The Iceman melteth
Forget the bad calls.
Forget Gator offensive linemen tackling pass rushers.
Forget another phantom touchdown.
Forget stolen playbooks and rookie head coaches.
Forget ESPN pigs and Lee Corso crooning Rocky Top.
Forget the weather forecast.
The reason a low pressure system stalled over Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon was that the Vols sucked!
Let’s talk about 16 missed tackles in one quarter.
Let’s talk about lining up with 12 men on the field.
Twice.
Let’s talk about an offensive line that couldn’t open a hole in a wet paper bag.
Let’s talk about a starting fullback who couldn’t pick up a blitzing linebacker if his life depended on it.
Let’s talk about a hothouse rose of a quarterback whose game falls to pieces if the wind blows wrong.
Let’s talk about a wide receiver who can run his mouth, but can’t run away from a badly burned safety.
Let’s talk about a defensive secondary that couldn’t cover two receivers with 5 defensive backs.
Let’s talk about an offensive coordinator calling the worst game in SEC history. Since when do you make the fullback your featured running back without moving him to the tailback position?
Let’s talk about a head coach who mortgaged the future of his program on a quarterback who simply can’t get the job done when the chips are down. Anybody remember the names Ratay, Suggs, Matthews? Can anybody name our current backup QB?
On second thought, let’s not talk about it. It’s too sickening.
Bright spots, and there were darned few of them:
The defensive line on the whole played well, rattling Grossman several times. Unfortunately, when your secondary plays 25 yards off of the receivers, the line’s efforts are usually wasted.
Jason Witten was Mr. Reliable, catching everything that came near him, and punishing would be tacklers.
I just saved $200, because I certainly won't be going to the Miami game.
My prediction, UT will lose to Georgia, Miami, and either Bama, South Carolina, or Kentucky, going 8-4 for the season, not including the Motor City Bowl, where, in a preview to next year, they will lose to the perenniel MAC 10 champion, Marshall.
I think I'll root for the Commodores for the rest of the season. They may suck, but they don't quit. They nearly pulled the upset over Ole Miss.
UPDATE: Casey Clausen has just announced that he is switching from football to boxing, where his "hands of stone" will be an asset.
UPDATE again: OVERRATED. The Vols, who were wildly overrated at number 4 are still overrated at number 11. 16 or 17 is more appropriate.
Posted by Rich at September 23, 2002 12:25 AM