on this list and put themselves in position to play for the National Championship by beating Florida in Gainesville the week before. The SEC Championship Game seemed like a detour on the way to the Rose Bowl, as the Vols were 2-0 in their two previous appearances and had already beaten LSU 26-18 early in the year without Donte' Stallworth.

When the Vols took a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, my friends and I in the Georgia Dome started talking about taking an RV from Knoxville to Pasadena. Rohan Davey and LaBrandon Toefield had been knocked out of the game. It was over...but the Vols couldn't put it away.

LSU came back to tie it behind Matt Mauck. Then they took the lead after a rare Travis Stephens fumble. Then the Vols drove to 1st-and-goal at the four, but came away with only a field goal to cut it to 24-20. But when the Vol D held LSU on the ensuing drive and got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter and started marching downfield, I was sure we were going to win.

Then Donte' Stallworth caught a pass, turned upfield, and got stripped. Suddenly the ball was on the turf. LSU pounced on it—and our championship dreams. The Tigers would punch it in on 4th-and-goal from the one just for effect to seal our fate.

Tennessee was two quarters away from playing for the National Championship. We haven't been that close since.

Tomorrow, we'll conclude this piece with a look at something more uplifting...

College Football Top 25: If I Had a Vote in the AP Poll...

Will Shelton — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:44:00 -0400

As we await the release of the preseason AP and Coaches polls in the early parts of August, here’s an attempt to cast a pseudo-vote with minimal bias and some logic that I’m sure will be questioned.

I like the idea of getting my picks out there before they’re tainted by what everyone else thinks in these polls, so if I had a vote in the AP Poll this week, it would go something like this:

25. South Carolina

A new quarterback (Tommy Beecher?) will try to utilize RB Mike Davis and All-SEC WR Kenny McKinley to build a consistent offense in Year Four under The Ballcoach. The defense rests on adjustments and returns several top players, including Eric Norwood, Jasper Brinkley, Captain Munnerlyn, and Emanuel Cook under new coordinator Ellis Johnson. Carolina was 6-1 last year before losing five straight to close; is this the year they find consistent SEC success?

24. Boise State

No reason to start doubting them now with Ian Johnson back and all the pass catchers, though the Broncos must find a new quarterback to replace Taylor Tharp and rebuild the offensive line. Still, Boise returns seven on defense. An early tilt at Oregon will be enlightening for both teams, but the Broncos may not be challenged again until the unofficial WAC Championship Game, when Fresno State comes to the blue turf.

23. Oregon

Nate Costa and Justin Roper (who led the 56-21 Sun Bowl win over USF) duel to replace Dennis Dixon, while tailback-by-committee will attempt to replace Jonathan Stewart. But the Ducks return almost everyone else on offense and seven on defense in a program accustomed to success. The Ducks play Purdue, USC, Arizona State, Cal, and the Civil War all on the road.

22. Alabama

Year two under Nick Saban looks to produce better results than the same six losses that ran Mike Shula off. Still, last season all of Bama’s losses were one-possession games. John Parker Wilson returns for his senior season with an experienced backfield running behind a great offensive line. The defense is more questionable, and Bama may again be asking for too much from their younger kids. Still, if this team puts themselves in position to win as they did last year, look for them to come away with more than seven wins.

21. Florida State

I really didn’t want to put the Noles anywhere on this list because I feel they’re often overrated for simply being FSU, but even though they haven’t won 10 games since 2003, this team has talent. They’ll first have to get past Wake Forest on Sept. 20 while playing without multiple starters due to suspension. When at full strength, their defense is solid at every position. Drew Weatherford will probably still be under center, for better or for worse, but experience abounds throughout the offense. More than anything, they play in a weak ACC and simply don’t play a difficult road game unless you count Miami. The schedule is forgiving enough to allow this team to succeed.

20. Illinois

You’ll find out how good Illinois will be without Rashard Mendenhall right away, as they open the season in St. Louis against Missouri once more. Juice Williams continues to have his moments, and without Mendenhall, he’ll need more of them. Arrelious Benn is still around, as well as tight end Michael Hoomanawanui, who is required to show up in every Illini preview so we can all stare at his name. Ohio State and Wisconsin are the definitive Big 10 leaders, but the Illini are the best of the next group right now and showed last year they’re capable of pulling the upset. Jan. 1, at least, should be an attainable goal.

19. BYU

This season’s flavor of choice among the mid-majors, the Cougars have won 11 games each of the past two seasons and return a loaded offense (QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga leading the way). The question for teams like this involving the BCS has to go right to the schedule; BYU is at Washington on Sept. 6 and hosts UCLA the following week. Beyond that, they simply have to navigate the Mountain West portion of their schedule, which will include a couple dangerous road trips to TCU and the season-ending showdown at Utah. The BCS is the goal and it’ll probably take 12-0 to get there, but even if they stub their toe along the way this is still a good football team.

18. Wake Forest

The 2006 ACC Champions finished 9-4 last year after an 0-2 start, and two consecutive years of success is enough to earn my respect. Quarterback Riley Skinner is still just a junior; he led the nation in completion percentage last season. The loss of WR Kenneth Moore must be addressed, but the defense returns nine starters from a group that was only really busted up once in a 44-10 loss to Clemson. It’s Clemson again who’ll lead the ACC pack on paper, but overlooking Wake a third year in a row would be a bad idea.

17. Kansas

The Jayhawks only have one good year under their belt, but at 11-1 it certainly got your attention. Now they’ll get a chance to prove both that they weren’t a fluke and that they can do more than beat up on a soft schedule. A laughable non-conference schedule gets an instant boost from a trip to South Florida, while their Big 12 schedule replaces Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M with Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech. Todd Reesing will be back to lead the charge with plenty of returning weapons to throw to, while a battle is emerging at RB between Jake Sharp and juco transfer Jocques Crawford. If they get past South Florida they’ll probably be 6-0 in mid-October…then we’ll find out exactly how good this team really is.

16. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are still looking for a complete season, one where they continue and score some upsets while avoiding the upset bug themselves. They’ve been a lock for 8-9 wins every year this decade, but haven’t been able to get past that mark and win the Big 12 South. And until they do, I fear the nation will continue to view them as a gimmick team. The gimmick will certainly be back at full speed this year, with Graham Harrell throwing to Michael Crabtree. Eight starters return on a defense that always seems to be a question mark. Last year TTU beat Oklahoma but lost to Colorado and Oklahoma State. Consistency is the key to rising in the Big 12.

15. Arizona State

A chance for instant credibility comes with the Sept. 20 date with Georgia. You know the names on offense: Rudy Carpenter, Keegan Herring, Chris McGaha. But they can’t help if the offensive line isn’t better. Last season, the line allowed 55 sacks, and only two starters return. Seven starters return to a defense that can still improve. The Sun Devils’ only losses last season were to Dennis Dixon’s Oregon, USC and Texas. Even if they don’t beat Georgia, as always success in the Pac-10 comes down to beating USC.

14. Clemson

Like Arizona State, this team returns all of its skill players but has huge issues on the offensive line. But while Spiller and Davis may get the hype, it’s the defense that can really carry this team. Eight starters return from a unit that was in the top ten in scoring and total defense last season. They’ll get tested right away with the neutral site opener against Alabama. The ACC is weak this year and Clemson is the only team that looks great on paper…but the Tigers have traditionally found a way to stub their toe more than once each season under Tommy Bowden. If the offensive line doesn’t get them beat, the talent is there to think championship…but the tradition is there to think more frustration.

13. Auburn

A solid offense with no spectacular pieces but a very good whole looks to come alive under Tony Franklin. Auburn didn’t score a ton of points but did get a ton of yards in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl win over Clemson’s tough defense. Auburn is one of several teams who might have the third best offensive line in the SEC and the third best offensive line in the country. The defense too is solid all around, with Sen’Derrick Marks and Tray Blackmon leading the way. This team will be very interesting to watch; like many in the SEC, they can go the distance or they can go 8-4. There’s a road trip to West Virginia stuck in there in October, but the SEC schedule sees Florida rotate off and LSU, Tennessee and Georgia all come to Jordan-Hare. If the offense continues to improve and Auburn avoids a lifeless game or two that’ve plagued them in the past, they can win the SEC. Quarterback play is the key.

12. South Florida

Of all the surprises from last season, I think USF has the best chance to duplicate its success. Most of that has to do with the fact that they play Kansas in Tampa, and they play in the Big East. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have Matt Grothe and nine other starters back on offense, with George Selvie returning as last season’s Big East Defensive Player of the Year. They did get murdered in the Sun Bowl, but their three regular-season losses were by a combined 15 points last season. If they beat Kansas and avoid an upset, they’ll be 11-0 headed to West Virginia on Dec. 6.

