Archive for October, 2008

Just a quick sound bite that I felt was worth passing along.

Basilio »”>Tony Basilio is reporting this morning that Tennessee Volunteers’ athletic director Mike Hamilton has requested a meeting with Phillip Fulmer’s agent, Jimmy Sexton.  Basilio reports that the meeting could occur as early as today.

Along with the embattled Fulmer, Sexton represents many college football coaches from across the country, including several which have been named as possible candidates to replace Fulmer, should he leave.

More on this as it develops…

– Go Figure …

Here’s my ballot for this week’s CBS Sports College Football BlogPoll hosted by — as you might imagine — CBS Sports.

Week 9

Through 27 October 2008

Another week in the record books, and we are beginning to see where teams will likely shake out at the end of the season.  Thus, here are the changes in my BlogPoll ballot for this week.  Most of these should be fairly obvious.  Either way, here’s my ballot:

My Ballot for the Week

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas	–
2	Alabama	–
3	Penn State	–
4	Oklahoma	–
5	Southern Cal	–
6	Texas Tech	–
7	Georgia	–
8	Florida	–
9	Utah	2
10	Missouri	5
11	Boise State	2
12	TCU	2
13	Oklahoma State	1
14	Ohio State	5
15	LSU	5
16	Ball State	1
17	Minnesota	3
18	Oregon	6
19	Brigham Young	4
20	North Carolina	6
	Florida State	5
22	Tulsa	4
23	South Florida	7
24	Pittsburgh	6
25	Maryland	1

Dropped Out: Boston College (#19), Georgia Tech (#21), Kansas (#22), Wake Forest (#25).

Explanations after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s VolzRChamps take on this weekend’s matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Blazer Chronicles: Bama Pre-game Edition

Can the Vols win this year’s installment of the Third Saturday in October?

– Go Figure …

Video Courtesy of: VolzRChamps

It’s Bama Week

No Alabama-Tennessee week would be complete without a Big Orange Roundtable, and the Vols over at Third Saturday in Blogtober have been gracious enough to include us in a joint roundtable with their Bammer counterparts in a Orange/White/Crimson Roundtable.

Two side notes: first, if you haven’t been reading the loads of great stuff over at 3SIB, please do so NOW. Never has there been such a great place to see so much good-natured trash talk as there has been over there this week. Second, if you’re looking for the On Remote post, don’t worry: it’s coming tomorrow.

Anyways, to this week’s great questions, which oddly enough have a dominant Stars Wars theme. I’m proud (and comfortable enough with myself) to say that I absolutely loved Star Wars in my elementary school days when the three original movies were “remade.” I had everything – books, action figures of all sizes, models, playsets, etc. – you name it, I probably had it. Seriously, Star Wars was just plain awesome to me (keep word there being was) back in those days.

So of course I quite a laugh out of these week’s questions, and the answers so far have been pretty good. I’ll try to do what I can to keep them up. Anyways…

Death Star

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

This is a no-brainer: Eric Freaking Berry. He is a human missile, whether it’s closing in on any throw by the opposing QB or the helpless ballcarrier breaking into the second level. Seriously, you see this aspect of Berry’s game pretty well when you sit at field level a couple times like I have the past two home games.

Berry already destroyed a few things this year, like Knowshon Moreno and Mississippi State specifically. I can’t wait to see who is next (Julio Jones? Glen Coffee?  J.P. Wilson? Rolando McClain?). If Tennessee had 22 Eric Berrys, the Vols would beat the Titans (are the Tennessee Titans really the NFL’s best team?? seriously??) by 30 points – and that’s on an off day.

Get owned Knowshon

Berry is a special special player. A once-in-a-lifetime type player. And he’s just a sophomore. He still has half his career left – assuming he stays four years. And as of this week I’m one of his over 3,300 friends on Facebook…

More like fifty-meter wide for Tennessee

2. What is its two meter wide exhaust port?

Easily the toughest question this week…where do I start? At first it was the QB play. That’s changed. Then it was special teams (I bet we punt to Javier Arenas Saturday night too). Britton’s back now. Then it was the running back rotation. Lennon Creer was the leading rusher against Mississippi State. At times it’s the schemes in the secondary. The Vols had two pick-sixes and gave up 3 points last week.

I guess that leaves me with the offensive line. It doesn’t matter who you put at running back if the line can’t open up any holes. With Anthony Parker potentially out Saturday night, the line becomes really thin. For all the hype these guys got in the preseason, they have to be the biggest disappointment, right?

Here’s to hoping it stops Saturday night. Terrence Cody is now out, so that helps tremendously. This line needs to just get pissed off and blow Bama up in the trenches. It’s going to be a real challenge, but I think these guys are capable. I mean, have you seen Vlad Richard? Jacques McClendon benches over 600 pounds. It’s not like Ramon Foster and Chris Scott are little guys, either…

My weak attempt at my first fark: Darth Saban...man do we need Lawvol back or what??

