SEC Week 14

Rivalry week is here. Well, it actually started on Thursday with LSU beating Texas A&M and continued yesterday with Arkansas losing to the new power from the East, Mizzou. But anyways, let's start with the SEC-ACC Challenge and make our way to the two games everyone is waiting for.

South Carolina v Clemson

The Gamecocks try to extend their streak to six over the Tigers in (the other) Death Valley against the top rated defense in the country. Deshaun Watson is back for the best ACC team outside of Florida, making this a much tougher game for SC. Take the home team by 10.

Georgia Tech v Georgia

The combined 18-4 record for the schools is the best in this series since 1966. This clean, old fashioned hate game has changed quite a bit since Dooley and Dodd were patrolling the sidelines, but the hate remains. GT's option offense has been unstoppable, but UGA has been playing its best ball of the season. And though they won't have their bell cow, Todd Gurley, handling the rock, Nick Chubb is about as good of a back as you can ask for. I like the Dawgs by 7. And you should too; last season a 20 point lead wasn't enough for GT to win this game.

Kentucky v Louisville

Since basketball season has started, UK's defense has given up 56 points per game. Calipari's team has only given up more than 56 points once this season in their 6 wins. The Cats faithful have moved on to basketball season, and, apparently, so too has their defense. Louisville wins easily.

Florida v Florida State

Everyone is rooting for Muschamp and his Gators to win this, right? But what's more likely: the Seminoles go through the motions for the first 3 1/2 quarters to wake up and win on their final drive. FSU by 3.

Tennessee v Vanderbilt

All week long Derek Mason, the Commodore head coach, has refused to say Tennessee. Instead, he continually refers to them as the "Team out East". This isn't Michigan-Ohio State, Derek. And you don't have a chance in this one. Tennessee will remind Vandy and all their fans of their place in the state. They don't call it the Volunteer state for nothing. Vols by a lot.

Mississippi State v Ole Miss

Just a few weeks ago this seemed like it would decide the SEC Championship. Now that the Bulldogs need an Auburn win to get in and the Rebels are reeling (losing three straight in the SEC), the Egg Bowl has lost a little luster. Still, this is the most important one in a long time and is a must watch game. I like State to win, but I think the Rebs remind us why they were ranked third at one point. State by 3.

Auburn v Alabama
This game has the chance to be either dismal or amazing. If the Iron Bowl is as good as last year's, the edge goes to Auburn. In their two wins over the last four games in the series, they've won by 1 and 6 points respectively. If the game is a blowout, it means Bama wins handily. In their two wins over the last four games in the series, they've won by 49 and 28 respectively. I'll give the edge to the Crimson Tide. While they aren't as dominant as Tide teams of recent memory, their defense is still the best in the country. They are stout enough to allow their offense time to find a groove. Something I'm not sure the Tigers will be able to do. They will need to be at the top of their game to win this and maybe have a miracle or two to extend their Iron Bowl streak to two. Alabama by 13.

SEC Week 3 Preview

The SEC moves into its second week of the SEC-G5 Challenge, meaning we have another week filled with yawners, leaving one potentially awesome game and another that should have been an awesome game. First, let's tackle the latter.

SEC Week 2 Preview

The annual SEC-G5 challenge is nigh. It's a pretty boring week for games in the land of team speed, pretty much unworthy of predictions. But while I'm here, I might as well give a quick glance at the Vols and the other two games that are worth keeping an eye on:

In the Time of Volunteers: Ignoring the Shadow of Bruce

In mid-February, Tennessee fans were lamenting a lost season for the Vols. A birth in the NIT seemed to be a certainty. As idiotic as it may seem, friends of mine and fellow Vol fans openly called for the re-hiring of Bruce Pearl. Then the Vols went on a run. They went from bubble team to a tournament lock.

They got under-seeded as an 11 seed, put in a play-in game. I texted friends reminding them that the play-in game helped propel VCU to a Final Four. And though I projected optimism, I secretly had them losing to Duke in the third round of my bracket.

Then they shocked Iowa in OT. They followed that up by destroying UMass and Mercer. They were in the Sweet 16 with a favorable match-up against the Michigan Wolverines. The pessimism felt in Vol country in mid-February was quickly forgotten and replaced with unbridled enthusiasm. Bruce Pearl wasn’t coming back and no [sane] Vol fans wanted him back, any more.

On Friday night, I went to dinner with my parents. We got sushi. It took 20 minutes of waiting for them to put the game on. It wasn’t in HD. Thanks to the circa-1989 quality picture, I couldn’t tell what the score was. I got out my phone, looked at the score and quickly realized the Vols were in a drought and on the wrong end of a loss. It started raining.

Tennessee couldn’t hit anything. We all agreed that they would play better if we watched at home. At half-time, we raced home. We beat half-time home. My dad remarks that he thinks it’s over. I tell him it’s a game of runs. I’m not sure I believe it when I say it but “Tennessee has another one left in them”.

We turned on the game, my dogs barked with joy in our reappearance. I gave them a treat and hoped they could wait until the end of the game for a walk. Tennessee starts a couple runs. They get derailed by Michigan threes. My dad says “it’s tough, still don’t see it”.

Then a real run. I’m not sure what happens but it’s like Jordan McRae finally realized he’s the best player on the court. He steals the ball, sets up a nice Jarnell Stokes dunk then goes on a 5 point run almost all by himself. Tennessee is within 5 points. My dad is beginning to believe.

Then a Tennessee turnover. All hope is beginning to leave all of us. I wonder where Chris Lofton is. Michigan has a chance to put the game away. Turnover. Hope and a timeout. Google Chris Lofton. Europe. Tennessee responds with a dumb three, miss. Hope is really low. Then Michigan turns it over again. Everything that can go wrong for Michigan, is. Josh Richardson takes advantage, makes a great move and lay-up. Tennessee is down 3. Hope is renewed but still low. They haven’t fouled enough, only 3 second-half team fouls. Jordan McRae scores. Tennessee is down 1. But with 10 seconds left and two fouls to give before the bonus, hope is low. Michigan inexplicably steps out-of-bounds on the inbound. Tennessee is going to win.

