Third Saturday in October: Us vs Y'all

A version of this has appeared in this space (almost) every year since this blog started publishing with its own domain in 2010. Enjoy.

Alabama plays Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, October 19, 2019.

This is one of the most intense and storied rivalries in SEC and college football history. For many Alabama fans, Tennessee is the program's most despised rival, even over that thing we have on the last regular season game of every year. For many Tennessee fans, this rivalry’s intensity exceeds the one they have with Florida.

On the field, Tennessee has beaten Alabama 37 times. No other team on the planet can claim 37 victories against Alabama.

Tennessee has 13 SEC Championships. No other school in the league is as close to Alabama’s 27.

Tennessee rightfully claims six National Championships. No other team in the SEC is as close as Alabama’s 17.

Beginning in 1995 with Peyton Manning as a sophomore leading the band in that absolutely awful Rocky Top song in Knoxville, Tennessee ran off a streak of seven straight victories in the series. No team in the SEC has ever beaten Alabama seven straight times and it may not ever happen again.

Alabama currently has the longest streak by either team, with 12 straight wins. There are 6th graders in Knoxville that have never seen Tennessee beat Alabama in their whole life, and their parents don't like that very much.

Alabama and Tennessee both have 12 shutouts in the series. No other team has ever kept Alabama scoreless 12 times.

These are the two marquee programs of SEC Football lore. These are the two flagships. Florida may have more fans and more TV viewers. Georgia, too. But no two programs have done more on the field than Alabama and Tennessee.

Nobody.

No two programs can claim head coaching legends like Paul W. Bryant and General Robert Neyland.

Neyland said: “You never know what a football player is made of until he plays against Alabama.” Bryant said: “Yeah, Auburn’s got a pretty good team but Tennessee is the one you gotta look out for.”

It’s 11 decades of college football at its finest and most intense.

Early in the series and up until the advent of televised football games, both teams wore their home colors. Tennessee in their bright Orange; Alabama in their deep Crimson. What better symbol of Autumn could there be than seeing these two line up against each other in colors like that?

One of my earliest football memories was listening to the 1972 game on the patio with my father. Bama was down 10-3 late in the fourth quarter due to a very stout Tennessee defense. But the Tide somehow managed to score two touchdowns in under two minutes and pulled out a 17-10 victory. Bama play-by-play announcer John Forney was nearly unintelligible as the final seconds ran off the clock, but my father’s grin as he pulled out the Victory Cigar was all I needed to be told—beating Tennessee is special.

It’s the Third Saturday in October.

It’s Us vs Y’all.

Tennessee Sucks so bad, ESPN almost didn't want the TSIO game

You know an SEC football game is gonna be bad television when ESPN has to decide whether it wants to broadcast it or let the SEC Network deal with awful ratings.

Alabama will host the Tennessee Vols on Oct 19 at 7:00pm CDT. It's prime time, yes. But ESPN rarely puts SEC matchups in that slot, usually choosing to take mid-major and/or direction school games instead. It means that the game will certainly go well past midnight in the Eastern time zone.

This is happening because Tennessee sucks.  The Vols haven't been competitive in the SEC or national title races since 2001 and haven't beaten Alabama on the field since 2006. They have never beaten Alabama under Nick Saban.

It didn't used to be that way. Tennessee used to be Bama's most potent rival and the traditional Third Saturday in October used to be the marquis game of the SEC regular schedule.

A win over a tough UT team used to mean something. Hell, a win over Alabama used to mean something to Tennessee. A win next Saturday night would probably mean a raise and a contract extension for current coach Jeremy Pruitt. That has about a 0.2% chance of happening because Alabama is gonna dog-slaughter'em. Again.

So, Bama fans. Get a nap on that Saturday afternoon and get ready to stay up late if you want to watch the 13th straight dog-whipping of Smoky & The Vawls.

Poor Jeremy Pruitt: Vols have the want to, but don’t have the can do

Expect Tennessee fans to be fired up when Alabama pays a visit to Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon. Expect that moment of optimism to last until CBS’ first commercial break. The Vols have absolutely no chance of scoring another upset and claiming a win against the Tide.

There’s a bit of a creepy backstory to this year’s game. Phil Fulmer dragged himself out of retirement last summer as a “special assistant to the university President and immediately began his characteristic manipulations of the power structure. Surprising no one, he seized control of the UT Athletic Department last December. Reports have him literally breathing down Pruitt’s neck. He no doubt has had this date circled since seizing control of the  Alabama’s re-ascendance to the top of the College Football pantheon was an eventuality that Fulmer desperately sought to head off through his direct involvement with the Albert Means recruiting scandal in 2000.

It bears noting that Jeremy Pruitt is an Alabama grad. He played for Bama in 1995 and 1996, and learned the defensive side of the ball from legendary defensive coach Bill Oliver. He is also a disciple of Nick Saban’s 3-4 Over/Under defense, having coached under Saban off and on since 2010. He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive minds in college football and, if Fulmer will just gtf out of his way, he could reestablish Tennessee as an SEC and national powerhouse.

Enough backstory.

