Who Ya For?

[VFL-82-JP]

Who will you be cheering for next Monday during the national championship game? Arch-rival Bama? Or cross-conference Clemson?

Take a second to vote in the poll, and let's see how it looks across VolNation.

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A note on "rivalry voting":

The Oxford Dictionary defines rivalry as, "Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field."

• Same objective: to win a ball game ... or a series of ball games played year after year.
• Superiority in the same field: the SEC ... or Nationwide.

By that definition, every team in the SEC East, plus Alabama, are ongoing rivals for the Vols. Makes sense. In addition, the other teams of the SEC West are some-time rivals.

So the Vols have seven ongoing rivalries (Bama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Vandy, South Carolina, Mizzou), plus a number of historic rivalries (Georgia Tech, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss State, etc.) that we revisit from time to time.

Nowhere in the definition is anything about hate, or even dislike. There is nothing that says you have to hope a rival will lose against other teams when it would have no impact on your team's standing.

In short, we can't blame the rivalry with Bama for refusal to support them in next week's championship game. Gonna have to own up to some good old-fashioned dislike (or hate) instead.

Which is perfectly fine, of course.

Go Vols!

 

[jakez4ut]

the other orange team....

 

[Volsfaninva917]

Clemson because it would only add fuel to the fire on Finebaum, did anyone else happen to listen yesterday? He really had them going after saying there was a chance Saban could leave.

 

[Kristy*]

Bama. SEC dominance this year.

Plus I have money on them.

 

[armyvol16]

Clemson! I never want Alabama to beat anyone...I hope they lose every single game they play from now until the end of time!

 

[jakez4ut]

Bama. SEC dominance this year.

Plus I have money on them.

at what point does Bama winning 4 national titles in the last 6 years become less about the SEC and more about Bama?

for this reason alone, i'm done. if it were any other SEC team, i'd probably root for them. but at this point, it's just Bama, and everyone else.

it needs to stop.

 

[JMBIGORANGE]

TRUMP 2016!!!.....Oh....sorry Clemson

 

[VFL-82-JP]

It's funny, one of the ESPN sports writers, might have been Chris Low, wrote that this year's NC game is kind of like an ultimate SEC championship. Said that because it feels like Clemson is the most "SEC-like" of non-SEC teams.

And he has a point. They're in the SEC's footprint (or, more accurately, our shared footprint with the ACC) ... and have long-standing rivalries with several SEC teams, like South Carolina, Georgia, and Auburn.

And truth be told, to folks outside the Southeastern US, this probably looks a lot like a regional match.

Just an interesting comment made by ESPN that I thought I'd mention.

Go Vols!

 

[FlyFishnVol]

Clemson, I can not take another year of Bama Fans flashing the NC in everyone's face. If Saban does leave.........great! I love to to see Bama fans disappointed.

 

[Otis07]

Buck fama

 

[VolFootballnut]

Go Tigers!

 

[TNTechVol]

If ISIS had a football team and were playing bammer...

 

[vols_fan_68]

I just don't see how any Vol fan could ever pull for bama, yes they are SEC, but screw the SEC, when it comes to bammer.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Roll Tide.

 

[salutethehill]

I hate Clemson.

That being said, Clemson is the correct answer.

 

[volfanhill]

I would have to marry my cousin before I cheered for Bama

 

[ReaderVol]

Roll Tide.

Gross

 

[YorkVol]

Clemson.
1. I hate Bama and want them to lose always, every day.
2. Clemson runs a similar system to us and a win would be positive reinforcement for us.
3. I hate Bama.

 

[BeecherVol]

Sinkhole

 

[salutethehill]

I would have to marry my cousin before I cheered for Bama

pics?

 

[Kristy*]

at what point does Bama winning 4 national titles in the last 6 years become less about the SEC and more about Bama?

for this reason alone, i'm done. if it were any other SEC team, i'd probably root for them. but at this point, it's just Bama, and everyone else.

it needs to stop.

I get tired of hearing all the other conference fans complaining about the SEC bias.

Also, I cheer for all the teams we play in their other games. Boosts our SOS. If Bama wins the NC, and we held a late 4th qtr lead at their place, it shows just how close we really were/are.

 

[HoptownVol]

I hate Alabama more than anybody, but the ACC winning the NC is totally unacceptable.

I understand everybody's feelings about Bama, but win or lose they are still going to be king of the hill as long as Saban is still coaching.
Might as well accept that fact and get behind the SEC rep, or its going to be a long summer having to take crap from Clemson and ACC fans.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

I hate Alabama more than anybody, but the ACC winning the NC is totally unacceptable.

I understand everybody's feelings about Bama, but win or lose they are still going to be king of the hill as long as Saban is still coaching.
Might as well accept that fact and get behind the SEC rep, or its going to be a long summer having to take crap from Clemson and ACC fans.

I'd much rather have an SEC school (or two) take down Bama in the regular season (or SECCG) than a Big 10 or ACC knock them out in the playoff.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

Conference pride.

SEC!!!! SEC!!!! SEC!!!!

 

[smokey90]

Instinctively, I rout for Orange over Alabama every time.