There is no way they don’t.

Then, the refs.

Jarnell Stokes receives the inbounds pass, he spins and the Michigan defender falls before any contact. Ref whistle. It’s a block. Stokes to the line… Nope. It’s a charge. 2 fouls, 2 Stauskas free throws and a full-court heave later, the game is over and Tennessee’s remarkable comeback falls short.

We’re flustered. Wondering how a ref can insert themselves in a game that late on a fifty-fifty call. Then my dad says “They should be proud. They never gave up. When everyone [including their biggest fans] thought all was lost, they found a way to claw back in. No shame in that.” And while he didn’t know it, that is about the best way to explain the 2014 season, one of the best in Tennessee history. Well done. Cuonzo.

Mike Langston can be followed @LangstonLCB.

LCB Picks: SEC/VA Games of the Week

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along. 

Last weekend, around 22:00 EST, for the first time in my life I was joyous due to a UT win over Vandy. Over the years, the game was a mortal lock. The hiring of James Franklin appeared to have ended all of that. Vandy started turning teams over, hitting harder and playing four quarters; they finally started making teams earn a W over them. They thumped Ole Miss, Kentucky and all of their OOC opponents. But more importantly, they took Arkansas, Georgia and Florida down to the wire; inspiring many to claim that Vandy had surpassed the Volunteers. It even led Clay Travis to gather his followers, pitchfork in hand, to come for Derek Dooley's head (a man he claimed just last year would lead the Big Orange back to the promise land), so he could be replaced by Franklin.

This reasoning is clearly idiotic and the reason Tennessee got itself where it is today. The "time is now" attitude is what led UT to fire Phil Fulmer and hire Lane Kiffin. Which, of course, led UT to brash statements, back-alley dealings and even more resentment throughout the SEC. Even worse, that hire jeopardized the very future of the program. It's also why they hired Derek Dooley. Saddled with an uncertain future and a recent history of voluminous player arrests, the program needed cleansing. Derek Dooley has succeeded in that aspect in just under two seasons. They've dropped off the radar of the AP rankers, but, they too, have dropped from the Fulmer Cup standings. Now, that the tarnish is finally starting to dissolve, Clay Travis wants to fire Derek Dooley, who hasn't even finished his second season. To jump the gun and fire him now would be a bigger mistake than hiring Lane Kiffin ever was. It would set a precedent in Knoxville, one Raider and Redskins fans have become accustomed too; win today or you're out. We all know how well that mentality has treated both teams over the past decade.

Mark my words; the Vols will be back. It might not be under Dooley, but he will have a hand in their resurgence. Four years is what he deserves and what he must get. If he doesn't, the gap will continue to shrink between Nashville and Knoxville. And, for someone who is finally glad UT beat Vandy, I can't think of a worse thing. Now that I got that off of my chest, lets get to the picks.

SEC
(3) Arkansas v (1) LSU @ 2:30, Friday on CBS:
As a fan, there are two ways to look at this game. You can root for Arkansas to win, in order to create a three-way tie in the SEC West. This would, I believe, send Alabama to the SEC Championship, thanks to the weird tiebreaker rules in the SEC. This would end with the SEC possibly definitely sending three schools to BCS games, causing the ADs of non-SEC schools into a mode of jealousy driven panic and hopefully it would be the final straw to bring the playoff system we all desire. Or you can root for LSU to win, go to Atlanta, beat the Dawgs, and play Bama in the BCS title game. It all depends on how much chaos you'd like the BCS to deal with. For me, chaos reigns supreme and I'll be pulling for the upset. Arkansas 20, LSU 17.

VA
(6) Virginia Tech v (24) UVA @ 3:30 on ABC/ESPN2:
I spent Thanksgiving with my fiancee's family in Charlottesville. The main topic was, of course, this game. I asked them what they thought were the keys to the game. The answers I got were well thought out, concise and thoroughly pessimistic. The keys according to her family, who have been to every home UVA game this season, are as follows: UVA needs to shorten the field/win the field position battle, protect the ball, score on the few opportunities they will get from Tech, keep it a low scoring affair and find a way to make Logan Thomas uncomfortable. These are of course important to every team (outside of Arkansas and the low scoring aspect), every game. But these keys are even more important when it comes to this game, as UVA is clearly outmatched talent-wise (Directly attributed to the Al Groh era). If they can keep VT on the right side of the 50 and maybe even turn them over, UVA stands a shot. I hope. I'll be pulling for the upset. I'm just not sure how much faith I can put in a team that needed OT to beat Idaho and lost to Southern Miss at home. VT 24, UVA 17.

Elsewhere in the Commonwealth:
The 17th ranked Norfolk State Spartans travel the six miles to play the 9th Old Dominion Monarchs at the Spartans old stomping grounds and ODU's home field (Foreman Field). They'll bring the Legion and 1600 of their fans. The Monarchs will be hosting with 17,500 of their fans and the best mascot in all the land. It's going to be loud. It's going to be fun. It's even being referred to as the "Battle of Norfolk" and is clearly a rivalry in the making. This will be the first FCS playoff game for both teams, though it's taken NSU much longer to make it than it has the 3 y/o Monarchs. The game is sold out and should be a dandy. I'll be there, clad in blue and silver. I won't pick a winner. But I will say this, a MEAC team hasn't won a playoff game since 1999 (knock on wood).

Also, JMU (for some reason) travels to Richmond, Kentucky, to play EKU. The Dukes should roll, but they should also be hosting this game. So, who knows what'll happen? You can watch this one on ESPNU (the rest of the FCS games will be on ESPN3). Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, everyone.

LCB Picks: SEC/VA Games of the Week

I'd love to talk to about this past week; the Cyclones upset, National Unfriend Day, Gary Pinkel's arrest, the rumors of Urban Meyer and Herbstreit to Ohio State, etc. But we're running out of time. So, lets just get to the picks.

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.