The Alabama offense leads the nation in almost every noteworthy category, and even at half-speed Tua Tagavailoa is too much for an already thin Tennessee defense that will come in shorthanded due to an injury and a forced suspension.

Expect Alabama to get back into the 50-point neighborhood.

Tennessee has a good quarterback itself in Jarrett Guarantano, and he has a group of receivers who could play for Bama on any given Saturday. What they lack are legitimate every down ball carriers and an offensive line for the kind of offense Jeremy Pruitt wants to run. Tennessee won’t run the ball well against Bama and a one dimensional offense spells a long afternoon against a big, deep and physical Tide defense.

Tennessee also has a decent defense, though it’s not built yet for a thoroughbred 3-4 O/U. They are too thin, undersized and still have a lot of learning to do. I expect the Vols to cede ground and stick to mostly nickel and dime zones to keep Tua from hitting deep balls. The hope is that they get a turnover or two, keep the crowd in the game and hope Alabama makes road mistakes.

So how did Tennessee go down to Auburn and spank the boogs? There is a strong sense that Pruitt quickly deciphered Auburn’s playbooks on both sides of the ball, and called the plays before Auburn even lined up. Attaboy, Jeremy. 

If there’s one weakness on the Alabama side, it’s… special teams. We suck at punting, field goals and extra points, and that’s probably not gonna get better anytime soon. While it could make a difference in post-season play, it can only be an annoyance this Third Saturday in October.

This is CBS’ Game of the Week, meaning that a national audience will get to see a systematic dismemberment of a young, thin and growing Tennessee squad. Alabama could name its score here, but Master Saban won’t thoroughly embarrass his promising Padawan.

Alabama 56, Tennessee 6

Tennessee Week: Us vs Y’all

Here we go again. This time, the calendar is right.

Alabama plays Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, 20 October 2018.

This is absolutely one of the most intense and storied rivalries in SEC and college football history. For many Alabama fans, Tennessee is the most despised rival, even over that thing we have on the last regular season game of every year. For many Tennessee fans, this rivalry’s intensity exceeds the one they have with Florida.

On the field, Tennessee has beaten Alabama 37 times. No other team on the planet can claim 37 victories against Alabama.

Tennessee has 13 SEC Championships. No other school in the league is as close to Alabama’s 25.

Beginning in 1995 with Peyton Manning as a sophomore leading the band in that absolutely awful Rocky Top song in Knoxville, Tennessee ran off a streak of seven straight victories in the series. No team in the SEC has ever beaten Alabama seven straight times and it may not ever happen again. Tennessee rightfully claims six National Championships. No other team in the SEC is as close as Alabama’s 16.

These are the two marquee programs of SEC Football lore. These are the two flagships. Florida may have more fans and more TV viewers. Georgia, too. But no two programs have done more on the field than Alabama and Tennessee. Nobody. No two programs can claim head coaching legends like Paul W. Bryant and General Robert Neyland.

Neyland said: “You never know what a football player is made of until he plays against Alabama.”

Bryant said: “Yeah, Auburn’s got a pretty good team but Tennessee is the one you gotta look out for.”

It’s 11 decades of college football at its finest and most intense.

Early in the series and up until the advent of televised football games, both teams wore their home colors. Tennessee in their bright Orange; Alabama in their deep Crimson. What better symbol of Autumn could there be than seeing these two line up against each other like that?

One of my earliest football memories was listening to the 1972 game on the patio with my father. Bama was down 10-3 late in the fourth quarter due to a very stout Tennessee defense. But the Tide somehow managed to score two touchdowns in under two minutes and pulled out a 17-10 victory. Bama play-by-play announcer John Forney was nearly unintelligible as the final seconds ran off the clock, but my father’s grin as he pulled out the Victory Cigar was all I needed to be told—beating Tennessee is special.

It’s the Third Saturday in October.

It’s Us vs Y’all.

Us vs Y’all: The Third Saturday in October

Here we go again. This time, the calendar is right.

Alabama plays Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, 15 October 2016.

This is absolutely one of the most intense and storied rivalries in SEC and college football history. For many Alabama fans, Tennessee is the most despised rival, even over that thing we have on the last regular season game of every year. For many Tennessee fans, this rivalry’s intensity exceeds the one they have with Florida.

On the field, Tennessee has beaten Alabama 37 times. No other team on the planet can claim 37 victories against Alabama. Tennessee has 13 SEC Championships. No other school in the league is as close to Alabama’s 24.

Beginning in 1995 with Peyton Manning as a sophomore in Knoxville, Tennessee ran off a streak of seven straight victories. No team in the SEC has ever beaten Alabama seven straight times and it may not ever happen again. Tennessee rightfully claims six National Championships. No other team in the SEC is as close as Alabama’s 15.

These are the two marquee programs of SEC Football lore. These are the two flagships. Florida may have more fans and more TV viewers. Georgia, too. But no two programs have done more on the field than Alabama and Tennessee. Nobody. No two programs can claim head coaching legends like Paul W. Bryant and General Robert Neyland. It’s 11 decades of college football at it’s finest and most intense.

