Ron Higgins
The Commercial Appeal
LSU, 33-24 — Everything sets up perfectly for a Tennessee upset, all the “Michigan loves me, it loves me not” drama of LSU coach Les Miles. But it comes down to this. LSU has experience and NFL-caliber talent where it counts — on defense — and Tennessee doesn’t.
Mike DiRocco
Florida Times-Union
LSU, 28-24 — Jacob Hester converts four fourth-and-1s on the game-winning drive, which ends with kicker Colt David running for a 10-yard touchdown on a fake field goal with one second to play.
Rusty Hampton
The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.)
Tennessee, 28-21 —
They lost their national title hopes last week and might soon lose their coach. Tigers too bummed to beat rejuvenated Vols.
Tommy Hicks
Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.)
LSU, 31-20 — The Tigers are no longer No. 1, they’re coming off their second triple-overtime loss of the season, they’re tired and they’re sore and they have the Vols right where they want them. Just because they can’t play for the national title doesn’t mean they can’t play like they belong.
Max Howell
syndicated talk show host
Tennessee, 24-21 —
Looks like an upset in the making. How can the Tigers prepare amid rumors of Les Miles, Bo Pelini and now Gary Crowton on every job list out there. A close game that possibly goes to overtime.
Jim Kleinpeter
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
LSU 33-28 — LSU’s once highly respected defense takes its lumps again but makes enough plays to put a bow on Les Miles’ going away gift.
Ivan Maisel
ESPN.com
LSU, 35-27 — The Vols don’t have enough to drag the Tigers into the third overtime, when they are their most vulnerable.
Jim Mashek
Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald
LSU, 30-21 — Early Doucet and Demetrius Byrd go downtown on the Vols. LSU band sends Les Miles out with a rendition of “Hail to the Victors.”
Joe Person
The State (Columbia, S.C.)
LSU, 34-24 — The Vols were the SEC’s Houdini this year. But their season of great escapes will end at the Georgia Dome, where the Tigers’ offense will ring up a bunch of yards and leave Tennessee scrambling for the exits before the last door gets locked.
Kyle Veazey
The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.)
LSU, 33-22 — The easy choice would be to say that LSU’s loss and Les Miles’ distractions add up to another Tiger loss. Not now. These Tigers are just too good.
Tony Barnhart
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tennessee, 28-21 — In overtime, of course. A crazy season ends in a crazy game. LSU turns the ball over at least three times.
Mike Bianchi
Orlando Sentinel
Tennessee, 28-24 — Philosophical question: If they hold an SEC championship game and Tim Tebow isn’t playing in it, is it really an SEC championship game?
Joe Biddle
The Tennessean
Tennessee, 24-21 — A relatively low scoring game after both teams played multiple overtimes in their last regular-season games. LSU has to be feeling sorry for itself, as the national championship dream crashed and burned. Vols keep finding ways to win.
Dennis Dodd
CBSSports.com
Tennessee, 31-28 — With Bo and Les’ heads elsewhere, this is the Vols’ game. Erik Ainge has the best game of his career as Tigers’ ‘D’ continues to suffer.
Pat Forde
ESPN.com
Tennessee, 24-23 — Tigers are beaten up physically, their head coach and defensive coordinator have checked out mentally and Phil Fulmer is the luckiest coach in America.
Glen Guilbeau
Gannett News Service
Tennessee, 24-20 — LSU will not be able to recover from the Arkansas debacle, and it just has too much on its mind. Its head coach is Michigan bound. It’s defensive coordinator is Nebraska bound unless he goes from first to worst in the NCAA defensive statistics in a season’s time.
Matt Hayes
The Sporting News
Tennessee, 37-34 — LSU is done, emotionally bankrupt after two overtime losses to middle-of-the-pack SEC teams. As crazy as it sounds, the Vols — who lost to their two rivals by a country mile — will win the nation’s best conference. Fits perfectly with this crazy season.
Neal McCready
Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.)
Tennessee, 24-23 — The wackiest year in recent memory must have an even wackier ending on the field. So Tennessee, a team that made it to Atlanta on life support and fumes, must beat LSU. The Vols simply must. Then Les Miles leaves for Michigan, and LSU comes after Nick Saban again and Tommy Tuberville and Bobby Lowder finally have that much-awaited fist-fight, then ...
Ray Melick
The Birmingham News
Tennessee, 28-24 — Les Miles is thinking about Michigan, Bo Pelini is thinking about Nebraska, and the LSU team is thinking about what might have been.
Kevin Scarbinsky
The Birmingham News
Tennessee, 71-69 (8 OT) — Erik Ainge and friends should have a career day against the underachieving defense of Bo Pelini, the most overrated coordinator in the country.
Chip Towers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tennessee, 42-40 (4 OTs) — I’m going with the Vols because everybody in the world is picking LSU, and in this crazy season the last thing to do is to go with logic. Plus, I like Ainge in the Dome.
Memorable moments in Pat Summitt's…
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Phillip Fulmer through the years
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 29
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Hey, if anyone knows Erik Ainge....
whenever he points with both hands downfield, he invarialby hands off on a draw.
I think the leagues defenses have caught on.
JMHO>
Einstein writes:
I loved the 8 OT's too!!!
sundiver98#346449 writes:
Megargee's pick: LSU 31-17
Other Rivals.com expert picks:
Olin Buchanan, senior college football writer: LSU 27-21
Mike Huguenin, college sports editor: LSU 35-24
Bill King, Rivals Radio host: LSU 31-20
steve22043#233791 writes:
I'm glad they didn't include Randy Moore on their list of media experts. The above can predict what they want--my comment is about overtime recommendations. He writes: "The pro team that gets the ball first almost always kicks a game winning field goal. Essentially the NFL is determining overtime games by the flip of a coin." How many games has that zero watched? That absolutely is not true. In college the team that wins the flip to go on defense first in overtime results in a much greater advantage than what the pros do. Sudden death is in fact a much fairer way to do it and would (on average) result in much shorter total overtimes, which is what he was claiming is needed.
k0605#241765 writes:
The perfect end to a wacky season with the Vols winning on some goofy play, like a Dan Williams interception return for a TD.