SEC Game of the Week
Vanderbilt v Tennessee @ 7:00 on ESPNU:
This week is the annual SEC/SoCon challenge. Four games where teams pay an FCS team to come play so they can pad their bowl resume. This leaves us with slim-pickings when it comes to SEC football. Georgia hosts Kentucky, in what is likely to be a beatdown of the Cats. LSU visits Oxford,  essentially an extra bye week for the Tigers. Mississippi State goes to Arkansas, where they will get rolled. That leaves us with the biggest game in Tennessee, Vandy versus the Vols.

It has been 6 years since the 'Dores left this match-up with a W. But for the first time in the rivalry's long history, Vandy is favored to win at Neyland. Although they're favored by just one point, that they're favored at all, says a lot about how far the Volunteers have fallen and how much Vanderbilt has improved under James Franklin. If Vandy wins, they clinch a bowl birth, knock UT out of the bowl picture and likely force UT to hire a new coach. If UT wins, they can keep their bowl hopes alive for at least one more week, while returning the football balance in the Volunteer State back to Knoxville.

This game will come down to the QBs, Tyler Bray and Jordan Rodgers. One is a future great, the other's brother is an NFL great. One is healthy, the other is returning from a hand injury. One is 7-2 as a starter, the other is 2-2 (with wins coming against UK and Army). One has a big arm, the other struggles to complete passes past 20 yards. That's enough for me to take the Vols with the upset. They may not be as deep as Vandy, but as long as Bray is healthy, they're better. Also, if the Mannings and McCoys are any indication, there can only be one great QB per generation when it comes to brothers. Sorry, Jordan, but it appears as if Aaron soaked up all the talent in this gene pool. UT 24, Vandy 22.

Virginia Game of the Week
Virginia v (25) Florida State @ 7:30 on ESPN2:
Mike London is a miracle worker. He has UVA, in his second year, just a game back from the mighty Hokies. If they can win the next two games, they will supplant the team from Blacksburg as the Coastal representatives in Charlotte. Which could end up being the first domino to fall in UVA taking back the Commonwealth. Which would make perfect sense; they have the better school, town, campus, facilities and it's not in the middle of nowhere. But for all that to happen, they need to beat FSU in Tuscaloosa. Which won't happen. Since FSU blew a 4Q lead against Wake Forest, they've won five straight and outscored the opposition 177 to 58. The Noles are rolling and UVA just isn't quite ready to take back the Commonwealth, yet. FSU 31, UVA 24.

Garbage Time: Carolina Shaq and The Comebacks

Teach:
I could easily spend garbage time spitting words onto a burning paper bag of frustration that sits right outside my door due to Carolina's 2 game ACC losing streak, but instead, I'm going to just let the bag burn for the time being and hope that Al-Farouq Aminu (pictured below) steps on it tonight. Yes, the North Carolina season right now rests on hoping that other team's players step in dog poop, or Carolina could just stop turning the ball over every other time down the court. Carolina tries to halt its losing streak tonight against Wake Forest.

-Shaquille O'Neil is now the 5th player with at least 28,000 points.

-An analysis of what an American-born Asian superstar would mean over at FreeDarko.

-Somehow someway the Portland Trailblazers and their injuries and their ability to carry on despite injuries begs one to make an analogy between them and God's chosen people--the Israelites. Seriously, one minute it's Palestine. Then, it's a ceasefire. And, then it's Lebanon. Get well, Brandon Roy's hamstrings, the Promised Land awaits you.

-We tried to tell you the Celtics are old.

-Does anyone else feel that Brendan Haywood's play adds insult to injury with what's happened to the Wizards this season? He's averaging 9.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and is fourth in the League in blocked shots per game with 2.18. Aside from Jamison and Butler, is he the Wizards' most marketable piece of trade bait?

Langston:
While Teach is trying to find any glimmer of hope in UNC's season, I am trying to understand how UT is playing so well. Since the last garbage time, they have had three games against SEC opponents and won all three despite playing with a shortened bench. Each game had one thing in common, second half domination by the Vols. Last Thursday, they entered the second half against Auburn down by one point and won by 26. Last Saturday against Ole Miss, their biggest deficit was 12 points yet they played well enough to outscore the Rebel's in the second half helping them force an overtime in which they won 71-69. And then there is last night's game against Alabama. Down by one at the half, they proceeded to outscore the Tide by 8 to win 63-56.

For any basketball team, this would be quite the feat. But for a team with just 6 scholarship athletes and 3 walk-ons, it's rather remarkable. Now how is it that a team with so little help off the bench can repeatedly take the game over in the second half? Maybe it's the elimination of cold players being forced to come off the bench late in the game. Maybe the team feels closer after the recent events. Maybe the bench players are eager to prove they have always deserved this much PT. Or maybe Bruce does his best work with less talented players.

Actually, scratch all of that, the reasons don't really matter. It's the progression of this team that deserves the attention and admiration. After all, it was just two weeks ago that this team was dead in the water. Now they sit at 15-2 (5-0 since the Tennessee Four got locked up), are climbing up the polls, and appear to be primed for a deep run in March.

A Vol's Reaction to the Departure of Lane Kiffin

As the resident UT fan of the Lawn Chair Boys, I feel it's my duty to explain my feelings on Lane Kiffin's departure. But bear with me, the combination of Kiffin's sudden withdrawal and the long list of coaches declining to fill the vacancy have me decidedly flustered with this entire situation.

When I first got word of the news via Facebook, I was shocked, not because I thought he was the next Johnny Majors or Phil Fulmer, but because of the speed that with which all this unfolded. With coaching vacancies, there is usually a couple days of rumors leading up to the announcement. In this instance, it went from rumors to actuality in what seemed like milliseconds.

I was also shocked because of the dickish fashion he left the program. 60 second departure presser, attempts to steal recruits, complete denial of his efforts to steal those recruits, and his claims of leaving Tennessee better than he found it. Using recruits like Bryce Brown (What no mention of Nu'Keese, Mike Edwards or Janzen?), close losses to Florida and Bama (What do you get out of moral victories, when you're not there to build on them?), and a win over UGA (Despite the fact that Willie Martinez refused to change his gameplan during the blow-out.) as his examples of his successes in a brief one year tenure.

