I played on the Volunteers on Saturday and they rewarded me by destroying highly regarded California.
Tennessee jumped off to a 35-0 lead and 'hung on' by a 35-18 margin. The defense was great, shutting out the powerful Bears' attack for the entire first half. The offense was equally impressive with QB Eric Ainge throwing for 291 yards and four touchdowns. Jeff Tedford, coach of the Bears, was quoted after the game: "We've never seen anything like that. That's a pretty impressive atmosphere, there's no doubt about it. The environment they create gives Tennessee a real home field advantage." Keep in mind that the Bears play USC each year and that they entered the season with national title aspirations.
Air Force should improve on last season's 4-7 record. However, the Falcons aren't in the same class as the Bears and I expected them to be equally overwhelmed by the Volunteers and their 106,000 fans.
The Volunteers are loaded with confidence. Look for them to jump all over their guests and win this game in blowout fashion.
not real sure on this one...Tenn coming off of an emotional win with a big game next week...Air Force is scrappy, but not entirely sure they can hang within the number...
This AF team isn't as good as past teams. The line is generous, based on the AF reputation. AF was in a very similar spot about five years ago. They opened the season against a top 10 team in Oklahoma...at home. They were getting 17.5 points and ended up losing by nearly 40. Plus, this is their first game of the season. Tennessee already was tested against a top 20 team in California and scored 35 points. If you think AF might cover, then I would bet the over because Tenn will score at least 35 again this week.
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Ben Burns: Air Force vs. Tennessee Volunteers
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