Somebody a couple of days ago said that we match up better against LSU than Kentucky, and I agreed enough that I didn't even want to talk about it- scared of jinxing things.
The problem is, and always will be with the current coaching team and philosophy that Fulmer has put together, the psychological side of the game.
I think if we're ahead at the half, somebody should shove Phil in a closet and lock the door until the 3rd quarter starts. No man/ coaching team seems less capable of half-time psychology and adjustments than he/they do.
To make matters worse, since D wins championships, for several years before this one it was the O that would psych-out and sometimes carry the D with it. This year it's the opposite.
When the Vols show up and aren't leading (or leading by much) at the half we can take anybody in the SEC. We've also proven, entirely for mental reasons, that we can lose to anybody in the SEC.
Right now LSU's Dorsey is hurt, and it has had a huge impact on the TIgers' D (see: AR-LSU). But LSU is also even more embarrassed than we ought to be right now, and they've got a coach who understands that psychology IS his job. We've got a coach who puts it off on players not showing up when there's a mental collapse.
After the game Fulmer said that we've got Heart. I agree. But, unfortunately, as my dating history will attest, neither heads nor hearts are much good if they aren't functioning together.
We have what it takes to beat LSU, but only if we realize that they have as much heart as we do, and therefore the win is going to depend on which team has its head the furthest from its as$.