11. Wisconsin

Quarterback play is key here too, where it could determine whether the Badgers are Big 10 Champions or an afterthought in 2008. If it’s Allan Evridge, he needs to do what Tyler Donovan excelled at: minimize mistakes and let the defense and PJ Hill win it for you. There’s a talented stable behind Hill as well, and four starters return on the offensive line. The defense returns nine starters and must be stronger; in Wisconsin’s four losses last season, they allowed an average of 32 points. The Big 10 this year appears to be Ohio State and then everyone else, but Wisconsin is at the front of that next group and gets OSU in Madison.

10. Tennessee

The Vols are considered an afterthought by many, but I’m still not sure why. The defending SEC East Champions return every skill player on offense and all five starters from a line that allowed four sacks in 2007. Defensively, there’s no replacing LB Jerod Mayo, but the only other major personnel loss was FS Jonathan Hefney, who’ll be replaced with the returning Demetrice Morley. Erik Ainge will be replaced by junior Jonathan Crompton, who’s probably receiving more hype than he deserves right now, but time will tell. The defensive line must come together and Rico McCoy is the only sure thing at linebacker, plus the Vols could get burned in the punting game while Britton Colquitt serves a six-game suspension. But Tennessee plays best when the spotlight isn’t on them, and between the Gators and Dawgs there’s been little of it left for the Vols this season. Tennessee is good enough to win every game it plays.

9. Texas

The reloading continues, as Colt McCoy may benefit from a year where he doesn’t enter the season as a Heisman favorite but still has plenty of weapons, even in the absence of Charles and Sweed. Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley are assets at receiver, while the backfield is inexperienced but, of course, full of raw talent. The line will have to carry the defense early in terms of experience, but Will Muschamp takes over as coordinator and will have lots of talent to play with in the LBs and DBs as well. The September schedule is forgiving, which should give Texas time to know what it’s got heading to the Red River game. Playing OU and Missouri in consecutive weeks won’t be fun. Still, it’s Texas, where talent grows on football fields.

8. West Virginia

I thought the most impressive performance in college football last year was in the Fiesta Bowl, where a West Virginia team who’d been heartbroken by Pittsburgh and was without their head coach played the team I thought was the best in the nation…and won by 20. Pat White is back to run the offense and take another stab at the Heisman, while Noel Devine should make people aware of his presence instead of Steve Slaton’s absence. It’s a defensive issue that keeps West Virginia out of surefire National Championship conversation; only four starters are back (though the ’07 group was surprisingly great). They might get tested at East Carolina or at Colorado early, but they’re without a doubt the most talented team in the Big East and play USF at home to close. The national title talk begins and ends with the Auburn game.

7. USC

I’ve heard it said that there’s no truly great team in college football this year, but a bunch of really good ones, and that list starts here with USC. The offense gets placed in the hands of Mark Sanchez and whichever talented back gets the most carries. You judge this offense because it doesn’t have names like Palmer, Leinart, Bush or Williams—and maybe there are legitimate questions about how good these receivers are, and the fact that only one starter is back on the line—but just because you don’t know all the names doesn’t mean it still won’t score a lot of points. And with seven back on last year’s second best defense in the nation, the offense won’t have to win many games for them. These are the best linebackers in the country and the secondary is in the conversation. The Pac-10 is getting more competitive and Stanford proved you can’t take anything for granted, but most still believe that USC’s biggest hurdle to Miami is Sept. 13 against Ohio State. If the Trojans win that one, they won’t be this far down anyone’s list.

6. LSU

It’s privilege as defending National Champion to be ranked a couple spots higher than you probably should be, especially when you’re inexperienced at quarterback. But everywhere else, LSU is still very good. The backs and receivers are deep and experienced and the line is incredibly good, it simply falls to Andrew Hatch or Jarrett Lee to make it work. Remember, LSU won it all last year with Matt Flynn, so these new guys don’t need to win the Heisman for the Tigers to succeed. The Tigers return the best defensive line in the SEC even without Glenn Dorsey, but it gets a little muddy from there

Beckwith is the only returning LB, and only one starter is back in the secondary as well. Plus, Bo Pelini is in Nebraska. So it’ll be a real work in progress on that side of the ball, but again, that doesn’t mean they won’t ultimately be good. LSU has been to BCS bowls the last two seasons and is still right there in the uber-competitive SEC. They have the misfortune of trading Kentucky for Georgia on the SEC rotation and go to The Swamp, but they can still probably win the division if they can win at Auburn.

5. Missouri

Another very good team, I heard Chase Daniel on ESPN talking about being glad that people weren’t ranking them higher because it’s good motivation. These Tigers just aren’t going to get past the next four teams when it comes to preseason polls, but they could be every bit as good as them. Daniel returns with weapons to throw to, and though I’m sure they’d like to see something even more productive from the running game, Daniel has a chance to win the Heisman. Even better, the defense returns 10 starters. Even better, they catch most of Kansas’ good fortune in the schedule from last season: the only time they’d see Oklahoma is in the Big 12 Championship, and while they must go to Texas, their other draw from the South division is at Baylor and home to Oklahoma State. Can’t overlook Illinois in the opener or Kansas at the close in the neutral site games, but this team has all the pieces and the schedule to head to the Big 12 title game in the running for Miami.

4. Ohio State

The Buckeyes might be the best looking team on paper, but after two years of coming up way short at the finish line and now facing a schedule that sends them to SoCal in week three, this is the last team in the country I’m going to assume with. Their only real loss is Vernon Gholston, which means Todd Boeckman, Chris Wells, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins and the rest are all back for more. They’re easily the most talented team in the Big 10, though they’ll face the next best things on the road (at Wisconsin Oct. 4, at Illinois Nov. 15). If the Buckeyes win each of those three big road games, they’ll deserve another shot at the big prize. Until then, I’m tempering expectations.

3. Florida

The Gators set the world on fire by beating Tennessee 59-20 in September…and then didn’t do a whole lot after that. They finished the year with four losses, and against Georgia and Michigan the defense gave up over 40 points. The good news is, the offense is almost completely intact, with Tim Tebow looking for another ring and another Heisman. Whoever plays tailback will be lightning fast, while Percy Harvin will continue to rack up the yardage in a number of ways. The line should do a better job this year of protecting No. 15. The defense should be better on the tail end, with all three (good) linebackers returning and experience in the secondary as well. But the line is a giant question mark, with only Jermaine Cunningham at end having any experience and a ton of sophomores filling out the depth chart. The Gators open with Hawaii and Miami, which should be interesting, before going to Knoxville. If teams can take advantage of their weaknesses and run the football on them, keeping Tebow and friends off the field, Florida is vulnerable. But if the Gators shore things up defensively, look out.

2. Georgia

The Dawgs are the odd man out in the SEC’s elite; four others have won National Championships since the league expanded in 1992, and Auburn had an undefeated season. So while Georgia is often counted among the SEC’s top half, they need a championship to really solidify it. This team was in a very bad place last year, and then inexplicably came out of it against their most difficult opponent. Since that Florida game, Georgia has been one giant momentum train, and it’s clearly rolling into 2008. A stretch of games from mid-September to mid-October will tell us if the second half of ’07 was the real deal: Georgia is at South Carolina, at Arizona State, then home to Alabama and Tennessee during that stretch. If UGA is truly a National Championship contender, they’ll run that table and set themselves up for the second half, where they’ll go to LSU, play Florida in Jacksonville, and then go to Auburn. It’s the toughest schedule I know of, and I’m not sure any team could come out of it clean. For Stafford, Moreno, an offensive line with questions and a defense with nine starters back, this season will show what they’re truly made of.

1. Oklahoma

The best combination of good players, experience, and a manageable schedule makes Oklahoma my best choice to make it to Miami. Nine starters return to an offense that averaged 42.3 points per game, and that doesn’t include RB DeMarco Murray. The defensive line will be dominant, though there are questions at linebacker and at the corner positions on defense. Still, Sam Bradford should be able to lead this offense and make a real run at the Heisman. The Sooners catch a break in the non-conference because Washington was a much better team when they scheduled the matchup years ago, but now that road trip doesn’t appear to be very threatening. They won’t see Missouri unless it’s for the Big 12 title, Kansas comes to Norman and Texas will be waiting in Dallas. What’s their most difficult road trip, at Kansas State? At A&M or Oklahoma State? Those are your best options. They’ve had a terrible time in BCS bowls recently, but as far as getting to Miami in 2008, no team is better equipped to do it than the Sooners.

