After reading the reaction across the boards regarding the stunning win over WKU I have come to one conclusion. Tennessee fans are truly damaged goods. Maybe people are just too used to turning the X-Box on and running up 63 points on their opponents. What Tennessee did last Saturday is much easier said than done…even against a vastly inferior team.
It could be that UT fans have been on the receiving end of so many thorough beatings recently, that they are hesitant to call a contest like they see it. For me, there is absolutely no reason to apply any caveat to last Saturday’s game. We don’t have to say, “Wait until we play UCLA.” There is absolutely no need to start wondering how Lane Kiffin’s offense will fare against some of the better SEC defenses they will play this year.
I’ve got news for all of you. It is OK to feel good about this coaching staff and this football team. You don’t have to wait until UCLA comes to town to appreciate what happened last Saturday. I haven’t seen a UT team so prepared since the 1985 Sugar Bowl. There, I said it.
Was WKU outmatched? Sure they were. Does that account for the lopsided game stats? No way! The total domination that we witnessed last Saturday is absolutely the mark of a great coaching staff.
We played 10 freshmen and a quarterback that was on PETA’s watch list for killing worms. If our defensive starters stayed in the game against the spread style offense of WKU, it is quite possible that they could have held them to a minus yardage total for the game.
Sorry, Charlie, but that is the kind of day that signifies the emergence of a dominant defense. For all of you that have longed to watch this team hit opponents in the mouth, I’ve got good news for you. Your day in the sun has arrived.
It is time that this fan base adopted the attitude of our head coach and supporting staff. We are the Vols. We stomp mud holes and walk them dry.
Hold your heads high, Volunteers. This is the beginning of something special. There is no need to explain away a performance like Saturday. You shouldn’t apologize to your Georgia, Florida, LSU or Bama fans. There is no need to qualify the win by saying it was just Western Kentucky. Instead just tell them this. Keep your eye on the Lane Train. If you blink, or take your eye off of it for one second, it just might run right over you.
The days of helplessness and hopelessness on the Hill are over. Poop, or get off of the pot. Fish or cut bait. Expect the UCLA team to limp out of Neyland this Saturday. Forget the past and get ready for the future. Welcome to the new and improved version of the Tennessee Vols.
Until next time, Go Vols!