Anyone interested in this

[justingroves]

Here goes

Here are the questions I came up with:
First of all, let's clear up some misconceptions about Tennessee students/alumni, namely that you aren't all rednecks. Tell us what your university has contributed to the academic landscape to get rid of those football sneers.

The University of Tennessee has over 300,000 alumni, 7 Rhodes Scholars and the forensic program is one of the best in the country.

The MBA program is 5th overall among U.S. public universities and the nuclear engineering graduate program is 10 nationally.

There are over 27,000 students here and only 120 (counting walk-ons), at best, play football

There has long been a contention that SEC fans are more passionate and diehard in support of their teams, especially in contrast to the laid-back Pac-10. Having lived and travelled through the South in my formative years, I know how much you guys care about it, perhaps tooo much. Is this really a good thing, or does it burn you out (especially after a loss to Florida or LSU)?

It never burns you out. The SEC is far and away the most competitive conference in the nation. You'll never see another team's fanbase point to what one team does as validation for their team losing. "We haven't played in the Rose Bowl because USC is in our conference." That excuse does not cut it in the SEC.

Every fan expects excellence, unless you root for Kentucky or Vanderbilt. This is about more than just football, it is a way of life. Nowhere else in the country will you see fans more dedicated to their teams than in the south. It is not a bad thing.

I enjoy having the Warriors shock the world in May, the Giants and As stumbling to last place in summer, the 49ers and Raiders dancing down the standings. Tennessee has the Titans and the Vols. Would you like more sports, or is that all you need? What do you guys do the rest of the year in Knoxville to keep things hustling and bustling sports-wise?

We watch Tennessee's basketball teams (men and women) compete for championships. Then we prepare for spring practice.

I assume most of you were at Rocky Top last year. How much do you think the crowd contributed to the demolition of Cal? Or was the team that much better?

Cal was blown away by the atmosphere at Neyland. Then they were torched on the field. Tennessee's team was a much more faster and athletic team than Cal was.

Also, a 5-6 season left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. The fans, coaches and players were ready to start the season off right.

Why does UT seem to fall into complacency after certain games? You guys were dominant against us and then nearly got knocked off by Air Force the next week. Your teams have so much talent yet have fallen short ever since '98. Any idea where these lapses stem from? Does the team just get too psyched up after huge victories?

The team looked ahead to Florida the following week. The coaches are responsible for that mistake, as well the leaders in the lockerroom.

Good example of this is Cal vs Arizona

Break down the game for us. Other than the setting, there have been a few noticeable changes. We've lost Marshawn Lynch, a spectator in Neyland, and most of our defensive stars from last year. You lost [WR Robert] Meachem and most of the dynamic receivers that tore up Cal last year, and you won't have Coker available this week. What will be the key changes and matchups that fans on both sides should look out for?

Last year Cal got dominated at the line of scrimmage by perhaps the worst offensive line in the last 15 seasons. This year, the emphasis has been on pounding the ball. Seeing as Cal returns the linebacker that could not tackle a 3rd string tailback, the chances of Cal winning the game are slim.

Forsett did next to nothing against UT last year and behind him are untested freshmen. Longshore is, at best, an "inept, clownfooted QB" according to Mike Silver, Cal alum who works for Sports Illustrated. DeSean Jackson got the large majority of his yards against UT's 2nd and 3rd string DBs, while not looking very impressive against UT's first string.

 

[Bearsnecessity]

Hey guys! Sorry about waiting so long to respond to this. I probably came off like a condescending ass in that interview, didn't mean it that way--I should have just started this thread.

I write a blog meant to help out college students, with Cal mostly in mind. I thought it'd be cool to get some insight from alumni/students on Tennessee's side before our biggest game this year (USC might be more important to some, but I know what it means countrywide).

Just spinning thoughts back and forth.

and no, it never burns us out. we look forward to it every year. when we say football is like religion down here, we mean it. it's a topic 365 days a year, and we're perfectly happy with that. In other sports in other regions, the game is just that, a game. down here, whether you at the stadium or watching at home, the whole day is considered "an event".

I can see where you're coming from. I remember what football was like when I was down South (not Deep South, just crazy Florida)--it was so great just to sit back and watch twelve hours of football every Saturday. Even if I was living in Orlando and was stuck rooting for the Golden Knights choking to Auburn.

