It’s Time…

This week’s Big Orange Roundtable is hosted by … ummm … oh, yeah, it’s our week.  We here at the Gate are proud to host the 2009 kickoff edition of the Big Orange Roundtable as we all get ready to tee it up and kick it down for the 112th season of Tennessee Volunteers Football.

With that lovely prospect in mind, let’s get down to business:

Week 8

1) (From HSH)  We’ve talked through the past month or so about just about everything we could talk about regarding this Tennessee team: the quarterbacks, offensive line, freshman, Eric Berry, finding healthy wide receivers, freshman again, etc. So the simple question is this: what do you expect or what specifically are you looking for from the Vols against Western Kentucky this Saturday?

HSH: First things first, Western Kentucky is not going to be anything close to resembling a quality football team.  They were recently a power in 1-AA, but this is their first full year in 1-A, and have the potential to be one of the worst teams to come to Neyland Stadium in a while (yes, I’m including Wyoming).  They went just 2-10 last year (the wins were Eastern Kentucky and Murray State) and return just 12 starters from that team.

So if Tennessee hangs 60 points on the Hilltoppers, oh, well it was just Western Kentucky, right?  Not exactly.  I want to see Tennessee score lots of points Saturday afternoon.  I expect Lane Kiffin will want to pound the rock with the running backs.  I want to see a confident Jonathan Crompton that doesn’t make any mistakes and crisply runs the offense.

Defensively, I want to see which freshmen make an early impact in their first games, and how they handle playing for real.  On both sides, I want to see swagger—OK, it’s WKU, but we could be playing my high school’s team and I would still want to see our players have a wealth of confidence in themselves and their coaches that creates said swagger.

Lawvol: I expect and hope to see a few things.  First, I am not exactly expecting grandeur for this first game of the 2009 season, but what I am expecting to see is poise and purpose.  I am hoping that this team brings their attitude—one which was sorely missing last season—and refuses to play down to the level of their opponent which they should beat under almost any circumstance.

Let’s be honest, Western Kentucky went 2-10 last season which made even the Vols’ 5-7 campaign seem decent.  Prior to 2008, however, Western Kentucky had a streak of 12 straight winning seasons, and look to be on the upswing.  That said, The Vols have got to play with a little spark and bring their best game to their opponent—regardless of the quality of that opponent.  The Vols have to play their game and not let it be dictated to them by their opponent.

Most of all, I am looking to see a team that is glad to be on the field playing once more.  I hope that we begin to see the development of the new Kiffin system and hopefully get a huge relief when the quarterback play is surprisingly crisp and effective.  This is a confidence game which is only a good thing if you perform in a manner that inspires confidence

2) The last time I had to come up with questions for the Roundtable, you may remember our visit to the debate over the “Woo!” in Rocky Top.  Along those lines, I want to get the take on a similar topic: pompons, or shakers if you prefer that.

The basis of this comes from Clay Travis’ book, Dixieland Delight, which I read this summer and I suggest you look into as well. First, read what Clay says about pompons/shakers (Note that this is straight from the book).

Once you’ve done that, you’re on the spot: do you make use of said pompons/shakers at Tennessee games?

HSH: As a student, of course, we have the things basically thrown at us because they’re in our seats when we get to the game. I was more inclined to use them as a freshman three years ago, but now I don’t even think about using them.

Why? They’re annoying and they’re for the pretty sorority girls all dressed up. What’s wrong with a fist pump or high-fives with those around you when the Vols make a good play? Not only that, but they occasionally block even my view of the field (I’m not exactly a short guy, either) and I every now and then get hit by the person behind me using theirs.

I know I sound really uptight, but neither of those above things really bother me – they’re just reasons I’m anti-shakers. But much like the Rocky Top “Woo!” they aren’t going anywhere…

Lawvol: As a general rule I am not a shaker guy, at least not now.  When I was a student, I did on occasion raise a shaker or two into the air in jubilation, but I was never a huge fan of shakers as a means to display support for the team.  I have, however, put shakers to good use in other ways.  In 1997, while on a road trip to Florida, I did assemble a wig of nothing but shakers which looked particularly fetching with my blue eyes and was all the rage with the folks in Gainesville—that is until they pounded our faces into the pavement with their Jorts-clad backsides.  Needless to say, I decided the wig was a bad idea.

I have, however, discovered that a properly wielded shaker can make a wonderful implement of self-defense, nee’ “weapon.” First and foremost, a shaker is a wonderfully effective way to bash people over the head who annoy you in the stadium.  Shakers are not terribly menacing, per se, but when slung with force (and especially when wet) they can approximate the feeling one gets when being bashed over the head with a plate of spaghetti (sans the plate).  The beauty of this is that, having pummeled your foe you can simply play it off as if you were merely overcome by a fit of gleeful spirit at the Vols’ performance on the field, or the First Tennessee ad on the Jumbotron.

The pointy end of a shaker (i.e. “the handle”) can also serve as an effective means of poking people in the ribs.  This works particularly well when you obscure the handle behind your other arm and simply poke the end out into an the ribs of an unsuspecting bystander while standing in a throng of people clamoring to get out of the stadium after the game.  A true raconteur will do this so that, the object of the barb is a particularly burly fellow wearing orange who is … ill tempered with strong drink.  Immediately after doing that, you must turn quickly around and yell loudly at the Florida fan behind you to quit poking you.  Then repeat the jab on the burly orange fellow only harder, and watch the fur fly (preferably from a distance, but be sure and hang around to give a statement to the police).

Finally, shakers can actually be used to disperse a crowd quite quickly, especially if you have numerous shakers.  Simply find a cigarette lighter, and imagine yourself as one of the great medieval archers lighting your arrow and hurl the flaming shakers into the crowd.  This won’t win you many friends and though it might get you arrested, it is highly entertaining…**

3) Looking back over the last year and a half, it has been an absolute roller coaster ride for the Vols and their fans.  A lot of excitement has been building to this very moment as Tennessee gets set to take the field for the 2009 season.  How do you feel with kickoff only days away?  Are you excited?  Ready to to start kickin’ ass and taking names?  Unsure?  Worried?  Shaking like a little girl?  Incapable of speaking coherently due to complete and utter hysterical fear?

HSH: I would call myself quietly confident.  I know Tennessee’s going to come out and pound Western Kentucky Saturday afternoon and I’m looking more towards watching to see how all the new parts look in a game than anything else.

Now when those powder-blue-and-gold folks come calling next week, then it’s showtime.  Not only is UCLA quite possibly the game that determines the first half of our season, but I—and I’m not alone—haven’t forgotten the embarrassment they caused the Vol Nation last September. They were the beneficiaries of an epic Vol fail on ESPN on Labor Day and that must be avenged.

So to keep it short, I’m ready to get Saturday’s win over Western over with, so we can start really getting the juices flowing for when UCLA visits.  This Saturday will be a nice little greeting time and introduction time for everybody, but we’ll know much, much more about the Vols sometime around 8 p.m. September 4th.

Lawvol: I am hopefully optimistic, but realize that things could go poorly for the Vols this season.  Thus, I think I am taking the wait-and-see approach and am hoping that we will see a few fireworks this Saturday.  Mainly, I am just hoping that the Vols return to being a team once more and that the fans finally start cheering and quit booing like they did last season.  Thus, I am a little worried about the in-the-stands aspect of the game.

