Tennessee: Ive actually only gone against UT once this year, cashing in with South Carolina last week as a three-point underdog in its 15-9 win at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers are in their richest underdog position of Butch Joness tenure this week at Alabama. Just like I was appalled that Hugh Freeze wasnt forced to be on the Ole Miss sidelines for the 66-3 clubbing it took from the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium a few weeks ago, it would be borderline criminal if Jones didnt have to take this shellacking that hes got coming on Saturday up close and in-person. Reports out of Knoxville indicate that UTs powerful attorneys have been working on the details of a buyout over the last two weeks. And with the torture UTs fan base has been put through with five years of Butch-isms, theres little doubt that the pink slip will be issued before lunch on Monday (if not sooner).
As for the on-field product, UT is either 0-6, 0-5-1 or 1-5 ATS depending on what line bettors had for its loss at Florida by six (the number was all over the place that week and in the final 90 minutes before kickoff). Jones changed QBs for some reason last week, and the result was three field goals and zero TDs. That lack of production prompted another vintage Butch-ism on Monday. Our football team did everything there is to win the game except for scoring TDs. Boom! Hes the gift that keeps giving, isnt he? The Vols have chemistry issues, evidenced by two recent fights at practice. One resulted in a comical denial by Jones, who lied and said the black eye Shy Tuttle was sporting came from falling on a helmet. The second garnered an indefinite suspension for Darrell Taylor, the sophomore DE who was playing well. Injuries have been a killer, too. Four defensive starters, including one of the nations top safeties and all three projected starters at LB, are done for the season. So is UTs best WR, Jauan Jennings, leaving the offense with zero proven playmakers outside of stud RB John Kelly.
Our last two teams on the Fade List are obvious since theyre the only teams in the country lacking a spread cover this year.