I have now posted three stories on the Tennessee Volunteers facing the California Golden Bears tonight. Some of you have commented and I appreciate it. But where is Lisa? I mean, I am in her arena, supposedly at least. But she has yet to even comment on my Vols representing the SEC taking on her PAC 10 University of Southern California rival.
Oh Lisa, come out and play! Come out and play warrior! I know for the most part I cut and paste. I prefer to call it editing. But nevermind that, what are your thoughts on the game?
From utsports.com
After more than four weeks of grueling preseason practices, the Vols finally open the 2007 season Saturday in a primetime showdown with the California Golden Bears.
The heaviest weight placed on Tennessee’s back is that of the entire Southeastern Conference. There are three games featuring SEC teams against BCS opponents on opening weekend, but only Tennessee faces a ranked team.
In all, the SEC will play 13 regular season games against BCS opponents, and judging from preseason rankings, this weekend’s game sits behind only the LSU-Virginia Tech matchup when it comes to national title implications. Of course, anything can change by Nov. 24, when the final four of the 13 games are played.
“We are always thinking about representing the conference,” quarterback Erik Ainge said. “But once it is kicked off, that all goes away. We will go out there and represent Tennessee and the SEC, but our focus is on the game itself.”
The word ‘revenge’ has also been used over and over again. Cal has reportedly been seething for a full calendar year after its lopsided 2006 loss on Rocky Top.
On the field, Tennessee’s defense will have to contend with one of the Pac-10’s best quarterbacks in junior Nate Longshore, not to mention a group of veteran receivers including Heisman Trophy candidate DeSean Jackson. The Vols’ offense looks to establish the run against a Cal defense that lost three of its four starting defensive linemen from a year ago.
“We are going to approach this one like we would any other game,” junior linebacker Jerod Mayo said. “We know what kind of talent they have, and our coaches will have us prepared. Our focus is on what we can do, what we have prepared to do, not what they can do.”
Tennessee Is Making Its 15th NCAA Tournament Appearance
The Tennessee Volunteers (22-10, 10-6 Southeastern Conference) were selected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA South Region where they face the Long Beach State 49ers of the Big West Conference in Columbus, Ohio, in the first round beginning March 16. This is UT's 15th NCAA appearance overall, second straight and sixth in the last 10 years. The Vols own an 9-15 tournament record. Game times will be announced Monday by CBS which will televise the entire tournament. This is the first meeting between Tennessee and Long Beach State. UT has only played two teams from the Big West Conference in UC Irvine (W, 89-53 in 1972) and Cal State Northridge (W, 83-64 in 1998).
Returning to the site of its victorious 2006 NCAA tournament regional, Louisiana State rode Glen "Big Baby" Davis to a 76-67 overtime victory over No. 22 Tennessee in the first round of the SEC tournament. Davis scored 25 points with 15 rebounds as the Tigers earned the upset. Davis scored seven points in overtime, including a three-point play with 1:55 left that gave the Tigers a 71-67 lead. Terry Martin scored on a pass from Davis with 52 seconds left to push the lead to six points. Two free throws by Davis upped the lead to eight.
Martin scored 15 points as LSU extended Tennessee's long run of frustration in the SEC tournament. Since losing in the championship game in 1991, Tennessee (22-10) is 7-16 in the SEC event and has not advanced past the second round. This year, despite their Top 25 ranking, the Vols didn't even make it to the second round.
Tennessee is not a tournament team when it comes to basketball. Though I love 'em. I wouldn't bet on them in any tourney.
LOFTON NAMED ALL-AMERICA
KANSAS CITY, MO. -- The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today the Tennessee junior guard Chris Lofton was a third team All-America selection.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference unveiled its men's basketball postseason awards Wednesday to cap off another exciting season in league history. Tennessee junior guard Chris Lofton became consensus All-SEC for the second straight year as he was a unanimous choice placed on the first team by the league coaches. Lofton was named SEC Player of the Year by the Associated Press earlier.
Tennessee has won seven of its eight games since Lofton returned to the lineup from an ankle injury, with four of those victories coming against ranked teams. He leads the SEC with 20.6 points per game and 3.33 3-pointers per game. He also ranks fourth in the league with 81.0 free throw percentage. Lofton was named SEC Player of the week three times and has won the award six times in his career which is tied with Alabama's Kennedy Winston for most in SEC history. He was named first team NABC All-District 7 and ESPN.com National Player of the Week (Dec. 26)and #### Vitale's co-National Player of the Week (Dec. 11).