Either way, for this week, I am pretty pumped because Western Kentucky doesn’t have a whole lot of fire.  As for the Florida game … I’ll get back to you on that one.

4) Alright, we’ve come through all of the previews and prognostications thus far but one real question remains: in the minds of each of the Roundtablers how do you expect the Vols to fare against the competition on their schedule?  Which games do they win, which games do they lose, and why?

HSH: Here’s my picks for the season:

• Western Kentucky: WIN — Lane Kiffin’s not going to lose his first game, and Western Kentucky isn’t really that good at football right now.
• UCLA: WIN — Neither team was good last year, and I don’t know who’s improved more, but there is absolutely no way a Pac-10 team should come 3,000 miles cross-country and beat Tennessee in Neyland Stadium (see Cal 2006).
• Florida: LOSS — Look, we aren’t going to get beat 175-0, but we aren’t going to beat Florida. They are more talented, deeper, faster, it’s really hot in the afternoons in Gainesville, and they have Tim Tebow.
• Ohio: WIN — This game kind of scares me, but Tennessee’s not going to lose to Ohio.
• Auburn: WIN — Because Gene Chizik is the coach of the Tigers.  Also, right now, Chris Todd is their QB. Even if he was throwing to Andre and Calvin Johnson, he still would be no better a QB than what the Vols have.  Even simpler: Tennessee should have won last year, and they added a much better recruiting class.
• Georgia: LOSS — The Vols can win this game, but UGA’s two strengths are their lines, which isn’t exactly what we’re looking at right now.
• Alabama: LOSS — I would expect a low-scoring game, but Alabama’s the better team playing at home, so I’m not going out on a limb.
• Carolina: WIN — When the Gamecocks lose Thursday night, people will see the issues they have.  Unless Stephen Garcia blows up, I don’t expect much from Carolina.  They’ll be solid on defense, but they lost Kenny McKinley and Jared Cook and the offensive line has been iffy at best.
• Memphis: WIN — It’s only not happened once.
• Ole Miss: LOSS — Unless the Rebels tank amidst the preseason hype – as they are fully capable of doing – you can’t expect Tennessee to win in Oxford.
• Vanderbilt: WIN — 2005 was a fluke and a half.
• Kentucky: WIN — Tennessee always beats Kentucky.

Lawvol: I’m an idiot, but here’s what I think:

• Western Kentucky: WIN — Even last year we win this one.  Western Kentucky is just out-manned.  In fact, to keep from showing our looks to the likes of Florida and such, I think we should only start Eric Berry, and let him take on the entire Western Kentucky squad.  In that scenario, I’d say Western Kentucky 3, Eric Berry 42.
• UCLA: WIN — This one actually scares me a bit because the Bruins managed to beat us last year and they just plain sucked.  Still, it should be entertaining to see The Full Monte versus Norm Chow’s offense.  I think the last thing that the Blackjack General wants to do is lose to his old cross-town whipping boy from his days at USC.
• Florida: We have a chance — Yes, I realize this is not an answer to the question, but I think we might have a chance.  Why?  I think that the chutzpah that Kiffin has shown, paired with all the bulletin board material over the last year counts for something.  I think if there is anyway humanly possible for the Vols to string together an unlikely victory on heart alone, this is the one.  If the Vols win, it is a nail-biter.  If it follows the script that everyone thinks rationally should happen, Florida by 7.  If the Vols aren’t ready then the boys in orange (and their fans) get bent over the table and take it the hard way from the Jorts tribe.
• Ohio: WIN — Ohio almost beat the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus last year until third quarter errors gave the game away.  Ohio will be trying to prove something and will com in hyped.  Thus, be careful in writing them off.  The Vols better forget about the Florida game really quickly (regardless of the outcome) and be ready for this one.
• Auburn: WIN — This one is intriguing, but I really think the Vols have an advantage here, albeit a small one.  I think this is one of those games where the Orange are glad to be playing in Neyland Stadium.  Close, but the Vols take it home.
• Georgia: WIN — I think that the loss of Stafford and Moreno leave Georgia with an anemic offense which our defense can handle.  Furthermore, with an effective running game (set behind a zone blocking scheme which will have had some time to gel) I think the Vols get it done in a barnburner that goes down to the wire.
• Alabama: LOSS — This game could go either way, but I think Nick Saban will have time to get his offense settled by this late in the season and the home field advantage is just too much for the Vols.  That said, if they win against Florida and have anything left in the tank Volunteers leave it on the field in Tuscaloosa and could pull out an unlikely win.
• Carolina: WIN — I think we return to what we have seen in years past from the Thunder Chickens as they awe the world with their average-ness once more.  I think one year after Spurrier pushed Smiling Mike to the point of firing the Great Punkin, The Ole Ball Coach announces his retirement the day after the Vols win.
• Memphis: WIN — There is no way that the Vols should lose this game.  Of course, there was no way the Vols should have lost in 1996 either.  Still, a betting man calls this one a win.
• Ole Miss: WIN — The Vols have Memphis the preceding week, while Ole Miss has Northern Arizona (I didn’t even know they had a team).  Thus, both should have a week to get healthy and buck-up.  If Ole Miss is leading in the West, then the Vols have their work cut out for them.  If not, then the Vols have a lot more to play for — respect.  This could easily go Ole Miss’ way, but I’m giving the Vols the nod (for now).
• Vanderbilt: WIN — Hmmm … Vandy actually looks to have a better squad than last year, but so do the Vols.  Tennessee by double digits.
• Kentucky: WIN — The complete lack of a defense by the Kentucky Wildcats helps balance out Tennessee’s weaknesses on offense.  The Orange stretch the streak on more year.

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on our largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange
• Loser With Socks

If trial preparation doesn’t kill me, look for a round-up sometime late in the week…

– So it goes … and – … to me.

** Notice: Whatever you do, Do NOT try this.  It is a joke.  You know, a joke — a short story with a humorous climax.  Why aren’t you laughing?  And what’s with all the shakers and the blowtorch?  >>Return<<

Allegedy Related Posts (Computer Generated):

• 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 1 – the “Welcome Back” Edition (9)
• 2009 CBS Sports BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot: Week 7 (2)
• 2009 SEC Football Power Poll: Week 6 (2)

Rocky Top Talk

This week’s Big Orange Roundtable is hosted by Rocky Top Talk and serves up another installment of questions burning in the minds of the orange-clad denizens who follow the Tennessee Volunteers.

In the interest of full disclosure, HSH sent me his responses to this week’s questions earlier in the week.  In theory, I was then supposed assemble a post including my answers along with his.  In theory, this sounds simple … in theory.  Reality is quite a different matter.  I have been woefully unreliable in terms of my posting of late due to my “real life,” and more specifically, my “real job.”

Thus, as a result of me being completely backed-up in preparation for an upcoming trial (a/k/a “evidence manipulation conference”) I am yet again forced to punt—at least for the moment.  This is particularly annoying considering how great the questions are this week.  Thus, for now the only answers I have to offer are those from HSH—which is probably a good thing considering that he actually knows what he’s talking about.  I will try to add in my responses later, if possible.  Until then, however, here are HSH’s thoughts for the week:

Week 6

1) Which newcomer do you expect to play the most total snaps for the Vols this fall?

HSH: Well, by the looks of things, we know for sure it won’t be Bryce Brown, though he may be the best talent of the freshmen.

