FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ And Corso Picks..... http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/16/and-corso-picks/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/16/and-corso-picks/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/16/and-corso-picks/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Good news Tennessee fans. Lee Corso picks the Gators to win. You can't ask for a better boost for your team than to have the goofy ESPN analyst pick your opponent to win. Kirk Herbstreit, the one knowledgeable member of the panel, picks the Vols to pull out a win. If you remember back to week one, Good ole Lee picked the Cal Bears to roll over the Vols in Neyland Stadium. Well, we all know how that pick worked out for him.

ESPN already stirred up quite a controversy this week when they decided to host Game Day for USC, when there are huge SEC match-ups between Auburn-LSU, and Tennessee- Florida. It just happens that ABC, the parent company of ESPN, is broadcasting the USC game.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-16T11:58:00 00:00 Vols - Gators Defense by the Numbers http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/14/vols-gators-defense-by-the-numbers/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/14/vols-gators-defense-by-the-numbers/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/14/vols-gators-defense-by-the-numbers/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Here is a look at some of the key defensive statistics of the Gators and Vols.

INTERCEPTIONS
  • Tennessee - 2
  • Florida - 3
SACKS
  • Tennessee 4 (26 yards)
  • Florida 2 (15 yards)
RUSHING DEFENSE
  • Tennessee - 74 Attempts, 345 Yards, 5 TD
  • Florida - 49 Attempts, 140 Yards, 0 TD
PASSING DEFENSE
  • Tennessee - 27 Completions, 51 Attempts, 399 Yards, 1 TD
  • Florida - 34 Completions, 73 Attempts, 308 Yards, 1 TD
The numbers look heavily favored in Florida's favor. You have to look at who each team has played and how they played, however. Tennessee has played Cal and Air Force while Florida has played UCF and Southern Miss. The bottom line is that these numbers mean nothing for Saturday. It is a whole new season.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-14T13:01:00 00:00 Justin " MAN Among Men" Harrell Will Play Against Florida http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/13/justin-man-among-men-harrell-will-play-against-florida/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/13/justin-man-among-men-harrell-will-play-against-florida/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/13/justin-man-among-men-harrell-will-play-against-florida/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Justin Harrell is a Man. No, not a man, but a MAN! Harrell ruptured his bicep on Saturday against Air Force. The ruptured bicep tendon will require surgery to repair and Harrell was supposedly out for the rest of the season. The news all week has been about how Tennessee's Defense would be unable to recover from the loss of Harell and Inky Johnson. That is what we mere mortals thought.

"Justin Harrell came to us and said, 'Coach, I feel like I can play,"' Fulmer said. Doctors said Harrell cannot make the injury worse. Harrell is not in pain, Fulmer said.
Fulmer said he was unsure if Harrell would get "5 snaps or 50 snaps" but he was going to get to play. Talk about heart. Harrell is going to strap it up on Saturday against the Gators, ruptured bicep be damned. Florida can talk about having a tough defense all they want. They got nuttin on Harrell. The Vols another great moment during Wednesday's practice. Inky Johnson was released from the hospital and visited the Vols.

"Inky came out to practice and that was a very emotional moment for all of us," Fulmer said. "He got them excited about the game. His spirits are really good. I told him we were all praying for him and he said, `Coach, I'm blessed.' He just had a lot of energy about himself.
Johnson will be going to the Mayo Clinic go get nerve damage repaired. The visit by Johnson and Harrell playing will provide a huge boost to the Vols.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-13T21:56:00 00:00 Vols - Gators Offense by the Numbers http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/13/vols-gators-offense-by-the-numbers/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/13/vols-gators-offense-by-the-numbers/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/13/vols-gators-offense-by-the-numbers/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Here is a look at some of key stats of the Tennessee and Florida Offenses

