It felt weird to say on the air yesterday that I wanted to see Tennessee stay healthy this week and thus hit the Bama game with a legit shot at some Neyland Magic. It's been forever since we've seen some night time is the right time magic around here. Literally FOREVER! This fan base deserves something the feel great about. Bama host A&M this weekend. They will struggle with the Aggies! Tennessee needs to somehow keep Worley upright against an Ole Miss team that will have the best front 7 that UT will see all year. I can't believe I'm typing that but it's true. If you look at the Ole Miss schedule, you could see a case where the Rebels overlook Tennessee on their way to LSU. That's a hope. Maybe they slop around with the Vols. Maybe bad Bo shows up. Anything is possible. This unpredictability of this league week to week is what I'm counting on.
I do believe Tennessee will stay in the game somehow this weekend. Alabama is the game I'm circling. Are you in? Bama is Bama in name only. Here's what you have to understand about Bama, in the Saban era they are a mercenary program. If you take the incentive of a playoff appearance away from these guys, they may just lay down. Let A&M beat Bama this weekend and they might just roll over. See last year's bowl game with Oklahoma for more. They are a team replete with guys harboring NFL dreams, not finishing strong in the SEC. A&M could really do the Vols a solid this weekend! Either way, I'm feeling like something really strange could happen in Neyland Stadium in a 11 days. Call me crazy but Bama is gettable and the game will be played at either 7:15 or 7:30 on either ESPN or ESPN2. This fan base deserves a signature win in 2014. 93,000 for UTC! This place deserves a huge win. Book it!!!
Sitting with Dr Les Cunningham at Campbell Cunningham Laser Center was surreal in light of the way things used to be in college football. I've knows Les since the mid 90s when Ole Miss was a laughing stock in college football and now the shoe is on the other foot. He brought up a great point to the charge that his alma mater is cheating, 'at least now we are winning as opposed to the mid 90's when we got in NCAA trouble and couldn't win anything.'
I'll say this, if Tennessee can't win, let Ole Miss, Miss State, South Carolina, Kentucky and schools like this taste success in football. Get Bama, LSU, Auburn, Florida and Georgia out of here. They've won enough. This league is having a special season.
Think about how close Tennessee is to being in the middle of the SEC East Division race...Just a few plays away...The season is only at the midpoint. Imagine what the next 6 weeks will hold in this league. Going to be one of the great seasons we've ever seen.
Will Ole Miss take a 'hit' with that picture promulgated.
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That Bama game is winnable. Nick Saban is tired.
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The latest is 900 signatures for Jameis Winston. 900! I love that guy! The guy is all Lavern & Shirley....Read him any rule, he'll break it. This guy is completely out of control. And why shouldn't he be? He's incentivized to behave this way. It's worked wonderfully for him. This latest situation with Winston that began with Gurley may just be the final straw. At first it was reported that 300 or so items with certificate of authenticity was originally the #. The media will dig on this and the litmus test will be widened to accommodate Winston. That's how it's always worked for him. Then again, maybe it won't. Perhaps he will take the fall for this. And if he is silenced as a college athlete, won't it be ironic. This would be John Gotti going to jail for tax evasion or OJ hitting the clink over a goofy memorabilia robbery. Jameis Winston is physically talented but he will be a complete liability to whichever NFL team finds him suitable. Would you touch a defending National Champion QB that has not one but TWO controversies hanging over his head today.
Controversy #1....
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Controversy #2....
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Busted
Posted: Sun, Mar 24th, 4:22 PM Ask the Jets what it's like when you invest millions in an immature QB.
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Here's my hypothetical in light of the developments at UGA and FSU. Let's say the NCAA comes down and issues a ruling at the end of this that both of these schools used professional players over the last several weeks because they were compensated for their time, would you want to see the Vols credited with a win? Would you take a win in this manner over Georgia. So, instead of being 0-2 in the SEC, the Vols would be 4-2 and 1-1 in the SEC. What would you think of this? Would you want to win like this? Would you find this to be an acceptable way to win? We will discuss this today.
Young gun Jon Reed returns today. He will join me on the show today in quest for getting it done over the next couple of weeks.
Jon Reed
'The unofficial bye week is over, and the Vols begin their two week crusade searching for a signature win.
Remember when you looked at the schedule before the season and said, “Well, at least we get to replace Auburn with Ole Miss?” Of course, Hugh Freeze is leading the Rebels through their best season in over fifty years. Hank Williams said it best, “Tennessee’s got a lot of luck, but it has all been bad.”
On the bright side, last year’s game with Auburn was a showcase in just how depleted the Vols’ roster was in SEC caliber speed and depth; The Tiger Eagles simply couldn’t be stopped on offense or special teams. This Saturday, however, Tennessee will go into Oxford with comparable talent at all of the skill positions, and their defense is suited to keep the game close and maybe even make some big plays if Bad Bo Wallace shows up.
The obvious problem is the same one that has been faced all season: the offensive line has the entire fan base, and the Vol Colonel, legitimately afraid for Just Worley’s long-term health.
Everyone came out of the Oklahoma game saying that it could not be worse and that the Sooners had the toughest defense that is on the schedule. That’s not the consensus anymore. Ole Miss put on an absolute clinic last Saturday shutting down offensive “genius” Kevin Sumlin and everyone’s lock for Heisman after week 1, Kenny Hill. The Aggies looked absolutely anemic at home.
If Sumlin and his high-powered offense couldn’t move the ball at home, should we have any confidence at all that the Tennessee offense will be even to block Ole Miss? It’s going to take Mike Bajakian, Justin Worley, and the offensive line’s A+ game to have a chance to shock the world on Saturday night.
