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It's on Vince to win. We should be able to shut down the run game. I believe we will go from 3rd to 2nd in rush defense after this week and are No. 1 in average yards per rush at 3.2. We haven't played the best run teams but we held AP to 85 yards, Stephen Jackson to 79 and Michael Turner to 97. It'll probably come down to him, which is why I'm thinking the 49ers will probably win this. For the Titans to win, they'll have to run the ball. If CJ can break even one long TD run, that might open things up a bit.

It'll be very interesting to see how Vince does against a very tough San Fran defense. Another conservative gameplan is in order, I'd say, with a reliance on CJ, LenDale and Vince's running ability. If last week's Titans team shows up, this should be a great game. If not, easy 49er win.

Me and the couple other Vol fans on this board may be the only ones interested in this, but I found it interesting: Jonathan Crompton v UCLA, Florida, Auburn (first 3 major conference teams): 44-88 - 2:5 TD:INT Jonathan Crompton v UGA, Alabama, S Carolina (his 3 major conference teams since): 53-87 - 7:2 TD:INT First off, the pass attempts are wildly similar. Second off, that's a major improvement on the TD:INT ratio and a very nice improvement (10%) on the completion percentage.

Howry was very good for 2 of his 3 years.

Yeah, I don't want to hijack the thread any longer either, so I'll condense my comments. I question how quickly some of the recruits (if we in fact get them all) will be able to contribute at a high level. The Sullins twins had, at least, been on the team for a few years and had improved their strength and mechanics some. These kids coming in may well be very talented, but their ability to contribute soon is what I wonder about. I also love the ends but wonder about the depth at DT. Hughes should be great and Walls should be good as well, but we need to avoid injury in a big way. As for actual draft discussion, I think Berry goes in the top 10 to somebody (Titans please) and wouldn't be completely shocked to see Montario go in the 2nd round. With his injury history, however, 3rd or 4th seems more likely. 3rd might be a bit optimistic for Williams, but it wouldn't shock me at all. I could definitely see Crompton drafted at this point. He's got the frame and the arm to be an NFL quarterback and if the mental part of the game continues to improve, he could very well go to a team like the Patriots in the late rounds as a developmental guy.

not only that, but what about Garrard on MJD's 79-yard run http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d813def9d/WK-8-Maurice-Jones-Drew-highlights i don't think i've ever seen a QB be the lead blocker escorting a RB on a long run like that before, unreal That was really impressive. I had no idea that was Garrard ahead of him seeking out the block until they said it. Even then I was shocked.

That's been happening a lot this year. Hopefully the Falcons completely shut down Colston, but I doubt it. In a 17-point win, just one LenDale touchdown would have been very nice.

Definitely. They were careful with him on the playcalling (QB and HB draws on numerous third downs, for instance), but he was still making some good decisions. I really like the zone read play and the runs out of the shotgun they have in the playbook with Vince in there. I think those plays suit Chris Johnson better because it spreads out the defense and loosens up the lanes a bit. Having the defense worry about Vince keeping the ball takes some of the focus off CJ as well.

I just think the questions at QB and OL will overrule the good talent elsewhere. We lose three of our starting five offensive linemen after the year (returning starters are Douglas and Shaw) and will be left with guys like Hood, Schofield and Dallas Thomas to take over the starting positions. Add ot that we'll have no experienced depth whatsoever and very few warm bodies. Plus, the linemen we've gotten committed so far are not immediate help kind of guys, they're talented raw guys. At QB, Stephens could be at least decent, but he's still quite an unknown and who knows how he'll respond when he gets in an actual game. Receiver should be good with Teague and Richardson along with Gerald Jones returning. Bryce Brown and the RB corps should be fine. With Cottam graduating, I'm not sure what kind of depth we'll have at TE. Stocker should be fine, but after that the best we've probably got is Ben Bartholomew. We'll almost definitely be underdogs to LSU as well. I see 6 sure wins (UT Martin, UAB, Memphis, SC, Vandy, UK) and a couple more games I'm confident about (UGA, Ole Miss). If we finish this year 8-4, then to improve on that we'll have to upset one of Bama, UF, Oregon or LSU and that's going to be tough with an inexperienced QB and no depth on the line. Those are definitely good reasons and I could see them being quite persuasive. As shnsajax said, though, the rookie cap likely being instituted after 2010 will hold a lot of sway. As will the risk of injury next season before he gets his guaranteed money. I really hope you're right and I'm wrong, though.

I knew they would get it together right before they play the 49ers. I told my brother that in week 2. I wouldn't go that far yet. I want to see 2-3 games at least like that before I start saying they got it together. I really hope Vince plays well, though. Partly because we've got too many other needs to be drafting a QB in the first round and partly because I'm just pulling for him.

If that's the case, Berry would probably become the most popular player in Tennessee since Peyton Manning. I still don't expect him to at all, but it would be incredible if he did. Any idea why he might stay? We probably won't be much better next year (unless Lane can get Stephens/Bray to play like second half Crompton next year) even with Berry. I still see 2011 as the most likely time that we start considering SEC championship ideas.

