Welcome To Black Wednesday (for the Tennessee Hoops fan).


Today we unpack the SEC hatred in football and try and make sense of it. Plus we'll get into last night's Tennessee/Auburn fun and frivolity.




Mark Griffin's Takeaway For Today From Last Night's Postgame: What I'm concerned about is who is the leader on this team. Is it Grant Williams? Who is it? I don't know how to answer that.
(Mark Griffin on Garza Law Tennessee Basketball Overtime)


Here's Your Bottom Line: This can't and should never happen. That was an ALARMING basketball game last night.


That Auburn team took advantage of Tennessee's lack of energy. Tennessee's entire team looked sick. Were they completely out hustled last night in their barn? That can't happen.



One For BP: Bruce Pearl will count that as one of his favorite wins ever. He's not going to tell you that but you know winning that game meant everything to him.


He Never Took A Timeout: Auburn took a 42-36 Halftime lead en route to a 23-6 run. Tennessee finished the half 1 for their last 8 shot attempts.


This Is How You Do It... Auburn had 20 more field goal attempts than the Vols in the first half.


They had 13 offensive rebounds to Tennessee's 3. That's called sheer effort. Tennessee was really bad in that first half.


Horace Spencer Old School: He was hammering people that went to the hole. HAMMERING. Ole school.



It would've Been Nice: If Rick Barnes would have blamed himself while killing his team last night. Tennessee lost as a unit last night. And Barnes is a major part of Tennessee's unit. He may want to divorce himself from what happened last night, but not owning it kind of stinks out loud.



Come On Teddy V: Teddy Loves face time. We all know that. Last night the zebras at the 12:40 mark of the first half stopped the game for close to four minutes to try and determine if they called a foul on the right guy. Are you kidding me?



Tennessee Is Fun To Watch: When they're hitting their 3 balls like early last night. Especially when they're sharing the ball and hitting from the outside. The early part of that game was a real treat. That was fun stuff. Of course it didn't continue.


Bruce Pearl Shined Last Night: He's the best basketball coach in my time at Tennessee (post 1987). And it's really not even close. What Pearl did will never be forgotten by this living fan. And let's face it, last night was probably the last time Pearl will ever coach as an SEC Head Coach in the house that Greg Bell built. So, him getting a win isn't the end of the world. We just put ourselves behind the 8 ball.



Anfernee In Da House Saturday!!!! He's a five star and he's actually visiting Rick Barnes in Knoxville. Let's get this guy!!! Link



What Really Happened: Auburn hasn't won in Knoxville in 20 years. The bottom line is that when Auburn converted two offensive rebounds into 6 quick points with 3 plus minutes left, that game was absolutely over.


Season Is Far From Over: Tennessee is up against it but the season is waaay too young to panic. Yet, Tennessee has a critical stretch coming with Kentucky coming here plus @Vandy then we wash it all down with Texas A&M in Knoxville. Then it's trips to Mizzou and South Carolina. That's a potentially murderous stretch. The goal somehow is to emerge from that stretch 4-3. That means Tennessee must win 3 of its next four games!!! Come to think about it if Tennessee goes 3-2 in their next 5, that will be an OK start from where we are.












Fab Five Freddie's Rabbit Hole: They hate the SEC. And they should. The SEC has the best players playing before the best fans in the best stadiums with the best traditions in the entire country. Not only this but the SEC wins it all more than everybody else combined. I didn't realize this until Fab Five Freddie added this nugget yesterday on the Tony Basilio Show: 'If Georgia beats Alabama, this will mean that the big six SEC has each won at least one National Championship. And a few teams have won multiple titles.'


I pulled up ole searchy and came up with some interesting stuff.

Since 1998 The following teams have won National Championships.

Big 12: Oklahoma: 2000
Texas 2005



ACC: FSU: 1999, 2013
Miami: 2001
Clemson: 2016


Big 10: Ohio State: 2002, 2014 Michigan: 1997++ (Shared Title With Nebraska) Nebraska: 1997++ (Shared Title With Michigan)

Pac 12: USC:
2003++ (Shared With LSU)
2004


SEC: Tennessee: 1998

LSU:
2003++ (Shared With USC)
2007

Florida 2006, 2008

Auburn: 2010

Bama: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015


Breakdown National Titles Numerically: Big 12: 2 Pac 12: 1.5 (Counting .5 of a Title for USC)
ACC: 4
Big 10: 3 (Counting .5 of a Title For Mich & Nebraska) SEC: 9.5 + The One They're about to win = 10.5


Do The Math: Take the rest of the conferences together in the past 20 years and they've won 10.5.

The SEC when the morning comes on Tuesday will have won 10.5.



Here's The List of National Championship Winners: 2016 Clemson CFP 2015 Alabama CFP 2014 Ohio State CFP 2013 Florida State BCS 2012 Alabama BCS 2011 Alabama BCS 2010 Auburn BCS 2009 Alabama BCS 2008 Florida BCS 2007 Louisiana State BCS 2006 Florida BCS 2005 Texas BCS 2004 USC BCS 2003 LSU, USC BCS, AP, FWAA 2002 Ohio State BCS 2001 Miami (Fla.) BCS 2000 Oklahoma BCS 1999 Florida State BCS 1998 Tennessee BCS 1997 Michigan, Nebraska






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Been A Rough One For The Butch Jones Coaching Family: Rich Rodriquez is in big trouble in little China. Fired last night at Arizona in the midst of accusations of creating a hostile work environment.



Final Thought: It must be great being Marvin Lewis. That guy has NEVER won a playoff game and he gets two more years when he should've been fired five years ago. How can you coach 15 years in the NFL without ever winning a playoff game? Do the Haslams own the Bengals too? I'm starting to wonder over here. Because it must be all about control with Marvin Lewis. Either that or he's got pictures at 11 on the Brown family.



Final Thought II: I sat through Bruce Pearl beating us and was fairly sporty about it. I'm not going to swallow it too well if Cuonzo Martin beats us in two weeks (January 17th). Let's go basketball Vols.

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