One of my earliest football memories was listening to the 1972 game on the patio with my father. Bama was down 10-3 late in the fourth quarter due to a very stout Tennessee defense. But the Tide somehow managed to score two touchdowns in under two minutes and pulled out a 17-10 victory. Bama play-by-play announcer John Forney was nearly unintelligible as the final seconds ran off the clock, but my father’s grin, as he pulled out the Victory Cigar, was all I needed to be told—beating Tennessee is huge.

It’s the Third Saturday in October and this year the calendar is right.

It’s Us vs Y’all.

Is Derek Dooley running a football program, or a wannabe Fortune 500 company?

On Sunday afternoon, in his pre-spring practice press conference, Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley said he wanted to emphasize his organization’s “core values.”

"One is just demonstrating winning edge values which was a big emphasis for us--kind of redefining our core values: what they stand for, things like discipline, toughness, effort and teamwork. Also secondly, demonstrating individual investment in being the best player and best team we can be. I was really proud of this football team over the last eight weeks. Everybody on the team--everybody on the team--showed significant opportunity in all those areas."

I’m shocked he didn’t encourage his staff and team to think outside of the box. You know… Identify those areas of low hanging fruit and focus on the key principles of good leadership and strong forward thinking.

Has Derek Dooley been reading winter workout reports or Malcolm Baldrige talking points?

Does he want to win football games or does he want to win points for critical aspects of management that contribute to performance excellence?

I’m not going to embed the nearly 30 minute long video because if you’re a football fan, it will make you sick to your stomach.

For God’s sake, he’s decided to develop an organizational chart. Not a depth chart, mind you. An organizational chart.

When Dooley was hired, I thought it was one of the best steps that the Tennessee football program could have made. The program made a name for itself from General Robert Neyland through Philip Fulmer as team that won by literally knocking the slobber out of opponents. Dooley is an alleged Nick Saban disciple and was widely thought to be a guy who could restore the toughness and discipline that Tennessee football seemed to had lost.

He’s a good guy, from good football genes. He’s supposed to have learned from the best and has a reputation as one of the high character guys in the coaching fraternity. He was supposed to take Tennessee to the next level.

You ain’t getting there with organization charts and meetings that talk about core values. This is football. It’s not death by PowerPoint©.

You don’t contend for the Southeastern Conference and National Championships by winning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. When you put crystal hardware in the trophy case, then you can talk about your core values and how far outside the box you’re thinking.

But if you go 11-14 in your first two years as a head coach and celebrate wins against Vanderbilt as if you’d beaten someone like… Alabama… You need to start thinking about how many men you can afford to put in the box.

The Third Saturday in October Rivalry has been one of the SEC’s greatest. It’s one of those storied series that defines the conference and makes it premier broadcast on CBS one of the turn-to games of Saturday afternoons. In the SEC, Tennessee is second only to Alabama in conference championships and national championships. In fact, no team in the country has more wins against Alabama than Tennessee does. At seven games, no team in the country has beaten Alabama more times in a streak than Tennessee has.

Alabama fans have a special place in their colon for Tennessee, but at the same time we realize how important it is for Tennessee football to be Tennessee Football.

Tennessee as the 2012 winner of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for College Football might as well be a homecoming opponent for Mrs. State.

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Tee Martin reopens old wounds and joins Lane Kiffin’s staff

When former Vol QB Tee Martin left Kentucky to join Lane Kiffin’s staff at USC, he irked a Vol fan base that shunned him just a few short years ago. Martin, who was investigated by the NCAA in 2002 and 2003 for receiving impermissible benefits from a UT fan in Mobile, found himself ostracized by the program he led to the 1998 National Championship. When asked about Tennessee fans’ feelings by ESPN, Martin responded:

“Who cares?”

"I'm excited about working with Coach Kiffin. I called a lot of people before I made this decision, a lot of people who worked with him at Tennessee and other places, and not one time did I hear anything bad. Not one time."

"And so for me, that was great. Of course, I was one of the people that was upset when Coach Kiffin left UT, and that's out there, but I understand his decision, and it's similar to the decision I ended up having to make. He didn't know his dream job was going to open up. When it did, he had to take it."

The move reopens old wounds and gives Martin a chance to settle an old score.

In 2002, former Mobile Press-Register reporter and columnist Neal McCready reported that Martin allegedly received $4,500 from Mobile insurance executive and UT fan Diane Sanford. Sanford was alleged to have given the money to another former Press-Register reporter, Wayne Rowe, who then wired the funds to Martin during the 1999 season.

The NCAA enforcement staff investigated the matter in 2002 and in January 2003, closed the case. The NCAA determined that Sanford was not a booster and found no evidence that the school had knowledge of the improper payments. However, Martin’s amateur status should have been voided and any games he played in after the payments should have been vacated.

According to sources close to the investigation at the time, Tennessee did learn that Martin had accepted improper benefits and investigated the claims. Martin himself hinted that he’d received money while at UT and said he told NCAA investigators about it. Between the Georgia and Alabama games during the 1999 season, then head coach Phillip Fulmer held Martin out of practice, citing an injury. But during that same time frame, then athletic director Doug Dickey traveled to Mobile and met with Sanford at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant.

