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Man, what a week it's been. I can't remember Knoxville being this hyped in a long, long time. Hopefully, that's a good thing.
I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of checkering Neyland and wearing special uniforms for this game. Sometimes, I wish we'd treat this like any other game. But the reality is, it's not just any other game. If you visit this forum often, you know that Florida is the SEC team that people are posting about most often. In late August, we were weighing the impact that a loss to Florida would have on the fan's perception of Heupel. In early August, it was "is this the year we get the monkey off of our back." In late July, we started the Florida mockery early. In June, it was, "how would a loss to Florida make you feel?" In May, we discussed the Vols opening as early favorites.
I could go on, but you get the point.
Some might still try to argue that Alabama is Tennessee's biggest SEC rivalry, but most fans believe that designation belongs to Florida. Whichever team that follows (Bama, Georgia or Vandy) is a distant second.
A couple of stats I saw this week that I found interesting.
1. Only five teams have been favorites in every game this year and covered. You guessed it, Tennessee is on that list. When's the last time Tennessee covered the spread in each of its first three games? I'm glad you asked. The answer is, 1998.
2. Tennessee hasn't been favored against Florida by more than five points in the last 44 years. According to the latest odds, the Vols are favored by 10.5 points tomorrow.
Not that I've gotten my rant out of the way.....
Who's going to the game tomorrow? Tailgating plans?
Who traveled the furthest to get here?
Thos watching from home, any plans? What's on the menu? Anyone grilling?
Anybody checking out a high school game tonight?
What other games are you most looking forward to this weekend?
As always, Go VOLS!
I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of checkering Neyland and wearing special uniforms for this game. Sometimes, I wish we'd treat this like any other game. But the reality is, it's not just any other game. If you visit this forum often, you know that Florida is the SEC team that people are posting about most often. In late August, we were weighing the impact that a loss to Florida would have on the fan's perception of Heupel. In early August, it was "is this the year we get the monkey off of our back." In late July, we started the Florida mockery early. In June, it was, "how would a loss to Florida make you feel?" In May, we discussed the Vols opening as early favorites.
I could go on, but you get the point.
Some might still try to argue that Alabama is Tennessee's biggest SEC rivalry, but most fans believe that designation belongs to Florida. Whichever team that follows (Bama, Georgia or Vandy) is a distant second.
A couple of stats I saw this week that I found interesting.
1. Only five teams have been favorites in every game this year and covered. You guessed it, Tennessee is on that list. When's the last time Tennessee covered the spread in each of its first three games? I'm glad you asked. The answer is, 1998.
2. Tennessee hasn't been favored against Florida by more than five points in the last 44 years. According to the latest odds, the Vols are favored by 10.5 points tomorrow.
Not that I've gotten my rant out of the way.....
Who's going to the game tomorrow? Tailgating plans?
Who traveled the furthest to get here?
Thos watching from home, any plans? What's on the menu? Anyone grilling?
Anybody checking out a high school game tonight?
What other games are you most looking forward to this weekend?
As always, Go VOLS!
