Event Details
- What: Tennessee vs. Arkansas
- When: Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: Neyland Stadium
- Cost: Not available
- Age limit: All ages
Tennessee Stat Book
And now, back to the race.
Last weekend, the SEC East title chase was essentially on pause for homecoming. Tennessee and Georgia beat up on lower-tier guests and Florida beat up on Vanderbilt.
The only meaningful thing that happened was that South Carolina's fading hopes got trampled into oblivion at Arkansas.
Saturday, it's game on. The East race will play out in three conveniently timed installments, each laden with significance.
The day dawns with Tennessee in control. Next comes Georgia, waiting for the Vols to stumble. And then there's Florida, ready to pounce if both UT and the Bulldogs falter.
All eyes will be on Neyland Stadium for Act I.
The Vols (6-3, 3-2 SEC) are in charge of the tiebreaker format as long as they win out. But the public seems to have about as much confidence that Tennessee will win out as it does that O.J. Simpson will win a Nobel Prize.
The perception of UT being in control of the East in November could accurately be described as amazement, considering the way the Vols got bombed at Florida in September and at Alabama in October.
"After the Alabama game,'' said quarterback Erik Ainge, "we were kind of like, 'Dang!,' like everybody else was. We had the shot at controlling our destiny and we blew it.
"And now we're back in the same situation.''
At least until mid-afternoon Saturday. The Arkansas offense pitted against Tennessee's defense is a statistical mismatch that understandably gives hope to Georgia and Florida.
About the time Act I ends, Act II will be kicking off in Sanford Stadium.
When Auburn visits Georgia, it renews the oldest rivalry in the south and possibly the strangest.
The visiting team has gone 11-3-1 in the past 15 meetings. Thus, history favors Auburn to pin a third SEC loss on Georgia (7-2, 4-2).
"I don't know why it's like that," said Georgia coach Mark Richt. "I just don't know.
"If Georgia is about to win a Southeastern Conference (title), Auburn has knocked 'em out of the box and vice versa.
"There's been a lot of spoiling of parties between these teams."
So if Georgia is celebrating a Tennessee loss to Arkansas, it might be short-lived.
"They've got a good thing going right now," said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, "and we're playing possibly as good as we can play right now.''
Not everyone can say as much, but by the time Florida kicks off Act III at South Carolina (7:45 p.m.), the Gators could easily be back in business.
Currently 4-3, Florida holds a potential tie-breaker edge over Tennessee but still would need Georgia to lose to Auburn and then again next week against Kentucky.
The way they handled Vandy last week, the Gators appear recovered from their Oct. 27 loss to Georgia. South Carolina could certainly do Tennessee a favor by delivering the kill shot to the defending national champions.
But you have to wonder if the Gamecocks have it in them, given the inconsistency of their offense and the way the defense caved in at Arkansas.
"Hopefully," said coach Steve Spurrier, "each side of the ball has had their lousy game and we can put it together."
Tennessee likewise hopes its lousy games are over. Still, in a year as wacky as this one, the Vols could conceivably lose to Arkansas and still win the East by beating Vanderbilt and Kentucky - if they got a ton of help.
But that's no frame of mind for a team sitting in a second - if not third-chance catbird seat.
"If you're thinking like that,'' said Ainge, "you're in the wrong business.
"We know if we keep winning that we're good.''
The Last Word: Auburn's Tuberville on the BCS: "You know a lot of people are voting who don't have a clue about your football team. That's the biggest fallacy. Hopefully, we can get to a four-team playoff in the near future.''
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
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Comments » 22
gohawks1 writes:
Hey, Acts II and III WON'T MATTER when the Vols beat the piggies Saturday. Good ole Mike didn't even entertain that notion in this article.
zbbb10#212690 writes:
I don't know about you nerds but i am fired up about saturday. please be loud we will have some recruits there. LETS GO VOLS GET MEAN. somebody call tonya harding and jeff gawhoever and get them on this mcfadden case.
zbbb10#212690 writes:
ROCKY TOP YOULL ALWAYS BE HOME SWEET HOME TO ME GOOD OLE ROCKY TOP..WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ROCKY TOP TENNESSEEEEEEEEE. ONCE I MET A GIRL ON ROCKY TOP HALF BEAR OTHER HALF CAT WILD AS A MINK BUT SWEET AS SODY POP I STILL DREAM ABOUT THAT. F&%$ YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i may streak 2 the hill after this 1.
zbbb10#212690 writes:
IVE HAD YEARS OF CRAMPED UP CITY LIFE TRAPPED LIKE A DUCK IN A PEN. ALL I KNOW IS ITS A PITY LIFE CANT BE SIMPLE AGAIN. OOOOOO ROCKY TOP YOULL ALWAYS BE HOME SWEET HOME 2 ME. GOOD OLE MOFO'N ROCKY TOP. WHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW....... c ya n the atl. we r gonna paint the dirty south VOLUNTEER ORANGE.
tnocvolfan writes:
But the public seems to have about as much confidence that Tennessee will win out as it does that O.J. Simpson will win a Nobel Prize.(NICE Mike NICE!!!)
