When Tennessee takes the field against Florida, they become just like a PGA golfer in the final Sunday pairings with the old Tiger Woods. No matter what type of talent and intangible advantages they may enjoy they seem to wither under the potential promise of a comeback that their interloper has.
Tennessee had the crowd. The checkerboard Neyland. Hell, they had Lil' Jon. They had the speed on defense. They had 22 freshmen on the two deep who had never before snatched defeat from the "gator chomping" jaws of victory. And yet, when the final gun sounded, they once again found themselves back in the familiar territory of a tenth straight loss to UF.
This loss stings not because UT was a 3 point home favorite or because Florida's offense had been a dumpster fire. Even the most ardent Big Orange supporter would have acknowledged the green incohesiveness of UT's O line. No, what lost the game for the Vols was the inability to close out a game against a decidedly inferior opponent on the 72 hole.