College football

[maunahaole]

Most of those SEC teams would be competing for a playoff spot in the AFC West.

[arcadian]

Nice to see some Vol fans on here. Been a rough go lately for sure. I was in K-ville form 93-97, football was different then. We were good.

[holliscx]

Thank you Baylor. Thanks Stanford. SEC, Roll Tide!

[Ben]

Thank you Baylor. Thanks Stanford. SEC, Roll Tide!

First, I'd like to extend my customary invitation for Bama to go to hell, but after the utterly embarrassing display by Tennessee last night I'm just going to keep my fool mouth shut. I wouldnt be surprised at all if Mike Slive announced that the Tennessee-Kentucky game will not be recognized as an SEC game.

Second, here's how crazy this season has become: it's my understanding that if USC knocks off Notre Dame and Florida beats FSU, it's likely that Alabama will play either Florida or Georgia in the national championship game. I'm as big an SEC homer as the next guy, but good lord.

I'm still holding out hope for Tide-Ducks to somehow materialize. (Actually I'm holding out hope that a genie will appear and tell me that the 2012 season hasn't really happened and it's all been a terrible dream.)

[Matthew Strongin]

(Actually I'm holding out hope that a genie will appear and tell me that the 2012 season hasn't really happened and it's all been a terrible dream.)

+1. Other than a brief shining moment where my Alma mater beat my father's Alma mater, I'll be happy to put this one behind me.

[joosttx]

Ben, ducks v tide would be an interesting game. However, I will argue that the TRUE national championship game will be the SEC Championship if its bama v georgia (i have said this for about 10 years). And whom ever plays ND will be for $hits and giggles because ND just does not have the depth to compete.

The Dawgs are more talented than 'bama. But 'bama is better coached- this my elevator speech.

[rowdyhillrambler]

Dooley got shit canned, i wonder if they can just forfeit the rest of the season.?.? 7 out of the top 10 from the SEC, that is impressive.. Oh yea, Notre Dame can kick rocks and are fooling themselves to if they think they can play with the SEC.

[holliscx]

Tennessee struggles at football I can't remember the last time the Volunteers were relevant in any sport other than women's hoops.

Re: Georgia there's never any discipline in Athens. Bama will run the Dawgs out of the Georgia Dome should they meet in the SEC Championship game.

[Ben]

Ben, ducks v tide would be an interesting game. However, I will argue that the TRUE national championship game will be the SEC Championship if its bama v georgia (i have said this for about 10 years). And whom ever plays ND will be for $hits and giggles because ND just does not have the depth to compete.

I can't exactly bring myself to disagree with this. It's amazing that anyone ever makes it out of the SEC undefeated.

The Dawgs are more talented than 'bama. But 'bama is better coached- this my elevator speech.

That's a true fact. As much as I dislike Saban as a person, there's no question that he's operating at a higher level than anyone else except maybe Urban Meyer and Chip Kelly. Richt has been described as laid-back and likeable, having a life outside of football. Saban is so focused on football that he forgot his own birthday this year. He's utterly monomaniacal, to the point that he really doesn't seem to have what any of us would consider normal human interactions. With somebody like Urban Meyer, it eventually got to him,* and his family set some boundaries for his return to coaching. Saban just doesn't seem to have those normal-people limits. (And it's his perceived lack of humanity that so many people feel off-putting, me included.) The CNN/SI article linked above said that after he won the 2011 championship, he took two days off to spend with his family. Two days in late January and then back to the 18-hour days that are the norm for him. That's insane. (Meanwhile, Tennessee's coach broke his hip water-skiing this summer.)

*Let's be generous and pretend he didn't quit Florida because Tebow left, half his players had been arrested, and his team was in shambles. Riiiiiiight, Urban, health and family.

Tennessee struggles at football I can't remember the last time the Volunteers were relevant in any sport other than women's hoops.

You either have an exceedingly short memory or don't watch much football. (And I'm sorry if I'm grumpy. I trust it's understandable this year.)

[holliscx]

You either have an exceedingly short memory or don't watch much football. (And I'm sorry if I'm grumpy. I trust it's understandable this year.)

I've watched enough college football to know Tennessee had some pretty teams in the 90s and UTK won the title after Peyton left.

But Tennessee hasn't been relevant in 15 years!