I have said the entire season that Tennessee could stay in this game if Cam Sutton has an all-time special performance against Laquon Treadwell. Sutton wasn’t mirrored with Oklahoma’s Sterling Sheppard, and it bit the Vols. Treadwell is Bo Wallace’s safety valve and has bailed out their offense when it appears to get stagnant. If Sutton is given the opportunity to take him out and is successful, he will further his growing legacy that is quickly putting him in Eric Berry-territory and give the Vols their best opportunity for the upset.
Go ahead and get all of your disgust and complaints about the notion of moral victories out of the way now. This is the hardest remaining game on the schedule, and it is the last game that I think keeping it close will be viewed as a victory.
Starting next week with Alabama, the goal of winning out isn’t that unreasonable.
Join Christian Lundy and me Fridays from 3p to 5p on your Tony Basilio app & webstream. We would love to have you!
Jon'
Who are the Elias Sports Bureau people and how do they track this mindless drivel?
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It's literally crickets from Tennessee's administration over this shameful track story that ran in KNS over the weekend. After all, you can't defend the indefensible. This listener has an interesting take.
'Tony
Who is this track coach? Is this one of those arrogant Northern jackasses who thinks we are all toothless uncouth moonshine suckers at Tennessee? Would someone with a backbone please introduce this coach to the Vols book of etiquette perhaps forcefully in her grill. Shameful and unnecessary. Is this a contaminated seed from Penn State that should have been burned on Joe Pa funeral pyre? Come on Hart, get your butt in gear Cheek and stomp a mud hole in the face of this fallacy before you both pay with your jobs.
Jon, Bristol'
I'll say this again John, where is the leadership on UT's campus? Those people better hope and pray that the NY Times doesn't get wind of this. That story in right in the wheelhouse of those who claim (and rightfully so) that 'student athletes' in modern era and getting screwed at every turn. This doesn't project well on my university. That they remain silent this issue is deafening. Let ESPN's Outside The Lines get a hold of this. Dave Hart has done some nice things during his tenure at UT but pr isn't a strong suit. Where's the leadership on that campus. This sort of thing can't go on when there's solid leadership in place. This looks absolutely awful. Just awful.
Vandy Joe checks in and he's OUTRAGED!
'Greetings from Stormy Nashville.
After watching portions of Vanderbilt & Charleston Southern Saturday night I wanted to puke. What a sickening exhibition of whatever you wish to call that. After the game, Vanderbilt's genius of a coach stated "we imposed our will on Charleston Southern!" I don't know what game he was watching but I think he had the uniforms confused! Charleston Southern was the one doing the dominating not Vanderbilt.
I will tell you from reliable sources prominent boosters’ wives were seen leaving the stadium shouting obscenities toward Mason & his staff. This is never a good sign. One thing I have learned in life (haven't learned a lot according to you Tony) is when the wife is pissed about something they typically don't let go of it till it gets changed or one of the individuals involved relocates to a different address.
Players are also leaving from what I'm hearing. 5 have already left the team that played significantly last year & played major roles in the victory in Knoxville. Vanderbilt may not be able to recruit enough kids to fill all the available slots they'll have open.
Things are going from bad to worse in that I'm hearing rumblings UT fans are coming to Nashville the end of November with the purpose in mind of taking over the stadium & painting an orange & white checkerboard throughout the entire stadium! You'll be shocked by this response but if it can be pulled off & it's the final nail in Mason's coffin as to getting him fired I'd throw in money to help purchase the tee shirts to pass out at the stadium entrances! Does that tell you how much I want to see him gone!
This "event" we called Homecoming Saturday night may be the beginning of the end if train can get to running down the tracks in the right direction. Mason showed how poor of a coach he truly is with the slop he put on the field. The only reason they won was a Charleston Southern coach was run over in the field of play by an official as they were running in a score & they received a 15 yard penalty this put them out of scoring position to win the game. The penalty was deserved but wow if not by the grace of a missed 22 yard field goal & an unusual penalty Vanderbilt would be staring an 0-12 season in the face!
I'll tell you right now they will be beat by everyone left on their schedule by at least 2 TD's. ODU will beat them by at least that. They may not score against Mississippi State.
On a somber note--Patton Robinette has not seen the field since being hurt against South Carolina. He may well be done due to concussions. Sad situation but he had difficulties even going to class due to the injury. Tough deal for a good kid & a real gamer.
Vandy Joe'
Joe, did you say Checker Nashville?
'Tony, on the UT message boards, there is a move afoot to Checker Vandy's stadium with orange and white in Nov.
That would be CLASSIC! Since the AD at UT couldn't support this, I say we as fans and you and Swain as the voices of the fans should encourage this. Look for a website to possibly emerge.
Les in Franklin'
Les: I love this. Please offer my services to any and all involved in cyberspace in this most worthwhile example of hostile/gorilla marketing power play. Imagine the coverage UT fans could garner from this! Why not? The season's still young so let's look for some good, clean, fun (ABB Circa '93).
RADIO and TV would pay lots of attention to this. I say let's have some good, clean fun with Vandy.
If I'm a former or current NFL player suffering from a brain injury, I would opt out of the latest settlement. These folks can do better. The NFL needs to dig deeper.
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What led to Justin Worley keeping it some many times against Chattanooga? We'll discuss with Randy Moore of insidetennessee.com today.
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Final thought: Tennessee Hoops is almost here! Steve Peake of insidetennessee.com has some cool video from yesterday's practice.
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Tony