Talking Points: Pearl goes for 2nd and 100th victory

Basketball

• Both the men and the women play tonight, the men at home against UNC-Asheville and the women in San Antonio against Texas Tech. Bruce Pearl can notch his 100th Tennessee victory tonight, which would make him the fourth SEC coach to reach the 100 mark along with Florida's Billy Donovan, Mississippi State's Rick Stansbury, and Vandy's Kevin Stallings. Of course, Bruce has done it in only 137 tries while it took Donovan 154, Stansbury 158, and Stallings 179. So poo on them. And anyway, Pearl's more interesting in the second victory of the season than he is in the 100th of his tenure.
• Meanwhile, the Ladies are traveling to Texas without Alyssia Brewer and Kamiko Williams because of the dreaded "violation of team rules," which for the women probably means failing to sit in the first three rows at class rather than failing to pass a drug test. 
• Point guard Trae Golden, rated No. 55 in the Rivals 150, confirmed yesterday that he will enlist as a Volunteer this morning at 10:30. Golden joins shooting guard Jordan McRae, who signed last Thursday, in the Class of 2010.
  

Football

• Sure, Tennessee has won the last 25 against Kentucky and 26 of the last 27 against Vanderbilt, but it hasn't always been easy, especially recently. Vandy won in 2005 and lost by a single point in 2007. Kentucky, well, you remember that 5OT game in 2007, right? Right. And you recall what our defense looked like against Dexter McCluster, right? Right. Well, at least the Commodores rank last in the SEC in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense, and passing efficiency. So same old Vandy, right? Right?
  
• The Outback Bowl is still in play, too, so there's a lot riding on these last two games. They could make New Year's Day by beating both the 'Dores and the 'Cats, hoping that Georgia falls to Georgia Tech and that Auburn falls to Alabama, and finishing 7-5 with convincing tiebreakers over both the Bulldogs and the Gamecocks. It could happen.
• Game time for both Vanderbilt and Kentucky, by the way, is 7:00, and both will air on ESPNU.
• At least Lane Kiffin's keeping his sense of humor:

  I don't have the number [of missed tackles] for you right now -- I think we lost track. After the game I thought we set a school record. I now think we set a national record. It was very discouraging.