But his lack of ethics used in his run for the left coast is far from the worst of his misdeeds. The worst is the way he lied to the University and the fanbase about his acceptance of Tennessee traditions like the Vol walk and running through the T. When he was introduced, these traditions were the first words out of his mouth. At the time, it allowed the program and fans some comfort in knowing that not everything would change. It's just too bad that it was all a facade as he did his best to erase any proof that football existed in Knoxville before his arrival.

The only traditions that stuck were the ones listed above--the ones performed in public. He replaced highlight films of UT players with USC players. He told players that his goal was to turn UT into the USC of the east. It's UT. The last thing they need, is to try to be anything else. And then there was his refusal to say General Neyland's Game Maxims; the same maxims that had been the final words uttered by every single Tennessee player for decades as he left the locker room and rushed onto the field. A major part of that tradition is the coach leading the chant. Kiffin, with his 12-21 record was too cool for this tradition and apparently too cool for UT.

The hardest thing to do in football is win, but continuing the tradition should be effortless. While his two press conferences since his resignation show how delusional and gutless this coach can be, his rebuffing of those ninety years of UT football shows how much of a self-absorbed douche bag Kiffin really is. And it's these revelations that make moving on so much easier because moving on means the possibility of finding a coach who is sincere about UT football.

So where does Tennessee go from here? Who Knows? I just hope the man that becomes the third coach in three seasons and the fourth in thirty-four, has more integrity than the one now wearing cardinal and gold.

Time Waster: OOHHH MYYYYY!

Fries and Ketchup: Kiffin, Jordan, and a reason to shake

The weekly column where we mention anything we missed in the last week (or longer). It's a lot like those moments when you're out of ketchup, at a fine fast food restaurant, but lack the energy to go and get more; so you scrape away at the dregs on your hamburger wrapper, until all you can see is silver aluminum foil. It's classy, yet unrefined.


Reasons to cheer:
This weekend Florida and UT face off in The Swamp, in what is promised to be a nationally televised slaughter of the big orange. Even with the slim chances of UT staying within three touchdowns, I am looking at this game from a positive perspective. There are multiple reasons why Vol fans shouldn't be so gloom and doom for this matchup.

• If the Gators cover the spread, which is now at 30, they are mearly meeting expectations. If the Vols keep it close and lose, Kiffin has won the battle of perceptions and the Gators fail to keep their word.
  
• Even without Kiffin saying anything about the Gators, this would have been hard to watch. Remember the last time they played in the swamp? When the Gators won 58-20, with 21 points coming in the fourth quarter, thanks to Meyer using multiple timeouts to lengthen the Vols misery. And last year, where the Vols were demolished at home 30-6. So how much did Kiffin talking trash really hurt the Vols?
• Crompton is still the starter, and that's enough reason to fret about this game. Crompton is obviously not going to win them games. But at least Kiffin found that out last week, and will understand better what he is dealing with. Maybe Kiffin decides to use the wildcat. Maybe Kiffin decides to run on third and long, in an effort to make the game a field position battle. Maybe Kiffin decides to go with Orson's Swindle's advice, and start a giant catfish. All of these possibilites seem pretty awesome when compared to the idea of Crompton throwing five yard swing passes 98 miles per hour for the rest of the season.
  
• In 2001, the Volunteers went into The Swamp as 21 point dogs. They ended up out rushing the Gators 242-36, with Travis Stephens having the game of his life. They also won that game 34-32. (I want to note that the 2001 team had multiple NFL players including Jason Witten, Albert Haynesworth and Big John Henderson.) I can't imagine what would happen if they pulled off the upset, but I do know that Tebow would rip his human mask from his head to show the world his true state. As Vol fans know, he's actually a robot sent from Mercury to take over the World.
• Lastly, after Saturday, the Volunteers will never have to face Tim Tebow ever again. For me, that is reason enough to celebrate.
  

So Vol fans, while your watching the game, remember as long as the Vols keep it close, they are actually winning. And even if they lose by 70, that evil robot from Mercury will never face the Vols again.

Teach on the Jordan Speech:

If you saw Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech, then you've probably also noticed some of the backlash to it, as well as JA Adande's categorical defense of it. One should also make note of Bethlehem Shoals' thoughts on the matter, which come the closest to expressing how I feel about the matter. Jordan's speech was a look inside his head; it showed us his fear, his drive, and his ego. Perhaps, these traits are inseparable, but I find it hard to deride a man for revealing himself down to his core just because we wanted him to be something other than who he is. Michael Jordan was a damn good basketball player--the best I've ever seen--and we'd all be better served if we accepted the fact that he is not the Messiah, an activist, a politician, or a philosopher but a human being, as flawed as any other, who just so happened to be better at one thing than most of us could ever dream of being at anything.


The above highlight features two men, perceived as polar opposites, on and off the court, that went into the Hall of Fame together, showing us, like a Robert Frost poem, that while it may be true "two roads diverged in a yellow wood," those two roads both led to the same destination.


Buy This Album:

White Denim Fits
We already told you why White Denim's "I Start to Run" would be perfect for college football. But the whole album accompanies a tailgate nicely, it's music like this that can make even the most dreadful game seem appealing. It's just like whiskey but without the hangover. I leave you today with their video for "Shake, Shake, Shake" off their EP, Workout Holiday,

Rocky Top Preview:

We are just one day away from the Vols running through the T, "Rocky Top" being played 75 times per hour, and 100,000 screaming fans waving pom-poms; it will finally be football time in Tennessee. It's one of the best days of the year, where every team in the SEC still has a shot at a trip to Atlanta. As a Volunteer fan, there are plenty of reasons to be wary of the 2009 season: running the third offense in as many seasons, Crompton still under center, injuries to the receiving core, and a new defense.

However, there are just as many reasons to be excited. There's Monte Kiffin and his Tampa Two defense. There's Eric Berry and his Heisman caliber meastiness. There are the five and four star freshman: Nu'Keese Richardson, Bryce Brown, David Oku, Jerod Askew, and Janzen Jackson. There is the departure of the Clawfense and the arrival of a much simpler pro-style offense. There is Rico McCoy leading the linebackers and Wes Brown opening up the path to the opposing quarterback.

