Tennessee fans shake off the despair, look forward to Florida

by Joel Hollingsworth on Sep 17, 2009 7:47 AM EDT in Tennessee Volunteer Football

Vol fans have been on a bit of a journey this week, from Monday's "gloom, despair, and agony on me and Jonathan Crompton" to dreaming the impossible dream this morning. Here's how Tennessee-Florida week has played out so far on Rocky Top Talk:

Monday: As feared, Saturday's mistake-filled home loss to an underdog broke the dam that had been holding back all of the nightmarish memories of 2008's Season of Constant Sorrow. A looming visit to the Swamp to take on the Florida Gators had Vol fans resigned to a historic beatdown on par with Georgia Tech's 222-0 shutout of hapless Cumberland in 1916.
Tuesday: Looking at the animated drive charts and the stats from Florida's first two games didn't help a great deal, but did suggest that perhaps a blowout wasn't a forgone conclusion.

Wednesday morning: Vol fans were reminded that Tennessee's defense is still very good and that guru Monte Kiffin -- the Google of Defense -- is using Heisman Trophy contender Eric Berry in all of the right places. Meanwhile, traditional media and bloggers alike were throwing more coal on the fire, somehow turning a game featuring a four-touchdown underdog on the road into one of the most highly-anticipated games of the season. National media were reminding casual football fans of Lane Kiffin's Offseason Tour of Insults and Tennessee bloggers were compiling Florida's Record of Wrongs -- a comprehensive list of hardships that Tennessee fans have endured at the hands of Florida over the years.

Wednesday afternoon: Lane Kiffin's repeated public defense of Jonathan Crompton's performance against UCLA finally found footing in the rarest of rational fans (hooper to the rescue!), spurring him to actually put the rest of the offense under the microscope. First, hooper used pictures and astute analysis to show that many of the offensive problems were due to a banged-up offensive line getting out-schemed and out-played by a solid Bruin defensive line. Second, without absolving Crompton of his own faults, hooper closely examined a couple of the interceptions and found that the receivers were partially to blame.

Today: Vol fans this morning are finally daring to dream the impossible dream. If Tennessee's stout defense plays the game of its life and gets pressure on Tim Tebow . . . and if the Vols win the turnover battle . . . and if Jonathan Crompton merely manages the game and doesn't lose it by trying to be a hero . . . Tennessee can make this a game.

Yeah, that's a lot of ifs. But we've come a long way since Monday.

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Comments

Dreaming the impossible.

It’s college football. There have been bigger upsets. A good game from our defense and good game-management from Crompton will keep this closer than 4 TDs. We need to win the field position battle in the first half. This means moving the ball some on offense, and NO TURNOVERS. Our defense should help with the rest and keep the game relatively close at half.

by golfballs03 on Sep 17, 2009 8:21 AM EDT reply actions

i don't dream with crompton at the helm...well, i have night terrors

i believe we CAN beat the 28 point spread if we run the ball 60 times saturday.

by guilded on Sep 17, 2009 8:44 AM EDT reply actions

I had a dream that a hamburger was eating ME!

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Sep 17, 2009 9:21 AM EDT reply actions

There have been bigger upsets

We are… ~~Appalachian State University~~ Tennessee – beat ~~Michigan~~ Florida

I just hope Florida doesn’t cover.

by memphispete on Sep 17, 2009 9:23 AM EDT reply actions

The Vols will win

and win big. I believe!

by dmiles on Sep 17, 2009 9:37 AM EDT reply actions

would be nice....

I guess I’ll bring a change of underpants just in case

Living in Alabama is like living 50 years in the past, they are still just as racist, just as educated, the state constitution forbids any kind of public transportation, and all they can talk about is Bear Bryant

by goldballs on Sep 17, 2009 9:39 AM EDT reply actions

Good thing there's no random testing on this site.

I will cheer for the Vols and I will be near tears if we lose to the hated-Gators, again. But I do not believe.

Please prove me wrong.

by memphispete on Sep 17, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions

Im just hoping that I don't have to turn it off after the first half.

And I’ll have a strong drink in hand just for good measure. Something cheap to punish myself some more – yay Kentucky Tavern (the aristocrat of Bourbon)!

RIP Steve McNair (1973 - 2009) Retire #9!
Member of the Committee to Keep Keith Bulluck.
Eric Berry for Heisman!!

by Pride of the Southland on Sep 17, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions

oh man

Kentucky Tavern

shudders

dry heaves

Tennessee WILL beat Georgia on the way to 9+ wins in '09!!!
Eric Berry For Heisman!!!

by VolBrian on Sep 17, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

oops

wrong format there….

Tennessee WILL beat Georgia on the way to 9+ wins in '09!!!
Eric Berry For Heisman!!!

by VolBrian on Sep 17, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Rocky Top Homicide

This is the best team in college football history. We can’t expect them to “Memphis” us like the game that gave us our only recent championship. This team will destroy us. Our coach is an @$$-clown for making the comments he did and for accusing the best current coach at the NCAA level of violations- then he put his tail between his legs and cried ‘UNCLE!". If Florida commits 7 turnovers and has over 150 yards in penalties we might cover the spread. But this game ain’t in Neyland, and our friendly refs won’t be there to save us this time. Urban sends a message- UF 54- UT 10.

by Snapperlord on Sep 18, 2009 6:29 PM EDT reply actions