Dickey “took care of business” during that meeting and returned to Knoxville. Martin was later cleared to play and led the Vols to a 21-7 victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

In its 2003 letter to the university, the NCAA wrote that there is no need "to conduct any further inquiry into these matters at this time," meaning that if additional information surfaced they would reopen the matter.

Later that same year, McCready told WNSP Sports Drive listeners that if he’d gotten one more source to go on the record, he would have blown the case wide open and forced the NCAA to take action. That source never went on the record and McCready had to spike the story.

The case is now ancient history, but Martin still suffered the cold shoulder treatment by the school and its fans.

During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the one-time hero of the program’s only modern era National Championship team had his sideline passes revoked and was told not to visit the campus conspicuously. The fanbase turned on him, with internet message boards and talk radio callers labeling him as a snitch, a turncoat, a liar or all of the above. Two of the message boards had multipage threads on an effort to rename Tee Martin Drive (which intersects Phillip Fulmer Way) back to its original name, South Stadium Drive.

In a 2005 followup story by the Tennessean, Martin told the paper that he was hurt by the treatment and felt he was being made a scapegoat. He claimed to have done nothing wrong during his career at UT.

In the 2011 season, Martin coached wide receivers on the Kentucky team that beat Tennessee for the first time in a generation. In 2012, he’ll coach along with the most despised man in Vol football history. He’s settling old scores and when asked about it he says: “Who cares?”

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Tennessee football is officially a dumpster fire

Late Sunday, Tennessee defensive coordinator defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and linebackers coach Peter Sirmon told Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley that they were leaving Knoxville to take the same positions with the University of Washington.

The departure of Wilcox and Sirmon make the third and fourth assistant coaches to leave the program.

In the same report, Volquest.com’s John Brice explains that at least part of the reason why coaches are bolting from the program is that Athletic Director Dave Hart will not commit to multi-year contracts for the coaching staff.

Reading between those lines: Hart has little confidence in the current coaching staff and is likely to make a change should things not turn around dramatically on the field next season.

Last week, news surfaced that Dooley would refuse to allow freshman wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett’s request for a transfer if he sought to enroll at a BCS conference school in Michigan. Central Michigan is Ok. Western Michigan is Ok. Big Blue and Sparty are not. While there is reason to believe that we’re not hearing the whole story on the Arnett issue, it’s still a major PR blunder, especially in the eyes of recruits who sign national letters of intent just four weeks from now.

The conflagration grew even more serious when the program lost two recruits over the weekend, and comments from both prospects highlight an alarming level of turmoil in the Dooley regime.

Each of these stories have a pushback line associated with them. Wilcox and Sirmon are both west coast guys and were roommates at Oregon in the 1990’s. So their leaving for a Pac-12 job is no big deal. Multi-year assistant coaching contracts are rare and usually reserved for the best of the best, and UT hasn’t even been good the last two years. The whole story isn’t out about Arnett (this is likely true), and the two recruits that left were poor fits for the program. If any one of these sparks happened on their own, none of them would likely be a big deal. But put them all together and it looks like the Tennessee Volunteer football program is an all-out, two-alarm dumpster fire.

It’s not something we didn’t see coming, though.

Program insiders have whispered all season long that this thing was going to blow sooner rather than later.

Dooley is expected to hold a meeting with the media this morning. It is anybody’s guess what the topics will be, but if it doesn’t include an inane metaphor about putting out fires with bamboo it’ll be a spectacular fail.

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Troubling news from Knoxville

Partisan Tennessee Radio Talk Show Host Tony Basilio posted a troubling report regarding the state of the Volunteer football program last night (it’s hard to find the screed, but scroll down). Basilio is a 1990 graduate of the university and hosts a daily 11:00 – 1:00 broadcast covering Tennessee athletics on WVLZ-AM 1180.

He claims to have been told by several program insiders that the program has been melting down from the inside out all season long, and that there are deep divisions among both the team and the staff.

The worst of it is that head coach Derek Dooley, upon hearing reports of some of the behavior, shrugged it off and took no action.

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I’ve spent several hours on the phone compiling a pretty good picture of what’s going on inside the football program at this point in time. What I’ve been granted [is] an insider’s glance to a program that is wrought with dissension. I’m talking player against player, coach against coach and player against training staff. This is more than just typical rivalries over offense versus defense in the coaching ranks or even personality conflicts. This goes much deeper. On the player side it’s not just a classic division over age, playing time or side of the football. UT football is a serious mess on and off the field.

One longtime member of the athletic department with inner knowledge of the football program told me the following on Monday evening. ‘I don’t know where to start. There are so many issues over here that need addressing besides talent on the football field. Dooley has his hands full. I’ve never seen a level of turmoil around anything the way it is here right now.’

Many were wondering what the outgoing seniors were talking about when they were mentioning younger guys concerned with their own agendas. Well, two guys they were definitely referring to are Tyler Bray and Da Rick Rogers.