Allan Houston will be one of 12 former SEC greats who will be honored at the 2007 SEC Tournament in Atlanta as a Chick-fil-A SEC Basketball Legend. Houston will be recognized at halftime of Tennessee's first round game against LSU on Thursday, March 8. A two-time second team All-America selection, Houston finished his career as UT's all-time leading scorer with 2,801 points, a figure that ranked 13th in NCAA history at the time. He was named the MVP of the 1991 SEC Tournament and joins Ernie Grunfeld as the only Vols to earn first team All-SEC honors in each of their four years in Knoxville. The 6-foot-6 guard's 346 career 3-pointers still stand as a school record and rank second in SEC history.
Even now, after nearly a month of swearing his allegiance to the Falcons as their new head coach, there are so many questions for Bobby Petrino about his past, present and future. For instance: Which is it? Does Petrino consider himself to be a pro coach or a college coach for the long run, and given his self-inflicted controversy over it all, what does this mean for his longevity (or lack thereof) in Atlanta?
Here’s why I ask: During Petrino’s four seasons of leading the University of Louisville to football prominence, he often spoke of cherishing the collegiate lifestyle to that of the pros. He regularly told Cardinals athletics director Tom Jurich that working in the college ranks was more suitable for raising his family. He even signed that 10-year contract last summer to coach Louisville just shy of forever.
“For me and my family, Louisville is my home,” Petrino said back then at his news conference. “I also wanted to make sure that everyone understood — and I know I’ve said it — that this is where my family wants to be and where I want to be.” Now Petrino says boldly that he always knew in recent years that he would leave the college game. Huh?
“Everything I’ve done from the time I left the [Jacksonville] Jaguars was within mind that, ‘when I come back to the NFL,’?” said Petrino, causing some head scratching during his impromptu interview with reporters in Miami during Super Bowl week. He was with the Jaguars from 1999 through 2001 as quarterbacks coach for two seasons before becoming Auburn offensive coordinator. In contrast, Petrino’s other 18 years in coaching were on campuses, ranging from his native Helena, Mont., to Ogden, Utah to Reno, Nev. His college resume included his ugly flirtation in the shadows with trying to secure the Auburn head coach job that his former boss Tommy Tuberville already had. Plus, despite receiving a hefty raise from Louisville, he interviewed at LSU after Nick Saban left for the Miami Dolphins.
"His college resume included his ugly flirtation in the shadows with trying to secure the Auburn head coach job that his former boss Tommy Tuberville already had."
This is just what Arthur Blank deserves, someone that might throw him under the bus. This is getting better every week.
The final BCS rankings put Florida in the National Championship Game LSU in the Sugar Bowl and Tennessee in the Outback. I never thought I'd say this but, uh, thanks Florida. Eck! That was like kissing your step-sister.
What a difference a year makes. Last year Tennesee spent the New Year in Knoxville watching other teams, well, like, uh, Florida, play in bowl games.
In 2005, the Vols were coming off of an SEC Eastern Division Championship and a huge Cotton Bowl win where Rick Clausen, playing in the place of an injured Eric Ainge, had led the team from Rocky Top to a demolishing of what had been a pretty good Texas A&M team. Then, beneath the radar, Eric Ainge won the job back in the spring. However, Eric struggled throughout the season leading to calls for Clausen who the fans loved. The team seemed to have its doubts about Eric too. Conversely, they seemed to have their spirits raised up when Clausen came in as he did when he led a tremendous fourth quarter comeback over LSU which ended up being the high point of the season.
Exit Randy Sanders as Offensive Coordinator. Welcome back David Cutcliff as Offensive Coordinator.
David told Eric to cut his hair and lose his earring. Eric called Peyton Manning to ask him what to do. Peytons advice?
Shut up. Do what he says. Listen to him. You will be a better quarterback.
Thanks Peyton.
Eric took Peyton's advice. He did what David told him to. He is a better quarterback. He has matured beyond the potential he showed as a Freshman and fortunately, only occasionally, do we get a glimpse of the harried Sophomore that simply threw the ball up in the air for an easy Nortre Dame interception and touchdown return in 2005.
In 2006 David, Eric and the Vols have come bouncing back.
2007 Outback Bowl Jan. 1, 2007 Tampa, Fla. - Raymond James Stadium - ESPN - 11 a.m. EST
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