southalvol

You can't say UT is a rival. A team can't be a rival of yours if they only win 2 out of every 18. Is Vanderbilt a rival for UF? Same thing for UT. I hate to say it because I'm a UT fan, but I'm realistic.

South Carolina at #13??? Really? How is that? They've played a tough schedule so far and lost to 2 top 25 teams (one of them #1). They haven't been blown out. They played tough against UGa. I would love it if UT EVER had a 13 point lead on UGa.

Tennessee started 1988 0-6. They won the last 5 games of the season. From then until 2005, when UT went 5-6 again, the record was 157-40-2. Fulmer took over full time in 1993. 1993:10-2 1994:8-4 1995:11-1 1996:10-2 1997:11-2 1998:13-0 1999:9-3 2000:8-4 2001:11-2 2002:8-5 2003:10-3 2004:10-3 Yes, Spurrier owned him, but the record reflects UT was well above average during that time. Also during that time, UT's record against Auburn was 5-3-1. The past has nothing to do with today. UT has been below average to awful for the most part since 2005. We had a great year last year, but that obviously doesn't even translate to this year. Enjoy the games everyone and remember the players want to win a heckuva lot more than we want them to win, and they are putting in the effort.

Hopefully halfway to a bowl bid after this one. Expectations are lower now.

I've seen Tennessee do it before. I've been a fan since the Condredge Holloway days. But as NashGator wrote below, maybe the better term is tight.

I can't argue with the score. I've got a bad feeling UT will be flat.

No confidence in this game. I expect Florida to play lights out. I have a bad feeling UT will come out tight and flat.

Cool tradition... I attended the Gator Growl in 1992. That was a great event.

Hah! I hope it's not a sloppy game. It would be nice to have it be like it used to be.

But I can say I had to move one of my kids into a new apartment last year during the UT-UF game. I'm moving another of my kids to a new apartment this Saturday. Who knows?

Ugh! No confidence in this game. I hope for 8-4 or 9-3 out of this year, and I think this is the one to get to 9-3. Anyone who thinks UF is a pushover based on the Utah game is mistaken. They will be tough.

Expect the Gators to bring it this week. It seemed like the Governors got enough pressure to rattle the UT offense. Overthrows and drops won't cut it this week.

Just by track record, I expect Bama to correct their issues. One thing I noticed in the game last night happened, I think, when a timeout was needed to avoid a delay. Maybe it was something else. I wish I could remember exactly, but what I noticed was Saban did not lose his mind. When they showed him, he was calm. In the past, he'd have an explosion. It made me wonder if the same fire is there. I didn't get to see the whole game, so maybe he was his usual self at other times.

Let's stipulate you can't be the Offensive or Defensive Player of the Week when you play an FCS team.

Standing by 8-4 or 9-3 (if there is improvement). Or maybe it was the same game plan as the UGa game last year. You know...play poorly on purpose. ;)

Wasn't Bennett untested when he started? Look what happened. I'm sure Smart knows what he's doing.

You know the Gators are going to be ready for UT. There have been times, not many in the last 30 years, in which UT was better on paper. It seems like in most of those times UF came out on top. I'll relax if UT is ahead with 0:00 on the clock.

September 26, 2015 Gainesville UT goes up by 12 with 13 minutes to go in the game, and Butch goes for 1 instead of 2. At that point, UT is riding a 10 game losing streak in the series. Go for 2! If you don't get it and UF scores two touchdowns, you're still only behind by 2 and can win with a FG. Sure, they still lost the game, but it came down to a missed FG that missed by a sliver. Go for the win against your rival when you can. To me, that's him in a nutshell.

The Gators almost always seem to figure out how to beat UT, especially in Gainesville. I expect UF will perform better against UT. I won't be surprised if UF wins.

Here's hoping... Happy College Football season to all!

Disrespect for Vandy by SDS. Where are the season predictions?

Tennessee losing to Florida ANYWHERE, much less Gainesville, is not a bold prediction. I'll believe it when it happens.

Congratulations to the Commodores! Did I miss something? Was there a crystal ball article about Vanderbilt I didn't see? What the heck, SDS?

Yeah. This sounds about right. I hope for better, and I agree UT can't really be back until there's a winning consistency. There have been so many seasons of losing to Bama, UGa, and UF that I'm gun shy about hoping for back to back seasons of multiple wins against those teams.

I feel the same way about UT this year. There are so many games that could go either way (not Bama and UGa). Anywhere from 7-5 to 9-3 for the Vols this year. That's still better than 4-8 or 5-7 like it was in the not too distant past. Enjoy the year Cats. It should be fun any way you slice it.

^^^^^ Exactly! I want UT to beat UGa, but I'm realistic. All of this is indeed nitpicking. I don't remember what the talk was before Stetson Bennett took over, but I'm pretty sure he would have been unproven. And look what happened. The constant is Kirby Smart. Just like Saban, I doubt Smart makes bad hires to replace assistants, and the rising starters would have been starters ANYWHERE ELSE. Those kids know they are at a place that can get them to the NFL as long as they work. UGa is number one until they stub their toe. But don't count on them to have a let down.

Every team has to replace key players every year. So what if that key player is the QB? Was Stetson Bennett proven when he took over? Smart has replaced key players two years in a row and won two NCs in a row. Why would this year be any different? UGa is number one until they aren't. They are the kings of the hill.

Not sure why the attack on UT here, unless it's directed against a certain poster. The Volunteers showed up in large numbers to fight the War of 1812. I'd think that's something the USMC would appreciate.

(Fill in the blank) fans are the most arrogant in the conference. Every team has their jacka---es. Just looking forward to some semblance of hope for a decent season. That's something I haven't had in a really long time. Even last year I did not expect what happened.

I'm tempered. I'll take 8-4 with a bunch of exciting offense. I don't expect more. Maybe Milton will have it all pulled together for more. I hope so. I appreciate his commitment to UT even more in this age of free agency, and I'd love to see that rewarded.