SCORING
  • Tennessee 66 Opponents 48
  • Florida 76 Opponents 7
FIRST DOWNS
  • Tennessee 43
  • Florida 48
RUSHING YARDS
  • Tennessee 295, 4 Yards/Attempt
  • Florida 347, 5.3 Yards/Attempt
PASSING YARDS
  • Tennessee 631, 12.9 Yards/Attempt
  • Florida 681, 10 Yards/Attempt
INTERCEPTIONS
  • Tennessee 2
  • Florida 3
FUMBLES
  • Tennessee 5 Lost 2
  • Florida 4 Lost 2
PENALTIES
  • Tennessee 11 for 72 yards
  • Florida 17 for 115 yards
If you look at the numbers, Florida appears to have the edge. However Tennessee opened the season with a team not named Southern Miss.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-13T07:43:00 00:00 Gators Begin the Smack...... http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/12/gators-begin-the-smack/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/12/gators-begin-the-smack/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/12/gators-begin-the-smack/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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The Gator defense has a very high opinion of itself after two very impressive wins over perennial powers UCF and Southern Miss. Florida safety Tony Joiner is currently playing the role of Don King for the Gators.

"We feel we really do have the best defense in the nation," Joiner said. "That's how we feel, that's how we are going to play and that's what we're going to look forward to doing, week in and week out: Shut a team out."

According to Joiner they are capable of shutting out Tennessee this weekend. But it gets so much better (have to give credit to EDBS for this), get this quote from Joiner:

"We really want to get into somebody else and take their cheese. Make a sandwich in the kitchen. Ham and cheese with a little turkey, mustard and mayonnaise."

No doubt, these quotes are up in the Vols locker room. I am sure there will be plenty of sammich talk on the field come Saturday.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-12T20:25:00 00:00 Thanks #12 for Not Being A Volunteer http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/12/thanks-12-for-not-being-volunteer/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/12/thanks-12-for-not-being-volunteer/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/12/thanks-12-for-not-being-volunteer/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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It is that time of year again. It is the Tennessee - Florida game, and what better time to open up old wounds. Chris Leak was a highly recruited QB coming out of high school and, his brother CJ was a back-up at Tennessee. Chris was doing an on-line diary for ESPN and had some harsh words to say about Fulmer.

"For weeks now, I haven't been able to get the thought out of my mind. I can't talk to a coach, shake a hand, or head to a school for a visit and not wonder: Who's telling the truth? I've seen first hand what happened to my brother at Tennessee. I was with him when he decided to transfer from Wake Forest and picked Tennessee because he believed coach Fulmer cared about his future as a quarterback. Coach told him that he would have a chance to compete for the starting job. But it never happened."

He also had this to say

"...Coach Fulmer never gave C.J. the opportunity he promised him when he transferred to Tennessee -- a legitimate chance to start. Because of this and everything else that happened with my brother this past season, deep in my heart, I could never trust what the Tennessee coaches tell me. So I'm finished with the Vols."
After his diary entries, the rumor was that Tennessee was no longer recruiting Chris. The Leaks word was they no longer wanted to go to Tennessee. Brother CJ never played significantly for the Vols. He became a Gator Grad Assistant in 2005. It was rumored that in he was brought on to the Gator Coaching Staff last year to help decipher the Vols Offense......Like they needed any help last year. (By the way, CJ was actually signed to the Buffalo Bills practice roster.) What is the point of all this? Who knows. Actually, It just demonstrates how deep the emotions run between Tennessee and Florida, and how big this game has become.

Like the sign in the picture says, "Thanks #12 for Not Being A Volunteer".