Though I have trouble remembering him actually being a freshman, it almost has to be Montori Hughes at defensive tackle, simply because of the lack of depth at defensive tackle and the sore, wobbly knees of senior end-turned-tackle Wes Brown.  With Brown’s knees, its almost more a question of when as opposed to if they’re going to take him out of action.  I have to take this moment to say his never-quit attitude and what he’s been saying about his situation has him rapidly climbing up my favorite 2009 Vols.

Back to Hughes, I said he doesn’t seem like a freshman because of three things: first, he’s obviously from the 2008 class out of Siegel High School in middle Tennessee, but didn’t qualify.  Secondly, he enrolled in January, so he was in for the spring, so it’s like he’s been at UT for longer than the other freshman.  Finally, it’s because he’s a very large man.  Either way, it’s clear he’s moved up to the third tackle spot, behind Williams and Brown and ahead of Victor Thomas, Rae Sykes and Marlon Walls.

But given the situation at defensive tackle behind Big Dan Williams, Hughes has to be the freshman who will see the most action.

As for the “true” freshman with the most impact, I’ll say receiver Marsalis Teague.  I went to last Thursday’s practice and last Saturday’s scrimmage, and Teague had some impressive plays.  I think Gerald Jones and Brandon Warren will be the top 2 wideouts, but Teague is my third (and Quintin Hancock fourth), given the injury to Denarius Moore.  Also, Teague seems like more a pure receiver than Nu’Keese Richardson in my opinion.

Lawvol: (Long thoughtful pause followed by a longer, yet less thoughtful, sucking sound…)

2) Assuming we all believe Gerald Jones is going to lead the team in receptions again this season, who will finish second?

HSH: I somewhat addressed Tennessee’s receivers in the previous question, and I’ll go with who I said was the second receiver there: Brandon Warren.  As I said, from last Thursday and last Saturday, my reaction to see #1 running routes and catching passes was one of amazement.  In other words, I was surprised how he was a “tight end” last year and how he caught maybe 10 passes last year.  He easily passes the eye test as a wide receiver.

One final thought: Jones led UT with 30 catches last year and Lucas Taylor led the Vols in yards.  Taylor caught 26 passes.  Who was third?  Arian Foster with 19.  Josh Briscoe and Austin Rogers were the next wide receivers, with both catching 14.  All that is to say again how ineffective the quarterbacks were last year.  Hopefully the second and third leading receivers this year have more catches—which you think has to happen, right?

Lawvol: Objection!  Leading, calls for speculation, and assumes facts not in evidence… (sorry, it’s just a habit)

3) If Tim Tebow and Eric Berry are the two best players in the SEC, who’s third?

HSH: Give me Brandon Spikes, Florida’s middle linebacker, who turned down a boatload of money from an NFL team to stay and try to win another national championship (vomit).

I’ve seen Terrance Cody and Rolando McClain, but I’ll take Spikes, the leader and best player on the league’s top defense.  Oh, and also this amusing celebration of a pick-six against LSU last year, and his best Eric Berry impression.

Honorable mention: Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead, Cody and McClain on the Alabama defense, Georgia LB Rennie Curran (SEC’s leading returner tackler), running back Charles Scott from LSU, the other 11 players on Florida’s defense and a trio of wide receivers: Julio Jones (Alabama), A.J. Green (UGA) and Brandon LaFell (LSU).

Lawvol: (Note the theme song to “the Smurfs” playing in the background…)

“The Smurfs” found at bee mp3 search engine

4) Generally speaking, which opposing SEC fanbase is your favorite to interact with? And which is your least favorite?

HSH: I’ll start with the least favorite, and that’s Georgia.  I went to Athens for the 51-33 beatdown as a college freshman in 2006 and I got treated worse there than I did in trips to more vaunted venues in Gainesville (2007) and Tuscaloosa (2005 and 2007).

I got incessantly and constantly barked at, which is fine but extremely annoying.  But even more so, my friends and I got cursed at because we had orange on.  They had no respect for me.  I had sorority girls looking great in red and black dresses dropping the F-bomb at me completely unprovoked.  The typical, expected stuff—”Tennessee sucks,” “Fulmer sucks,” “nothing sucks like a Big Orange,” the Gator Chomp, Roll Tide, War Eagle, Pig Sooie, etc., etc.—doesn’t bother me a bit.  But profanity?

I’m not saying I can’t handle it, but c’mon.  If I’m doing some chatting too, that’s one thing.  I don’t get belligerent at visitors in Knoxville unless they provoke me—and even then, I’m not yelling at them to “eff” their school or “eff” themselves.  Some common courtesy would be nice.

Though I have a higher disdain for Florida and Alabama because they’re our biggest rivals, Georgia will always be #3 on that list because of that trip to Athens.

As for the favorite, I would have to say Auburn, because as I’ve said repeatedly I have friends there and I can’t find any reason to really dislike them.  I haven’t been to Baton Rouge (or Columbia or Fayetteville – been everywhere else), but I haven’t had any issues with LSU fans when they’ve come to Knoxville and Atlanta.

But overall, I don’t know if I have a “favorite”—it’s more of a feeling of indifference than a preference one way or another.

Lawvol: This one I can actually answer, well, sort of.  I have pretty much addressed this in the past on more than one occasion.  I was probably clearest in my article “The State of Hate: Football Rivalries at Tennessee,” which continues to be true for me today.

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on our largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange
• Loser With Socks

– So it goes … and – … to me.

Allegedy Related Posts (Computer Generated):

• Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 (9)
• SEC Power Poll: 2009 All-SEC Football Selections Ballot (3)
• Giving Your All, the Rough and Tumble Way (0)

This week’s Big Orange Roundtable is hosted by The Pigskin Pathos, the resident Tennessee/Auburn blog, and he’s thought of some highly interesting questions…

Given the fact that Lawvol is lazy, unreliable, and has been out-of-position most of the week due to “depositions” (likely story), this week I am flying solo on the Roundtable…

Week 5

(1a) Urban Meyer is last in line to order at a Pahokee, Fla. McDonald’s. The door suddenly opens, and Lane Kiffin walks in. Urban Meyer is not above momentarily turning his head to see who enters a room, as we are all wont to do. Upon seeing each other, both coaches pause for a moment, knowing that an awkward encounter is inevitable. Lane, being the brash one, decides to initiate. Finish the conversation, use as many lines as you feelare necessary.

HSH: Sorry to be a Buzz Killington, but this a is trick question.

You see, there actually is no McDonalds in Pahokee. The closest one is in Belle Glade, which, according to Google Maps, is a 16-minute drive from the great city of Pahokee. After what Lane Kiffin said back around Signing Day in the spring about Pahokee, I was inspired to double-check of if the city had a McDonalds, and this is what I found. So maybe Kiffin’s Pahokee comments – although not necessarily wise – weren’t exactly that far off-base…they don’t even a McDonalds.

But to play along, here’s my take:

• Lane: Sup, Urbie?
• Urban: Oh…hey Lane…
• Awkward silence, tension building
• Kiffin’s phone rings, and it’s a recruit
• Urban goes on to order, the two never make eye contact again – including the postgame handshake September 19th

I think it would be the awkward confrontation between two guys that don’t have an ounce of respect for each other. These two guys couldn’t give a you-know-what about the other one, so I don’t think either would have much to say.

(1b) What do both coaches order?