JETnTN writes:
I love us being the underdogs LSU -7 1/2 I'm leaving at 7 in the morning heading to ATL!!! GO VOLS!!!!!!!!! TENNESSEE 27 LSU 24.... we keep it close and win in the last 4 minutes!!
volfanjustin writes:
UT does not have NFL talent on defense? Ron Higgins is an idiot. Berry Macoy Mayo? All NfL players. We win by 10
CrankE writes:
Maybe UT doesn't have NFL talent. But we'll see who's SEC talent is better.
The CrankE Crew will be there in section 318, loud, proud, and body painted in Big Orange from head to toe. (Well, maybe not painted) GO VOLS, BEAT LOSE-IANA!!!
Maybe the Pride can play Hail to the Victors and whatever that Nebraska polka fight song is when it's done.
jawjavol writes:
Hey Cranke,
I was at the Orange Bowl in 98 and I should remember the Cornshucker fight song we heard it so often but I guess time wounds all heals. Maybe there is still time to buy the sheet music online. If someone taped the last few Nebraska games I am not sure that would help either because I don't think Neb. has scored since Columbus Day! Tell the band to strike up Sooner Schooner and maybe no one will notice!!!!
IdahoVol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
volfanjustin writes:
I like it IdahoVol. I dont want to know what Tebow and his roommate will be doing, I know what I seen them do on national TV and it is not something I want to see.
vol_in_lsu_land writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
cdldoc#211897 writes:
"Ole TouchdownTN" is just wrong. He misses it again.
vol4jesus writes:
tuchdnuntenasee is such a VOL fan that he can't contain his pessimism inside! Miserable when all are pulling for the VOLS in an uphill struggle. I always thot optimist had less ulcers than pessimist. oh well,GO VOLS!!!
cwisenhower#637741 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
mbradshaw1#655539 writes:
If we could beat Billy Cannon, then we should be able to get up for (two halves) and beat the mighty Tigers again. Then coach P.F. could go back to the OLE SUCK HOLE and think of a plan for the Sugar Bowl. Only P.F. would know what I'm talking about. GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!!
GO VOLS!!!!!
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Did you guys see that!!!
Gator4life just said go vols. This may be a strange game.
jawjavol writes:
If a true Gator pulls for the Vols will the earth fall off its axis???
I have to be honest. I pulled for Ohio State all the way up till that opening kickoff return for a touchdown. Then I don't know if it was fear of embarrasment for the SEC or just a general dislike for Yankees since the whole deal with Sherman and his zippo raid but I did pull for the Gators for 59:43 seconds of the game. Does that make me a bandwagon jumper????
Anywhoo.... thanks for the support. We are excited to be here and hope to see our UGA ARKY effort.
navyvolinva writes:
Its almost game time!!! I hope people say we get beat by 25 points...I love the underdog. NFL Talent?! Did he say we dont have any?! Thats Bull! The have linemen offense and defense. A couple of linebackers, a QB(If in the right system), and a nasty free safety.
nashvol writes:
Q-"If they hold an SEC championship game and Tim Tebow isn’t playing in it, is it really an SEC championship game?"
A- Yes.
Only a culture of arrogance would make one pose this question, even in jest.
(Notice that Darren McFadden isn't playing in Atlanta either)
Southland writes:
one of the motives for beating LSU should be not to have to go back to Atlanta once again Sports writers have great jobs don't they
Southland writes:
Maybe Tebow should have signed with UT. Got to love Notre Dame's season. I hope they have many more like this one. Maybe Weiss will get an extension and the way the NCAA kisses up to ND it is a wonder they didn't find a way to put them in a Bowl game. So glad Saban didn't get the 7 wins in the regular season he though they would get and I hope they get passed over and don't get a bowl.
bloodrunsorange writes:
JUST GET “1" MORE POINT THAN THEY GET! I SAW BAMA DO THIS FOR YEARS. ON PAPER OTHER TEAMS WERE BETTER BUT ON GAME DAY THEY FOUND AT LEAST “1" POINT MORE THAN THEY OPPONENT! IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL THE “FAT LADY SINGS”. THE VOLS CAN DO THIS! "GO VOLS!"
movol77 writes:
jawjavol, you're just a little off on NB's problem..."I don't think Neb. has scored since Columbus Day!" The NB void is defense not offense!!! They've scored 124 in the last two games (51 in the last game but still lost by 2 TDs). NB has no comparison to this game whatsoever.
movol77 writes:
"Ole TDTN" is trying to set up a scenario where he will claim credit for "motivating" the Vols to a great season. Sorry TDTN, not gonna work with veteran posters here. Your record of cheapshot postings on UT this season calls for a new screenname if you want respect again here.
movol77 writes:
jcvet, you need to go to MI with your favorite coach after the game!
movol77 writes:
GO BIG ORANGE! Make d'doubters all bow down and call on Jenny Craig for deliverance from eating too much crow this fall.
volfanjustin writes:
Hey Gator4life, I dont think 2 guys can have kids. I have never seen him kiss a girl, only 1 kiss from another guy his "roommate" Maybe they will let you join. And I still want Fulmer fired.
movol77 writes:
CRVol (and some others) likely have new screen names. What sane person would be calling for the coach's head at this point?
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