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

In the trenches. Bammer has been really studly along the lines in both of their best games this year, the win over Clemson and the first half battering of Georgia in Athens last month. Tennessee in the trenches? Ehh…

Surprisingly, the defensive front hasn’t played that bad. They had Tyson Lee running for his life last weekend (perhaps giving them a confidence boost), knocked NIU’s QB out and were everywhere against Auburn as well. Unfortunately, Alabama is none of those. Georgia pushed the Vols around, but that had as much to do with the fact the Tennessee defense played 80 snaps than anything else, really.

Alabama has the best offensive line that Tennessee has faced to this point. If they can slow down the Tide rushing attack and get some hurries on Wilson, it greatly enhances Tennessee’s chances for the win. Obviously that’s easier said than done, but it’s not impossible by any means.

I’ve already discussed the other side of the trenches coin in Question #3, so I won’t go much into that. But Tennessee will have to run the ball to have a prayer of winning Saturday night. Can they do it?

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

I would imagine if any advantage comes from the time of the game itself, it’s Tennessee, simply because naturally night SEC games are supposedly louder than earlier games. Or so says the theory – I might just be reaching, looking for anything to increase my very slim hopes that the Vols don’t get run out of the stadium…

Seriously, though, the crowd – those that have been there (only my fellow idiot students have been lacking, leaving over 1,000 for the Bammers), at least – has been pretty into the past two night games for a MAC team and a bottom-level SEC team. If they aren’t amped up for freakin’ Alabama, then…well I don’t even think that’s possible. How long before the Tide crush any hope is the real key…

As for if I like this arrangement, that’s just silly. Of course!! Tailgating and gamedays are one of favorite aspects of being here in Knoxville and being in college. And now I get to enjoy it for probably something like 8 hours Saturday.

Advantage – me!

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

I believe that (a) I already addressed this yesterday and (b) I certainly went over the 3,000 word limit. So I’ll just take the easy, slacker way out and link it. CLICK HERE!!!

Update: by Lawvol…

Hopefully, HSH won’t take it personally that I am adding to his post, but he did call me out on the fark of Saban.

Thus, here are my humble additions to the Star Wars Edition:

Can the Jedi Prevail?

-OR-

Will Darkness Take Control?

The Rest of the Roundtable is linked here. Please go read their answers, their’s are probably better than mine – though I did like my answer to #4 (and it brought some great comments). Hopefully Lawvol can get a chance to post his own as comments – this is his site after all…

- 3SIB
- Curveballs For Jesus
- Fulmer’s Belly
- YMSWWC
- SESB

Images Courtesy of: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images (Daylife)

Of Course There’s More Than Just Five…

As a current student at the beloved University of Tennessee, I guess I fit into that whole “new breed” of Tennessee fan. You know, the one that woos in Rocky Top (click here for all that) and hates Florida more than anything else.

While my hatred for the Gators is obviously high, I’ve gone and accepted the fact that the Vols just can’t consistently ever beat Florida. I hate Georgia quite a bit as well thanks to my venture down to Athens my freshman year (2006). It’s pretty much those three and a gap to everybody else, at least in terms of my SEC hatred. However, as I realized it’s Alabama week and Tennessee’s 0-for-2 against the aforementioned teams I hate, I came to this conclusion:

I really really hate Alabama the most.

To crush any hopes they have of an unbeaten season would be the highlight of this otherwise awful, painful football season. So, in an attempt to fire myself – as well as you, the faithful readers here at Gate 21 – up for Saturday night’s showdown, here’s my five major reasons I hate the Alabama Crimson Tide…

1. Alabama cheated/cheats and blames Phil Fulmer for it.

Obviously, cheaters never prosper. It’s funny that Tide fans hate a man who was simply doing his civil duty. Not only that, but it wasn’t like any other SEC coaches weren’t behind Fulmer’s turning in the cheating Tide to the NCAA.

Of course we all know well Alabama’s history of cheating. It’s hilarious to me that they get caught. Look, “helping out recruits” goes on plenty of places. Remember, it’s only cheating if you get caught. It’s much like speeding down I-40 between Knoxville and Memphis for me…

The outward excuse of the Tide fans for hating Fulmer is of course his part in turning them in. I think it’s much deeper than that. I know Alabama’s won two of three, but Fulmer has a great record against them. Either that or they deny that there was ever any cheating was done…

No, you do not

2. “Got Twelve?” t-shirts and Houndstooth apparel…

I actually saw some guy in TRECS – that’s Tennessee’s rec center for students (it’s WAY nice) – with one of these on, which reminded me of this. It’s so typical of an Alabama fan: it involves lying/cheating, since the Tide (a) haven’t won 12 legitimate national titles and (b) it involves living in the past. In my lifetime, Alabama has been a middle-of-the-road SEC program, much like Tennessee is becoming, sadly enough.