Cal football is depressingly different. Going to a game that doesn't involve beating down Stanford has sadly pedestrian crowds, and only the Student Section and younger alumni tend to get riled up. We have to be prodded to make noise on defense, although it's getting better year-by-year (baby steps). I guess all the money you make from those Berkeley degrees takes the passion out of the alumni. Well, and the fact that Cal football is a recent phenomenon--our program has stunk forever.

good question. this has been debated over and over again on this board. the reality: it's hard to get up for every game. It's easy to get up for GA, FL, Bama, SC....all conf. rivals that can beat you on any given Saturday. You go in to a game against an AF or Duke or whatever, expecting to get a W. the reality of that situation, you get that kind of team's best shot. if you are not ready, look out. it happens to everyone at some point, remember the AZ game last season Cal?

You're right, classic trap game. I could feel something was wrong by halftime; Longshore wasn't throwing right, the defense wasn't clicking right and was getting pounded down the field late. Awful game where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And we sucked.

What are the big games for you other than Cal this year? Florida and LSU? Who are the top dogs this year in the SEC?

I wasn't there, but I'd say probably both. From all accounts I've heard, Autzen Stadium is the only Pac-10 stadium that is capable of producing noise in the same ballpark as SEC stadiums. And living in Oregon, I can tell you that's rare. It's only for those special visits like USC or Michigan.

I hear the UCLA games in the Rose Bowl can get pretty loud, and (when they don't stink) Husky stadium can get pretty crazy. But yeah, I think Oregon definitely ranks up there.

Is Neyland the loudest in the SEC? I know it's the largest.

You'll never see another team's fanbase point to what one team does as validation for their team losing. "We haven't played in the Rose Bowl because USC is in our conference." That excuse does not cut it in the SEC.

Every fan expects excellence, unless you root for Kentucky or Vanderbilt. This is about more than just football, it is a way of life. Nowhere else in the country will you see fans more dedicated to their teams than in the south. It is not a bad thing.

It's interesting. The SEC games definitely feel a thousand times more dramatic than other, but the gameplay itself can get downright sloppy. I watched a few games on TV last year--blocked punts, sloppy fumbles, botched snaps. It was ridiculous. No wonder you guys look much crisper playing OOC. It's just not as high-stakes.

The crowd really does have that much of an effect on a road team's psyche doesn't it? Or is the pressure of winning an SEC game so much that the players get caught up in it and struggle to perform at their best?

Yes, every alum is a redneck. Just like I'm sure every Cal grad is a liberal tree-hugging scientologist.

They actually set up a church of Scientology behind the Indian restaurant downtown. I'm wondering how big their numbers are now.

Last year Cal got dominated at the line of scrimmage by perhaps the worst offensive line in the last 15 seasons. This year, the emphasis has been on pounding the ball. Seeing as Cal returns the linebacker that could not tackle a 3rd string tailback, the chances of Cal winning the game are slim.

Forsett did next to nothing against UT last year and behind him are untested freshmen. Longshore is, at best, an "inept, clownfooted QB" according to Mike Silver, Cal alum who works for Sports Illustrated. DeSean Jackson got the large majority of his yards against UT's 2nd and 3rd string DBs, while not looking very impressive against UT's first string.

Longshore is a functional quarterback who rolls within the Tedford system. He does have problems with his release that baffle me (how do you have trouble completing 10 yard slants down the middle?), but he's very comfortable playing in front of the home crowd, and he has a stronger receiving corps than last year (most of his road performances last year were staggeringly bad). So we'll see what he does with what he has. He'll have to be great.

I think using last year's UT game as a metric is difficult, since Cal hasn't experienced that type of intensity from a crowd, ever. I can only hope they've learned. Otherwise those Vols/Trojans games are going to be long and bloody.

Does UT have any big weaknesses other than at the receiving end? And how is their special teams? (I know the SEC too well, special teams can get crazy).

Thanks for the replies, I'll compile the best of them up tomorrow!

 

[Lexvol]

Does UT have any big weaknesses other than at the receiving end? And how is their special teams? (I know the SEC too well, special teams can get crazy).

Thanks for the replies, I'll compile the best of them up tomorrow!

Depth on the defensive line is also a concern this year. The secondary, while very young, has made a few waves in fall practices, but the verdict is still out on that group as well. Our receiver issues may have contributed to some of their success.

Special teams have recently been less than special. The Sloppy play that you described has marginalized our efforts in this area. However, the infusion of speed from the 2007 class has fans excited about big play potential on the return teams.

The best kicker on the team, Dustin Colquitt, has a tweaked quad. His natural position is punter, but he was going to be counted on to kickoff, and for field goals as well. If niether offense is clicking and the UT/Cal game turns into a battle for field position, this could be a problem for UT.

Some, including myself, hope that UT will have more team speed this year than last, and also have some expectation the offensive line to show slight improvement (at the least). For that reason, Cal fans should look for a healthy dose of UT's rushing offense.