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-12T07:45:00 00:00 Vols in the Big Show - Week 1 http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/vols-in-the-big-show-week-1/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/vols-in-the-big-show-week-1/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/vols-in-the-big-show-week-1/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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I will do a weekly wrap-up highlighting how some of the Vols in the NFL performed each week.
  • Peyton Manning - 25 of 41, 276 YD 1 TD, 1 INT - Winner of the first annual Manning Bowl
  • Donte Stallworth - 6 REC, 141 YD, 1 TD - Looked great in his debut with Philadelphia after only two weeks with the team
  • Jamal Lewis - 18 ATT, 74 YD Rushing, 1 TD - Appears to have recovered from Injury
  • Leonard Little - 5 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble - Huge game for little
  • Al Wilson - 7 Tackles, 6 Solo - The usual for Al, Great Game
  • Travis Henry - 9 ATT, 22 YD Rushing, 2 TD - Two TDs, they need all the help they can get
  • Albert Hainsworth - 5 Tackles - Again, they need all the help they can get
  • Gibril Wilson - 6 Tackles, Manning Bowl loser
  • Dustin Colquitt - 4 Punts, 41.3 AVG, 47 LNG, 1 inside 20 - Lots of work this year

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-11T20:51:00 00:00 Vols Injury Report http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/vols-injury-report/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/vols-injury-report/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/vols-injury-report/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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The Air Force game was costly for the already thin Tennessee Defense. The Vols lost both Justin Harrell and Inky Johnson for the rest of the season. Harrell went out for a bicep injury that will require surgery. Harrell had a great 2005 season and will be missed. Johnson may be missed even more due to a thin secondary. Johnson was knocked out late in the 4th Quarter. The crowd in Neyland Stadium was silent for several minutes while he was loaded on a stretcher and taken out of the stadium. According to the Tennessean:

The injury to Johnson could be career threatening. He was still in the hospital on Sunday night and listed in stable condition after undergoing vascular surgery to repair torn blood vessels in his right shoulder area. Head trainer Jason McVeigh said Johnson would also require additional surgery to correct nerve damage.
Turk McBride now start at Tackle and Xavier Mitchell, who saved the Vols from defeat with his game saving tackle against Air Force, will start at Defensive End.

Running Back Arian Foster and Offensive Lineman Ramon Foster went down with ankle injuries but should be able to play on Saturday against Florida.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-11T16:50:00 00:00 Forget Cal, Forget Air Force - Vols Season Begins Saturday http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/forget-cal-forget-air-force-vols-season-begins-saturday/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/forget-cal-forget-air-force-vols-season-begins-saturday/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/11/forget-cal-forget-air-force-vols-season-begins-saturday/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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You can forget the huge win against Cal. You can forget the near catastrophe against Air Force. Those games mean absolutely nothing. Tennessee's season begins for real on Saturday when Urban Meyer and the Gators come to Knoxville on Saturday. This game will put the winner in the lead of the SEC East with only Georgia in the way of a trip to Atlanta.

The Vols defense must have been preparing for Florida because they obviously were not prepared for Air Force. It will be the last visit to Knoxville for Chris Leak, and there will be no tears shed when he leaves. Leak has been at odds with the Vols since he trashed Phil Fulmer in an ESPN diary while still a high school recruit. Leak did not like the treatment his brother CJ received with the Vols so he let the world know via ESPN. I am sure the Vol defense would love noting more than giving Leak nothing but bad memories of his last visit to Neyland Stadium.

But what about the Cal game you say? Merely a scrimmage. What about Air Force? Just another practice session. The Vols season begins on Saturday, and if Tennessee has any hopes of winning an SEC championship, they must beat Florida.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-11T06:39:00 00:00 Erik Ainge '05 - Meet Erik Ainge '06 http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/10/erik-ainge-05-meet-erik-ainge-06/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/10/erik-ainge-05-meet-erik-ainge-06/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/10/erik-ainge-05-meet-erik-ainge-06/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Erik Ainge continued to erase the demons of 2005 with another impressive performance against Air Force. In the win against Air Force, Ainge looked nothing like the Erik Ainge of 2005. He was confident, poised in the pocket, and made great decisions all night. The once exception was an interception late in the game that led to an Air Force Score.