I honestly don't see us going worse than 3-1 to close out the year. Ole Miss should be the only really tough game and I think our defense can give Snead fits. Memphis should be another good confidence builder for the offense and Crompton and, hopefully, a bit of a stat builder for Berry and the defense. It'll be interesting to see how our corners do against the two huge wide receivers Memphis has (Duke Calhoun 6'4 and Carlos Singleton 6'9). A win this week and then over the Rebels ought to get us ranked.

Nice first win today. I wouldn't mind a 10-game winning streak to put us in contention for the playoffs, but I figure we'll still end up closer to drafting Eric Berry than a playoff berth. Today looked a whole lot like the 13-3 Titans of last year. Great day for Vince today. 15-18 for 125 yards and a touchdown is very good. 12 carries for 30 yards for a QB isn't bad either. He was making almost entirely good decisions (save for an early near-pick and a later poor decision) and looked pretty accurate overall. If he does this all year, he could be the "QB of the future" in Nashville again. And on a note of interest, MJD and Chris Johnson are ridiculous athletes. 405 combined rushing yards is, I believe, an NFL record. That's 12 yards per carry combined.

Another blocked field goal. Crap.

I'm not crazy about them. I wish they were in the all-orange. White numbers with orange trim might make them better.

The talk radio here is pretty hard on him and Hochevar. Wishing instead they were Longoria and Tulowitzki instead. Moore did send Gordon down this year, but I doubt they would give him away. I'd more than happily take both Gordon and Hochevar. KC can have Bradley and Soriano in return, I guess.

30,000 fans can make a bowl game scheduled at the last minute, why couldn't they make a playoff game scheduled around the same time (if not a bit before)?

Wow. This sounds really, really good.

I see what you're saying here and it's true that the big bowls wouldn't be on board. A playoff system could work, but I don't think it will be implemented. Like I said earlier, I'd be ok with a 4-team system, but it's not my preference.

I meant cross country games that involve an SEC team - hence me bringing up the Tennessee trips to the west coast the last two years. And the games don't necessarily have to sell out - that'd actually be a huge improvement over what a lot of the bowls are doing now. And why can't you set up a bracket that includes where each bowl game will be? For instance, in late November/early December you set it up so that say Florida/Ga Tech will play in the Outback Bowl in the first round and Tennessee/North Carolina will play in the Music City Bowl. The two winners will then advance to play each other the next week in the Peach Bowl. Most, if not all, of the playoff could be set up no later than early December each year - thus giving no less than 2-3 weeks notice for people who want to go to a game. It wouldn't be plenty of time, but it'd be enough time for people to plan for which playoff game they wanted to attend. It'd be no less time than people have now. We know this how? There have been people and magazines that have laid out some potential playoff systems and, while they may have had some issues, they were overall pretty feasible and they incorporated the bowls. It could be done, it'd just take some work. It's meaningful to individual fans of each team, but that's it. The history of each bowl means nothing, nor does who won each game the past however many years. People remember playoff games because they mean something, they don't remember bowl games unless their own team was in it. And even then it's hit or miss. And by your definition, why doesn't the weed eater bowl mean anything? The bowls don't decide anything - outside of the BCS championship game. All they are is an exhibition that it's neat to see your team win.

Exactly. Bowl games that are minor now become huge if it hosts a first round playoff game, much less a quarter or semifinal.

Right, and there are also bowl games currently played in Detroit and D.C. I do agree that logistics would be an issue, but it's not something that should just eliminate the possibility altogether.

It might be a big deal for the fans, but it's overall meaningless. I get excited just like the next fan when Tennessee wins a bowl game, but that doesn't mean I think the win meant anything at all. It's an exhibition game at the end of the season. It's nice to see your team win and it probably helps recruiting, but that's about all it means. Regular season games with SEC teams regularly sell 20,000 to 30,000 visiting tickets. I know Tennessee sold its entire allotment to the last couple of west coast trips with ease. There are 100,000 fans who pack numerous stadiums every Saturday. It's going to be tough for me to believe you couldn't find 20,000 or 30,000 people to travel three times to the biggest games of the year. There's no question the Motor City bowl and others like it would get much better attendance than they do now. The logistics would have to be properly worked out and it wouldn't be a seamless transition, but if they really wanted to make it work, they could. 1-AA already makes it work, I think it'd work out fine on a grander scale as well. I'd be ok with either of those.

There are many different ways you could set it up, I'm just throwing some options out there. I don't see any reason why fans would travel for a meaningless game and not travel for a game that means something.

I don't think there's a chance it'd be half empty. If Ole MIss/Texas Tech in a meaningless game could pull 88,000, then Florida/Ga Tech for a chance to advance to the semi-finals of the playoffs would draw that many or more. Bowls are events. It's the final game of the year, it's an exotic locale, it "means something" even if it really doesn't. Do you think a lot of NFL fans spend money to go see their team on the road in the divisional playoffs? Outside of the BCS championship game, the bowls have no meaning. If the bowls were tied into a championship run, they would immediately gain far more relevance than they currently have. Most bowl sites right now are only partially full because they don't mean anything. And I don't know how to check the numbers on something like this, but I expect that there were 20,000+ Ravens fans who showed up at the Titans playoff game last year.