Wait ‘Til Your Father Gets Home
Remember when you were a kid (Oh, God, I’m being an old man again) and you got in trouble for something and one of your parents laid into you for it? Once the storm passed you thought you were in the clear but in reality the storm was just laying low until the other parent found out about it. Then you were in for it all over again. And it could be even worse than the first time depending on which parent was more passionate about a particular issue.
That’s what it’s likely to be like for the Tennessee Vols today. After last week’s major spanking by Auburn in a 34-10 loss, this week’s game is against #3-ranked (nationally) Georgia. When Tenn lost last week, we dropped from #8 to #17. Hell, that’s not a drop, that’ a free fall!
Obviously at #3 Georgia is a powerhouse of a football team with an intense Defense and pretty damned good Offense, not to mention home-field advantage. (Last year they stomped us 41-14 and have beaten us 4 years in a row, so there’s that psychological thing too.) So we are potentially (likely) in for a major beating. Even pre-season, the experts predicted that this would be Tennessee’s only loss. Auburn was supposed be a close game that went our way and they ran (and passed) all over us. Now, the other parent has come home. “Go get me a switch!”
The Auburn and soon to be Georgia losses are doublly hard to take because both teams are part of the Southeastern Conference, of which Tennessee is alo a part. So not only does it effect us on a national level, but it screws us in our conference, too.
A quick rundown of how the Southeastern Conference (SEC) works: There are twelve teams divided into East and West divisions. Each team plays against the other five teams in their division plus three from the other division during the course of a season. The teams are ranked by record within their divisions and whoever is in first place on each side at the end of the season play against each other for the SEC Championship. Then whoever wins the campionship is in place for a major Bowl Game post-season.
Going into last week’s Auburn was in first plsce in the West and Tennessee was tied with Georgia for first place in the East, beacuse these were the only teams left with no conference losses. The other 9 teams had at least one loss.) So, somebody had to come out of the Auburn-Tennessee game with a loss. And you know that outcome.
That puts us today with Auburn still in first in the West (no conference losses) and Georgia in first in the East. Tennessee is now tied for 2nd in East with Florida. (but we beat them so it technically puts us ahead of them.)
So what can come of all this you ask? I know you didn;t ask, but I’m telling ya anyway. If (when) we lose to Georgia, then we drop to third in East behind Florida (even though we beat them, we will have one loss more than they do.) and things stay in place for a likely Georgia-Auburn championship game.
But what if we win? Does it get better for us? Yes and No. If we win, we will then TIE Georgia again for 1st place (with a technical edge for winning) BUT that would put us in line to go to the conference game against….yep, Auburn again.
That would be like the first parent coming back for more. No child deserves that.