Tennessee Volunteers' Basketball Schedule for the '08-'09 Season

Will Shelton — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:11:32 -0400

While we remind you that it's only 36 days until football time in Tennessee, it's also only 112 days until the defending SEC Champions take the floor again at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The 2008-2009 schedule was released today, with times and television to be determined. Remember when the Vols used to play schools you'd never heard of? Not anymore:

2008-09 Tennessee Basketball Schedule
Sat 11/15 - vs UT Chattanooga
Tue 11/18 - vs UT Martin
Fri 11/21 - at Middle Tennessee

Thu 11/27-Sun 11/30 - Old Spice Classic (Orlando)
Gonzaga - Georgetown - Maryland - Michigan State
Oklahoma State - Siena - Tennessee - Wichita State

Wed 12/03 - vs UNC Asheville
Sat 12/13 - at Temple
Tue 12/16 - vs Marquette (Nashville - SEC/Big East Challenge)
Sat 12/20 - vs Belmont
Mon 12/29 - vs LA Lafayette
Sat 01/03 - at Kansas
Wed 01/07 - vs Gonzaga
Sat 01/10 - at Georgia
Tue 01/13 - vs Kentucky
Sat 01/17 - vs South Carolina
Tue 01/20 - at Vanderbilt
Sat 01/24 - vs Memphis
Wed 01/28 - vs LSU
Sat 01/31 - vs Florida
Wed 02/04 - at Arkansas
Sat 02/07 - at Auburn
Wed 02/11 - vs Georgia
Sat 02/14 - vs Vanderbilt
Wed 02/18 - at Ole Miss
Sat 02/21 - at Kentucky
Wed 02/25 - vs Mississippi State
Sun 03/01 - at Florida
Thu 03/05 - at South Carolina
Sun 03/08 - vs Alabama

Thu 03/12-Sun 03/15 - SEC Tournament (Tampa)

NCAA First & Second Round Sites - March 19-22
Boise - Dayton - Greensboro - Kansas City
Miami - Minneapolis - Philadelphia - Portland

NCAA Regional Final Sites - March 26-29
Boston - Glendale - Indianapolis - Memphis

NCAA Final Four - April 4-6 - Detroit

Under Bruce Pearl, the Vols have moved from relative obscurity to national relevance in three short years. And while the '08-'09 Vols must replace program mainstays Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith, the Vols scored big in both recruiting (Scotty Hopson) and on the junior college circuit (PG Bobby Maze).

The new faces will combine with returning starters J.P. Prince, Tyler Smith, and Wayne Chism.

The Vols will look different in the upcoming season, no doubt—the shooting touch simply isn't there (on paper, at least) for the Vols to be jacking up threes at the rate they've enjoyed the last three seasons with Lofton and JaJuan around.

But the team should be more physical, while maintaining the athleticism that Pearl's "controlled chaos" system demands.

If it's true that the Vols don't rebuild anymore, this schedule will test that that theory for sure. Nonetheless, the Vols should open as a preseason Top-20 pick and will have a chance to earn their keep on a national stage in '08-'09.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled football conversation.

Atlanta Braves Are Taking Things One Game at a Time

Will Shelton — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:06:14 -0400

It's a cliché: "We're just gonna take them one at a time." And when there are 162 of them over the course of the spring and summer, they can all blend together.

You play the ones in April and May to keep yourself in it in June and July, so they'll really start counting in August and September. The individual games themselves never feel very important until football season.

But for the Atlanta Braves, tomorrow afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, one game in late July can be very, very important after all.

The Braves spent the first half of the season watching their starting lineup head for the disabled list or season-ending surgery. They watched Jeff Francouer face demotion and are still in the throes of an unbelievable string of one-run losses (24 and counting on the road in a row).

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Braves were 45-50 and 6.5 games back in an NL East that no one has run away with. The centerpiece of Atlanta was 1B Mark Teixeira, last year's acquisition at the trade deadline when the Braves were buyers.

But as the weeks and difficulties keep adding up, in Teixeira's final year of his contract, it seems like Atlanta will logically need to play the seller for the first time in almost two decades to get at least some return on their investment.

Any ideas to the contrary would need to be proved immediately out of the break, with the trade deadline approaching on July 31. So the Braves came out sharp against the lowly Washington Nationals at Turner Field, building a huge lead they'd have to eventually save in a 7-6 win right off the break.

Then they lost the next two to the last place Nats by a combined score of 23-8.

Any hope that remained now faced an even steeper hill to climb: a six-game road trip against surefire contenders, with three games in Florida followed by three at Philly.

The Braves held up their end midweek, taking two of three from the Fish. Still, winning the series at Philly seemed unlikely. Between the 8-1 mark the Phillies had established against the Braves this season, and Chipper Jones' hamstring injury, which is likely to cause him to miss all three games.

So it came to this, heading into the weekend: Win the series at Philly and give yourselves enough reason to believe that you can still contend in 2008. Keep Teixeira (and possibly even add a piece) and play your hand now. Hope that your pitching staff puts itself back together and some cold bats warm up in a division that no one really wants to run away with.

Or lose the series and call it what it is: A below-average ballclub that, for a number of reasons, just doesn't have it this year and needs to sell what they can and look towards the future.

While the Braves have missed the playoffs for the last two seasons after playing in October every year since 1991, even in those years the Braves were somewhat relevant in the races into at least August, they weren't sellers at the trade deadline. They didn't cash in their chips.

What's more, Atlanta fans simply aren't used to meaningful regular-season baseball. Only twice in the 11 years from Atlanta's World Series title in 1995 to their last postseason appearance in 2005 were the Braves' postseason hopes even in doubt.

During that span, Atlanta won the NL East 11 times by an average of more than 9.5 games each season.

So there's still a lot of new feeling going around in a city that's known for only caring about its baseball team. 14 straight trips to the playoffs leaves a regular season arrogance that hangs around for a couple seasons, even after not playing in October, and the idea that a late-July game could have real merit seems ludicrous.

It still was, really...until tonight.

Atlanta went to Philly without Chipper Jones and his .369 league-leading average and put Jair Jurrjens on the hill in the biggest game of his young career.

Jurrjens responded with eight innings of three-hit, shutout ball.

Without Chipper, he was backed by Brian McCann, who hit a solo shot in the fourth to put Atlanta on the board.

Then, in the ninth, still up only 1-0 (and with thoughts of that horrible one-run loss streak dancing in their heads no doubt), the Braves loaded the bases against Brad Lidge, and Teixeira proved his worth by singling to drive-in an insurance run.

For me, up in southwest Virginia and outside the realm of Peachtree TV and Fox Sports South, it unfolds like this: staring at an animated box score to tell me the results of every pitch.

I see three red dots on the basepaths, and Brian McCann moving up to cleanup in the order in the absence of Chipper. And then, in one beautiful animation, those red dots all disappear, replaced with nothingness and the words "GRAND SLAM".

It was the first home run Lidge has allowed all season. And the Braves put an exclamation point on the evening.

They'd plate two more in the ninth and Will Ohman allowed two in the bottom half before retiring the Phillies. Atlanta wins game one, 8-2.

Now, the Mets are actually leading the NL East, and their win tonight keeps the Braves 6.5 back.

But...

Tomorrow, Atlanta has a chance to go ahead and win the series. To give real evidence that they're still in this race and should keep Teixeira and play for today. And to take another step towards getting back to .500.

It's a big game, no doubt. It's on Fox at 3:55, which means I'll actually get to see it. But what makes Saturday's game potentially more special than all the rest, and that added storyline boost to make it must-see TV for Braves fans, is this:

After 35 months, Mike Hampton is scheduled to start.

He couldn't ask for a better storyline or stage. Against the high-powered Phillies and Cole Hamels. His first major-league action since August 2005—you know, when the Braves were playoff bound. And a chance, with a win, to potentially secure Teixeira and give more momentum to the idea that Atlanta isn't going away this season just yet.

It doesn't get much more important for late-July baseball than this.

Maybe Hampton gets hurt warming up again, which should surprise no one at this point. Maybe the Philly bats get hot again and they run him off quickly. Maybe Atlanta comes back and wins the series on Sunday anyway, maybe not.

But right now, one game is all they've got in front of them. Win Saturday, and you can still think about winning in August and September. Keep winning...and maybe those October dreams can come back to life.

If you take them one at a time...tomorrow would be a good one to take.