Nevertheless, with all of these positives and negatives for the Volunteers, there really is no telling how good or bad they will be in this upcoming season, but that's not the point. The goal of this post isn't to talk about how Eric Berry may banish the bad memories of Peyton's intercepted Heisman. It's not to to lament on the fact that Crompton, for a second year in-a-row will be throwing the ball as hard as he can on screens. It's not to compare Bryce Brown to the number one ranked backs that he is following (Darrell Scott, Joe McKnight, Beanie Wells, Johnathan Stewart, Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush). No it's none of that. The goal was to show that when it's football time in Tennessee, nothing else seems to matter, and that's what really matters.

Moreno and Stafford declare for the draft

Today the tandem that was expected to bring UGA back to the top announced they will go pro, declaring for the draft from Athens with the support of the coaches and family behind them. They leave the SEC on their way to make millions, with UGA fans still clamoring for one more year and the rest of the fans of the SEC asking if they need a ride to the airport. I may not have been a UGA fan, but I am fan of these two student-athletes. I became a fan of Knowshon and Stafford, due to one of the worst seasons in UT history. As the scoreboard for my beloved Vols routinely reflected a team that was over matched and lacked desire, I changed my perspective. For most sports I can watch my team lose and there is no feeling of acrimony or antipathy. However when I watch the Vols go through defeat, I get physically ill. I don't know why this happens, but it is a family trait passed down from my father. During this past fall, when the wins were surpassed by losses, I had to change my perspective for the betterment of my physical state.

I changed my attitude by watching the games not as a Vol fan but as a fan of the SEC. This helped me stay in my usual balanced and relaxed state of mind, well that and staying away from Jack on game days. Watching these future all-pros face off on a weekly basis in the biggest games is a joy and it honestly helped me ignore the problems in Knoxville. Throughout the season there were two players that stood out the most. Moreno and Stafford. Watching Moreno run over/ juke tacklers into submission and Stafford lead the offense with a rare air of confidence helped me come to the realization that no matter who wins or loses I will enjoy my Saturdays in the fall. I will do this by reminding myself that even if my beloved team doesn't win at least I'm not a buckeye fan. So thank you Knowshon and Matthew, for helping me to enjoy my Saturdays this past fall. Good luck with your future endeavors.

Marquette-Tennessee:Studs & Duds

Handing out some post-game awards for last nights game, where UT was victorious 80-68

Studs:

Wesley Matthews- This was the first game I have been able to watch the new-look/Buzz Williams led Golden Eagles and he was by far the most impressive player on both sides of the floor. Matthews played amazing ball, dropping 30 and making it look easy. He was all over the court grabbing 4 rebounds, dishing out three assists, and defending his way to three steals. In my opinion he has NBA talent and will become a good role player for one lucky professional franchise.

Wayne Chism- The talented big man finally broke through for the Vols, and was the main reason they were able to escape Nashville with a win. He scored a career high 26 points, shooting 8-11 from the field and 8-11 from the line. He also held it down on the boards grabbing 11, giving him a double-double. In this game, Chism finally showed that he can be a prime time player.

Tyler Smith- Smith continued to be the all-everything player Bruce Pearl needs him to be; scoring 14 points with 6-6 from the line, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers.

Lazar Hayward- Helped keep the Golden Eagles in the game with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block.

Bobby Maze- Pushed the fast break at an intense pace and ran the offense well; leading him to six assists, 10 points, 4 rebounds, and a steal.

Tennessee Bench- They helped wear down the injury shortened roster of Marquette; they also did some damage on the scoreboard, outscoring their bench 23-3.

Duds:

Scotty Hopson- The heralded recruit for the Vols was ghastly from the floor, with 1-7 shooting. He seems to settle for threes, instead of driving the lane or taking mid-range jumpers for much more manageable buckets. Even if he had shot well, he would still make the dud list for getting a dunk blocked by 5'11 Dominic James.

Dominic James- I questioned making him a stud, just for the beautiful block he made on Hopson. However the amazing block didn't save him from a rough night of shooting (3-12) and foul trouble. Only managed 8 points and turned it over 3 times, but dished out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Jerel McNeal- Overall played okay, but needed to stay out of foul trouble to keep Marquette in the game. He couldn't manage to keep himself on the floor and turned the ball over far too often (4 TOs). Added 10 points though.

Overall it was a good game played by both sides, but Tennessee's deep bench overtook the short handed and foul plagued Golden Eagles. Chism had a game of a lifetime, Wesley Matthews made me a fan, and Maze is turning into a reliable point guard.

That didn't take long

Just a day after being introduced as the University of Tennessee's football coach Lane Kiffin is already receiving some verbal blows from USC coach Steve Spurrier. And no it had nothing to do with the Citrus Bowl. This time Spurrier hinted that Kiffin possibly broke NCAA rules by contacting Tennessee recruits before he was cleared to do so. The recruit in question is Jarvis Giles, a running back from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla. Giles told several media outlets that Kiffin contacted him early Sunday morning, which was a day before he was introduced as the Vols' new coach.

The NCAA requires coaches to take a recruiting certification test before they're allowed to contact recruits. Spurrier noted that he didn't retake the recruiting test until after he was introduced as the Gamecocks' new coach and joked that Kiffin might have called Giles as "an interested observer.'' But Kiffin clearly stated in his introductory press conference, that he took the test a couple days before he was hired.

Spurrier firing the first salvo is no surprise as he is probably just bitter he doesn't have Phil to poke fun at any more. Also Kiffin is taking his former recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach David Reaves to Knoxville with him. The good news for all of us, is that this rivalry is just getting started. With the bravado both these men exude I think we can expect a lot more trash talk in the future.

Lane Kiffin; the next OBC?

Thanksgiving was a busy week for me and the LCG, consisting of 4 different family dinners. This mini-tour of Virginia put a halt on updating the blog for the last couple of days. I am still trying to recover from the outrageous amount of Thanksgiving food I ingested. Although I knew I wouldn't be able to update the blog I figured we wouldn't miss much. Considering once you take out the NFL games and the various college tournaments Thanksgiving is typically a slow sports related weekend. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Plaxico pulled a Cheddar then calls himself Harris Smith and subsequently gets criminal charges, the Nittany Lion mascot got a DUI, the BCS shafted Texas, the Redskins inducted Sean Taylor into their ring of honor, Jay Cutler says he is better than Favre and then plays like it, and Starbury unleashed his fury through the press.