 

[jakez4ut]

I was gonna back Jake up but he did mangle that one pretty bad. Never claimed us logistics guys could spell

lol:yeah, we're used to just telling the engineers what to do..........

It was a simple mistake by Jake. Maybe we should request the mighty Californicated actually post something of any significance before he starts in on how much greater he is than all of us.

:hi:thank you. though with as many times as i've probably dogged on someone on here for grammar, i deserve the ridicule.........:mf_surrender:

And I don't support 1904801 teams. I passively root for them. It's the Dallas Cowboys, Portland Trail Blazers, Tennessee Volunteers and Chicago Cubs.

just havin' fun with ya Milo......

 

[jakez4ut]

What are the big games for you other than Cal this year? Florida and LSU? Who are the top dogs this year in the SEC?

LSU will only be big if we see them in the SEC CG...which would be just fine with me.....

but the usuals are FL, Bama, GA...those three are always big. but you can throw SC in the mix as well now...having that Spurrier/Fulmer thing going on again instantly added some spice to that matchup.

ARK will be a big game this year, simply because of how they beat us last year. a lot of people are looking to that game as a pretty good benchmark...can we contain DMC at all? or will we get pushed around up front......again.

the reality, with the SEC the way it is today, just about every conf. game is big. hell, if you believe what you read, KY is going to be a HUGE game at the end of the year.....

and with the rotating schedule you can usually count on at least 5-6 "big"conf. games a year....then throw in one big OOC game...the schedule just is chock full of big games...in the not too distant future, we have ooc games against OK, NEB, ORE, UCLA, NCSU, UNC...and it won't be long before Auburn rotates back on the schedule from the West.

over the next 10 years or so, the schedule for us will not be considered weak, that much i can tell you.

 

[justingroves]

Is Neyland the loudest in the SEC? I know it's the largest.


It's interesting. The SEC games definitely feel a thousand times more dramatic than other, but the gameplay itself can get downright sloppy. I watched a few games on TV last year--blocked punts, sloppy fumbles, botched snaps. It was ridiculous. No wonder you guys look much crisper playing OOC. It's just not as high-stakes.

The crowd really does have that much of an effect on a road team's psyche doesn't it? Or is the pressure of winning an SEC game so much that the players get caught up in it and struggle to perform at their best?

The loudest depends on what SEC fans you talk to. The Swamp and Death Valley are right up there if not past Neyland and from what I here Auburn gets really loud too.

If the team is used to playing in front of 75,000 to 100,000 fans then the crowd doesn't usually play a factor. But you've already admitted that no fans are more passionate about football than southern fans.

The SEC games you speak of is what happens when 2 evenly matched teams play. See the athletic difference when UT played Cal? That doesn't happen as much when 2 SEC teams come to play each other. It has nothing to do with pressure, it has to do with 22 of the best football players in the nation on the field at the same time.

 

[General_Neyland]

"I assume most of you were at Rocky Top last year. How much do you think the crowd contributed to the demolition of Cal? Or was the team that much better?"

To this question I would have to respond in this fashion:

I think the crowd could have played a role in the outcome of the game, However I find it odd that a team like CAL wasnt coached to be ready for a SEC type atmosphere and 107,000 fans. If the team diddnt know what they were walking into, and truly were caught off guard then I say blame the coaches for underpreparing the players. After all, in the SEC we play high intensity games every week. Typically you will find 3-5 SEC teams in the top 10 in the polls ,this is what we are used to. This is what level we are used to playing on week in and week out.

Now was CAL the better team last year? At 35-0 in the 3rd qtr I'd have to say no. CAL looked unprepared and out of their league. The films of the game say it all. Cal was beaten on both sides of the ball all the way around. That my friends was done by the players on the field, not the crowd.:salute:

 

[BACKDOC]

Funny story I thought Cal fans would enjoy. A couple of years ago our Center went on his official visit to SC. He resides from Miss., his name is Josh McNeil. He knew LA wasn't the place for him when he pulled out a can of snuff and took a big dip; the other players looked at him like he was crazy. He later signed with UT.

 

[Bearsnecessity]

Depth on the defensive line is also a concern this year. The secondary, while very young, has made a few waves in fall practices, but the verdict is still out on that group as well. Our receiver issues may have contributed to some of their success.

Special teams have recently been less than special. The Sloppy play that you described has marginalized our efforts in this area. However, the infusion of speed from the 2007 class has fans excited about big play potential on the return teams.

The best kicker on the team, Dustin Colquitt, has a tweaked quad. His natural position is punter, but he was going to be counted on to kickoff, and for field goals as well. If niether offense is clicking and the UT/Cal game turns into a battle for field position, this could be a problem for UT.