Tennessee Volunteers' 1998 National Championship: Part XI

Will Shelton — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:29:16 -0400

(Note: This piece is edited down from a much longer original feature on The 50 Best Vol Games at SouthEastern Sports Blog from December 19, 2006)

We’ve followed the story of the ’98 Vols, from the program’s move to the doorstep during the Peyton Manning Era, and how Tee Martin took the wheel and led the Vols to wins against Syracuse, Florida, Georgia, a miracle against Arkansas, and a second straight SEC Championship against Mississippi State.

So the story moved to the desert, where the Vols went looking for the final win to secure their first National Championship since 1951. After Upset Saturday took out Kansas State and UCLA, a much more imposing threat arose to punch the other half of the ticket.

Florida State had lost back in September, 24-7, to NC State in a game that was frankly jarring to watch—in 1998 you weren’t used to seeing FSU get beat that way.

But the Noles stayed the course and wouldn’t lose again. They used a defense as equally fearsome as the Vols’ and got the same fortunate bounces against the Gators to set up the championship matchup. For Florida State, it was just the latest edition of their program playing for it all.

For Tennessee, the brightest lights and the biggest stage were both a new experience.

Out in Tempe, you could tell the difference just by the fan bases.

After an 11-hour delay at a Louisville, KY airport (because all the flights from Knoxville were booked), my Dad and I arrived in Phoenix in the wee hours of the morning the day of the game.

In the hours before kickoff, our interactions with FSU fans produced what I would call “unintentionally condescending” conversations: several conversations where Nole faithful told us some form of, “You’ve had a great season, congratulations for making it this far.”

Again, they’d been here before. It was all new to us.

Early in the contest, it showed. While Florida State did what they do, with three 15-yard penalties in the first quarter, the Vols did what they usually didn’t in 1998: Jeff Hall missed a short field goal, and Travis Henry fumbled on Tennessee’s first two possessions.

With both teams killing themselves in a scoreless first, Peerless Price made the game’s first big play, hauling in a bomb from Tee Martin to put the Vols in position. When the Noles committed their fourth 15-yard penalty by roughing Hall on a field goal attempt, the Vols took the points off the board and added a touchdown on a dump to Shawn Bryson.

Much had been made of both Peter Warrick and Marcus Outzen, the third string FSU quarterback who was thrust into action. The combination of those two things was bad news for the Noles on the ensuing possession—Outzen tried to force it to Warrick, and Dwayne Goodrich stepped in front and raced back for a pick six.

Suddenly, the six-point underdog Vols were up 14-0 in the second quarter.

Warrick would finish the night with all of one catch.

The Vols had a chance to get more, but Tee Martin was intercepted, setting up Florida State’s first touchdown. After a botched extra point, the Noles would add a field goal to make it 14-9 Vols at the break.

After a third quarter where almost nothing happened, Vol fans who’d learned to put their faith in the defense once again found themselves just hoping to hang on as the game went to the final period.

The Vols had been winning the field position battle, and Tee Martin tried to take advantage of a short field early in the fourth quarter, but he was intercepted in the end zone. From there, Florida State marched to 1st-and-10 at the Tennessee 26-yard line with 13 minutes left in the game.

After two runs for minimal gain and a crucial false start penalty, Vol DT Darwin Walker turned a potentially long field goal into a punt situation by sacking Outzen. FSU had 1st-and-10 at the 26 and left the field with 4th-and-26 at the 42.

It was the beginning of the sequence that would win the Vols the National Championship.

Off the punt, Tennessee ran into the line twice and faced 3rd-and-9 at their own 21. There were still nine-and-a-half minutes to play, and the Vols were seemingly still just trying to hold on. They put Peerless Price alone out to the right, and Tee Martin dropoed back and simply let her rip.

Racing down the sideline, Price timed everything right. The ball sailed over the defender’s hands and into Price’s at just the right moment, and he came down with nothing but green in front of him.

79 yards later, the Vols had put enough distance between themselves and Florida State to secure the title.

It wasn’t done—it looked like it when Outzen fumbled on the next possession, but the Vols only got three out of it. Then Florida State finally put together a cohesive drive that ended in the end zone, cutting the lead to 23-16.

An onside kick bounced off Sebastian Janikowski’s large frame before going ten yards, giving the ball back to the Vols. Still, they maddeningly fumbled it back to FSU…only to watch Outzen throw a game-clinching interception on the very next play.

As the clock ticked down at Sun Devil Stadium, I tried to take it all in. Once the scoreboard hit 00:00 and they put that giant graphic up on the jumbotron that had the name of my school with the words “National Champions” next to it…I simply couldn’t believe it.

But I was going to enjoy it anyway.

Grown men in orange were crying. One of my Dad’s friends told me that they’ve been waiting their whole life for this, and I’m only 17 years old and get to enjoy it. A much younger-looking Phillip Fulmer was down on the field, holding up that giant crystal football.

And my favorite moment, shared only by those who were there:

ESPN and College GameDay had been ducking Knoxville all season. They had good reason: Chris Fowler said some things about the Vols and trailer parks without thinking in the Peyton Manning/Charles Woodson aftermath the previous year.

So in fear of the repercussions, GameDay didn’t come to Knoxville—not once all year during the magical 1998 season.

But in Tempe, they couldn’t hide anymore.

Vol fans stormed the in-stadium set immediately following the game. The best of us are chanting anything clever we can think of off the top of our elated heads. The worst of us are lobbing beverages over the net ESPN provides for their stars.

One of them comes six inches from Lee Corso’s head, who looks some awful combination of angry and afraid, and we all start chanting: “THIRSTY? THIRSTY? THIRSTY?”

It’s the little things you remember.

Tennessee Volunteers' 1998 National Championship: Part IX

Will Shelton — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:50:48 -0400

Upset Saturday '98

The final hurdle to clear before making reservations in Tempe was a second straight trip to the SEC Championship Game. The Vols were 11-0 and ranked No. 1, but they had company—Kansas State and UCLA were also both undefeated and playing on this December Saturday.

The Wildcats were in the Big 12 Championship Game, and UCLA had a hurricane make-up contest against Miami. In the first year of the BCS, controversy was already on the table and waiting to rear its ugly head.

So-called experts had predicted that the Vols had enough of an advantage in the computer polls and strength of schedule, and if they beat Mississippi State, they should have enough to get in. But in the first year of this crazy system, who knew for sure?

The Vols played last on this day at 8:00 PM, and players and fans both pulled hard for either UCLA or Kansas State to fall beforehand to take all the guesswork out of the equation.

But what actually happened, I'm not sure anyone predicted—or wanted.

First, Miami won a shootout over the Bruins in a noon kickoff, sending both Vol and Wildcat fans into a frenzy. My Dad and I were driving down I-75 to Atlanta for the game and managed to find the end of this one on the radio right as we pulled alongside another member of the Vol caravan to ATL, who we could see inside their car also going crazy.

I'm surprised more wrecks don't happen in moments like this one.

Controversy was avoided. It would be Kansas State and Tennessee squaring off for the title, surely.

As the Big 12 Championship Game kicked off that afternoon, in Atlanta the Vols could focus solely on the task at hand: beating Mississippi State, winning the SEC for the second straight year, and getting to Arizona.

The opponent was supposed to be Arkansas. When the Vols narrowly escaped the Hogs 28-24 in Knoxville three weeks before, all thoughts were set on a December rematch.

But Arkansas was a bit hungover from fumbling the game away against the Vols, and Jackie Sherrill's bunch caught the Hogs by surprise in the fourth quarter, stealing a victory—and the SEC West. Most Vol fans breathed a sigh of relief.

The unexpected matchup found Tennessee heavily favored, and perhaps rightfully so, as Mississippi State was led by unknown Wayne Madkin at quarterback and prided itself on defense and special teams.

But those two factors would come up huge in the Georgia Dome.

Inside the building, this wasn't the 50-50 split the Vols had seen in this game the year before against Auburn. The '98 version was a glorified home game, with probably 85 percent of the crowd in orange, ready to see history.

The fact that Atlanta is only three hours from Knoxville means that in any circumstance—even last season, with LSU playing for a spot in the National Championship, and Tennessee at 9-3 playing for nothing more than the Sugar Bowl—the Vol faithful can show up in large numbers and invade the dome.

On that night last December, and on this one ten years ago, the Vols had the numbers—and their faithful aimed to will the team to victory if need be.

The game was a defensive struggle from the beginning. On the day, Mississippi State's offense could do absolutely nothing—they finished with 84 yards passing and 65 yards rushing, a testament to the Vols' defensive supremacy.