HSH: Kiffin orders two double cheeseburgers, medium fry, medium drink – all off the Dollar Menu. Why, you ask? Because that’s what I get when I’m feeling some McDonalds (very rare occasions). Where else can you get a full, filling meal like that for just over $4? Kiffin’s a smart guy, too. Plus, remember how he negotiated less in his contract to pay his assistants more? Well, he’s got to watch the family budget – after all, he’s got that lovely wife and three kids.

Meyer is lame, and just orders whatever Tim Tebow tells him to order.

(2) If an asteroid were on a direct impact course with Earth, what could Eric Berry do about it? If he is successful in stopping the
asteroid and saving the world, does he win the Heisman then?

HSH: Berry would, of course, stop it. Because he can. He would catch it, and take it back 83 yards for six.

Sadly enough, even stopping a meteor from destroying the world wouldn’t be enough. Mostly because the media would be too busy fawning over Tim Tebow’s latest good deed because, you know, Tebow always seems to make sure he’s got a camera near or around his good mission trips and the like. And if the media wasn’t all over that, they’d be too busy being giddy over Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford throwing for 750 yards and 8 touchdowns on some Big 12 pansy defense (wait, they play defense in that league?).

(3) If you were on the planning committee for the Neyland Stadium renovations, what new things would you propose to be added to the Stadium and surrounding areas that are not already in the works?

HSH: Most of my changes would involve the student section and seating, because the recent stuff really seems to have taken care of most of everything else as far as I’m concerned. Here’s some of my ideas:

• No student seats in the upper deck; as in, give us another section in the South endzone, and up the ante on them. Make them competitive and use a similar system to the one they just created, except without all the confusing jargon.
• This may create some controversy, but here goes. I would have a simple little quiz – online, of course – for every student to take to be eligible to even get tickets. Just some simple questions about the game of football and about our team and maybe the SEC in general – questions most of us would obviously know. This is highly unfeasible, but the point would be to get all of the folks who either (a) don’t have a clue or (b) don’t care enough to follow the Vols out of the prime seating. Sadly enough, the inspiration for this comes from seeing girls sitting in better seats than me and texting or sitting the whole game. So yes, this is targeted at them more or less. Of course, if you pass an eye test, then what you know or don’t know is irrelevant. After all, getting the pretty UT girls on the CBS and ESPN cameras certainly makes the school look good, right?
• Spread the other teams’ way the heck out. Give them the section around their band and put the rest of them in a corner. Everyone else (ie, Florida, Alabama and Georgia) does it, why are we so nice?
• Keep the troughs in the mens’ bathroom, for sure.
• I would have kept the V-O-L-S letter signs on the top of the new JumboTron. That’s something I think we’d all agree on.

(4) I am a former Pride of the Southland member, so I’ve been always curious about this. What are your three favorite songs that the Pride plays? What is your least favorite song? What songs would you like to hear the Pride play on game days?

HSH: Ah, the Pride of the Southland. Our football program may suck at times and have fallen into mediocrity, but the band program is always at the top of their game. It’s more fun when we go on the road and march on the opponents’ field in the “Power T” formation, even though we may be down a couple touchdowns. Anyways…

Favorites:

• Rocky Top – obviously – but WITHOUT the “woo!”
• The real fight song, or “Down the Field.” Yes, I actually had to look up the name of it because I wasn’t totally sure. Tt’s the one the Pride plays directly following a touchdown. It’s what I’ve set my text message ringtone on my phone, and I think it’s underrated (or in the shadow of Rocky Top).
• The theme from the movie Gladiator, or, as I call it, our slower version of Florida State’s Seminole war chant. Not sure why, I just like it.

Less of, please:

• Livin’ On a Prayer: I don’t like Bon Jovi, and I always think of it as an Auburn thing, and we’re better than Auburn.
• The Lord of the Rings theme. Obivously. The movies are great, but I’m not sure it fits on the football field.

My one, lone, easy-to-do request. I’m stealing this from the LSU band, but I’ve heard they stole it from the HBCU schools (HBCU is the term for the predominantly black schools in the southern U.S., known for their very cool marching bands) like Southern, Grambling State, Florida A&M and others, so it’s fine by me. I believe it’s based off a version from Cameo, but http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lClZTjNS6xQ also have a version. Here’s LSU’s version…

Click here to view the embedded video.

My love of this song came from the 2007 SEC Championship Game, when some of my friends had seats near the LSU section, and came to me after the game lamenting Erik Ainge’s interceptions and raving on the crunk-ness of the LSU band and their amazingly fun-looking connection with their fans. You can see what the students and fans do in part – is that not cool? Unfortunately, I don’t think this will ever happen at Tennessee, even with the flair and energy of the new staff – I mean, they’re playing rap music at practice now…how dare they!

Our basketball ball pep band played this once a game this past season or so, and me and my friends – although not always sitting together – always manage to find each other doing said motion. With all the rap music blaring during our practices (and on the Neyland PA system at games, perhaps?), why not the Pride?

(5) Being a half Auburn blog, I feel compelled to ask this: since 2003, Auburn has quietly amassed a 4 game winning streak against Tennessee. How would you describe the current status of the Tennessee-Auburn rivalry (if there is one)?

I want to save the whole current state of the Tennessee and Auburn programs comparison for the week of that game, but it’s an interesting rivalry. I have no knowledge of it, but this used to be a pretty big deal because the Vols and War Eagles played every year prior to the divisional split in 1992. They played some pretty memorable games, but I have no connection with those because I wasn’t alive. Shame on my youth…

Really though, what comes to my mind when I think of the UT-Auburn rivalry is when Auburn beat Tennessee three times in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. I went to the regular season games both years. The highlights:

• 2003: Sitting in Vols section, we have obnoxiously loud Auburn woman fan behind, releasing a high-pitched squeal of glee at every Cadillac Williams 8 yard-run. Vols fall behind 28-7, before Casey Clausen starts throwing the ball all over the place. Jordan-Hare Stadium is palpable with nervousness as Vols mount final drive to tie the game.In Auburn territory, Clausen throws pick, which I still don’t think the guy caught, and Auburn wins. It was Clausen’s only loss on the road in the SEC in his career. We got lost in the dark of Auburn’s campus after words, have “War Eagle” yelled at us abou a thousand times, and sit in traffic on the only road out of Auburn for about two hours on the way back to Birmingham.
• 2004: My junior year of high school, I take a couple of Auburn buds along with me. GameDay was there, everybody was pumped. Auburn then absolutely stomped the Vols. 31-3 at half. Loudest I’ve heard the road team’s fans in Neyland Stadium in my life…EVER. Somehow, Tennessee recovered and beat Georgia in Athens next week 19-14 and won the SEC East that year…

…leading to the the crime that was the ‘04 title game. Opening drive, Williams fumbles into the endzone. Sure enough, Auburn falls on it. Vols score on 80 yard TD run? Nope, called back on an iffy holding call 10 yards behind the play. Vols stop Auburn on third down down 3 in the fourth quarter? Nope, pass interference on Vols after Jason Campbell threw the ball into the first row. Auburn scores next play. Surely the SEC wasn’t going to deny a team the opportunity to play for a national title, right?

If it sounds like I’m slightly bitter, it’s because I got to hear about those games ad nauseum for the next couple of years, as most of my friends from high school are Auburn fans that now attend the school. Most of that’s worn off now. Last year’s game was completely different because everyone walked out of Jordan-Hare that day fully aware of the abomination of a football game they had just witnessed, so no grief-giving was necessary. I never really hated Auburn, I just got sick of the constant grief. But now it’s different: I really don’t dislike Auburn at all, but it’s about time we actually beat Auburn.