Some, including myself, hope that UT will have more team speed this year than last, and also have some expectation the offensive line to show slight improvement (at the least). For that reason, Cal fans should look for a healthy dose of UT's rushing offense.

Heh, our issues on defense are similar (inexperienced D-line, unproven secondary). Looks like Cal's d-line might be the key to Saturday's game--if you can plow through our line without fail, we'll be in deep trouble. I'd rather have Tennessee passing than running, that's for sure.

 

[Bearsnecessity]

LSU will only be big if we see them in the SEC CG...which would be just fine with me.....

but the usuals are FL, Bama, GA...those three are always big. but you can throw SC in the mix as well now...having that Spurrier/Fulmer thing going on again instantly added some spice to that matchup.

ARK will be a big game this year, simply because of how they beat us last year. a lot of people are looking to that game as a pretty good benchmark...can we contain DMC at all? or will we get pushed around up front......again.

the reality, with the SEC the way it is today, just about every conf. game is big. hell, if you believe what you read, KY is going to be a HUGE game at the end of the year.....

and with the rotating schedule you can usually count on at least 5-6 "big"conf. games a year....then throw in one big OOC game...the schedule just is chock full of big games...in the not too distant future, we have ooc games against OK, NEB, ORE, UCLA, NCSU, UNC...and it won't be long before Auburn rotates back on the schedule from the West.

over the next 10 years or so, the schedule for us will not be considered weak, that much i can tell you.

I forget, who is Tennessee's biggest rival? It used to be Kentucky right? And I know it's just mean to consider Vanderbilt (although they beat you two years ago)...so, Florida?

 

[OrangeEmpire]

ALA FREAKIN' BAMA!

 

[Lexvol]

Heh, our issues on defense are similar (inexperienced D-line, unproven secondary). Looks like Cal's d-line might be the key to Saturday's game--if you can plow through our line without fail, we'll be in deep trouble. I'd rather have Tennessee passing than running, that's for sure.

You are correct....My gut feeling is that the UT staff thinks their are some weaknesses to be exploited. If we have to throw the ball around too much, that will be a bad sign for the folks on Rocky Top.

 

[utvolpj]

I forget, who is Tennessee's biggest rival? It used to be Kentucky right? And I know it's just mean to consider Vanderbilt (although they beat you two years ago)...so, Florida?

In the modern era UK and Vandy aren't even close.

For the under-30 crowd I would say UF and the over-30 crowd it's bama.

My vote: :bammer:

 

[Lexvol]

ALA FREAKIN' BAMA!

There is NO CLOSE SECOND!!!!!!!

 

[OrangeEmpire]

In the modern era UK and Vandy aren't even close.

For the under-30 crowd I would say UF and the over-30 crowd it's bama.

My vote: :bammer:

Hey now, I am under 30!

Florida is a close second because of the mid to late 90's.

:realmad:

 

[utvolpj]

Hey now, I am under 30!

Florida is a close second because of the mid to late 90's.

:realmad:

My bad. Should have said "generally". :good!:

 

[Jmxvol]

Boy, talk about extending the olive branch!

I'd be embarrassed if I was a Cal fan.

 

[Bearsnecessity]

Boy, talk about extending the olive branch!

I'd be embarrassed if I was a Cal fan.

Heh, whatever bro. Do you want a discussion, or a homer standoff? I think the latter grew kind of lame. It's not as if we'll be facing off the next fifty years. Just getting to know others.

As for how I feel about Tennessee...I was born in Buffalo, raised a Bills fan, and I haven't forgotten about seven years ago. My grudges lie mainly with the Titans. I always felt the Bears were unprepared for last year, so painful as it was, I wasn't too surprised. This is the make or break year.

 

[hmanvolfan]

If anybody from Cal or anywhere else wishes to know the opinions concerning Tennessee rednecks or Berkeley tree hugging hippies, they can be gleaned from numerous threads on this board over the summer. A little research goes a long way. Personally, I prefer to have our differences settled on the football field Saturday. We can talk after that!!

 

[orangeblooded_2]

As for how I feel about Tennessee...I was born in Buffalo, raised a Bills fan, and I haven't forgotten about seven years ago. My grudges lie mainly with the Titans.

It was a lateral

 

[Jmxvol]

yeh right

 

[Bearsnecessity]

It was a lateral

Don't even start.

 

[orangeblooded_2]

Don't even start.

I didnt...You did

 

[Jmxvol]

well, at least it made a Cal fan mad

 

[checkerboard_charly]

Trying to understand a Tennessean is difficult, so stop before you hurt yourself.



If Neyland had been empty last year, the score would have been the same. We are to physical and far to athletic for Cal. Plain and simple. They will fall once again on Sat.