But one of the truest Tennessee sayings I know is this: The Vols do not play well in the Georgia Dome.

Lifetime, Tennessee is 2-5 in the building, between five SEC Championship Games and two Peach Bowl losses to Maryland and Clemson following the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Their two wins were of the fortunate kind: the '98 game we'll describe in further detail, and the '97 SEC Championship against Auburn, where the Vols turned it over six times and saw an extra point attempt blocked and run back for a touchdown...and still somehow won 30-29.

The most heartbreaking loss in Tennessee history, for my money, was the 2001 SEC Championship Game. The No. 2 Vols had a ticket punched for the Rose Bowl and a date with Miami for the title, and were up 17-7 on an LSU team playing without Rohan Davey and LaBrandon Toefield...

...and then watched LSU rally to tie and then take the lead. When the Vols tried to answer late in the game, they had 1st-and-goal at the four but got only a field goal, then fumbled twice in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

I can't talk about this one anymore.

The Vols also ran into undefeated Auburn in 2004 and eventual National Champion LSU last season, playing fairly well in both games, but both times they came up short.

Don't get me started on the basketball team in the Georgia Dome. Let's hope the tornado that hit it during the SEC Tournament took our bad vibes down in the process.

On this night in '98, despite the defensive heroics, the Vol offense kept Mississippi State in the game for three and a half quarters.

Near the end of the first, Tee Martin was intercepted, and the pick was returned 70 yards for a score. The Vols would score on consecutive drives in the second quarter, with a Travis Stephens plunge and a Jeff Hall field goal, to take a 10-7 lead.

It was around this time that it was announced that the Kansas State-Texas A&M Big 12 Championship game had gone to overtime.

In the next few minutes, after KSU was held to a field goal, the guy who lost out to Peyton Manning for the starting job in Knoxville four years earlier did his old school a favor. Brandon Stewart helped A&M get into the end zone and score a monumental upset. Kansas State was done.

The Vols were in the middle of their own fight at this point, but attention spans began to turn. Instead of UCLA or Kansas State—two teams who went on to lose their bowl games, and two teams I really think the Vols would've handled easily in Tempe—the choice of opponents would now be much more dangerous.

Sitting at home, and I'm sure watching gleefully, were Florida State and Ohio State at 10-1 each. While the computers eventually chose the 'Noles, the point was that the opponent had suddenly become much more respectable and much more talented.

Whether they knew it or not, Florida State fans could celebrate once Texas A&M had sealed the win. But Ohio State fans still had a shot to get to the promised land too, because the Vols just couldn't put Mississippi State away.

In the third quarter, neither team could score, but Mississippi State's complete lack of offensive production didn't have many worried—as stated, 149 total yards. So as the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter, the Vols were simply trying to hang on.

That's when Kevin Prentiss made one of the best punt returns I've ever seen, showing great vision and patience along the sideline to stay in bounds twice when I think the Vol D assumed he was out and the play was dead. Prentiss would go 83 yards into the end zone—and in the blink of an eye, Tennessee was losing in the fourth quarter, 14-10.

They don't let them do it anymore, but Mississippi State's kickoff team used to have a little team dance-type thing they would do after the team had scored, when they were lined up to kick. It's a celebration penalty now, but back then it was cool to watch...and this one was especially vibrant.

The great thing about this is, were you worried here? Really? After having been through so much in '98, I think at this point the Vols knew.

8:43 was left on the clock when the ensuing drive started. After moving the ball across midfield, Tee Martin went up top for Peerless Price, hanging in the pocket just long enough before firing down the sideline. Price made the grab and got a foot in for a 41-yard touchdown, and just like that Tennessee was back on top. Price would be named MVP with six catches for 97 yards.

Still, 6:15 remained. But not to be outdone, the Vol D made something happen on the very next play from scrimmage.

Wayne Madkin was hit and fumbled the ball, and the Vols recovered at the 26-yard line. David Cutcliffe—in his last game as offensive coordinator before leaving for Ole Miss—went for the throat.

Tee Martin found Cedrick Wilson in the end zone on the very next play, and the game was done. The Vols led 24-14, and the defense did the rest.

When the final gun sounded, thoughts instantly went towards Arizona. But in the light of the chase for a National Championship, the impact of back-to-back SEC Championships may have been a bit lost.

Winning two SEC titles consecutively is a tremendous accomplishment, and the Vols have done it twice in the last twenty years—in 1989-1990, and again in 1997-1998. Only the Florida Gators can boast of such a feat in the same time span.

In the moment, this was the game that shut the door, that answered all the doubters, that put the Vols in full control of their own destiny. No matter the opponent, the ticket was punched—and the Vols would be ready.

This was the final stop on the road to Tempe.

SEC Football: Top-10 Defenses (1992-2007)

Will Shelton — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:51:38 -0400

As part of our look back to the 10th Anniversary of the ’98 Vols and their National Championship—a team that featured excellence in the backfield and on defense—earlier we ranked the Top-10 Rushing Offenses in the SEC’s modern era, since expansion in 1992.

Today we turn our attention to the defensive side of the football, and look at the best defensive units here in the same era.

A couple of ground rules: no consecutive seasons were included because often the personnel is virtually the same. So you won’t see ’93 Alabama or ’07 LSU, for example, because we went with one of the adjacent years.

Unlike the rushing-offenses piece, where we used NFL success to help rank the tandems, with defenses, you’re talking about eleven guys instead of just two or three, and their ability to work as a unit is what makes the defense great, so we placed almost no emphasis on the NFL or name value.

However, like the previous piece, a team’s on-field success is factored into the rankings. And obviously, the numbers were crunched, especially scoring defense and total yardage.

And so away we go.

Top 10 SEC Defenses: 1992-2007

10. 2002 Georgia (15.4 PPG allowed, 13-1, SEC Champions)

Key Players: DE David Pollack, DT Jonathan Sullivan, LB Boss Bailey, LB Tony Gilbert, FS Kentrell Curry

In Mark Richt’s second season, the Dawgs took lofty preseason expectations and made the most of them, running the table outside of their usual struggles with Florida. It was Georgia’s first SEC Championship in 20 years and their first ever East Division title.

This was a team that improved over the season—their worst defensive performance was in the opener against Clemson, which would be the first and last time they’d surrender four touchdowns in one game all year.

Along the way, the defense carried them to a 13-7 win over South Carolina and an 18-13 win over Tennessee. Then they dominated late, providing the most lopsided win in program history against Georgia Tech 51-7, completely putting the brakes on Arkansas in the SEC Championship 30-3, and then using an interception return for a TD to key a 26-13 win over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

David Pollack was the 2002 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

9. 1998 Florida (13.8 PPG allowed, 10-2, BCS at-large)

Key Players: DT Reggie McGrew, LB Jevon Kearse, LB Mike Peterson, LB Johnny Rutledge, FS Tony George

The defenses on the Danny Wuerffel Gator teams were really good too, but for my money, this one was better; bolstered by the fact that they had to do so much more work without inflated offensive numbers in 1998.

Against the Vols, they played well enough to get the game to overtime, despite five Gator turnovers. Against Florida State in their only other loss on the year, a fluke tipped pass turned the whole game around, but this UF defense played well enough to win every single game.

In between, they completely shut down Auburn (24-3) and Georgia (38-7), and finished off the year by taking care of Donovan McNabb and Syracuse 31-10 in the Orange Bowl.

Kearse led the way with 7.5 sacks and George with four INTs. Aside from the No. 1 team on this list, I’d fear this defense the most if I saw them again.

8. 1994 Alabama (15.1 PPG allowed, 12-1, SEC West Champions)

Key Players: DE Dameian Jeffries, SS Sam Shade

Oft forgotten is the 1994 Crimson Tide season, the last hurrah of Jay Barker and his “no matter what, we’re going to win this game” offense, coupled with some of the last vestiges from the ’92 Championship defense.

The Tide ran to an 11-0 start behind especially dominating performances against Southern Miss (a 14-6 save for the defense), Tennessee (17-13 with a last second goal-line stop), and 21-14 against Auburn in an Iron Bowl for the ages.

The Tide broke only once, to Danny Wuerffel, late in the SEC Championship Game, 24-23. They rebounded to shut down Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl 24-17. They carried their offense more than teams like ’02 Georgia, which is why they’re slightly higher on the list.

7. 2005 Alabama (10.7 PPG allowed, 10-2, Cotton Bowl)

Key Players: DE Mark Anderson, LB DeMeco Ryans, LB Freddie Roach, FS Roman Harper

The little defense that could...based on total points per game allowed, this is the second best defense of the modern era. This Tide team ran to 9-0 behind this defense and clutch kicking, after being bolstered by Tyrone Protho’s catch against Southern Miss in the second game of the season; after that game the defense went on one of the best stretches in SEC history.