[maunahaole]

I hear you Ben. UT is tops in butt chugging this year.

[Ben]

I hear you Ben. UT is tops in butt chugging this year.

Hey man, I avoided the holiday rush and hated frat guys while I was there in the 90s. You're a little late to my party.

I've watched enough college football to know Tennessee had some pretty teams in the 90s and UTK won the title after Peyton left.

But Tennessee hasn't been relevant in 15 years!

Not so!
They won the SEC East in 2007!
They were a blocked field goal away from beating eventual national champion Alabama in 2009!
They... they... they almost had a winning season last year!
They lost a LOT of games that they really should have won this year!

Damn you all. I'll now retreat to my weeping couch and put this on the phonograph:

[Ben]

And why are you sadists dumping on my poor Volunteers -- a team that everybody agrees sucks -- anyway?

With their destiny in their own hands, Oregon shit the bed with the lights on.
K-State got humiliated by a 4-5 team with the worst defense in the FCS.
Touchdown Jesus concussed Matt Barkley so Notre Dame could play for a championship without a single quality win.
Ohio State chose to have their bowl ban imposed this year instead of last, effectively choosing the Gator Bowl over a BCS championship.

Now that's interesting ineptitude! Talk about that!

/heavy drinking

[maunahaole]

And why are you sadists dumping on my poor Volunteers -- a team that everybody agrees sucks -- anyway?

Because of the horrible team colors.
Because you are so vigorously defending them.

[holliscx]

Because of the horrible team colors.

Knoxville's checkerboard end zone is a thing of beauty I hope we can all agree on that

A bluetick coon hound as a mascot I actually think that's kind of cool too as in it's regional and Uga is what

[Ben]

Because of the horrible team colors.

Since you've not had the testicular fortitude to declare who you support, I'm going to assume it's the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii. And I'm going to snort-laugh at you. Your team sucks AND has a stupid name AND their helmets make them look like Care Bears. (If Hawaii's not your team, just let me know and I'll come up with some other reason to make fun of them.)

Also, fashion trash-talk is the lamest trash-talk there is.
asskicked.jpg

Because you are so vigorously defending them.

Because, as you know, every spirited defense includes lines like:

...my alma mater sucks like a bilge...

after the utterly embarrassing display by Tennessee last night I'm just going to keep my fool mouth shut. I wouldnt be surprised at all if Mike Slive announced that the Tennessee-Kentucky game will not be recognized as an SEC game.

I'm holding out hope that a genie will appear and tell me that the 2012 season hasn't really happened and it's all been a terrible dream.

They lost a LOT of games that they really should have won this year

...my poor Volunteers -- a team that everybody agrees sucks...

Sometimes my homerism sickens even me.

[maunahaole]

A bluetick coonhound is so cool it makes that checkerboard caot that it has to wear not look so ridiculous. Disclaimer: I do not like clothing on dogs.

[maunahaole]

They are just the Warriors now. And they suck....especially this year. In a past life they were the Rainbow Warriors, but June Jones put the kibosh on that because of the association of the rainbow with the gay pride movement. Don't even get me started on that douche and the legacy that he left here. Folks here still call them the Bows, though.

I have to support them because it is the only thing we got and one of the players is good pals with one of my dogs (wife is a prof @ UH and takes one of the dogs to class with her). The women's volleyball has a much deeper tradition of winning on a consistent basis. The coach of that team is closing in on 1100 wins at this point.

[arcadian]

I've got your back Ben. The Vols will be back, it runs in cycles. Bama sucked for longer than we have. So there is hope. Bama cheats, and it is just a matter of time before they get caught (again).

BTW - Men's hoops UT > Bama by alot

[Ben]

They are just the Warriors now. And they suck....especially this year. In a past life they were the Rainbow Warriors, but June Jones put the kibosh on that because of the association of the rainbow with the gay pride movement. Don't even get me started on that douche and the legacy that he left here. Folks here still call them the Bows, though.

I have to support them because it is the only thing we got and one of the players is good pals with one of my dogs (wife is a prof @ UH and takes one of the dogs to class with her). The women's volleyball has a much deeper tradition of winning on a consistent basis. The coach of that team is closing in on 1100 wins at this point.

That was unsatisfyingly reasonable and well-considered. What fun is talking about football without blind, irrational hatred?