Try this on for size: During the week of the Vandy game, Bray was asked in front of several upperclassmen by a member of the training staff if he completed a cursory workout exercise to which Bray shot back in the earshot of all ‘No. Not really. And I’m not going to do it. Why should I? Besides we’re only going to a shitty bowl game anyway.’ Sources tell me that the upperclassmen who heard this exchange were so incensed that they went to Derek Dooley who shrugged it off and did nothing about it. Another source told me that ‘Dooley shrugs several things off including the way Rogers back talks to everybody he possibly can.’

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First of all, there is no consensus among Tennessee fans whether Basilio has any credibility as a solid source of information. He’s been described by some as a shameless hack who’ll do or say anything for ratings and pageviews. But he’s been described by others as someone who calls it like he sees it, whether Vol fans like what they hear and read or not. Take the information for what it’s worth.

Typically however, stories like this are never totally true or totally false. Something is clearly going wrong in Knoxville. Whether you believe it’s an all out dumpster fire or a handbags at five paces kerfuffle among divas, you have to suspect that there’s a conflict.

A very young, very inexperienced football roster gets a lot of blame for Tennessee’s disappointing 5-7 season. Matters seem to have come to a boil following the disastrous and embarrassing 10-7 loss to Kentucky. Tennessee hadn’t lost to Kentucky since 1984. That loss’ impact has apparently magnified divisions inside the program at the same time that it has eroded public support for Dooley.

There’s more than just the word of a radio personality serving as evidence of discord. During his post-game interview with the media after Saturday’s loss, senior tailback Tauren Poole had this to say:

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“… no one wanted to be out there. We're all trying to encourage people because people were out of it. When it's like that, you're not going to be able to execute, I don't care where you're at.

“It's an embarrassment. It's really embarrassing to say the least. It sucks for this football team. We can't change anything."

“I told them last week, when this is your last, you want it. You want it all. You want to go for it all. You want to play for it all, you want to play every down like it's your last. When you've got another year, you're not going to play like that. It's obvious that that's what happened today. I'm not blaming anybody. I would never do that to this football team. It looked like no one wanted to be out there, no one wanted to play football."

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Elsewhere in that interview, the questioner notes that senior linebacker Austin Johnson had  said that he felt some players were playing for their own stats Saturday rather than the team, and Poole agreed with that assessment. When you have outgoing seniors publicly stating that they felt underclassmen aren’t doing enough to help the team, you have a serious leadership problem on your squad.

Adding fuel to the fire: VolQuest.com reported that veteran WR coach Charlie Baggett was leaving the staff, in what reports termed “retirement.” Baggett was one of Dooley’s star hires and no one doubted his coaching credentials. Baggett’s separation from the Vol staff—at age 57—doesn’t sound like a dismissal.

Most college football fans in the southeast genuinely like Derek Dooley. But the same could be said of Mike Shula during his tenure at Alabama from 2003 – 2006. During Shula’s tenure, there were numerous reports of team and staff dissension. Some were substantiated, others were not, but there were clear signals that the head coach was losing control of the program.

Most coaches in the SEC fraternity genuinely like and respect Dooley, but again… the same could be said of Shula. Likeability and good character are important in a good football coach, but so is the ability to seize control of the program, clear the barrel of the bad apples, and show everyone that he is the head MFIC.

Mike Shula wasn’t good at that, and if the troubling reports from Knoxville are reasonably accurate, maybe Derek Dooley isn’t, either.

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Us against Y’all: Third Saturday in October

A lot of college football fans outside of the SEC scratch their heads and wonder why Alabama vs. Tennessee on the Third Fourth Saturday in October is taken so seriously by Crimson Tide and Volunteer faithful.

After all, Alabama has the annual Iron Bowl clash with Auburn as its season ending finale, right? Isn’t that the fiercest rivalry in the league, if not the country?

Maybe, but Alabama vs. Tennessee is the annual Clash of the Titans in SEC football lore. One of my earliest football memories was listening to the 1972 game on the patio with my father. Bama was down 10-3 late in the fourth quarter due to a very stout Tennessee defense. But the Tide somehow managed to score two touchdowns in under two minutes and pulled out a 17-10 victory. Bama play-by-play announcer John Forney was nearly unintelligible as the final seconds ran off the clock, but my father’s grin as he pulled out the Victory Cigar was all I needed to be told—beating Tennessee is huge.

Tennessee has beaten Alabama 38 times. No other school in the country has beaten Alabama 38 times. Tennessee has 13 SEC Championships. No other school in the league is as close to Alabama’s 22. Beginning in 1995 with Peyton Manning as a sophomore in Knoxville, Tennessee ran off a streak of seven straight victories. No team in the SEC has ever beaten Alabama seven straight times and it may not ever happen again. Tennessee rightfully claims six National Championships. No other team in the SEC is as close as Alabama’s 13.

The games have meant more than any other matchup in the league because so many of these games have determined the SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl berths and whether either of the two would be in the National Championship race. Ten years before Alabama’s 2009 Return to Glory, Alabama won its 21st SEC Championship. Its only SEC loss that season was to Tennessee. During that 2009 run a decade later, Tennessee again tried to blemish Bama’s SEC title run and it took two blocked field goals from Terrence Cody to seal the 12-10 victory.

