Strange: Big finish ends wild SEC ride

Here we are at the final football weekend of the 2009 SEC regular season. It's been quite a ride and the finish ought to be worthy of the journey.

History, milestones, emotional farewells.

National championship implications. Heisman hopefuls. Bowl destinations.

As always, a couple of coaches who need a win.

And, of course, the streak.

If Kentucky beats Tennessee in Lexington on Saturday night, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Literally.

No current UT player had been born in 1984 when Kentucky pulled off a 17-12 upset in Neyland Stadium.

The 24 consecutive Tennessee wins since constitute the longest major-college rivalry winning streak in the nation.

Lane Kiffin, who gets his first crack at coaching against the Wildcats, was a 9-year-old kid, throwing footballs in the backyard in Minnesota in 1984.

And he has no interest in hearing about UT's last-ditch goal-line stands in 1987 and 2006.

Or how Peyton Manning rallied the Vols from a 24-9 deficit in '95. Or Casey Clausen digging UT out of a 21-0 hole in 2001.

Or about Gerald Riggs' touchdown with 38 seconds to play in '04. Or Antonio Reynolds tackling Andre Woodson on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth overtime in 2007.

"The past doesn't mean anything,'' Kiffin said Wednesday. "It's always about what's happening right now.''

As in 2009, a season that has been hard on streaks. Two weeks ago, Ole Miss snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Vols that dated to 1983.

In October, Kentucky beat Auburn for the first time since 1966, ending an 0-15 skid.

Last week, the Wildcats won at Georgia for the first time since 1977.

If Kentucky ends the Tennessee streak, well, here, let UK senior offensive lineman Christian Johnson tell it:

"If we win that game, they're going to tear Lexington apart,'' Johnson told the Louisville Courier-Journal.

"I feel like the fans and the citizens of Lexington are going to run this city crazy 'til the sun comes up. And I'm going to be part of it, too.''

The mood in Gainesville, Fla., won't be so euphoric - even after No. 1 Florida dispenses with Florida State for the sixth consecutive year. Saturday is Tim Tebow's last hurrah in The Swamp.

Tebow's four-year run with the Gators has been phenomenal. There are those who feel he's the best college football player ever. I'm among them.

Coach Urban Meyer was asked this week what most impressed him about Tebow.

It wasn't touchdowns or trophies.

"His ability to stay Tim Tebow,'' said Meyer. "So many times you see athletes get the recognition and all of a sudden become someone else.

"Tim, it's the same people as when he was an 18-year-old getting recruited by Florida, the same people who are important in his life. Because he has not allowed it to become something else.''

Over in Auburn, No. 2 Alabama has a more difficult hurdle to stay on track for a national championship. And as with Florida, there is a competition within the competition.

Tebow and Alabama tailback Mark Ingram are on the short list of Heisman Trophy contenders. Voters will be evaluating highlight clips Saturday and again next week in their head-to-head match-up in the Georgia Dome.

But there's a big game in Atlanta this weekend, too: Georgia at Georgia Tech.

Mark Richt's approval rating at Georgia is at an all-time low. Tech is riding a wave since Paul Johnson hit town last year. Even if Richt doesn't spring the upset Saturday, he needs the Bulldogs to at least avoid getting hammered.

This one is about recruiting, too. And I wouldn't be surprised if Kiffin hasn't bought a billboard within sight of Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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