Special guest Kenny Chesney and Lee Corso picking UT to
win
It’s an SEC tradition that on the third Saturday in
September that the rivalry between the University
of Florida and the University of Tennessee
will have a gridiron matchup.
“College Gameday in Knoxville,
TN Saturday September 15, 2012”
I thought it was a Sports Center
text alert joke. College Gameday hasn’t been in Knoxville
since 2004 and just about every media source outside of Knoxville
hasn’t giving the University
of Tennessee any love or
respect.
The truth is that the University of Tennessee
hasn’t been the threat or the powerhouse that it once was. And when it comes to
the third Saturday in September, UT hasn’t won since 2004. For the first time
since 2007 both Florida (18)
and Tennessee (23) have been ranked at kick off.
Has UT developed into the program it was once was? Not yet,
but we know we are better this year. A fan base that is starving to beat
Florida, a week filled with beat Florida festivities and a team preparing for
their first and maybe only chance to prove why it’s great to be a Tennessee
Vol.
I can’t remember the last time UT EVER had this much media
attention that didn’t involve Lane Kiffin. ESPN and social media hyped up the
game and Vegas gave UT a slight advantage.
A packed crowd showed up early for College Gameday and the
signs were hilarious. Some of my personal favorites:
“Driskel throws Zima
bottles”
“Driskel goes for it
on 4th and jort”
ESPN acronym
“Exterminating Swamp People from Neyland”
“Great Jorts said no
one ever”
It was a beautiful
day for football in Knoxville.
Neyland sold out to a sea of orange for more than 102,000 plus the thousands
of fans who couldn’t get tickets.
It was a great SEC game until the end of third and then it was
all Rock Bottom for the VOLS.
With 3:27 left in the third, Florida set in wildcat formation ended with
1 play for 80 yards in twelve seconds for a Florida TD by Trey Burton and the
game changed. The missed opportunities, turnovers and failure to complete big
plays made the VOLS Gator bait.
Bray collapsed and Tennessee
had no legs. With only 87 rushing yards UT had meek success in the running game
while the Gators ran for 336 yards and ran away with their 8th
consecutive win 37-20 on the third Saturday in September.
Tennessee
fans were pissed, heartbroken and shocked. This was Dooley’s chance to beat a
ranked team and he came out with swamp ass.
Simply put, we couldn’t finish. We choked in the spotlight
on the national stage in what could be the most important game of Dooley’s
career at UT. Tennessee got chomped in Knoxville
and it hurts.
Sometimes I hate that I love UT football so much, it just hurts.
It really hurts. But at the end of day, the week, and season UT fans will still
be cheering for the team with the belief that one day, the team will love us
back. VFL.
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