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Be sure to check out what the other roundtablers have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange
• Losers With Socks

Also be sure to check out the round-up at Pigskin Pathos…

– … to me.

Allegedy Related Posts (Computer Generated):

• 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 4 (0)
• 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 (4)
• Headlines, Links, & Lies: Post-BCS Hangover Vitriol Edition (3)

Vol Junkies

This week’s Big Orange Roundtable is hosted by Vol Junkies, who has served up another installment of questions burning in the minds of the citizens of Orange Nation.

Thus, here are our thoughts for the week:

Week 4

1) What is your thought on Eric Berry’s Heisman chances?  Should he play on offense in-order to increase his chances?  Is Kiffin being to selfish saying Berry will not practice offense?

HSH: I’m not exactly how real Berry’s chances of actually winning the Trophy—which I deemed meaningless after the Manning debacle.  Not only does he have the obstacle of being a defensive player, he has to basically beat Colt McCoy from Texas, Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and some guy named Tebow.  I don’t think Lane Kiffin should play Berry on offense just to help his Heisman chances.  If our offense is seriously sucking, then sure, desperate times call for desperate measures.

That said, I have absolutely no problem with the University doing the whole campaign thing.  Berry is obviously a special, once-in-a-while player with a great attitude.  Seeing him in person on and off the field the past two years has been something I’m glad to have been a part of—now if only he might consider staying for his senior year…

Lawvol: I have very mixed (albeit not necessarily negative) feelings on this.

First of all, I personally believe that Eric Berry is more than deserving of a shot at the Heisman Trophy.  In two short years he has pretty much become the man-beast of SEC defenses and is, hands down, the best defensive player in the toughest conference in the country.  I personally believe that he is the best defensive player in any conference, anywhere.  That, however, is just my opinion and I will be the first to admit that I am biased.  Still, there is no arguing with the fact that Eric Berry has earned the right to be considered among the top players in the country this season and to be considered for the Heisman.  I am unequivocally behind the Tennessee’s campaign to promote Berry’s Heisman candidacy.

That said, I am less that optimistic about his chances…

I say that because, since only one truly defensive player has previously won the Heisman—which I am sure every Tennessee fan remembers all too well—the precedent is somewhat weak.  Furthermore, given the national media’s love affair with Tim Tebow, I expect that every possible machination that can occur to ensure Tebow winning the trophy for the second time will be brought to bear, if at all possible.

There is also the fact that exaggerated hype often leads to less-than-stellar performances since, with everyone talking about how great a particular player is, the target on their back gets even bigger when facing opponents.  That is not to say that I doubt Berry’s ability to produce in the same way he has in the past, but recognizes that opposing teams will be gunning for him … and staying away from him.

As for whether I think it is selfish for Lane Kiffin to keep Berry from playing on offense, that one is easy to answer.  No, not one bit.  In fact, I feel the opposite.  To me, changing the way you field a player for the sole purpose of advancing that player’s interests is selfish—even if it adds prominence to the team or the program as a whole.  As the old saying goes, “there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’.”  In my opinion, any coach with a Heisman hopeful should treat that player in exactly the same way he would any other player.  To do anything else not only flies in the face of the team concept, but can be woefully dangerous in terms of its effect on team morale—just ask Heath Shuler and the Tennessee offensive line that played in the 1993-94 Citrus Bowl.

Were Kiffin to decide independent of the Heisman race that Berry needed to play on offense, I would have no problem with it, in fact it might be extremely exciting.  To do so just for the sake of Heisman balloting, however, is simply not something I think is acceptable.

Furthermore, I question whether suddenly playing a player in a new position would actually help or hinder the chances of winning voters’ eyes.  This season is filled with change already—from top to bottom.  Berry, just like everyone else on the Vols’ squad, is busy learning new schemes and concepts from the new coaching staff.  Furthermore, the sheer size and scope of the playbooks for Tennessee is really quite staggering.  I have heard from a reliable source that, up until 1997, no offensive player in the modern era had ever learned the entire offensive playbook until Peyton Manning, and he only accomplished that feat as a senior.

To me, adding a whole new facet—offense—to the game for Berry would likely result in a fall-off in his performance on defense.  It adds one more thing that he has to keep track of in his head and doubles the already considerable pressure that being pumped as a superstar brings with it.  In then end, I think there is probably more to lose than there is to gain.

2) Do you think Kiffin secretly wishes he would have held onto Taj Boyd?

HSH: Nope, not all, for two reasons.  First, as we all know, Kiffin’s a confident fellow.  He has his plan, he knows what he wants and how he wants to go about it.  And he believes in what he’s doing.

He evaluated Boyd, saw that he might have lacked pure arm strength and that he made have had some issues coming off knee issues.  So he told Boyd what he told him.  I think Tennessee’s in good shape with Tyler Bray and they might get Memphis’ Barry Brunetti to switch his commitment to West Virginia, and the recent run on WR recruiting, what QB wouldn’t want to come to Tennessee and throw to those guys?

Lawvol: Well, whether he does or doesn’t, is really irrelevant now.  What is, is.

That said, I doubt that the Blackjack General, has given more than a few seconds thought to the matter considering his staff and this no-holds-barred approach to recruiting.  I am sure that Boyd probably appreciated the honesty from Kiffin in telling him that he simply didn’t feel that Boyd would fit in the Vols’ system.  I know I find it refreshing.  Either way, like HSH, I feel certain that Kiffin will find the right person and it’s not like the Vols haven’t started to get looks from some good players.  After all, though we do not yet know how a Lane Kiffin-coached team will perform on the field, he has made it clear he knows how to recruit.  Furthermore, trying to make a player work when they really are not suited to your system just leads to disappointment for everyone involved.

I say get the right player for Tennessee, even if that means waiting a bit.  I for one am glad to see that Kiffin is willing to do just that.

3) Is this the most excited you have been for a football season to start EVER?

HSH: In recent memory, yes. Maybe 2006, because I had just started school up here in Knoxville and the big opener with Cal and Florida coming in two weeks following that. Perhaps 2005, because of all the hype and that defense and the “momentum” from the previous season.

But this is different.  It seems like it’s been a year since Kiffin was hired and we went through the staff hiring and the coups on National Signing Day, the verbal slap of Urban Meyer and the secondaries.

Now it’s go-time.  Everything’s going to be new, so that adds a bit of intrigue to the whole thing, but the energy Lane, Monte and Coach O have brought certainly have had their effects on the players and us as fans.  Amidst all the energy though, we have to remember that Tennessee’s not going to win the SEC this year.  This isn’t going to be a one-year turnaround and we have to be a little patient, prepare for some of the usual pains and just enjoy the climb.  The Vols have 8 home games this year, so hopefully the fans are ready to do their part in helping the team.

Lawvol: That’s a tough question to answer.  For me, the most exciting pre-season run-up to kickoff in my lifetime was getting ready for Peyton Manning’s senior year in 1997.  The Vols were picked to be stellar and were ranked in the pre-season top-3 in all the polls.  It also happened to be my senior year in Knoxville.  I suppose I would still say that there was more “excitement”—in the sense of there being a real belief on the part of everyone that the Vols might win the whole thing—in 1997.  If we are talking about just sheer anticipation because you simply have no idea what to expect, then I would have to say that this year is on top.