DennisVols writes:
Since an early season ranking in the top 20 this UT football squad has failed more often than succeeded in meeting the expectations of the coaches and especially the fans.
Against Cal in the 1st game of the season it was obvious that the team was not prepared to play. Against UF the same situation occurred. Watching players make fundamental mistakes, not being mentally tough to handle the pressure when things did not go exactly as planned(fumbles, kick returns) is a coaching issue.
Can this defense play with the attitude they had against GA when they shut down their running game, played ball control and completely whip a team that the pollsters consider a top 10 team at this point?
If this team plays as it is capable of playing then they will win out the season. If they play this game like they have during the three (3) loses to Cal, UF, and Bama they will do well to win one of their remaining games.
It is not a question of ability it is a question of coaching, confidence and the desire to meet or exceed the expectations of the fans.
Keeping it Real!!!!!
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
It's all too confusing... especially if all three lose!!
I tell you what, we'll just go ahead and call TN the east champs. There, now the confusion is over.
GO VOLS!! Eat... I mean beat the hogs!!
ncvol17 writes:
Life is like a box of chocolates... Run Arky run....Stop em Vols stop em..put 8 in the box and hope the youngsters can slow down the pass.
zbbb10#212690 writes:
ROCKY TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MCCOY AND BERRY BREAK #5's SHIN BONES SATURDAY. GOOD LUCK ON SUNDAYS NEXT YEAR U WILL NEED IT AFTER CHIEFS UNIT EATS YOURE LUNCH AT 1230 saturday.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Personally, I hope Berry doesn't have to see # 5 too much. I'd rather see him disappear in a pile of orange every play about one yard from scrimmage. Forward or backwards... doesn't really matter.
Lace em' up boys!
Vol_from_birth writes:
is this game on TV?
vol52 writes:
This is the second time we are in control of our destiny. If we blow it we deserve the toilet bowl. It is not complicated if we win. It is only complicated if we lose. We looked like phooey against the pigs last year. The excuse was we did not have Ainge. Maybe we could see some imagination on offense and defense. GO VOLS!
takebkknox writes:
Pack it up Strange. You and Pennington can be roomies in Asheville and talk about the good ol' days when you were weak-minded and swayed by the opinions of the idiots you worked for.
volfan8 writes:
Hypothetical situation yet very realistic.
Tenn beats Arkansas
Auburn beats Georgia
USC beats Fla (its at USC so who knows)
next week Georgia beats Kentucky (in Georgia)
Tenn beats Vandy in Knoxville
Tennessee clinches the SEC East. 5 situtations need to pan out but 2 our on ourselves, and the other 3 are very possible with the way this college football season is going.
CoverOrange writes:
Interesting that with all this talk of parity it is still down to Florida, Georgia and Tennessee on top and South Carolina, Kentucky and Vandy on the bottom.
Isn't this the day Pennington is supposed to pen some inflammatory article to get the coach and team fired up?
Irish_Volunt33r writes:
We have had too many chances not the win the SEC, at worst make it to the Championship. If we can not win out and make it the the 'ship then Fulmer needs to go Tennessee needs to move to another conference.
TommyJack writes:
gator4life: Thanks (I think) :)
LostinNCVol writes:
Florida fans root for Fulmer like we rooted for Zook "keep him because we can beat him". Like I have been saying "its nothing personal just time for a change". I am greatful for the N.C. I just don't want to have to wait as long to get the next one. We need a change, A fresh start, I just hope Hamilton can see it. Go VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Volchaz writes:
November has always been our month to shine, let GO BIG ORANGE!!!
asleep#212036 writes:
If we beat AR, it's very possible we will go to KY already crowned East champs. What a crock! We could go 8-4, get blown out in all 4 losses (assuming Woodson goes career like several other qb's have) and still play in Atlanta. The SEC is officially a mess. If all 3 lose, the only thing that changes is that Kentucky would join us a a team that controls it's own destiny, unless they lose to Vandy, in which case nothing would change - only UT would have control. Wouldn't that be a hoot? UT vs. KY for the SEC East. I guarantee nobody in Vegas had that scenario! Go Vols!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Stevie Superior's dog-and-pony show wagon, will have the last wheel knocked of Saturday! Vol fans will be shell-shocked Saturday, either by watching in disbelief that the Orange won (don't we wish) or leaning back and saying, "Man, 415 yds rushing, who would have believed it"? But we'll feel better when we hear "we're going to work harder to get better"! DING-DING-DING - THE SEASON IS ALMOST OVER- Its time for results! I couldn't do any better, but no excuses please! Go Vols!
Volnut writes:
gator4life
Thanks for the smile and the best wishes.
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