Putting Peyton In His Place: Manning's Meltdowns Go Way Back

It's the Fall of '97. You're the most famous quarterback in the country and the punch line to Steve Spurrier's best booster club jokes.

I heard they just hung a new sign outside the Citrus Bowl in Orlando: WINTER HOME OF THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS.

HEHE HEHE HEHE. YUK YUK YUK.

You had the world by the tail but you couldn't buy a win against the Gators in those days.

Yeah, that stadium up in Knoxville sure was loud last year. Then the game started.

Back in '95, you stood outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and dreamed big dreams about the first big game of your college career against Florida.

"I can't wait to get out there," you told Sports Illustrated. "I want to run through the tunnel for warmups and hear people yell, 'Manning you suck! and 'Tennessee sucks.' I want to hear that. I came to Tennessee to play in this kind of game."

Be careful what you wish for.

After a flawless first half, you faded badly losing to the Gators, 62-37. It was a humiliating defeat that ruined an otherwise perfect 11-1 season. Even a victory over Ohio State in the Citrus couldn't make the bitter aftertaste disappear.

You know you can't spell Citris without U-T. hee hee hee. haw haw haw.

You thought you would get your revenge against that smartass Spurrier the following year in front of a capacity crowd at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville but that didn't go to well either.

Florida led 35-0 by early in the second quarter, then gave their starters the rest of the afternoon off. You had four interceptions by halftime. The final was Florida, 35-29, and some called it a dramatic second half rally but it was hardly that.

Gator defensive coordinator Bob Stoops told SI, "If that's the way they want to look at it, fine, but we definitely pulled the dogs off."

I know why Peyton came back for his senior year. He wanted to be a three-time star of the Citrus Bowl. Ha Ha Ha. Hehe-Hehe-Hehe.

Then the whole damned media said your entire college legacy was riding on a final shot against Florida in your senior year.

You chafed at that. You said you came back to be a senior not to beat Florida.

Archie told SI, "He's so tired of people telling him that how his whole career will be remembered depends on this one-game."

Nevertheless, you wanted to wipe that smirk off that smartass Spurrier's face and your chances looked good this time.

Wuerffel and Anthony and Hilliard had graduated to the NFL replaced by Doug Johnson and Jacquez Green and Jamie Richardson—a step down in caliber you thought.

The Gators were as cocky as ever though.

Fred Weary mouthed off to reporters that week, "I'm sure it sounded good to Peyton, standing up there at his press conference talking about coming back. But now he's actually got to come to the Swamp. That's real. And we're not giving anything to him free."

They didn't give you any freebies but you gave them one. A very big one.

With the Gators ahead, 7-0, you dropped back to pass and saw Elijah Williams coming at you at full speed with a corner blitz and you rushed it, threw a rushed pass that was intercepted by safety Tony George, who returned it 89 yards for a touchdown.

Oops, you did it again.

Spurrier and the Gators snickered again as the final seconds ticked off.

Final: Florida 33 Vols 20.

You would finish a stellar career 0-3 against your most hated rival

"Tortured?" you answered a reporter after the game. "I've got thick skin. I can bounce back. I'm disappointed, don't get me wrong. But this is football, you've got to prepare for the good and the bad."

But the big game meltdowns were just beginning as you would soon encounter Tom Brady and the Patriots in the NFL. But that's a story for another day.

It's 1998. You're Peyton Manning, college's football most famous quarterback and one of its most conflicted.