Of course, it is worth noting that in 1998 I had very low expectations of what Tennessee would do prior to the season getting under way.  What with Manning graduating and a virtual unknown named Tee Martin starting his first game at quarterback, I figured that the Vols would probably find rough going for at least the first few games of the season.  That season, however, turned out pretty well for the Vols.

Either way, I am always stoked before the first kickoff and it seems to increase exponentially as the first game approaches.  There is so much to be excited about this year and—no matter what happens—I feel like this will be a good year for the Vols as they progress toward the future.

After all, a lousy football season is better than no football season at all…

4) A quick diversion from football and onto Basketball. Do you think that Bruce’s style of basketball is a deterrent to the one and done type players, due to the fact one and done-rs and top recruits are looking for more minutes and to be  the center of attention?

HSH: I don’t think it’s Bruce Pearl’s style as much as it the fact that we’re Tennessee.  Just to be brutally honest, if you’re a a high school kid who has obvious NBA talent, wouldn’t you want to showcase that on the biggest stage possible?

I know Bruce has taken our program to heights it’s never been before and I hope he never leaves Knoxville.  But we’re still Tennessee.  I know Michael Beasley went to play in relative obscurity at Kansas State and still managed to be the second pick in the draft, but the point still remains, at least in my mind.

We’re not near the top of the list of schools a future NBA star and one-year college player is going to go to increase his stock.  On top of that, there are all of two ex-Vols in the Association right now—C.J. Watson now in Orlando and Marcus Haislip just signed by the Spurs.  Watson wasn’t drafted and Haislip has spent the last few years in Europe after being a bust of a lottery pick.

The bottom line to me is this: our prestige has gone up exponentially the last four years under Pearl, but we’re still Tennessee, and we still aren’t exactly pumping out NBA players a la places like Carolina, Texas, UCLA, Kansas, UConn, Memphis State and so on.

Lawvol: Frankly, I hope it is because I have little tolerance for the one-and-done mentality.

Most of the “in-and-out, thanks-for-the-cred, see ya!” type of players are not the sort that I want to see Tennessee recruiting.  The whole “student athlete” thing should still mean something.  I am dedicated to Tennessee and have been since the day I decided that I would attend college there.  I expect the players we put on the floor to be not only be great athletes, but also good representatives for the university, and good people.  I am not naive enough to believe that all the players we recruit are completely free of the ulterior motive of wanting to play professionally and perhaps using the Big Orange as the springboard to making that a reality.  I also will freely acknowledge that I can hardly blame a player for leaving early when they are all but guaranteed to instantly become wealthy.

All I ask is that the players wearing the orange be committed to Tennessee while they are here.   I have no problem with them dreaming of the future or making decisions based upon that future.  What I do have a problem with is when players simply see Tennessee (or any other school for that matter) as little more than a way to get their ticket punched as quickly as possible.

But then again, I am a lawyer and am generally a disagreeable sort…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on our largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange

– So it goes … and – … to me.

Allegedy Related Posts (Computer Generated):

• 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 (4)
• How Much is Winning Worth? (0)
• Flashback: The Great Games — Kentucky 1997 (2)

Your Mother Slept with Wilt Chamberlain

This week’s Big Orange Roundtable is hosted by Thomas the Terrible over at YMSWWC.  As you may have noticed, I have been a bit scarce this week, while HSH has been burning it up with his awesome series of 2009 SEC Football Previews (which, by the way, are now linked and accessible via the links on the countdown widget in the sidebars).  Given the fact that he has done yeoman’s work this week already (and the fact that I have been so un-helpful due to a spate of pesky depositions), this week I am flying solo on the Big Orange Roundtable.  Which pretty much means that this set of responses will suck more than usual.

At any rate, here are my thoughts for the week:

Week 3

1) Now that we have covered the receivers & QB’s, let’s get to the running game.  Just how much improved do you think the running game will be??

Lawvol: Every time I make predictions about how good someone is going to be, how many games someone will win, or how likely it is that Charlie Weiss develops a gravitational field and causes opposing coaches to go into orbit, I look like a fool.  I am awful at this sort of thing.

I suppose that Niels Bohr got it right when he said “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.”

All that said, I do think that the running backs this year have the chance to really do some special things … or fall flat on their faces.  We really have no choice but to lean on them.  My gut tells me that Bryce Brown will be great someday, but that it is simply unreasonable to expect him to come exploding out of the gates from day one.  While he might end up factoring-in significantly by mid-season I don’t see him being the cure-all for the Vols offensive woes from last season immediately.

For this reason, I see Montario Hardesty as the man on which the Vols’ early-season offensive hopes hangs.  If he can stay healthy and stay focused, I think he has the potential to really put up some gaudy numbers behind the re-tooled offensive line with its zone-blocking scheme.  Of course, no matter how good Hardesty may be, if Tennessee cannot improve its passing game at least a little, then defenses are simply going to stack-up to kill the run all day long.  As a result, I think whether Hardesty is able to actually make things happens depends a great deal on whether the quarterback under center can play his role effectively.  If so, then I think that Tennessee’s backs should be more than strong enough to score some points.  If not, then the scores may be low—and the risk of injuries to the running backs great—as opposing defenses pound away at the Vols ground attack.

Still, I am hopeful and optimistic that running backs, now coached by Eddie Gran, are up to the challenge.

2) During the SEC media days, Kiffin made the comment “Do I love every single thing I’ve done my (first) seven months?  No, I haven’t loved having to do it.  But it needed to be done, in my opinion, for us to get where we needed to be.”  What do you think he was talking about??

Lawvol: Well, it is fairly well documented that there are any number of things he could be referring to.  It’s not like he hasn’t had plenty of attention as a result of his statements and actions.  If, however, I had to guess (and it would only be guessing), I would imagine that Lane Kiffin would most like to have a “do-over” on the ESPN “Outside the Lines” fiasco where, in the process of talking about secondary violations at Tennessee, he committed another secondary violation by allowing ESPN to film him talking to recruits.

I imagine that he was not to pleased with ESPN after that little gambit, and may have even had a few harsh words for Bob Ley.  Still, getting the program’s name out and about to the world beyond Knoxville is important, and probably makes the end benefit worth the cost.

Of course, he could be talking about the evening he shared martini’s in the bathtub with SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, but it is hard to say.

3) Do you think giving Mike Hamilton a big raise and extension is a mistake before seeing how Kiffin performs as a head coach?

Lawvol: Well, I personally think that Mike Hamilton (a/k/a “Smiling Mike“) has earned an extension irrespective of what happens this year in football.  Hamilton has completely reshaped the face of Tennessee athletics in a positive way.  Some would say that he has money first—which is not necessarily unfair—but he has not forgotten the fans along the way.  Smiling Mike has made everything related to Tennessee more enjoyable and more polished than it was in the past.  You need only look at the Neyland Stadium Master Plan Renovations, or the recent renovations to the Tommy Bowl (f/k/a “The Big Brown Box”) to see this in real terms. Unlike his predecessor, the Big Dickey (for whom I have no love lost), Smiling Mike does seem to understand that without the fans and their money Tennessee athletics goes no where.  Hamilton has done more to show some appreciation to the fans than anyone at Tennessee ever.

Furthermore, independent of how Lane Kiffin’s first team performs on the field, Hamilton has made some superb moves in the personnel department—namely hiring Bruce Pearl.  I personally believe that Kiffin was also a good hire but—as we all know—the proof will come on the field.  Either way, Hamilton has re-energized the Tennessee Athletic Department and the fanbase in ways which still amaze me.  Let’s be honest, Tennessee’s fans have always been loyal, but for a long time the pulse of the program was faint at best.  Now, people are excited about Tennessee athletics—and not just football.

