Vols Must Prove They can Win on the Road

The emotional roller coaster that is SEC football is approaching its last loop in a season that has left fans dizzy from all the twist and turns. This season, more than any in recent memory, has left people trying to explain the unexplainable. How does Tennessee dominate Georgia, get embarrassed by Alabama, and then drill Arkansas? How does Georgia look likes a JV team against Tennessee, and then beat both Florida and Auburn? How could Alabama have killed us yet lose to Louisiana Monroe? There is an identity crisis of epidemic proportions in the SEC that no team has proven to be immune to. You just never know which team is going to show up on a given week.

In this season of inconsistency everything rides in this final SEC clash. If Tennessee can pull out a victory the season will have to be viewed as a success, especially after how bleak the season looked after the Alabama loss. On the other, a loss in this game would be yet another season of mediocrity, and could be fatal for coach Fulmer considering we controlled our own destiny twice in the final month. Most people gave Tennessee know chance to be in this position after the trip to Tuscaloosa, but it will mean nothing if the Vols lose at Kentucky and fail play in the SEC championship.

The big question is what Tennessee team is going to show up. They were dominate at home inside the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium, but their performance on the road is a different story. The Vols are 1-3 on the road with the only win coming at Miss. State. In their three losses, they have been outscored by a total of 145 to 68. The Vols haven’t played a road game in over a month which could create problems. Combine that to the fact that Tennessee ranks next last in passing defense and is facing the top ranked passing offense and you have a scary situation. Tennessee has found ways to win the close games, but have yet to prove they can even keep games close on the road against good teams. Kentucky has had this game circled the whole season. You wouldn’t think matching their intensity would be a problem in a game of this magnitude. However, if Tennessee doesn’t play with more emotion than they did against Vandy they will be in trouble. We will find out how far this team has really come this year Saturday in Lexington. Will the real UT please stand up.

GO BIG ORANGE
Guy Tiller