Do you remember those fall mornings when you were a kid and you couldn’t wait for your favorite team to tee it up? Back in the good ole’ days, Saturday was all about football. It was all about that game for that day. I didn’t spend much time thinking about what Tennessee’s record would look like at the end of the year, all that mattered was that they won that game on that day.
In today’s world the game of the day is just one of twelve regular season games that define the team you root for. It’s not about that one game anymore it’s about championships. With an 0-2 Southeastern conference record staring the Vols in the face as they travel to Sanford Stadium in Athens today, they face elimination in the tight SEC East race.
With increased internet coverage, and a myriad of bloggers online ready to spew their venom over opportunities lost, the excitement seems to have been replaced with either trepidation or apathy. The topics revolve around the “state” of the team rather than the game that day. Let’s face it, how many “games of the year” do we have every season in college football?
I thought that the Tennessee-Auburn game was going to be the defining game of this year for the Vols, but I was wrong, its today’s Georgia game. If the Vols lose this one, in the eyes of most fans, this season is a wash, and many will begin to look forward to next year.
Tennessee has been able to get an emotional edge in this series the past two years, and they seem to play the Georgia game with more passion and energy than any all season long. The question is, will it be enough today at Sanford Stadium.
We could talk x’s and o’s, we could talk schemes, coaching matchups, one-on-one battles in the trenches, but this game is about heart. This is about determination, and pride.
I do believe that Tennessee will play today with increased passion and intensity, but the deficiencies on offense are just too pronounced to overcome. With Georgia’s loss to Alabama just 14 short days ago, the Dogs will be able to match the intensity that the Vols will bring, and then it comes down to one-on-one matchups, and Georgia will win most of them.
Makes me almost wish that it was the good ole’ days and I could put this one behind me as soon as it is over, but we all know that this is not possible. The upcoming week will be filled with thoughts of not only the loss to Georgia, but another year without a championship for the Vols.
Prediction:
Georgia 27 Tennessee 6
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