Alabama beat South Carolina 37-14 and Arkansas 24-13 before they made the nation stand up and take note with the 31-3 decimation of No. 5 Florida.

The defense literally won the game against the Vols, keeping Tennessee at bay the entire game and getting a Tennessee fumble through the end zone when it looked like they’d finally crack in an eventual 6-3 victory.

And the D got the game to overtime against LSU before finally falling in an equally low-scoring affair 16-13. Though Auburn got the best of them, they finished the year by locking down Texas Tech in a 13-10 Cotton Bowl win.

No other defense on this list did more winning with less contribution from the offense.

6. 2006 LSU (12.6 PPG allowed, 11-2, BCS at-large)

Key Players: DE Tyson Jackson, DE Chase Pittman, DT Glenn Dorsey, DT Rickey Jean-Francois, LB Ali Highsmith, FS LaRon Landry

The ’07 National Champion defense was good, but this one was better. Interestingly enough, though they played with eventual No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell, like ’98 Florida, they played well enough to win every game, but didn’t get the breaks they needed from their offense.

The two losses on the year came at Auburn 7-3, and at Florida 23-10 thanks to turnovers.

Aside from that, the Tigers rolled behind a defense that finished fourth nationally, with one of the best career, defensive-line units in SEC history and the all-everything Landry. They really showed their worth in the Sugar Bowl, crushing Brady Quinn and Notre Dame 41-14.

5. 2004 Auburn (11.3 PPG allowed, 13-0, SEC Champions)

Key Players: DT Stanley McClover, LB Travis Williams, CB Carlos Rogers, FS Junior Rosegreen

The perfect example of a great offense and a great defense coming together at the right time (even though 2004 turned into the wrong time in the BCS).

After carrying the team to a 10-9 win over LSU in September, the Tigers and their defense weren’t threatened again until the final game of the season in the Iron Bowl.

They had a field day in Knoxville with a 34-10 win and held a great Georgia offense to six points. Things got a bit dicey in their final three, but they were up to the task against Alabama 21-13, then had a strange off-day against Tennessee in the SEC Championship, but their offense was up to the task in a 38-28 win.

And when their offense needed them to return the favor, they delivered in a 16-13 win over Virginia Tech. You would’ve loved to see this defense go up against USC’s offense, but alas...

4. 1998 Tennessee (14.5 PPG allowed, 13-0, National Champions)

Key Players: DE Shaun Ellis, DT Darwin Walker, LB Al Wilson, LB Raynoch Thompson, CB Dwayne Goodrich, FS Deon Grant

After a tough day against Syracuse in the opener, the Vols put the clamps down and carried an offense featuring a completely inexperienced backfield to perfection.

They forced five turnovers and five sacks against Florida, kept Auburn out of the end zone with a goal-line stand in a 17-9 win, got four turnovers in a 22-3 decimation of Georgia, and the list goes on.

While Arkansas got the best of them in the first half, they held the Pigs to a field goal in the second, then helped build a 59-7 lead on Tim Couch and Kentucky before retiring to the backups.

In the SEC Championship Game against Mississippi State, they surrendered less than 160 yards of total offense and allowed no offensive touchdowns.

And with it all on the line, they forced three turnovers (including a Goodrich INT for six) and held Peter Warrick to one catch for seven yards in the National Championship. The NFL pedigrees of several of these players have also played out well over time. The backbone of perfection.

3. 2006 Florida (13.5 PPG allowed, 13-1, National Champions)

Key Players: DE Derrick Harvey, DT Ray McDonald, LB Brandon Siler, LB Earl Everett, CB Ryan Smith, FS Reggie Nelson

No team on this list has asked its defense to step up and come through in crucial situations more than the ’06 National Champions. And the Gators always provided. Tennessee’s complete inability to run the football on them (negative rushing yards for the day) paved the way for a 21-20 win in Knoxville.

They locked down JaMarcus Russell and LSU 23-10. Even in the loss to Auburn, they played well enough to win; the Tigers got a safety plus two touchdowns off a fumble and a blocked punt to contribute to their 27 points. Right back to work against Georgia, where they surrendered only 14 points.

The list goes on: 25-19 over Vanderbilt, 17-16 over South Carolina, 21-14 over FSU.

Arkansas appeared to expose them by scoring 28 in the SEC Championship, but all the questions were answered in one of the most dominant championship defensive performances of all-time.

Against Heisman winner Troy Smith and undefeated Ohio State, the Gators held Ohio State to an absurd 82 yards of total offense en route to a 41-14 win. In all, the ’06 Gators played five games that were decided by one possession and another four that were still much in dispute in the fourth quarter, which obviously doesn’t include the National Championship. This defense delivered time and again.

2. 2003 LSU (11.0 PPG allowed, 13-1, National Champions)

Key Players: DE Marcus Spears, DE Marquise Hill, DT Chad Lavalais, DT Melvin Oliver, CB Corey Webster

While the ’06-’08 LSU defensive line is incredibly good, these guys are one step above them. The Tigers continued their struggles against Florida in 2003, losing 19-7 in a game that appeared to knock them from the National Championship race. But their complete decimation of Auburn (31-7) in the coming weeks put them back in it, which was followed by a November stretch that saw them dominate Alabama 27-3 and then shut down Eli Manning in the de facto SEC West Championship game 17-14.

In a rematch against No. 5 Georgia in the SEC Championship, the Tigers had won the first meeting 17-10 in Baton Rouge, LSU completely dominated 34-13. They rose to No. 2 in the BCS, and got the opportunity to face Oklahoma in the friendly Sugar Bowl confines, which they took advantage of in a 21-14 win that saw this LSU defense put the clamps on Heisman winner Jason White.

1. 1992 Alabama (9.4 PPG allowed, 13-0, National Champions)

Key Players: DE John Copeland, DE Eric Curry, LB Lemanski Hall, LB Michael Rogers, LB Antonio London, CB Antonio Langham, CB George Teague, SS Sam Shade

There’s a lot of debate on some of these, I’m sure—you can really interchange ’03 LSU and ’06 Florida because they’re so similar and both have the dominant title-game performances. '98 Tennessee and '04 Auburn were both undefeated with incredible defenses.

But if you even begin to argue against '92 Alabama at the top of this list, you either didn’t see them play or you can’t do math.

Copeland and Curry is easily the best defensive-end tandem in modern SEC history, if not all SEC history; they each had 10.5 sacks on the season. And you can argue Langham and Teague for best corner duo in SEC history, as they each had six interceptions.

The worst thing I can say about them would be to make a joke about Langham, but he was still agent free in 1992.

While their offense would struggle at times, it was always steadied by Jay Barker, with a dose of playmaking from David “The Deuce is Loose” Palmer.

True story: It took me several episodes to be okay with 24 because I so disliked the fact that the President of the United States shared "The Deuce’s" name.

While the offense was putting it together, the defense was impenetrable from day one. Entering the showdown with Heath Shuler and the Top 10 Vols on the third Saturday in October 1992, what was considered to be a relatively untested Alabama defense had given up 36 points in six games. The Vols broke the bank and scored 10...but a late turnover sealed a 17-10 Bama win.

None of the games on their schedule really stand out, because the defense dominated them all. They shut out Auburn in the Iron Bowl to clinch 11-0, then got torched by Shane Matthews for 21 points and 317 total yards in the SEC Championship. Bama still won 28-21.

It was the second time all season the Tide had allowed more than 20 points (Miss. State also got 21) and the first time they’d given up more than 300 yards. Insane.

Then, when a team thought to have no offense and a defense that was still somehow underrated by the nation at large went to play fast and loose No. 1 Miami in the Sugar Bowl, this team sealed their place with a 34-13 woodshed job to win it all, with George Teague making a name for himself.

More insane stats? Most rushing yards allowed all season: 138 (to Vanderbilt, of all people). Most passing yards allowed all season: Matthews' 287. They forced seven fumbles against South Carolina and shut out three opponents.

They were simply the best...and in today’s ever-faster game, I may live to be 100 and never see a better defense. Accept no substitutes.

Tennessee Volunteers' 1998 National Championship: Part VII

Will Shelton — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:40:11 -0400

(Note: Updated from an original piece on The 50 Best Vol Games 1989-2005 at SouthEastern Sports Blog, September 7, 2006)

"Oh my goodness, he stumbled and fumbled!"