The average score in the series is Alabama 16, Tennessee 13.

These are the two marquee programs of SEC Football lore. These are the two flagships. Florida may have more fans and more TV viewers. Georgia, too. But no two programs have done more on the field than Alabama and Tennessee. Nobody. No two programs can claim head coaching legends like Paul W. Bryant and General Robert Neyland. It’s 110 years of college football at it’s finest and most intense.

It’s the Third Saturday in October even if the calendar is wrong. It’s Us vs. Y’all.

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SEC Gameday Snarks

By: @LivingCrimson

Derek Dooley’s custom tailored orange pants were a big hit on Rocky Top. Vols fans flocked to local clothing stores looking for similar menswear. Alas, no such luck. Dooley imported the custom fabric and there was only enough material to make one pair of pants.

In an exclusive scoop, we have managed to locate Dooley’s tailors. We’re certain there are other orange fabrics if you find life too dull without a pair of bright orange pants. The tailors can be contacted in care of the Y.M.C.A., Knoxville, TN.

 

Despite intense media pressure, Mark Richt is not acknowledging the heat of his seat. He even joked and laughed at his post-Boise State press conference.

Georgia has been focused in its preparation for the South Carolina game today and the Dawgs are feeling hopeful because … it’s the Gamecocks.

We think Richt might be putting on a good game face, though. We’ve obtained exclusive footage of his mindset last night before the big game.

Nightmare on Richt Street

 

And last but not least, the coach who avows to Jon Gruden his offense is NFL-ready … Gene Chizik. Auburn faces a tough challenge today, but we’re confident the professional playcalling will once again bring the game right down to the wire.

Dan Mullen has no comment.

Simplistic

UPDATED: Bad week for Tennessee – what else could go wrong?

On Tuesday, legendary Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summit announced that she had been diagnosed with a case of early onset dementia, but would rely on her assistants and staff as she attempts to coach at least one more year. The outpouring of support and well-wishing was national and sincere, but a long and storied chapter in Tennesee history looks to be coming to end (and far too soon).

Also on Tuesday, former Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl was informed by the NCAA that the league’s Committee on Infractions was handing him a multi-year show cause penalty for his role in a major infractions case involving improper recruiting.

On Wednesday, Football Coach Derek Dooley announced that Junior Safety Janzen Jackson had been dismissed from the team. Jackson’s career at UT had been troubled from the get-go, but he was arguably the team’s most talented player and his dismissal is expected to have significant consequences for the Vols’ 2011 season outlook.

What else could go wrong?

Accompanying the notice from the NCAA was something to the effect of “oh, by the way. We’re handing down our public report and sticking you with sanctions on the Pearl and Lane Kiffin cases.”

A press conference is likely later today.

Exit Question: Where is Roy Kramer when ya need him?

UPDATE: Maybe he’s on the Committee on Infractions. ESPN’s Andy Katz explains that UT has already seen the Committee’s report and that the Committee has accepted the school’s self-imposed penalties.

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Tennessee can end its national search for a new men’s AD

The Bandit Ref has officially thrown his hat in the ring and appears ready to begin his duties immediately.

He’s even included a self-portrait.

Tweet your support for the banditref by using the #BanditRefForVolsAD hash tag.

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Checkerboard Chatter’s “Interview with the Enemy” series

Checkerboard Chatter—a Tennessee sports blog—is running an outstanding series of interviews called “Interview with the Enemy.” The series consists of interviews with rival fan blogs. The authors were kind enough to interview me earlier this week.

You can see the interview here. a Snippet:

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CBC: Tell us a little about your love for the Alabama Crimson Tide. What are some of your favorite memories? What made you root for Bama?

IBCR: In the state of Alabama, you are born into an allegiance. And you never switch. Such apostasy is rewarded with disgust, derision and disownment.

My earliest memory of Alabama football happens to be one of the greatest moments in the storied “3rd Saturday in October” rivalry between our two great football programs. In 1972, I was 10 and was helping my father build a patio on a cool October afternoon. As usual, my father had the Alabama game on the radio. My “job” was to listen close and tell him what was going on while he worked. Tennessee’s defense was stout that day and led 10-3 late in the fourth quarter. My father was resigned to losing, but I held out hope. Sure enough, we got a great, long yardage play and scored to tie it. Then got a fumble on a Tennessee QB draw and scored again. Two touchdowns in two minutes. Alabama’s radio play-by-play announcer, John Forney, was almost unintelligible with delight, so I really couldn’t understand him well enough to tell my father exactly what was being said. So I just hollered, “Daddy, we scored two times in two minutes and we’re gonna WIN!”

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This is a great idea and I wish I’d thought of it. Be sure and follow Checkerboard Chatter as it interviews bloggers associated with other SEC schools. You  can also follow @CheckerbChatter on Twitter.

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So it begins: Phillip Fulmer expresses interested in Tennessee AD job

Former Tennessee Head Football Coach Phillip Fulmer, speaking to ESPN.com, has publicly expressed interested in the UT Athletic Director’s position. Former AD Mike Hamilton politely excused himself from that position on Tuesday, just four days before the institution is to appear before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions. The Committee will decide what penalties will be applied to the Men’s Basketball and Football programs for a host of NCAA violations committed under former Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl and former Football Coach Lane Kiffin.