Ainge was 11 of 18, for 291 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception against Cal. Ainge proved that performance was not a fluke after he threw 24 of 29 for 333 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception against Air Force. At one point in the game, Ainge completed 15 straight passes. The NCAA record of 23 straight completions is held by former Volunteer QB Tee Martin. Coach Philip Filmer said:

"Erik was outstanding," Fulmer said. "He was throwing the football well, and he was very sharp. The line protected well and the route-running was good. ... He managed the game extremely well."
Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe has obviously had a huge impact on Ainge. The Vol QB has a totally new mindset and looks nothing like the Erik Ainge that many Vol Fans remember from the 2005 LSU game. If Ainge has a big game against Florida, it will be like 2005 never existed in the minds of Vol Fans.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-10T18:37:00 00:00 Vol Defense MIA http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/09/vol-defense-mia/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/09/vol-defense-mia/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/09/vol-defense-mia/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Tennessee's defense was missing in action against the Air Force Falcon's and barely escaped Neyland Stadium with a win. The Vols pulled out a 31 to 30 victory after Air Force failed to convert 2 point conversion with less than 2 minutes left in the game.
"The Falcons (0-1) gave Tennessee's defense fits all night with its triple option offense..."
The Vol defense looked off balance all night and Air Force was able to mount several significant drives. If Air Force had decided to go for the extra point instead of the two point conversion, they game may have had a different outcome. Air Force out gained the Vols on the ground 281 yards versus 79 for the Vols. Xavier Mitchell was able to stop the Air Force two point conversion attempt, which ultimately led to the Tennessee victory. It was a costly win for the Volunteers. Arian Foster left the game with an ankle injury, and defensive back Inky Johnson was taken off the field on a back board after helmet to helmet contact.

Erik Ainge put on another impressive performance except for 1 interception. Ainge was 24-29 with 333 yards passing 3 TDs and 1 INT. Ainge looked sharp all night. He was comfortable in the pocket , and as impressive as any of his games.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-09T22:57:00 00:00 Tennessee vs. Air Force - Scary Game http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/09/tennessee-vs-air-force-scary-game/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/09/tennessee-vs-air-force-scary-game/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/09/tennessee-vs-air-force-scary-game/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Air Force is a tough team to hate. That is the theme that has been running through the Vol Nation this week. It is easy to dislike or despise Florida, Alabama, Steve Spurrier, Georgia, or even Vanderbilt for that matter. But the fact is you have to respect the young men of Air Force. It is a truly admirable thing that they are doing for this nation. That fact withstanding, I hope that the Vols get up on them early and beat them thoroughly.

This is a scary game for Tennessee after the drubbing of Cal last week, and the huge SEC east match-up with Florida next week. There is a big potential for a let down here if the Vols are not fired up for this game. You can guarantee that Air Force will be fired up. On top of that, Air Force runs a Flexbone / Wishbone offense that gives opposing defenses fits. Tennessee has a history of playing down to the level of its opponents. They have been able to get up for the big games, but they have been known to play poorly against an inferior opponent. Is Tennessee legit or was Cal overrated? We will know a little more this week, but next week is the test.

UPDATE - Man was I right....VERY SCARY GAME!

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-09T17:06:00 00:00 Lou Holtz Attempted Robbery http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/07/lou-holtz-attempted-robbery/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/07/lou-holtz-attempted-robbery/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/07/lou-holtz-attempted-robbery/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Lou Holtz, ESPN's special ed analyst, talked about his attempt at stealing Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis while he was head coach at South Carolina.

Holtz joked he offered everything but his first-born son to lure the Dillon, S.C. native. Chavis doesn't quite remember it that way, although he confirmed Tuesday that Holtz came after him several times.

Holtz' first-born son? Are you kidding? His first born son must be 70 years old. Apparently Lou's first-born was not enough to seal the deal however.

Chavis has had a very successful career at Tennessee. His defense was one of the few bright spots in a dismal 2005 season. Fortunately for the Vols, Lou's sales skills were not any better than his skill as an analyst for ESPN.