I remember the Tide losing to Northern Illinois and Central Florida. I remember their 1997 loss to Tim Couch and Kentucky. I remember beating them 9 out of 10 years. One of my earliest Tennessee memories was the 1995 rout in Birmingham (below = owned). They’ve had something like seven different head coaches in my lifetime.

It looks stupid...

The houndstooth crap goes right along with it. Houndstooth reminds Bammers of the Bear Bryant days, when they were relevant (I will state the obvious that they are becoming relevant again…crap). Hats, shirts, Bear Bryant hats – it makes me sick.

And of course there’s those two Bammer fans with the toilet paper/Tide box on-a stick. I wish I was them, they are so incredibly cool…I hope I see one in Knoxville Saturday so I can laugh at them…

3. 2006

Flashback time. Third quarter, underdog Alabama has just scored thanks to a “catch” from D.J. Hall to take a 13-9 lead on Tennessee. Ensuing kickoff, LaMarcus Coker gets tackled along the far sideline from me, and doesn’t get up. Turns out it was a knee injury that took him out of the game.

During the injury timeout while Coker is being tended to, the stadium is quiet as it usually is for injuries. That is, until the Bama fans start get their stupid “Rooollll Tide!” chant going. While a Tennessee player is hurt. That’s class, folks. Hell, even the Georgia fans were quiet when Jason Allen was nearly cut in half by Leonard Pope the year before, and I don’t know if I’ve actually ever met a classy UGA fan.

If you saw the game or were there, you of course remember the UT students’ response: a loud, resounding, lengthy “F*** You Bama” chant that had to be heard on CBS. Tennessee went on to win that game, and I wasn’t nice to any Bammers I saw afterwards – old people, women, adults, anybody.

4. 2005 and 2007

I’ve made two trips to Tuscaloosa in my life, for both of the past two Tennessee games. The 6-3 loss in 2005 was the one that really doomed the rest of the season in my opinion, since Tennessee did everything but win that game.

Cory Anderson’s fumble happened in the end zone right in front of me. I thought it was six and bye-bye to Alabama’s then-unbeaten record. Of course, shortly after that, Brodie Croyle – how he was still alive after the beating he took that day I’ll never know – throws a prayer to Hall which sets up the game-winner.

As tough as that was, last year was worse. Here’s why: the Firehouse Subs right by Bryant-Denny screwed my buddy out of his sandwich, making us nearly miss kickoff; the game was at freakin’ 11:30 in the morning; our seats sucked; our coaches forgot how to coach; we lost 41-17.

There would be a book about it...

Unlike ‘05, you don’t have to deal with the stupid Bammers when you leave with 10 minutes left in the game as opposed to right after a close one. The loss appeared completely catastrophic at the time, but even looking back it’s still bad, especially after having been to Gainesville earlier that year for the 59-20 beating the Vols took…

5. And finally, as a result from Reason #4, that stupid Rammer Jammer chant.

It’s still ringing in my head. For as stupid as Ole Miss’ Hotty Toddy is, this Bammer chant sucks so much more. I heard it nonstop leaving BDS in 2005 and I could hear it during the long walk from the nosebleeds through the parking lot last year. If I have to hear this crap ring through Neyland Stadium late Saturday night, I’m going to become really belligerent.

Of course, I can’t not post this YouTube video of this Alabama fan hating on Tennessee. I laugh every time I watch it, and I know it’s old and cliche, but I feel compelled to post it, if, for no other reason, than the feelings are reciprocal…

Well there you have it. There’s of course plenty more reasons I hate the Crimson Tide (an Elephant? Seriously?). I hope Smokey bites another Tide player in warmups, as he did to Mike McCoy (who’s still playing, actually) in 2006. I absolutely cannot wait to boo them Saturday night, and I hope and pray we miraculously dominate them.

Of course I’m leaving some out, so I encourage you the reader to leave some comments with your own reasons for hating Alabama.

Images Courtesy of: thecollegestore.com • Robert H. Spain / Bleacher Report • Barnes and Noble

We all know what week it is…

Bearing all of that in mind, here’s the Pre-game edition of the Blazer Chronicles for this week’s matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers, courtesy of VolzRChamps.

The Blazer Chronicles: Third Saturday (Sort of) in October Edition

More to come, soon-ish (I promise)…

Go Vols, Beat the Tide!

– Go Figure …

Videos Courtesy of: VolzRChamps / Blazer Chronicles

The Tennessee Volunteers picked up a nice SEC win in convincing style against the Mississippi State Bulldogs this past weekend.  Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the remainder of the season.

Bearing that in mind, here’s the Blazer Chronicles’ post-game look at the Vols victory, courtesy of VolzRChamps.

The Blazer Chronicles: Mississippi State – Post-Game Edition

Now, it’s time for Alabama and the Third … er … Fourth Saturday in October…

– Go Figure …

Videos Courtesy of: VolzRChamps / Blazer Chronicles