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"What I want is what's best for my university," Fulmer said. "I'll spend my time over these next few days trying to figure out what that is and whether this is something that's real for me to be able to do, both from a professional and a personal standpoint.

"We'll see what the feelings are of the people there at the university and the decision-makers, and that's simply where we are right now. I'm not politicking for the job, and I don't need a job. But if I can help my university, I'm interested in doing that any way I can."

Fulmer, who's worked in private business and as a college football analyst for CBS since his ouster as the Vols' coach, said it's important for everybody "who truly loves Tennessee" to move forward.

And he said that includes him.

"I'm at a good place now in my life, and I'm not bitter about anything that's happened in the past," Fulmer said. "It's about what we do from here, and this is an important time for our university.

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What a Shakespearean twist of the knife fate that would be. Fulmer rose to the head coaching job by famously throwing another former head coach—Johnny Majors—under the bus in 1992. Fulmer had been serving as an assistant under Majors until Majors “temporarily” stepped aside to undergo heart surgery. While Majors was recuperating, Fulmer won all four of the games he coached that year and vigorously lobbied for the permanent job. He got it, and Majors was forced out.

I frankly don’t think such a move would portend well for current Head Football Coach Derek Dooley. He was hired as an untested commodity in Big Boy College Football and hasn’t set the world on fire (but has still earned the respect of his colleagues). One bad year and Fulmer might be too quick to make a change and more than likely, his choice would be someone who ran a football program his “old school” way.

Exit question: What’s the over-under on the number of days after taking office that Fulmer starts an investigation into Alabama recruiting practices?

Update: Maybe Fulmer to UT AD isn’t so likely, after all. Here’s a story from Mike Griffith of GVX, with a quote from a booster indicating that the school wants a clean break from the past. Helmet tap to @LivingCrimson for the link.

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Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton is GONE like yesterday

WBIR in Knoxville, TN is breaking the news that Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton will announce his resignation today at a press conference scheduled for 11:00. Or, the school will announce his resignation at the press conference.

There was considerable speculation that this move was inevitable. But the timing of this is curious. In four days, the school will appear before the NCAA Committee on Infractions, which will ultimately decide the final penalties levied against the Men’s Basketball and Football programs for a host of rules violations, including charges of unethical conduct (one of the most toxic violations in the book).

Under Mike Hamilton, Tennessee has:

• Hired Bruce Pearl
• Hired Lane Kiffin
• Watched Kiffin flee to Southern Cal
• Hired Derek Dooley (only positive move, so far)
• Received notice of NCAA investigation
• Received official Notice of Allegations from NCAA, naming both Kiffin and Pearl
• Fired Bruce Pearl
• Hired Cuonzo Martin

There is an ancient Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times,” which in Chinese culture means may you live during a period of turmoil and unrest. The Tennessee Athletics Department has been living in interesting times since it promoted Hamilton to the Director’s position in 2003.

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Pearl shucked, but Tressel’s offenses are much more serious

  On Monday, the University of Tennessee did the right thing in firing men’s basketball Head Coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl admitted to several NCAA rules violations, including improper contact and attempting to mislead NCAA investigators regarding a BBQ held at his home and trying to get others to lie about it as well. As Richard Nixon could have told Pearl, it’s not the crime but the coverup that gets you impeached.

About six hours up I-75 however, an even more serious set of transgressions occurred, when Ohio State’s Jim Tressel learned in January 2010 that five of the Buckeye’s best football players were involved with an improper benefits scandal and said nothing about it.  If the NCAA can prove that Tressel alerted his superiors about the matter and they also participated in the coverup, the consequences from the NCAA Committee on Infractions could be severe.

Both Pearl and Tressel were contrite and apologized profusely in their public statements but so far, Bruce Pearl is the only one of the two to have suffered the worst possible consequences of the Cardinal Sin of lying to the NCAA. Pearl’s transgressions were unforgiveable and UT absolutely did the right thing in terminating the flamboyant, popular coach. It wasn’t easy, either. Pearl had put Tennessee men’s basketball on the map. They were relevant under him and missed the 2010 Final Four by a single point.

But there’s something to keep in mind vis-a-vis Pearl’s poor decision making and that of Jim Tressel.  But for Pearl’s actions, would Tennessee have been less competitive in the basketball games occurring after his transgressions? That answer would have to be an unequivocal “NO.”

That is not the case with Jim Tressel and the Tattoo Five.  Jim Tressel had specific, credible information that as many as five of his best players—including standout QB Terrelle Pryor—were probably ineligible to play after trading memorabilia for tattoos, cash and other gifts. Ask the same question: But for Tressel’s actions (or, inaction in this case), would Ohio State have been less competitive in the football games occurring after his knowledge of the facts?  That answer would have to be an unequivocal “YES.”

Do you think Michigan would like a shot at a team quarterbacked by someone other than Pryor? What about the Arkansas Razorbacks? Would having those five players on the bench made a difference in the outcome of the Sugar Bowl?

