Pressure? What pressure?

Tennessee junior quarterback Rick Clausen has taken the advice given him by his big brother, former Vols' quarterback Casey Clausen, in stride.

"He said you have nothing to lose,'' Rick Clausen said. "He said 'You're a third-string quarterback and nobody expects anything out of you. Just go out there and show what you've got.' "

Clausen showed Tennessee fans what he had Saturday, rallying the Vols to a 37-31 victory over Kentucky in the final minutes. His 349-yard, two-touchdown performance was enough to earn Clausen SEC offensive player of the week honors.

Not that Rick Clausen is getting caught up in the hype entering Saturday's SEC championship showdown with No. 3 Auburn at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

"There's no reason to get uptight, it's just a football game,'' Clausen said. "Sure, the implications are a little bit more. We just need to prepare and play like we know how.''

A win would give the players on the 15th-ranked Tennessee squad an SEC championship ring and lead them to a trip to the Sugar Bowl.

Clausen, however, has been there and done that. He was redshirting as a freshman when LSU beat UT in the 2001 SEC championship game and earned a trip to the Sugar Bowl. He played sparingly in 2002 for the Tigers, starting one game, before transferring to Tennessee and sitting out the 2003 season.

Clausen has many good memories and friends from his LSU days, but his recollection of the 2001 SEC championship match is bittersweet.

After the game, Rick embraced Casey, only to hear his big brother kid him that he better not flash his SEC championship game ring in his face.

"Casey was disappointed; he was devastated,'' Rick said. "If he took care of that game, they'd have played Miami for the national championship. I definitely had mixed feelings, because I knew how hard Casey had worked. It would have been fun watching Casey for the national championship back in California, but I was excited for our guys, too.''

Now, Rick's guys wear orange. It's a Tennessee senior class that has worked hard to get back to Atlanta for one final shot. It's a team that in many ways sees Rick as a second coming of Casey.

"Their personalities (are similar), both are calm in hostile situations,'' senior center Jason Respert said. "When Rick steps in the huddle, as well as Casey, you never knew if they were nervous. They always had a little slight smile on their face, and they always looked like they were ready for the next play.

"Rick has been here for a while, and he knows exactly what we're doing. We've had all the faith in the world in Rick, and we will still have that faith come Saturday.''

While Rick lacks the swagger and experience of his brother, the arm strength of freshman Erik Ainge, and the mobility of freshman Brent Schaeffer, he makes up for it with his intangibles. He's one of the most-liked and unassuming players on the team, and his ability to jump into the offense after sitting out the first eight games is no less than impressive.

Clausen shrugged and said it really wasn't too daunting of a task.

"The offense hasn't changed in 20 years,'' Clausen said. "Certain things might change a little bit here and there, but the base philosophy is still going to stay the same.

"My job is not very difficult. I just need to get the ball to the playmakers.''

In the meantime, Rick said he'll keep studying film of the formidable Auburn Tigers alongside Casey, who's in Knoxville this week.

Just as Casey had his doubters while at UT, Rick knows there are more than a few Vols' fans who have seen the 13-point line and written off Tennessee's chances of winning with him under center.

"I could care less what other people think - I'm going to do what I can do,'' Rick said. "That's one thing me and Casey have had in common. People can have their own opinions, but we only worry about what we can control.''