But for myself there was only one story that had me searching for information any chance I got. The story that had me intrigued and inquisitve was the news of Lane Kiffin becoming the next head football coach at the University of Tennessee. While watching the UGA-Bama game with Teach and the LCG, I was actually contemplating this aloud.I continued pondering this possibility throughout his own firing and the forcing out of Phil. I heard rumors of his hiring starting early last week and than ESPN got on board late in the week. All that was left was the announcement from AD Mike Hamilton and the press conference introducing the 33 year-old also-ran of Oakland. That press conference happened today at 2:00 pm EST.

So as one of maybe 500 people in the World who roots for both UT and the Raiders, I find myself being both excited and fearful of the future of the University of Tennessee. I am excited as he brings a new youthful exuberance to the University and its athletes. He has proven the type of talent he can recruit to play in his time at USC. With Tennessee's facilities, history, and fanbase it should make his job that much easier. However Kiffin has already let go of the four main assistants. Most notably DC John Chavis, who was in charge of a top flight defense leading them to being among the best in the country despite the team having a bad junior varsity offense. I am fearful that letting go of Chavis, who is one of the best defensive coaches in the land and one of the few brightspots of the team over the past couple of years, could be a major mistake.

This past season the offense was the perfect example of the word inept, but most of that can be attributed to the team not being able to execute the intricate Clawfense in such a short time perood. It worries me most that the team won't be dealing with just a new defense but their third new offense in just as many years.

Kiffin has promised to bring an amazing staff with him to Knoxville. A great staff will help sell prospects on the recruiting trail and should help to implement the new systems at a quicker rate. Kiffin's staff is said to include his father Monte Kiffin; who is the architect of the tampa 2 defense, the NFL's highest paid assistant and current defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also from the Kiffin family tree is David Reaves(Lane's brother-in-law) who is the only confirmed coach aside from Lane. Reaves, is in his seventh year on the Gamecocks staff. He was a graduate assistant the first two seasons and he's been a full-time member the past five. Reaves is slated to take over as the recruiting coordinator. Former Ole Miss head coach and current Saints D-Line coach Ed Orgeron is also rumored to be joining the staff. Orgeron and Kiffin worked together at USC. This would give UT two former head coaches on its staff.

Now that we know what the Vols are losing and gaining, what the positives for both sides?
Well the reasons for Lane to take the job are endless; he finally gets to show off his abilities, UT is one of the best football schools in the country, job security(he will be the 3rd coach in the past 33 years), a second chance, biggest recruiting budget in the SEC, etc, etc. But what are the fans getting from Kiffin, apart from a man with a hot wife, a talent for recruiting, and a good staff.? We have absolutely no idea. UT AD Mike Hamilton is essentially replacing a national championship winning coach who played for his university and led his alma-mater to a 152-52 record with a totally unproven commodity who has a record of 5-15. And if we are to believe Kiffin's side of the story in Oakland, he can't even take credit for the 5 total wins on his record.

All of the information coupled with today's press conference has led me to believe that this can only end in one of two ways: as a monster success or an epic failure. When Fulmer was fired, the middle ground was erased. If he is just an average coach its a failure, as you let go of a Tennessee legend for a coach with no connection to the school or state for an extended period of mediocrity. Kiffin has the genes, connections, and now the resources to become a great head coach. Now its up to him to do his part. There will be no Rob Ryan or Al Davis to point the finger at, it is finally his show. He gets to pick the staff, the players, and call the shots. If he fails or succeeds, the fingers will all be pointing in his direction. He could be either the next Mike Shula or Pete Carroll, but who knows? I just hope it works out better than it did for the last fired Raider coach to head to the college game.

College Rankings 15-9

After the amount of writing I've been doing here, I feel like (insert 12th man of your favorite NBA team's name here, preferably a foreign white dude like the retard from Semipro). Anyway, here are my 15-9 teams, with the Elite Eight coming either late Thursday night or early Sunday morning.

15. Marquette( 25-10)
Last Year: lost in 2nd Round
Coach: Buzz Williams
Stud: Jerel McNeal
Glue: Wesley Matthews

I think my brother Dan is going to provide some game recaps about his alma mater during the course of the season, so I won't go into too much depth here. The major loss they will endure isn't a player, but their coach. Tom Crean decided to take on the massive rebuilding effort at Indiana, leaving assistant Buzz Williams in charge.
He inherits a trio of senior guards, who I feel have underachieved in their time in Milwaukee. Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal have all had their moments, but haven't really won as much as people expect. McNeal is probably the best all-around, while James is streaky. They are all suspect from the outside, so it will be interesting to see if the new 3 point line has an effect. Maurice Acker and David Cubillian are pint-sized, but give the Eagles a loaded backcourt. Lazar Hayward is the best inside player, although he too shoots a lot from the outside. If they can get some production out of freshman big Chris Otule, Marquette can make some noise. They get Wisconsin and Tennessee non-conference, then the wars of the Big East to see if the senior guards, and their new coach can make a "buzz" in the tourney (terrible I know).



14. Davidson ( 29-7)
Last Year: Lost in the Elite 8
Coach: Bob McKillop
Stud: Stephen Curry
Glue: Andrew Lovedale
Schedule: Purdue, Duke, Oklahoma, West Va.

If college basketball teams were girlfriends, UNC would be the girl I've been steadily dating and that I'll probably marry someday. Last year, Davidson became the girl that I just met that I devloped a crush on. Nothing is going to come from it, because I'll always be faithful to UNC, but they still keep things interesting. The Wildcats should be in the top 25 all year, and it all starts with Stephen Curry. Probably the best pure shooter in the college game I've seen in my 20-21 years following the sport (sorry JJ), Curry is simply amazing. Watching him shoot them into the sweet 16 last year, and watching him put up 44 on Oklahoma last night proves that Davidson will never really be out of any game. The big issue will be the loss of their point guard, Jason Richards. He led the country in assists last year, allowing Curry to just come off screens and shoot. Now Curry has to be the primary distributor and scorer. Davidson has enough coming back from that tourney run in big Andrew Lovedale, William Archambault, and Max Paulus-Gossling to be just as good if not better than last season. They already played Oklahoma, and will play Purdue, Duke, and West Virginia. Look for them to once again play deep into March, especially if Curry can handle playing the point without losing any shots.

