Alabama -16.5
Tennessee fans feel, with some justice, that ESPN has a bias against the Vols. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that this game was scheduled to be around 1pm EST today, and it wasn't going to be an ESPN showcase game. They may try to say this is some sort of SEC showdown, but this is going to be more like a rapedown.
You may remember last year, when Kiffin (boo) took the Vols to play at Alabama and nearly won the game if it wasn't for a couple of field goal kicking fiascoes. Bama won by two in the final seconds when Cody blocked the Vols' field goal attempt, the second block of the game. Bama will be smelling revenge, and they will smell the stink on this Volunteer offensive line that has allowed Chris Simms, a pretty good quarterback, to get sacked 900 times this season. Also, the fact that there has actually been a discussion in Knoxville about whether Simms or our freshman QB Bray would be starting (Simms will start, but Bray will see some playing time) should indicate to you that Tennessee is in big trouble.
On the defensive side, the Vols are not an SEC defense. Hell, SEC defense hasn't been SEC defense this year (100+ points in Arkansas vs Auburn last week?!) If Bama can shut down our best RB, Tauren Poole, then we probably won't get more than a few first downs. Tennessee has one of the worst, if not the worst, 3rd down percentage (started the season 0-35 on third down and 6+yds to go).
So, in short, fk you ESPN, and fk you Bama. But, Bama will win by more points than they have words in their vocabularies today.
I simply can't see why this line isn't -21 or greater.
Can I get some Vol fans to put in their $.02? Bama fans, don't respond because we all know what you're going to say, and frankly I'm surprised you were able to read all of this without a migraine.
Tennessee fans feel, with some justice, that ESPN has a bias against the Vols. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that this game was scheduled to be around 1pm EST today, and it wasn't going to be an ESPN showcase game. They may try to say this is some sort of SEC showdown, but this is going to be more like a rapedown.
You may remember last year, when Kiffin (boo) took the Vols to play at Alabama and nearly won the game if it wasn't for a couple of field goal kicking fiascoes. Bama won by two in the final seconds when Cody blocked the Vols' field goal attempt, the second block of the game. Bama will be smelling revenge, and they will smell the stink on this Volunteer offensive line that has allowed Chris Simms, a pretty good quarterback, to get sacked 900 times this season. Also, the fact that there has actually been a discussion in Knoxville about whether Simms or our freshman QB Bray would be starting (Simms will start, but Bray will see some playing time) should indicate to you that Tennessee is in big trouble.
On the defensive side, the Vols are not an SEC defense. Hell, SEC defense hasn't been SEC defense this year (100+ points in Arkansas vs Auburn last week?!) If Bama can shut down our best RB, Tauren Poole, then we probably won't get more than a few first downs. Tennessee has one of the worst, if not the worst, 3rd down percentage (started the season 0-35 on third down and 6+yds to go).
So, in short, fk you ESPN, and fk you Bama. But, Bama will win by more points than they have words in their vocabularies today.
I simply can't see why this line isn't -21 or greater. Can I get some Vol fans to put in their $.02? Bama fans, don't respond because we all know what you're going to say, and frankly I'm surprised you were able to read all of this without a migraine.