On November 7, 1998, No. 2 Tennessee was finishing off UAB 37-13 in the fourth quarter when one of those special moments happened in Neyland Stadium.

Those on hand that day with radios or portable TVs were tuned in to the waning moments of No. 1 Ohio State and Michigan State. As Tennessee's game ended with around two minutes to play in the Big Ten showdown, no one left their seats as Neyland Stadium PA announcer Bobby Denton began to relay the events from up north.

And when Ohio State was intercepted on their final drive, the celebration began:

The Vols would be the new No. 1 team in the nation.

Tennessee, after a season of memorable performances against Syracuse, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, had arrived.

Several hundred miles west in Fayetteville, a young head coach named Houston Nutt was in the midst of his first season. Danny Ford had been to one bowl game in five years, and the Hogs were coming off consecutive 4-7 seasons when Nutt took over. Expectations were moderate, but that all changed on September 26.

No. 22 Alabama came into Fayetteville and left on the business end of a 42-6 beatdown. From that point, Arkansas kept grinding it out and slowly rising in the polls.

They beat Kentucky and Tim Couch 27-20. On October 31 they went to Auburn and won 24-21. And after beating Ole Miss the next week, Arkansas was 8-0.

They were disrespected: Only four undefeated teams remained on November 14, but Arkansas was still ranked only 10th. But a chance for instant credibility was coming in a trip to Knoxville.

Tennessee was not worried—the Vols had seen their share of great teams already in 1998, and the thought was that Arkansas was simply untested.

On a rainy, misty fall afternoon from Neyland Stadium, the Vols ran through the T for the first time as the No. 1 team in the nation since the 1950s. All was right on Rocky Top.

Arkansas brought their faithful en masse, as a crowd of 106,000-plus was on hand. The Hogs were very much alive and well in the BCS hunt, and this was a rare SEC showdown—the latest two undefeated SEC teams had met in the season in almost 30 years.

But we weren't worried.

Legendary Vol Network radio man John Ward had it right in the pregame:

"Everything...everything...is riding on this football game."

In the last fifteen years, there have been some incredible individual performances put up against the Tennessee defense. There have been quarterbacks—most notably Danny Wuerffel—who have lit up the Vol secondary.

There have been running backs—most notably Georgia's Robert Edwards in 1995 (15 carries for 155 yards when he broke his leg in the third quarter)—who have torched the Vol defense.

And Tennessee has played against some great wide receivers—David Palmer, Hines Ward, any Florida Gator you want to name from the mid-'90s, Terry Glenn, Eric Moulds, and yes, Peter Warrick.

But on this afternoon, Arkansas WR Anthony Lucas would stand alone. And it's not close.

It started with a long bomb to Lucas on the game's opening drive, which Arkansas would convert into a touchdown. But where it got real was on the first play of the second quarter, when Arkansas QB Clint Stoerner went down the sideline, and Lucas made Vol corner Dwayne Goodrich look bad. Real bad.

62 yards later, the Hogs were up 14-0—and Lucas looked unstoppable.

Tennessee battled their way to a field goal to cut the lead to 14-3 midway through the second quarter. But here came Arkansas again. When Stoerner found Lucas in the end zone again, Arkansas led 21-3 with 3:15 left in the first half.

We all know about the end of this game, and we'll get to that. But let's not forget everything else that happened before it.

The Vols were in deep, deep trouble at this point, because it looked like we had no answers.

You've got to understand—after the Vols gave up 33 points to Donovan McNabb and Syracuse, the defense was unrelenting. Florida's high-powered offense got 17. Auburn got nine. Georgia got three. Alabama and Shaun Alexander got 18.

Arkansas had 21 before halftime, and they made it look insanely easy. The fans who weren't worried were now full of fear.

It's interesting to note that those who were buying into the "team of destiny" deal at this point may not have been worried in the fourth quarter...but they were chewing fingernails and taking smoke breaks late in the second. Everybody was.

So one of the biggest plays in the game and the season was when Tee Martin—who struggled all day and finished 10 of 27 for 155 yards—gave the Vols something to think about by rolling out, barely escaping pressure, and firing a teardrop to Peerless Price from 36 yards away for the score just before the half to make it 21-10 going into the locker room.

All the thoughts of "We'll come out of the locker room and kill them" were answered by more Anthony Lucas and a 33-yard field goal on Arkansas' first drive of the second half. Anthony Lucas would finish the day with eight catches for 172 yards and two TDs. Against the No. 1 team in the country.

Those stats, against the '98 Vol defense on that stage, make it the most impressive performance by a wide receiver against the Vols that I've ever seen, no debate.

Down 24-10 with 11:43 still to play in the third quarter, the march began.

Travis Henry and the offensive line began to push the Arkansas defense back. When Tee Martin rolled out and kept it himself for a four-yard touchdown, the game was back within reach at 24-17 with half of the third quarter left to play.

Jeff Hall would add to the score, and as the game went to the fourth quarter, Arkansas' lead was down to 24-20. We had ourselves a real ballgame now.

But then Arkansas came to life again. After a series of punts, the Hogs drove to the Tennessee 16 with under six minutes to play. If Arkansas found the end zone again, it would build a two-possession lead, and with more than half of the fourth quarter gone, it seemed unlikely the Vols would dig out of such a hole.

But the defense held, setting up a field goal attempt. Then a rare moment unfolded, where the orange representatives of the 106,000-plus were all screaming, "BLOCK THAT KICK! BLOCK THAT KICK!"...and it actually happened.

The Vols got all of it, rejecting the ball back and allowing Al Wilson to return it 50 yards to the Arkansas 28.

From this point on, sitting there dry under the overhang in section Z11, I felt like we would win. Even with what happened later, after seeing all I'd seen so far in '98, and seeing us keep them out of the end zone on that drive and then block that kick on command from the crowd, I wasn't worried—even when I should have been. I think lots of Vol fans reacted that way.

But the realists among us would've been uncomfortable to see the Vols unable to score any points off the blocked kick, getting pushed back and choosing to punt.

David Leaverton, however, pinned the Hogs at the one-yard line. Arkansas avoided a safety for three plays, then lined up to punt. The snap went sailing over the punter's head, who kicked the ball (which is illegal) out of the end zone for a safety.

24-22, 2:56 to play, and Tennessee had the ball. A field goal would win.

Tennessee got one first down to move into Arkansas territory following the free kick, and after Travis Henry ran for one yard on first down, Tee Martin threw an incomplete pass.

Then he threw another incomplete pass. And suddenly it was 4th-and-9.

Ward: "Last chance, probably."

And you knew—with under 2:00 to play—that this was crucial.

So when Martin's pass to Peerless Price was broken up over the middle, the Arkansas faithful went berserk, and the Vols were left with a horribly empty feeling.

Because it wasn't supposed to be like this.

Maybe the reason I wasn't worried is because I didn't have enough time to process it.

The Vols had two timeouts, and thus Arkansas needed one first down to seal it.

Even if Tennessee stopped Arkansas three-and-out, they'd get the ball with just under a minute to play, with no timeouts, in terrible field position.

But we were still in it. Remember, Arkansas wasn't trying to take a knee—they needed the first down.

Tennessee called a timeout after a first down run for a short gain, and on second down Arkansas lined up under center.

Ward: "This will be a major upset victory for Arkansas."

Now, I love me some John Ward. But if you really want to appreciate what comes next, you need to find the CBS feed and get Sean McDonough's call:

"Stoerner LOST THE FOOTBALL!!! Oh my goodness, he stumbled and fumbled!! And Billy Ratliff recovers!"

Some call it luck. Some like destiny. Some say Stoerner was careless. Others say Ratliff and Darwin Walker got such a push that they drove the center's leg into Stoerner and created disaster.

Either way, Stoerner lost his balance off the snap and reached down to try and brace himself. And he left the ball behind.

No matter how you slice it, Tennessee came up with it—and the 1998 season had its lasting image.

Stoerner would later say, "I just lost it. I don't know what happened."

Houston Nutt: "I hate to lose one like that. I've never lost one like that."

The opening line on the AP story from the game reads, "The name Clint Stoerner will live forever in Tennessee lore and Arkansas infamy."

And though Stoerner would clear his name the following season by beating the then-No. 2 Vols 365 days later, on this night, he played a definitive role in the National Championship.

Still...the deed wasn't done.

I've heard all kinds of stories from my friends and other Vol fans about fights breaking out in the Neyland Stadium concourse because so many people tried to leave after Martin's incompletion, but they didn't get out of the stadium before Stoerner's fumble, and everyone was trying to get back to their seats in violent fashion. This is why you never leave early.