13. Gonzaga (25-8)
Last Year: lost in the 1st round
Coach: Mark Few
Stud: Austin Daye
Glue: Jeremy Pargo
Schedule: Tennessee, UCONN, Memphis, (possible matchups with Georgetown and Michigan St.)

The Zags are underated now to the point where they are almost overated. They've been such a mid-major powerhouse since the days of Matt Santangelo and Richie Frahm, and are consistently in the top 25 every year. They probably got hosed last year having to play Davidson in the first round, but they still should have went further. Almost all of the pieces from that team are still in place, so there's no reason to think they won't go a little further this year. Rail-thin Austin Daye is being hyped for All-American honors, as he can play inside and stroke the 3 ball. I really like Jeremy Pargo. Another Chicago kid, Pargo is a sick athlete who does a little bit of everything. It'll be worth it to stay up late and watch him and Patty Mills from St. Mary's duke it out at the point. Josh "Dude,where's my shrooms" Heytvelt provides more banging inside with Robert Sacre and 7-4 Will Foster. Micah Downs and Matt Bouldin will play the two and the three. The Zags will be deep, with Ira Brown, Steven Gray, and three freshman. The Zags look to once again be loaded. Even though the WCC has caught up to them a little bit with St.Mary's and San Diego, they should still win the league and can go far with a little help from the selection committee this time around.

12. Tennesee ( 32-5)
Last Year: lost in the sweet 16
Stud: Tyler Smith
Glue: J.P. Prince
Schedule: Marquette,Gonzaga, Kansas, Memphis, SEC

How can you not like Bruce Pearl? The guy is probably one of my favorite coaches in the college game, and I'm not biased, and don't get a boner for Tennesee like Michael Langston does. I think he's one of those coaches who if I was 8 inches taller and was a legitimate D1 prospect, I would have loved to play for. That being said, he does do a good job recruiting, and he has arguably turned UT into a bball school for the time being. This year, they lose 2 of the 3 Smith boys, Chris Lofton, and malcontent Duke Crews. They still have plenty back however, as Tyler Smith will be one of the best in the SEC. Smith is a slasher who can do pretty much everything. When healthy, J.P. Prince will cause matchup problems for anyone who has to play him. The Vols are loaded with athletes, with highly-publicized Scotty Hopson to back them up. They still have muscle inside with Wayne Chism, Brian Williams, and Ryan Childress. Tennessee and Florida will more than likely battle it out as the best in the conference, with tough matchups with Marquette, Gonzaga, Kansas, and interstate foe Memphis to get them ready. Replacing Lofton's shooting touch will be a must. If they can find something outside to go along with the athleticsm and turnovers they'll cause with the press, Bruce Pearl will be on tv more. This can only be a good thing.

11.Purdue (25-9)
Last year: lost in the 2nd round
Coach: Matt Painter
Stud: Robbie Hummel
Glue: Chris Kramer
Schedule: Duke, Davidson,Boston College, and probably Oklahoma. Big 10

It's been a while since Purdue has been up this high. I would have to guess the last time they were sniffing the top-10 was the days of Glenn Robinson. (WTF happened to him). The Boilermakers are loaded with sophmores who serve as the bourbon, while they have talented juniors that serve as the beer. (bartending reference). Robbie Hummel, Jajuan Johnson, and E'Twuan Moore(just wasted 10 seconds I'll never get back figuring out how to spell that) are the sophmores that stepped in and made a splash last year as frosh, with Hummel having the best year. Hummel is in the Tyler Hansborough effort mold, but he is athletic and will make defenders pay if they underestimate him. The development of Johnson as a true post presence will be a big difference. Kramer is not a shooter, but the former high school qb can distribute and defend. Grant is a shooter and scorer, while Moore also shot abover 40 percent from 3. Painter played for Gene Keady, so you know he'll bring an old-school approach that will make Purdue mentally tougher than most. They look really good already, and will get a test from Oklahoma in the NIT final if everything breaks right. Look for them to challenge the boys from East Lansing more top Big 10 honors, and probably at least an elite 8 appearance.

10. Notre Dame (25-8)
Last Year: lost in 2nd round
Coach: Mike Brey (thank god its not Charlie Weis)
Stud: Luke Harangody
Glue: Kyle McAlarney
Schedule: UCLA, Big East, (potential matchups with Texas and UNC in Maui)

I do not have the same affinity for Notre Dame hoops as I do for the football squad. I like separate D1 football and bball teams because I did not go to a D1 school. Plus MJ played for UNC. This is an arugment for another time whether or not you're allowed to this. Back to the informative content. Luke Harangody literally looks like he could be cast in Hoosiers 2k8. (Don't worry, I'm working on the screenplay). Bad haircut and all, Gody is a potential Big East player of the year. He is a load inside, and teams will struggle to stop him. To balance things out, the Irish can bomb from outside with Kyle McAlarney. Tory Jackson will be the primary ballhandler, and with slasher Ryan Ayres, shooter Luke Zeller, and do-everything Zach Hillenstand, Notre Dame has a little bit of everything. They will play UCLA and will probably get to see UNC in the battle of Berndon's favorite teams if they can beat Texas in Maui. If Harangody can be a force like last year, I don't see too many teams who will beat the Irish in conference play. Much like every power team in the conference, if they can emerge unscathed from those battles, they'll be a solid bet to potentially make the Final 4.

