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I haven't seen evidence that UK and SC are better - in fact I feel fairly confident we're at least as good. As for Florida, yes they demolished us, but we don't have to play them anymore. There's no reason we can't beat the teams that are remaining. How exactly do you figure Tennessee is inferior to UK and SC?

Based on what? And as long as teams keep trying to shut down Rice and making Rutgers QB beat them, opposing teams are going to have success against Rutgers. Based on Michigan playing like a top ten team the last five weeks. That spread offense of Illinois' will be an issue for Michigan. When they've played spread offenses (Appy State and Oregon) they've looked terrible.

Every team in the East has to win out to win the East. It's schedules that I think gives UT the advantage. The Vols have two tough games coming up and then three easier games (ULL, Arkansas, Vandy) followed by a tough UK team. While not an easy stretch, it's easier than any other East team. That said, any one of these teams (outside of Vandy) winning the East wouldn't surprise me.

....agree. If I had to guess, I'd say it will be Tennessee-LSU in the SEC Championship game. That said, I'm excited about the Auburn-LSU game Saturday night. LSU has one weakness, and that is at offensive line. Auburn's front seven on defense is without a doubt their strength, so I'm hoping Auburn can exploit this and thus 1) contain the run and 2) put pressure on the QB. A couple of my friends and I may drive over to Baton Rouge Saturday morning, tailgate, and attend the game. That's going to be an incredible atmosphere at that game. Auburn is picking things back up and playing like they ought to and LSU is going to be pissed after losing to Kentucky. I'd love to have tickets to that game. Enjoy.

Kentucky would need some help to get to the SEC championship game. They are in the same division as South Carolina who beat them earlier this year and also has only one loss presently....Tennessee and Florida are also in the SEC East. I'll be utterly shocked if South Carolina wins out. They still have both Tennessee and Florida left to go along with marginally tough games with Vandy and Arkansas. They travel to Arkansas after a game at Tennessee and before a home game with Florida. If I had to pick at this point, I'd say Tennessee and Kentucky had the best shots at winning the East followed closely by Florida. South Carolina would be fourth on my list. Florida still, after last week's tough LSU game, gets to travel to Kentucky and face Georgia in Jacksonville. Then, after hosting Vandy, they go on the road to South Carolina. Kentucky still has to host Florida and Mississippi State, travel to Vandy and Georgia and then host Tennessee. Tennessee goes to Alabama, hosts South Carolina, and, after a barnburner homecoming game against ULL, hosts Arkansas and Vandy and then travels to Kentucky. Tennessee and South Carolina are the only Eastern teams that need no help to win the East. Kentucky needs to win out and South Carolina to lose and Florida needs to win out and Tennessee to lose.

Huge, huge game this week for the Vols. This is the first of the three games that scare me the most the rest of they way (S Carolina and Kentucky being the others). Despite playing in Tuscaloosa, I think we should win this one. Bama's a better team this year than last, but they're still not that impressive. Keep up the solid tackling and strong play on the lines and we shouldn't have terrible trouble winning. That said, I think Tennessee wins in a big time nailbiter.

Though he may be the best, numerically there are a couple awful close. Woodson has a 65.2 completion percentage with 7.42 yards per attempt and an 18:2 TD:INT ratio. Erik Ainge has a 67.6 completion %, 7 yards per attempt and a 10:2 ratio. Brian Brohm is at 66.8%, 9.32 ( :shock: ) YPA, and a 20:4 ratio. I like the fact that two of the three top QBs in the nation (with the possible exception of Brennan depending on how you feel about him) are in the SEC. I think Woodson will be the 1st QB drafted. Of course, before the season started I did say that Woodson would be a top 10 pick. :) Unless something changes drastically from now til the end of the season, I'd say you're right (I need to quit questioning Woodson). The combine may change things, but only because it may raise the stock of underperformers (Booty, Henne, etc). It could also help a guy like Matt Ryan who's impressing quite a bit this season.

That should be the farthest they drop. USC went from 2-9 after losing to Stanford, so LSU should drop less than that. I wouldn't be shocked to see them 5 or 6 after the loss.

Though he may be the best, numerically there are a couple awful close. Woodson has a 65.2 completion percentage with 7.42 yards per attempt and an 18:2 TD:INT ratio. Erik Ainge has a 67.6 completion %, 7 yards per attempt and a 10:2 ratio. Brian Brohm is at 66.8%, 9.32 ( :shock: ) YPA, and a 20:4 ratio. I like the fact that two of the three top QBs in the nation (with the possible exception of Brennan depending on how you feel about him) are in the SEC.

:shock: Three quarters with more than 20 points scored. I think the defenses just took the week off.

Hence one of the reasons why I think Ole Miss and Mississippi State are always at the bottom of the SEC: the talent isn't there because the talent pool is split in the state. We have the second lowest population (2.9 mil) of any SEC state (AR is lowest with 2.7), yet have two SEC schools. That splits the in state talent, which is already low because of the population. Southern Miss also splits a good bit of talent as well. With the athletes that come out of Mississippi, if this state only had one big state school like Louisiana or Georgia, or had a bigger population, I'd bet that it would be continually a successful school. I agree. I think one school can put together a few good years at a time, but because of the lack of in-state recruiting, I don't think either Miss State or Ole Miss can be a top flight SEC team over an extended period of time. The key is getting a coach who can reach outside the state to pull in talent. Tennessee has less than average recruits in-state, but Fulmer and the staff is excellent about reaching out to California, Florida, Georgia, etc kids and bringing them in. That's what the Mississippi schools need.

