Kentucky Isn’t Our Super Bowl Anymore

[All Vol!]

I can’t help thinking back to the 2019 SECCG. We’d just come off the emotionally draining win over KY the day before, and much was made of how that was almost as good as winning the championship game for the Vols. Grant, Admiral and the guys celebrated like we were cutting down the nets, like that win was the end goal. We all know what happened the next day against Auburn in the title game.

This time around, I don’t sense that this Vols team is falling into that trap. KY isn’t our Super Bowl as much as it has been in the past. We love beating KY, but we don’t live for it anymore because we are not just an upper tier team but are becoming an upper tier program, huge difference right? And frankly we beat KY routinely nowadays. We don’t live for this game anymore because we don’t have to. I feel like I could see it on the guys’ faces after the game; they were thrilled but focused. A look that said, “Today is great, but our work isn’t done.”

Kentucky isn’t our Super Bowl anymore, but we may be becoming theirs.

 

[Vol49er]

I don’t necessarily agree with the last sentence, but I do think us elevating our program has made it so this is a top 3 rivalry in college basketball rn. Really intense emotions. Oddly enough though, since the wins or losses are fairly evenly split, it seems like there are a lot of blowouts

 

[All Vol!]

Well within the conf nowadays it’s hard to imagine KY or their fan base marks a bigger day on their calendar than us. At 10-7 Barnes isn’t that far from ‘owning’ Cal now in the W/L column.

 

[wmcovol]

Vols have to win a championship tomorrow. Period.

 

[TooLegit2Quit]

We've got a great mix of youth and experience. JJJ definitely strikes me as the upperclassmen leader. Just seems to be a really mature group, they took care of business today.

The culture of this program is what makes it special. These guys really seem to care for each other.

 

[Vol49er]

We've got a great mix of youth and experience. JJJ definitely strikes me as the upperclassmen leader. Just seems to be a really mature group, they took care of business today.

The culture of this program is what makes it special. These guys really seem to care for each other.

Agree. I love Z, and I know all the team leads one another, but I kinda take issue with the commentators talking up Z so much as the leader, going so far to call it “his team”. JJJ needs to get his due

 

[volroadwarrior]

I love seeing those smug mother******* fans crying as they go home. They thought they owned the SEC and did back in the day. So much for ESPN's comments about painting the arena blue. This is not our super bowl, but it sure feels good shutting them up and send them packing up I-75. Have a nice--no crappy-- trip home you miserable************s.

 

[GBO18]

Agree. I love Z, and I know all the team leads one another, but I kinda take issue with the commentators talking up Z so much as the leader, going so far to call it “his team”. JJJ needs to get his due

Seems like every time they mention who is doing the most talking in the huddle it is JJJ.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

I don’t necessarily agree with the last sentence, but I do think us elevating our program has made it so this is a top 3 rivalry in college basketball rn. Really intense emotions. Oddly enough though, since the wins or losses are fairly evenly split, it seems like there are a lot of blowouts

The rivalry would be a lot more fun if Barnes and Cal, hated each other.
GBO!!

 

[Vol49er]

The rivalry would be a lot more fun in Barnes and Cal, hated each other.
GBO!!

I hate Cal enough to cover for that

 

[golfballs]

This thread is a little embarrassing. We’re arguably the 2nd best program in SEC history. Kentucky is elite and a great rival, but I’ve never thought of them as our “super bowl”

 

[Volfan1000]

Vols have to win a championship tomorrow. Period.

It is time to get the 43 year old monkey off our back tomorrow.

A win tomorrow would silence the critics that Barnes cannot win a tournament championship.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

I hate Cal enough to cover for that

Good point.
GBO!!

 

[LibertyVol]

Well within the conf nowadays it’s hard to imagine KY or their fan base marks a bigger day on their calendar than us. At 10-7 Barnes isn’t that far from ‘owning’ Cal now in the W/L column.

If Vescovi and James come back, the Cats got some more ass whippings coming next year. May not make a difference.