Tennessee won at Georgia by five points. It also won at Vanderbilt by five points.

That speaks volumes for a team whose performances have fluctuated wildly from one week to the next, or even one half to the next.

So how do you know which team will show up this afternoon? Will it be the Vols who played nationally ranked Georgia off its feet in Sanford Stadium last month? Or will it be the Vols who almost blew a 22-point lead against the 2-9 Commodores?

Answer: It doesn't matter.

An 8-2 Tennessee team playing a 2-8 Kentucky team without Jared Lorenzen at quarterback is as easy to figure out as a game on ESPN Classic.

The Vols have won 19 consecutive games against the Wildcats. They have scored in the 50s six times and in the 40s three times; their average margin of victory has been 24.2 points.

UT 34, Kentucky 7: The Wildcats are one of the most-balanced teams in SEC history. That's not a compliment.

Kentucky is last in the SEC in scoring offense, scoring defense, rushing offense and rushing defense. It's also last in punt returns and kickoff coverage.

Ole Miss 27, Mississippi State 20: David Cutcliffe has won seven or more games five times in six seasons as Ole Miss coach. So why do so many Ole Miss fans want him fired after his one losing season?

Answer: Because they suffer from Selective Memory Syndrome.

They remember that Ole Miss went 10-0 in 1962. They forget that it hasn't won an SEC championship in 41 years.

They remember that John Vaught won six SEC championships. They forget that he's the only Ole Miss coach ever to win an SEC championship.

They remember the glory days of Vaught on the sideline and Archie Manning at quarterback. They forget that Ole Miss was 22-10-1 in those three years.

They remember that Ole Miss contended for national championships in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They forget that it hasn't finished in the Associated Press' top 10 since 1969.

Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 17: No matter how badly the Bulldogs beat their in-state rival, their fans will be thinking more about losses than wins.

They're losing four-year starting quarterback David Greene, three-time All-American defensive end David Pollack and their top two pass receivers - Fred Gibson and Reggie Brown. And that's just the seniors.

It's the potential attrition of juniors that could sabotage the Bulldogs' chances of winning the East in 2005. Never mind that offensive guard Max Jean-Gilles, safety Thomas Davis and linebacker Odell Thurman have said they play to return for their senior seasons. There's still a good chance all three will leave early for the NFL. So could safety Greg Blue.

Top 25: Southern California 41, Notre Dame 17; Louisville 45, Cincinnati 34; Boise State 58, Nevada 27; Virginia Tech 30, Virginia 27; Boston College 30, Syracuse 20; UTEP 34, Tulsa 20.

Record: 195-41 (.826) overall, 134-102 (.568) against the spread.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com