What do Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame have in common?

One, they're on the short list of the most successful, tradition-rich programs in college football.

Two, you could pick any two of the three to play for the national championship in January and have a reasonable shot of being on the money.

There's a third link between the Buckeyes, Longhorns and Fighting Irish and it's the one that has Tennessee's undivided attention this week.

They've all lost to Air Force.

They've all walked off the field humbled, dazed and confused by that goofy flexbone offense that coach Fisher DeBerry has run at Air Force since 1984.

Now it's Tennessee's turn on Saturday night.

These Falcons may not be one of the stronger teams DeBerry has fielded at Air Force. They're picked to finish seventh or eighth in the eight-team Mountain West Conference.

Still, the unusual offense -- a derivation of the triple-option wishbone -- is difficult to prepare for and frustrating play against and you'd better be on top of your game.

The "triple" in triple option comes from the primary possibilities: fullback up the middle; quarterback keeper, quarterback keep and then pitch to a trailing back.

It forces quicker opponents to slow down and concentrate on disciplined assignments. Thus, it's an equalizer of sorts for programs like Air Force that are often at a talent disadvantage.

"They're going to use our speed against us,'' UT linebacker Jerod Mayo said Tuesday.

Which is, well, a pain in the butt.

"It is a pain in the butt,'' Tennessee defensive backs coach Larry Slade said Tuesday, "because it's unusual in how they block you.''

In so many words, defensive coordinator John Chavis agreed.

"If you were making a schedule, you wouldn't do it this way,'' said Chavis.

Air Force is sandwiched into UT's schedule between California and Florida, two teams that run a spread offense.

"It's like playing a second opener from our standpoint,'' said head coach Phillip Fulmer. "They haven't played a game and it's so different from what we normally see and it's between two big ballgames.''

It's so different Chavis can't recall ever facing an offense like Air Force's in his 17 years at Tennessee.

"Nebraska was a little bit like this,'' he said, referring to bowl games in '97 and '99.

We remember how that turned out.

So while Tennessee is a heavy favorite Saturday, this week's practice will be a virtual waste of time for Chavis & Co. as far as getting an edge on Florida.

Which leads to another point about the flexbone. Its intricacy is difficult to simulate in practice.

"It's complicated, man,'' defensive tackle Justin Harrell said with a laugh. "The first day of practice (Monday) we're out there like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to see all the things they can do.''

What they can do is run the ball.

Under DeBerry, Air Force has finished in the top five in the nation in rushing yardage 16 times in 21 years.

Every back of note returns from last year, including quarterback Shaun Carney, whom Fulmer describes as "a slick operator.''

Carney is so slick he can do more than run. As a freshman, he set an Air Force record by completing 61 percent of his passes.

Last year, he broke his record, hitting 64 percent. Now hear this: Air Force passed for 200 yards in five different games last year -- all of which it also rushed for 200 yards.

"They do a great job of executing,'' said Slade. "You put on any tape and you see receivers running wide open.''

A cautionary note: Tennessee's most recent experience with a service academy was 20 years ago. Underdog Army and its option came to Neyland Stadium and forged a 24-24 tie in 1984 and then pulled a 25-21 upset in 1986. Over hill, over dale, the caissons were rolling along.

Tennessee's defense in 2006 is clearly made of sterner stuff than in 1986.

But that doesn't mean Saturday night won't be a pain in the butt.