9. Pitt (27-6)
Last year: lost in the 2nd round
Coach: Jamie Dixon
Stud: Sam Young
Glue: Levance Fields
Schedule: Nobody really until the Big East punches them in the face

Pitt, while not necessarily the most fun team to watch, is the definition of grind it out basketball. They're like Wisconsin, only without the white dudes. They have been consistently good however for a while now, averaging 26.4 wins since Jamie Dixon took over for Ben Howland. Last year, Sam Young turned into a decent go to guy. After losing Aaron Gray to the Chicago Bulls' bench, Young became the go-to-guy. He can score inside and out, and he has the perfect complement in Dejuan Blair. Normally I make fun of fat people, but Blair is impossible not to like. If he takes a big frosh-to-soph jump, then look out. Levance Fields runs the point while looking like Jermaine Dupri, which is an impressive feat. Fields is straight out the Brandin Knight mold where he's not going to wow anyone offensively, yet gets the job done. They have more experience in Tyrell Biggs, and Gilbert Brown. Travon Woodall will back up Fields, while other freshman Asthon Gibbs, and Dwight Miller should get mintues. I feel like a broken record, but this is another Big East squad who will lose some conference games, yet should be a in a great position to make a late March run.

Link Scrap

One of the many poor souls who had their cars recklessly flipped after the World Series started a blog. He is trying to recoup his losses from the city of Philadelphia and the Phillies. You can help his cause by visiting his blog and donating.

The Oakland Raiders cut their losses by releasing two-time Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall, meaning Hall made $8 million for eight games.

Knoxville CBS affiliate WVLT catches up with Johnny Majors to ask him his thoughts on the ousting of his successor.

San Diego Charger left-tackle Marcus McNeill sing some Jonas Brothers. Finally giving Charger fans someone to blame for their terrible record other than Norv Turner and the decline of LT.

Woman collapses and dies at Blackhawks game, just as her mother did 22 years ago

Thanks Coach

Thanks for the memories, good and bad. Thanks for all the wins over Bama, the Dawgs, and the Gators. Most importantly thanks for the 17 years of service to the school and state of Tennessee.

The firing of coach Fulmer

It was announced yesterday that Phil Fulmer would be stepping down at the end of the season. The real story is that Phil was fired and will be getting one of the biggest buyouts in college football history. Last year Fulmer signed a new seven-year contract worth $2.4 million, and he's owed a $6 million buyout payable over 48 months as part of that contract. His staff is owed an additional $3.55 million, however that figure could decrease depending on how many of them get jobs next year.

I don't really know how to take the news. The past four seasons has been soul draining but Fulmer means a lot to the team, institution, and the fans. He's been at Tennessee for more than 30 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He guided Tennessee to a 45-5 record from 1995-98 and back-to-back SEC championships (3 total), and he also led the team to a national title in 1998 with an unbeaten 13-0 record. The man is UT.

Recently the program hasn't been able to match the magic of the 1998 season. The Vols have lost 31 games since the end of the 2001 season, 19 of those have been by double digits. They haven't been in a BCS game or won an SEC championship since 1998. Along with the mounting losses, the program has had numerous arrests. So many in fact, that it spurned the Fulmer Cup on Every Day Should Be Saturday (EDSBS).

Although it worries me to see the only coach I have known for the Vols headed out the door, it was time for Phil to go. Now the Fulmer Farewell tour begins, hopefully giving the team enough incentive to take Phil to a bowl one last time as the leader of Tennessee.

AD Mike Hamilton wrote an open letter to Vol fans letting us know that the national coaching search will begin immediately. He also included that the Kentucky game on Nov. 29 is when we celebrate "Phillip Fulmer Day" in Neyland Stadium. It will be a sad day on Rocky Top and the mixed emotions will get more convoluted as time moves on. I just hope that Hamilton hires someone with half the heart and dedication for the Vols as Fulmer. Good luck Phil and thanks for the ride, it wasn't always smooth but it was fun.

I leave you with this photo made by the wife of Hooper from Rocky Top Talk. Edited from the original painting of Death of Julius Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini. The picture is a good representation of Phil's firing, as the angry mob finally caught up to him.

Riot time in Philly

I don't want to judge others, but I never understood the reasoning behind rioting in the city that you love after a big win or loss. Take College Park, Maryland for example.; One year they blow it in the Final Four. The students react by rioting, flipping cars, burning couches, and smashing shop windows . Next year they win the championship, town reacts by rioting, flipping cars, burning couches and smashing shop windows. The only plausible excuse could be, well its the only night we could do this and get away with it. Of course there is no etiquette book on the nuances of rioting which gives us the correct circumstances on when to riot. But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be a guide for this maniacal behavior.

The most raucous atmosphere I have been a part of was Knoxville 2004, after UT narrowly beat Florida with a game winning field goal. After the game I went through with my usual routine; I went to the strip to eat a late dinner, then went to Carrie and C.J.'s house for some beirut, and then head back to the Pong house for the band and after-party. But something happened, people started to literally lose their mind. I believe it happened due to a mixture of copious amounts of whiskey, the pressure of classes being released, and the fact that UT had just escaped a loss to the Gators. The scene was pure insanity. Computer monitors were being throw off of houses, couches were being burned in the middle of the road, and just absolute anarchy was about.

The thing I remember the most was talking to my old roommate Trey while drinking my typical makers on ice and debating what that guys first thought is going to be in the morning, post-riot. We discussed this guys eventual morning haze for a good thirty minutes, guessing that he would wonder where all his stuff went and then decide to go get the morning paper, to find all of the smashed and/or burnt remnants of his stuff on Highland ave. Or maybe he thinks to himself that he should update his away message but his monitor has gone missing with no clue of where it is. That's the one thing that sticks out to me, the thought of hungover people questioning what happened last night. Going from friend to friend to try to piece together the carnage they were a part of last night.

Last night the citizens of Philadelphia were able to let loose a lot of frustration. After all its been months since the city last enjoyed victory in a championship game. The Philadelphia Soul are this years Arena Bowl champs. These two championships should help the town get over Rocky's recent fictional loss to Mason Dixon.

The aftermath of the celebration; 15 people made trips to the emergency room (11 trauma cases), 76 were arrested, businesses ended up with smashed windows, stores were looted, and some poor soul's car was flipped. Seriously if this is what happens when finally winning after 28 years of futility, I shudder to think of what would happen in Chicago if the Cubs every won one.