Tressel’s team gained a clear competitive advantage by playing ineligible players. Pearl’s teams received virtually no advantage from his actions, and Pearl lost his job.

Tressel should too.

Extra Point: Ohio State went 12-1 in the 2010 season. Tressel absolutely owns Michigan and damned near everyone else in the Big TenlevenTwelve. Tressel is a winning coach. Does tOSU have the “buckeyes” to fire a winner?

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University of Tennessee releases NCAA Notice of Allegations

Affects men’s Basketball and Football programs, Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl and former Head Football Coach, Lane Kiffin.

To wit:

The University of Tennessee yesterday received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA regarding the school's men's basketball and football programs.

This Notice results from a 22-month investigation by the NCAA and the University of Tennessee in response to reports of alleged violations reported by the University and from external sources. The University and its Athletics Department have cooperated fully with the NCAA in this matter, and the receipt of the Notice of Allegations signifies the end of the initial review and fact-finding period.

While an examination into potential rules violations by the University of Tennessee baseball program was referenced in the initial Letter of Inquiry from the NCAA, there are no alleged violations by the baseball program listed in this Notice.

The Notice contains the following allegations of violation of NCAA rules against the men's basketball program:

• Impermissible contact with prospective student-athletes resulting from a cumulative total of 96 impermissible phone calls over a 24-month period (Aug. 1, 2007 through July 29, 2009).
• By the head men's basketball coach: impermissible contact with prospective student-athletes during an unofficial visit, acting contrary to the principles of ethical conduct, failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance, and failure to monitor the activities regarding compliance of all assistant coaches within the men's basketball program.
• By the head men's basketball coach and associate head coach: impermissible contact with a prospective student-athlete at his high school.
• By the three members of the men's basketball assistant coaching staff: failure to furnish full and complete information relevant to the investigation.

The notice contains the following allegations of violation of NCAA rules against the football program:

• By former members of the football coaching staff: impermissible telephone contact (16 total calls) with prospective student-athletes from Jan. 3-9, 2010.
• By a former assistant football coach: allegations relating to impermissible contacts with prospective student-athletes.
• By a former head football coach: failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program and failure to monitor the activities regarding compliance of several assistant coaches have also been made against a former head football coach, and permitting a football recruiting intern to make impermissible contact with high school staff during a recruiting visit.

Additionally, the University is alleged to have failed to monitor the men's basketball coaching staff's telephone contacts with prospective student-athletes and their relatives in order to ensure compliance with NCAA telephone contact legislation (from Aug. 1, 2007 - July 29, 2009).

The University has a deadline of May 21, 2011 to formulate and submit a response to this Notice of Allegations to the NCAA. It is anticipated that the University's appearance before the Committee on Infractions will be during the committee's meeting on June 10-11, 2011.

Because the University and Athletic Department are now in the response phase of this process, there will be no further public comments regarding this matter by any University official until this process is complete.

At first blush, the underlined allegations appear to be the most serious.  Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl is alleged to have had impermissible contact with prospective student athletes and then lying to investigators about it.

The failure to monitor allegation is against former Head Football Coach Lane Kiffin. This allegation—to the relief of the UT faithful—stops short of the dreaded “lack of institutional control” violation that typically triggers near catastrophic penalties.

Via Twitter and online press reports, Lane Kiffin is declining comment on advice of counsel.

To my Vol friends, good luck and Godspeed. I am a fan and admirer of Coach Derek Dooley and I think he comes through this fine.

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Ruh Roh: NCAA to Hammer Tennessee?

Clay Travis at NCAA Fanhouse has the exclusive, so I’m only going to link to his article and post this snippet.

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The NCAA will cite the University of Tennessee's football program with a failure to monitor violation stemming from the short tenure of head coach Lane Kiffin, multiple sources close to the investigation both inside and outside the university told FanHouse.

The violation is related to improper recruiting contacts by Vol coaches and by Vol hostesses in the since disbanded Orange Pride program. What's more, in a stunning development that reaches across the country and implicates another of the nation's most-storied programs, the NCAA will also cite current USC head coach Lane Kiffin with a failure to monitor charge as well as additional citations against Kiffin's brother-in-law, David Reaves, formerly an assistant quarterbacks coach at Tennessee.

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And then I’ll remind readers that yesterday, the media was abuzz over the fact that Kiffin was on his way to signing a big time class at USC, despite that program facing crippling sanctions over the Reggie Bush affair.

While that case is under appeal, the sanctions weren’t binding until the Committee on Appeals has ruled. This lets the staff sign as many as the rules allow.

Exit question: Do you think Kiffin’s nose thumbing at USC has anything to do with the severity of the coming hammer blow?

Double Exit question: Do you think that given the recent antics down on the plains at Auburn, the NCAA lowers a heavier boom if pay-for-play and deliberate eligibility gamesmanship is proven?

Bama Fan: “I HATE TENNESSEE!”

It’s an old rivalry, with heated emotions on both sides.  But this dude takes the visceral nature of the Third Fourth Saturday in October to a whole new level.

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