The last time Kentucky beat a team this high was 1964. I'm pretty sure that's the mark for them beating a #1 ranked team - though it could just be a top 5 team.

Tennessee holds on Miss State's last gasp drive and the Vols win! 33-21 the final score, big win with Alabama and South Carolina looming the next two weeks. Good football game by Croom and Mississippi State - they just didn't have enough talent yet. I'll reiterate what I said before, if the Bulldogs know what they're doing they won't fire Sylvester Croom. He's a very good football coach.

Yet another Lincoln field goal should seal this sucker. 33-21 Tennessee leads.

After another Daniel Lincoln field goal to put the Vols up 30-21, the Vols stop Miss State on the next drive and have the ball back on the Bulldog 26. Late fourth, Tennessee up 9.

yeah, that one loss.... One loss is a lot if you expect to go unbeaten. If LSU loses once this year, Tiger fans will be horribly disappointed. That's right. My biggest fear is that they go undefeated until the SEC championship and run into Florida again and lose. I wonder if they would still have a shot at the NC? Way things are going this year? I'd say absolutely. Better watch out, though. If Tennessee wins out, you get to play the Vols in the SEC Championship game. We could pull a similar upset to what ya'll did to us in 2001. :wink: Don't think we have forgotten about ya'll sticking your flag in the eye of the Tiger. I forget what year that was. If it was 2005, it was awful dumb of us. I'm not really sure. 2005 sounds like it could be right. We played a very poor 3 quarters that game. Had no business planting our flag. That was definitely the low point in Erik Ainge's career. Hard to believe that kid that threw a pass while spinning around in the back of the end zone is the same that is so good now. That was the game that Fullmer put in Clausen. That was when he thought he still had a shot at getting Jimmy to come there. Yeah, Rick put together the late comeback. It wasn't because we had a shot at Jimmy though, it was because Ainge was playing absolutely awful and Rick had played well the year before leading us to the SEC Championship game.

Miss State goes for it on fourth and 5 from the UT 34. Pass is deflected by a Vol defender, caught by a Bulldog who is then tackled 2 yards shy of the first down. :D Volunteer ball.

yeah, that one loss.... One loss is a lot if you expect to go unbeaten. If LSU loses once this year, Tiger fans will be horribly disappointed. That's right. My biggest fear is that they go undefeated until the SEC championship and run into Florida again and lose. I wonder if they would still have a shot at the NC? Way things are going this year? I'd say absolutely. Better watch out, though. If Tennessee wins out, you get to play the Vols in the SEC Championship game. We could pull a similar upset to what ya'll did to us in 2001. :wink: Don't think we have forgotten about ya'll sticking your flag in the eye of the Tiger. I forget what year that was. If it was 2005, it was awful dumb of us. I'm not really sure. 2005 sounds like it could be right. We played a very poor 3 quarters that game. Had no business planting our flag. That was definitely the low point in Erik Ainge's career. Hard to believe that kid that threw a pass while spinning around in the back of the end zone is the same that is so good now.

yeah, that one loss.... One loss is a lot if you expect to go unbeaten. If LSU loses once this year, Tiger fans will be horribly disappointed. That's right. My biggest fear is that they go undefeated until the SEC championship and run into Florida again and lose. I wonder if they would still have a shot at the NC? Way things are going this year? I'd say absolutely. Better watch out, though. If Tennessee wins out, you get to play the Vols in the SEC Championship game. We could pull a similar upset to what ya'll did to us in 2001. :wink: Don't think we have forgotten about ya'll sticking your flag in the eye of the Tiger. I forget what year that was. If it was 2005, it was awful dumb of us.

27-21 now Tennessee after a Daniel Lincoln field goal from the Miss State 19. I'm not worried yet, but we need to start cashing in when we get deep in their territory.

yeah, that one loss.... One loss is a lot if you expect to go unbeaten. If LSU loses once this year, Tiger fans will be horribly disappointed. That's right. My biggest fear is that they go undefeated until the SEC championship and run into Florida again and lose. I wonder if they would still have a shot at the NC? Way things are going this year? I'd say absolutely. Better watch out, though. If Tennessee wins out, you get to play the Vols in the SEC Championship game. We could pull a similar upset to what ya'll did to us in 2001. :wink:

Tennessee having all kinds of problems with Mississippi State. Middle of the third quarter we're up 24-21 and driving deep into their territory. I expect the Vols to pull away over the next quarter or so, but the Bulldogs are giving everything they've got. If they're smart, they won't fire Sylvester Croom after this year.

yeah, that one loss.... One loss is a lot if you expect to go unbeaten. If LSU loses once this year, Tiger fans will be horribly disappointed.

The only way I'd even think about trading Lou is if the Yankees made it very much worth my while. It would take a Cano, Hughes, etc type for me to even consider it. I have no issue whatsoever with keeping Lou though.

That's a tough call. The two of them along with Dave Duncan may just be the best pitching coaches in the game. I'd probably take Mazzone, but wouldn't fire Rothschild to get him.