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-07T16:09:00 00:00 Cal Fans and Jesus Don't Mix http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/05/cal-fans-and-jesus-dont-mix/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/05/cal-fans-and-jesus-dont-mix/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/05/cal-fans-and-jesus-dont-mix/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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You have to love the internets. It is a mighty powerful force. This appears to be a hot topic that got started on some Cal and Tennessee message boards after Cal's 35 - 18 loss to Tennessee. Apparently they enjoyed the atmosphere, but this they did not like
Pregame PRAYER? give me a break. I don't know if was more insulting to the religion (religions don't need to be at football games) or the non-believers out in the crowd.
Followed by a little of this
What you witnessed at Neyland was about as benign a regional practice as you will find. Why try to impose your secular dogma on people who aren't accepting of it? This will only lead to radicalization. Are you so ignorant that you need this point illustrated? If so, pick up the Chron or NYT this morning and read the front page.
I can't even imagine what a game with Notre Dame would be like. ( I am sure that this is only coming from a few fans. Tennessee gets the same thing all the time with the redneck and hillbilly tags )

 

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]]> Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-05T12:27:00 00:00 You Know it is College Football Season..... http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/01/you-know-it-is-college-football-season/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/01/you-know-it-is-college-football-season/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/01/you-know-it-is-college-football-season/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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I am traveling today and currently sitting in the Atlanta Airport. You can tell it is college football season here. You get off the plane with the Notre Dame fans going to the ND - Georgia Tech game. Everywhere you look you see someone wearing their teams jersey or t-shirt. You see the guy in the Oklahoma hat talking on his phone. I wonder if he is on the phone with Bomar. You hear the loud guy in the bar with the Gator shirt on. He is talking to the Ohio State fans about there defense. According to him, it is not going to be very good this year. Man it is easy to dislike Florida fans anywhere in this country...(just kidding...sort of). Its college football season, and my Volunteers are undefeated for now. It does not get any better than this.

 

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]]> Vols Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-01T12:14:00 00:00 But Does Cal Have Its Own Army? http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/01/but-does-cal-have-its-own-army/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/01/but-does-cal-have-its-own-army/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/09/01/but-does-cal-have-its-own-army/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Cal may have a pretty good football team, but do they have their own Army? I doubt they have much of a Navy either. Tennessee has both and much more. I have never been to Berkley for a game, but I can imagine that the atmosphere is nothing like they are going to experience Knoxville on Saturday. I doubt that they have every heard 100,00 plus fans in orange singing Rocky Top. I doubt they have felt the kind of electricity that runs through a stadium Tennessee runs through the "T". I am sure they have great fans, but there is just something different about SEC College Football fans. Just ask Warren over at Rammer Jammer , Orson at EDSBS , or the thousands of fans at Vol Nation. Cal may win on Saturday, but the atmosphere battle has already been decided. I may be wrong, but I will let the Cal fans decide.

 

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]]> SECTennesseeVol ArmyVol NavyVolArmyVolNavy Voluminous voluminous 2006-09-01T12:00:00 00:00 No Early Cupcakes for Tennessee http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/08/31/no-early-cupcakes-for-tennessee/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/08/31/no-early-cupcakes-for-tennessee/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2006/08/31/no-early-cupcakes-for-tennessee/#comments Voluminousby Voluminous

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Some SEC schools like to kick off the season with a real challenge like Southeastern Utah School for the Blind. The Vols have never been a team afraid of scheduling tough out of conference opponents. Nebraska, UCLA and NC State are on future Tennessee schedules. Miami was on the schedule in 2002 and 2003. The Vols faced Notre Dame in 2004 and 2005. However, neither were the first games of the season.

Tennessee suits up against ninth ranked Cal on Saturday. The Bears may have looked like a cupcake team when it was scheduled 10 years ago, but not anymore. This game could either help the Vol Nation forget last season.... or Phil Fulmer starts looking for a good place to jump from Neyland Stadium.

 

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]]> SECTennessee Voluminous voluminous 2006-08-31T20:00:00 00:00