Has all of this come at a price?  Sure, it costs more to watch the Vols play; the program requires more and more money each year to operate; and the “Good Ol’ Boys” club is not as important as it used to be.  I would suggest, however, that the first two are simply a reality of life if you want to field a competitive program.  I would also contend that the death of the Good Ol’ Boys club is a good thing and was long overdue.  Sports at Tennessee are a business, plain and simple.  Mike Hamilton was smart enough to realize this and to make the commitment to putting the customer—the fans—first.  I think that earns him a feather in his cap.

Thus, I say keep Smiling Mike, while he may not always make everyone happy, he has a vision and has focused on making that a reality.

4) What is the one game Tennessee needs to win this season?

Western Kentucky's Bizarre Mascot

Lawvol: Well, as much as it would be easy to say that the Vols must beat the Kentucky Wildcats, the Vanderbilt Commodores, or the Western Kentucky Whatever-the-hell-that-little-red-blob-of-a-mascot-is-supposed-to-be’s because each of these teams are clearly weaker than the Vols, I have to agree with Thomas over at YMSWWC and say that the Vols must—emphasize MUST—defeat the Thunderchickens this year.  With Alabama and Florida both being long shots at best, and Georgia being a toss-up, The South Carolina Gamecocks are the only solid team in the SEC East that the Vols should beat and get to play in Knoxville.  Thus, a loss to the Cocks would be a bad thing.  In other words, lose to the Gamecocks and it sends the signal that the Vols are still slipping in the SEC East.

In my opinion (which is worthless, really) the South Carolina game is really what it all comes down to.  It is a milestone game in front of a home crowd.  It is a must-win game

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• Loser With Socks
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange

– So it goes …

Image(s) Courtesy of:     Western Kentucky AD ||  Statement on Fair Use

Allegedy Related Posts (Computer Generated):

• 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 8 — The Kickoff Edition (0)
• Headlines, Links, & Lies: Post-BCS Hangover Vitriol Edition (3)
• 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 (4)

This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I’ve only seen it once since it’s been moved.  I have to say it’s going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall.

For me, it’s just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here’s what’s changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center.

And that’s just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There’s also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I’ve seen started and completed in my days as a student.

Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing…

The Rock in its new Home

Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I’m sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it’s getting awfully close to nut-cutting time.

But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don’t like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who “don’t fit the system” to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.

Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit.

Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well.

Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee’s football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he’s definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least.

However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now…

Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn’t seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I’m not sure that if he’s not 100% that you don’t keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don’t think we should start panicking yet.  Why?

Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what’s the one position everyone isn’t concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don’t have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.

Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don’t want players who are caught up in the gear they’ll get (they’ll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn’t matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance.

As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday’s press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee’s winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody.

OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn’t change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.

I hate Nike…

I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length).

In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994.

It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image…

…that and big piles of money.

The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools.

When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image.

From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school.

In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered.

I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game.

I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise.

Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth.

For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

“Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything.”
-Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best.

Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer.

More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything”

I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange
• Loser With Socks

Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week…

– So it goes … and – … to me.

Image(s) Courtesy of: What’s On the Rock / TwitPic • SI.com ||  Statement on Fair Use

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Once more unto the breach, dear friend…

This week marks the return of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by MoonDog over at MoonDog Sports.com.

Given the fact that I have been tied up with re-modeling and am just generally incompetent, HSH and I have decided to both jump in on the Roundtable and offer our points as a team.  In the event we disagree, I’m wrong…

Here are our thoughts for the week:

Week 1

1)  In my mind, this season’s success—or failure—centers around one man, Jonathan Crompton.  What is your opinion of Crompton’s ability to run Lane Kiffin’s pro style offense?  Can Crompton overcome his miserable 2008 season and lead the Vols to a winning record?

HSH: Crompton absolutely cannot be much worse, right?  A common theme in the answers you’re likely going to see here will say something along the lines of Crompton’s main responsibility of managing the game—and doing quite a bit of handing the rock off.  You would think that in Lane Kiffin’s offense he won’t be throwing the ball too much, assuming the Vols are able to run the ball well.  Obviously the running game can help make Crompton’s job easier, although the WR injuries this week aren’t helping his Heisman hopes.

The optimist in me says that most of Crompton’s issues last season were due to the overall overwhelming ineptitude of Dave Clawson’s offense.  However, the Auburn debacle, which I placed almost direct blame on Crompton, has me hesitant.  Tennessee wasn’t too far away from being at worst 8-4 last year , so even marginal improvement by #8 should get the Vols above 6 wins.  I’m willing to give him another chance, but hopefully for everyone’s sake he doesn’t throw a pick or botch a handoff in the first series at Western Kentucky come September 5…

Lawvol: It’s a funny thing.  Last year—based solely upon his performance while filling in for the injured Eric Ainge in 2006—I was expecting great things from Crompton.  In fact, I was actually convinced that the Crompton would wow the Vol faithful with a new look as a mobile quarterback who is not afraid to make contact with defenders.  At one point last year I actually predicted that, after an 8 or 9 win season in 2008, the Vols would potentially contend for a national championship in 2009 behind Crompton and the much vaunted Clawfense.

This proves two things.  First, it shows that rising to the occasion in a moment of need—which I think Crompton did admirably while standing in for Ainge—is not the same thing as being a starter.  The second thing it proves is that I am a moron.

All that said, I too agree that Crompton’s biggest goal is to just play cleanly.  In 2008, there were times when it seemed likely that he might trip over the yardlines or deliver a handoff to a blitzing linebacker.  Personally, I think that much of this owed to a fundamental lack of understanding of the Clawfense by the offense as a whole—which pretty much just peed down its leg for the entirety of the 2008 season.  This is not to say that Dave Clawson was not a good coach or that the Clawfense could not work, it simply did not work in 2008 for the Vols.

Not to be overly critical, but Crompton does not (or at least has never shown) that he has the mental game of Eric Ainge or any of the other quarterbacks that preceded him in Orange.  Crompton likes to play loose and makes plays based purely upon athletic ability and less upon great decision-making ability.  As he made clear when filling in for Ainge (famously dropping his head and planting a “T” in the chest of an LSU defender), Crompton is an instinct guy.  I don’t think he cares much for his mind getting in the way of him playing football.  Perhaps that is why he often seemed to have the deer in the headlights look when trying to work through the permutations of the offense last year on the field.  As a result he made bad decisions, held the ball for what seemed like ten minutes in the pocket, and generally failed to meet expectations.  I just do not believe that he “got it.”  Thus, I suppose the 2008 season was the proverbial “Perfect Storm” that was destined for disaster from an offensive perspective.  On one hand there was an offense inspired by the theories of Niels Bohr and Stephen Hawking and on the other a quarterback who is not exactly known for his mental toughness.

If Kiffin and Jim Cheney can keep it simple, allowing Crompton to simply play, I continue to believe that he has the ability to be a decent quarterback.  I actually think he has the ability to be a competent passer (that is if there are any receivers left for him to throw to), so long as the system is simple.  For Crompton, I think it is all about just letting him play.  Hopefully that is what they will let him do.

