This is possibly the worst feeling I have had as a UT fan since the LSU loss in 2001, and this game didn't mean nearly as much.
On the positive side though, everyone wants to bash the coaches and yes, that last mistake and the other defensive calls on that last drive were pretty bad, BUT overall UT played a solid game with few penalties. The coaches had this team, however many players short, ready to compete in death valley. To be honest after last week I didn't expect them to be within 2 touchdowns, much less 2 points. So I really think we'll be OK with our coaching in the long run. They will learn from this, and so will the players. The main thing they will learn is that they can compete with anybody. We were close for a half against Oregon, for 3 qtrs against Florida, and until the last play of the game against LSU on their turf. And Simms continues to look better and better, which is a great thing.
I fully expect us to break through in one of the next 3 games (probably not Bama though...), lose a close one against Miss or KY, and go 6-6, which is really the goal this season, to get to and WIN a bowl game, any bowl game, and continue to develop. We weren't going to really win anything significant this year anyway, so as I'm sitting here feeling literally sick, I am trying to see the real silver lining that is there. As someone said before, better a loss like this now than when we are competing for the SEC.
Scott