While anger and emotion swelled on the concourse, the look on the faces of the Arkansas faithful in the stands was more subdued. Our season tickets are just above the visiting team allotment, and you could see it in their eyes: "Uh-oh."

And the Arkansas defense was wearing the same expression when they came back on the field. And that, combined with the Vol offensive line and Travis Henry, was trouble.

From the 43-yard line—still looking at a 60-yard field goal—Tennessee decided they'd had enough of passing. They were coming right at you. And so first it was Henry, breaking four tackles and getting 15 yards on first down. Ball at the 28.

Then it was Henry again, 15 more yards on the very next play through one of the biggest holes I've ever seen. In three plays, Arkansas had gone from sure victory on offense to having to play red zone defense.

And suddenly, we weren't thinking about kicking field goals.

Third time's the charm, right? Well, this time Henry went for only 11 yards, down to the two.

43 yards away with only a minute and a half on the clock, down four with only one timeout remaining—and who runs the ball up the middle three straight times? Travis Henry, to the tune of three carries for 41 yards. Unbelievable.

They did stop him on the next play at the one, but with the clock at :31 and only on second down, you knew what was coming. Now you can switch the audio back to John Ward:

"They need to go to Henry...this will be Henry, he dives...GIVE...HIM...SIX!!!!"

Tennessee 28 - Arkansas 24.

That look on the Arkansas fans' faces after the game? I've seen it before. Not at that time, but I've worn it myself since.

It has many names in the SEC. Tennessee fans call it The Jabar Gaffney Face, from his catch/no catch in the final seconds against Florida in 2000. Or The David Greene Face from his final drive in Knoxville the following year.

Florida fans had broken in The Collins Cooper Face earlier in the 1998 season, but we were all too busy to notice because we hated them so much.

And on this night, Arkansas was introducing themselves to The Clint Stoerner Face.

It's that look of nothingness. When you were so sure you had the game won, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and you were in massive celebration mode...and then somehow, inexplicably, it was all taken away from you in rapid, heartbreaking fashion.

If you ever see an aerial shot of a stadium when a team is kicking a game-winning field goal, watch both sets of fans. If the kick is good, those thousands of people on the winning side look like ants marching, an ocean of movement and sound and joy.

But it's always the exact opposite from the other side—no movement, no sound, no anger...they just stand there and stare off into the distance, in search of answers, because what they just saw couldn't really be true.

I'm always a fan of that face when I'm not wearing it.

Arkansas wore that face for a full 90 seconds of game action, between Stoerner's fumble and Henry's eventual touchdown to win it, and then for several more minutes before they could walk away.

The one thing that made you not feel sorry for them was that we thought we'd see these guys again in the SEC Championship Game in three weeks.

When you win a game in such once-in-a-lifetime fashion, you really don't want to see the same team again on a neutral field with even more on the line only three weeks after you got away with one.

But then Arkansas was still feeling this one the very next week, and Mississippi State got the best of them. Suddenly Arkansas had gone from BCS contender to second in the SEC West—and the Pigs would have to wait 'til next year.

So this game, this night, lives on.... I didn't appreciate this game in the moment or walking out of the stadium—it felt like it was our year, and as such sometimes you take things for granted.

It wasn't until the next day or so. You had to really step away from it, to see that this wasn't just another "we pulled it out late" game. This was a classic in its own right that became the resonating moment from the 1998 season.

And for me, considering what was on the line? I like destiny.

Tennessee Volunteers' 1998 National Championship, Part VI

Will Shelton — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:41:30 -0400

Is it fact or myth that you need a great quarterback to win a championship?

While the recent trend in the NFL would suggest otherwise—where 13 of the last 16 Super Bowls have been won by guys named Aikman, Young, Favre, Elway, Warner, Brady, and Manning—in college football, six of the first 10 BCS National Championships went to teams with Tee Martin, Josh Heupel, Craig Krenzel, Matt Mauck, Chris Leak, and Matt Flynn under center.

For every Matt Leinart and Vince Young you find guys like Krenzel, the molecular genetics major who completed a third of his passes in the title game but still found a way for the Buckeyes in ’02.

Or Heupel, who was a relative unknown on the national level going into the 2000 season and then exploded into a Heisman runner-up while leading the Sooners to the promised land.

At the beginning of the BCS era, we find the most famous and arguably most relevant argument against the necessity of an elite quarterback: where Peyton Manning couldn’t, Tee Martin made it happen.

Martin, an Alabama native who spurned Auburn for the Vols in the recruiting process, probably thought he’d get his chance a year earlier, in 1997. Instead, Manning decided to stay in Knoxville for his senior season, and Martin stayed in obscurity another year.

When Peyton graduated as an SEC Champion who couldn’t beat Florida and couldn’t win it all, Martin inherited an offense that had also lost its top wide receiver to the first round of the NFL Draft as well as several defensive playmakers. And with his only real game experience coming in blowouts, there were questions for sure.

Martin wasn’t just following Manning, who left as the all-time leader in every Tennessee passing category as well as the owner of multiple SEC records.

Before Manning was Heath Shuler, who had been the trigger man on the highest scoring offense in Vol history in 1993, a Heisman runner-up like Manning, and the third pick in the NFL Draft.

Before Shuler was Andy Kelly, who won back-to-back SEC Championships in 1989 and 1990, and went 29-6-2 in his three years as a starter.

You could argue that Martin was following the three greatest quarterbacks in Tennessee history. It wasn’t just the looming shadow of Manning. It was the larger shadow of quarterback greatness the Vols had enjoyed since 1989.

Thirteen games later, and Martin had some accolades of his own.

What Kelly, Shuler, Manning, and all Tennessee Vols had failed to deliver since 1951, Martin brought home: a National Championship. Still, he would probably be the first to tell you he didn’t do it alone.

Do you need an elite quarterback to win it all in major college football? Not really.

While Martin was never truly elite, he did have his moments. At South Carolina in 1998, Martin broke the NCAA record for consecutive completions, connecting on his first 23 passes. The following season he would be named first team All-SEC.

But when surrounded by other talent—in this case, a spectacular defense, a great offensive line, a stable of talented running backs, and a Peerless playmaker—Tee Martin is a perfect example of a quarterback not needing to be a Heisman candidate, not needing throw for 3,000 yards to lead his team to ultimate victory.

Instead of superstardom and stats, Martin was a master of simple basics: don’t make mistakes, make the plays you have to make, and win games. Tee Martin proved that you don’t have to be great, you just have to be good enough to make the right plays at the right times.

The 1998 Tee Martin highlight reel in games against ranked opponents goes like this:

•a 55-yard scramble on 3rd-and-10 in the fourth quarter at Syracuse

•a teardrop pass for a touchdown at the end of the first half against Arkansas

•two icy throws on consecutive offensive plays for touchdowns in the SEC Championship Game

•two bombs to Peerless Price in the Fiesta Bowl

That’s it. That’s all. The rest of the ’98 highlight reel in big games is a whole bunch of Martin handing it off, and Martin not throwing interceptions.

He threw six interceptions in 1998, the best season for any Vol quarterback who's not Peyton Manning. He padded his stats against lesser opponents. But he never, ever let the Vols be beaten or even really made a bad decision that gave them a chance of being beaten.

And when the moment demanded, Martin delivered. And Tennessee won it all.

This year lots of fans are putting their faith in elite guys like Tebow and Stafford, Chase Daniel and Pat White. There are fans of schools like Texas Tech who are rolling the dice on 50 passes per game.

But there are also fans who are nervous about their guy under center, and whether or not he has what it takes to lead them all the way. And yeah—sometimes you get a Vince Young along the way. But more often than not it’s been the lesser guys, the ones who aren’t household names, who are more leaders and winners than Heisman candidates.

So who knows…maybe there’s another Craig Krenzel out there this season. Maybe there’s a guy waiting to bust loose like Josh Heupel. And maybe your team just lost a great one, but there’s something else pretty good waiting in the wings.

Even if you’re trying to figure it out between Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor in Blacksburg, or out in Eugene and trying to figure out how you replace Dennis Dixon, or down in the SEC with new faces like Kodi Burns, Jonathan Crompton and a player to be named later at LSU…you never know.

Two months before the season in 1998, the Vols didn’t know. You never know until you see it on the field. And what you see out there doesn’t have to be the Heisman.

Whoever your quarterback, history shows he doesn’t have to be great. He just has to be good enough at the right times. And if names like Krenzel, Mauck, Flynn, and Tee Martin can get it done, maybe your guy can, too.