2)  Last season, the kicking game was mediocre at best and the special teams—especially the punt coverage unit—was a disaster.  Daniel Lincoln returns as the kicker and Chad Cunningham will return as the punter.  What are your thoughts about the Vols kicking game and special teams?

HSH: When you bring up Tennessee and special teams, the first thing that comes into my mind is Florida’s Brandon James.  This is my senior year of college here at UT, and I’ve seen—in person—that little guy take a punt back on my Vols every year of my college career.  That can’t happen again, right?  At least I won’t be there in person if James does…

Will Kiffin kick to him?  Or will the Vol offense be such a juggernaut that Tennessee won’t have to punt or attempt anything more than extra points?  Chad Cunningham punted well on occasion last year, but can he do that each and every kick?  Daniel Lincoln right now has to cause lost sleep because he was pretty bad last season.  Fortunately for him, Erik Ainge’s pair of picks in the ‘07 SEC title game made people forget about Lincoln’s pair of missed kicks, which seemingly was the beginning of his troubles.  Hopefully he can break out of his funk.

As for the return game, I just hope Nu’keese Richardson is either doing punt returns or kick returns (or both).  Remember the spark Dennis Rogan brought back in 2007?  Yeah, having that would be nice.

Lawvol: Other than devotees to General Neyland’s Game Maxims, few people notice a kicker until they screw up.  It’s all fun and games till the winds are a blowin’ and the refs are swinging their arms.  That said, I actually believe that both Cunningham and Lincoln are more than talented enough to do the job—after all, Lincoln was an All American Selection in 2007.  Still, last year was not a good one for the kicking teams.  Kickers tend to be a bit fragile—one or two big misses and they lose their confidence.  The best way for that to change is by not depending on field goals to win close games.  In other words, put the ball in the checkerboards and the pressure is off Lincoln, giving him a chance to get his stride back.  I think that, if given the opportunity to have a little success early in the season, he will find the mark again.

As for Cunningham, he has the distance, but seems to lack control and consistency.  Given all of the upheaval within the team as whole last season, I am hopeful that this might have simply been a by-product of a fanbase in a feeding frenzy paired with a program stuck in the process of melting down.  Confidence is everything for kickers and that comes from the top.  Lane Kiffin is many things but is not short on confidence.  I think this, along with the general change in attitude for the team as a whole will have a positive impact on the two most important toes on the team.

As for kick returns, things actually seemed okay at times last year, but there was no explosive threat on the return.  I agree that Nu’keese Richardson might play a significant role here … if he is ready.

3)  Tennessee’s offensive line was thought to be a strength in 2008, but like the rest of the offensive unit, didn’t perform well.  What are your thoughts regarding the offensive line for 2009?

HSH: I think the returning lineman have gone on the record saying how much the flipping line offense threw them off, not to mention it gave away the direction of Tennessee’s play to opposing defenses.  So I would think the zone blocking schemes in the Kiffin offense would be easier and better for these guys.  Anything is better than that silly line-flipping nonsense of the Clawfense, right?

The other issue is obviously depth.  Tennessee is hardly a deep team anywhere save for the secondary, but the offensive line is a place where the depth issue maybe the most severe and most uncomfortable.  The starting five: Chris Scott, Josh McNeil, Vlad Richard, Jacques McClendon and…?  Behind them…?  It’s just a tad frightening what a injury here or there may mean.

Lawvol: After the 2007 season, the Vols were thought to have one of the best offensive lines in the country.  After allowing only four sacks in 2007 that was an easy conclusion to reach.  2008, however was a four-cornered disaster on offense.  The offensive line just never figured out whether they were supposed to pirouette, dip, or moonwalk when facing the onslaught of a defense under the Clawfense.  Again, I’m not saying that Dave Clawson’s paradigm was a bad one, but it was not the right one for Tennessee in 2008.

Going back to what I said above, keep it simple, stupid.  While The Full Monte—who Eric Berry refers to as the “Google of Defense”—is installing the “Tennessee Two” (which very well may be the most complex defense ever fielded by the Big Orange), Jim Cheney’s job has got to be making things simple.  The fact of the matter is that a well-executed simple system will beat a razzle-dazzle, knock-em-stiff, approach which is fouled-up.  “Simple,” however, does not have to mean “un-creative” or “one-dimensional”—given his experience at both Purdue and with the St. Louis Rams, I imagine Cheney’s offense will be anything but boring.  I also expect to see solid fundamentals by players who understand their role in the game.  Accomplish those goals, and you are more than halfway to fixing the problem.

As for the issue of depth, well, there are only so many bodies to fill the holes.  Kiffin, however, has made a strong commitment to giving the players who work the hardest and show the drive the chance to win the starting position.  I imagine that there will be a lot of jockeying for positions from hungry underclassmen for a shot at field time.  One the whole, I like the people we have, but if someone gets hurt things could get really interesting really quickly.

4)  Tennessee finished 5-7 last season, a huge disappointment for a team expected to perform much better.  How do you believe the Vols will finish in 2009?

HSH: I’ve got some SEC previews coming in the near future where I’ll go on the record with my predictions for everybody, but I’ll go ahead and give mine for the Vols here.  Here’s how the sked breaks down for me:

• 5 games to assume Tennessee should win: Western Kentucky, Memphis, Ohio, Vandy and Kentucky (because Tennessee never loses to Vandy or Kentucky).

• 3 games to assume Tennessee will lose: Florida (duh) and Alabama – measuring-stick games (how competitive will Tennessee be?)—and Ole Miss (road game, and they’ll wanna get some revenge on Coach O).

• 4 toss-ups: UCLA, Auburn, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Fortunately, Tennessee gets the four toss-ups at home.  The Vols are equal in talent or more talented than 3 of those teams.  Tennessee should honestly pound UCLA like they should have last year, and I have my doubts that Auburn and South Carolina can really come into Neyland Stadium and win.  The Auburn game is especially key, for two reasons: first, it’s the battle of the SEC coaching newbs, and losing at home to a coach whose own fanbase hated his hire (at first at least) probably wouldn’t be good, and second, it’s the beginning of a stretch of big games (AU, UGA, Bammer, and SC).

That leaves Georgia. I’m not sure how good the Bulldogs will be this year, but to expect Tennessee to win that game might be a little too much.  So it’s safe to assume UT beats UCLA, Auburn, and Carolina, and loses to UGA. All that means 8-4 is a safe expectation.

Lawvol: Well, I’m going to be a sheep and go on the record that I believe that Tennessee will win one game that it is not supposed to: namely either Alabama or Florida.  Most will think that I am crazy for that, but I think Kiffin’s chutzpah gets them one off of sheer belief in the new system.  On the other hand, I think they may likely have a chance of losing one they shouldn’t (to me, Kentucky seems especially likely in that regard).  I also do not think that the Ole Miss will be as big a deal as some think.  I really do not believe that Ole Miss will have an axe to grind with Coach O since, after all, Ole Miss fired him.

In the end, 7-5 is a distinct possibility.  I agree with HSH, however, that 8-4 is a safe expectation, but I believe that 9-3 is actually achievable.  I’ll have a much better feeling, however, after the first week of the season when we get to see not just what the Vols have to offer, but what the other teams put on the field.

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order):

• Rocky Top Talk
• 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
• YMSWWC
• MoonDog Sports
• Vol Junkies
• Pigskin Pathos
• Bleeding Orange
• Loser With Socks

Also be sure to check out the round-up over at MoonDog Sports later this week…

– So it goes … – … to me.

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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)

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