If you've gnashed your teeth to dust already this week, this post is not for you. In fact, mouthguards are mandatory because it turns out that #opportunityreallyisnowhere, at least in October. Geared up? Let's go.
| Categories In Which Tennessee Was In The Top Quartile This Season |
|||||||||
| Category |
2010 |
MT | CIN | FL | BUF | GA | LSU | AL | SC |
| Kickoff Return Yardage Defense | 9 | 14 | 12 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 24 | 11 | 13 |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 104 | T-7 | - | - | 23 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 20 |
| Pass Defense | - | - | - | - | - | - | 24 | - | 24 |
| Fumbles Lost | - | - | - | - | - | - | T-30 | - | 27 |
| Kickoff Returns | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 30 |
| Offense Third-down Efficiency | - | 11 | 4 | 7 | T-1 | 4 | 5 | 23 | - |
| First Downs Allowed | - | - | - | - | 20 | 22 | 30 | 30 | - |
| Passes Had Intercepted | - | - | - | - | T-17 | T-6 | 21 | - | - |
| Turnovers Lost | - | - | - | - | - | - | T-21 | - | - |
| Passing Efficiency | - | 7 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 22 | - | - |
| Passing Offense | 30 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 25 | - | - |
| Time of Possession | 90 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 12 | - | - | - |
| Turnovers Lost | - | - | - | - | T-26 | 14 | - | - | - |
| First Downs | 92 | 66 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 22 | - | - | - |
| Scoring Defense | - | - | - | - | - | 29 | - | - | - |
| Defense Third-down Efficiency | - | - | - | - | - | 30 | - | - | - |
| Defense Fourth-down Efficiency | - | - | T-1 | 19 | T-7 | - | - | - | - |
There is actually some good news here. We've been over kickoff return yardage defense already, so forget that, but pass defense looks like it may actually be more good than fluke. Fumbles lost and red zone efficiency also get gold stars. But the best news of all? The appearance of kickoff returns. Devrin Young and the kickoff team earn this week's grand prize of praise. Woo for you, good sirs. Keep it up.
Everything else, though, is starting to make an ugly, angular picture. The dashes are moving in and TAKING OVER and THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
On to the players who made the top 30 this week:
| Player | Stat | MT | CIN | FL | BUF | GA | LSU | AL | SC |
| THIS SPACE AVAILABLE FOR LEASE -- CHEAP! | |||||||||
This is where you sigh.
#OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE
And now for those . . . ahem . . . areasofgreatestopportunity:
|
Categories In Which Tennessee |
|||||||||
| Category | 2010 | MT | CIN | FL | BUF | GA | LSU | AL | SC |
| Rushing Offense | 105 | 74 | - | 105 | 98 | 114 | 114 | 115 | 119 |
| Passes Intercepted | - | - | - | 93 | 111 | T-113 | T-116 | 114 | 109 |
| Turnovers Gained | - | - | - | - | 98 | 107 | 115 | 114 | 104 |
| Total Offense | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 91 | 102 |
| Scoring Offense | - | 27 | 22 | - | 21 | - | - | - | 96 |
| Net Punting | - | - | - | 96 | 116 | 105 | 110 | 97 | 94 |
| Pass Sacks | - | - | - | - | - | 91 | T-90 | 93 | - |
| Turnover Margin | - | - | - | - | - | - | T-93 | 91 | - |
| Red Zone Efficiency Defense | - | - | - | - | - | - | T-105 | - | - |
| Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game | - | - | - | 98 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Fewest Penalties Per Game | - | - | - | 97 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Offense Fourth Down Efficiency | 96 | 59 | 94 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Punt Returns | 109 | 64 | - | 91 | - | - | - | - | - |
Oh, look. Our rushing offense is indiscernible grime on the bottom of the barrel and getting worse! Lovely!
Oh, look. Our offense is now bottom quartile and getting worse! Wonderful.
And oh, our scoring offense, which was in the top quartile for a quarter of the season has fallen into disrepute and taken up residence in the crack house. Awesome.
On a serious note, things weren't going to get better this October no matter what. Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, and Georgia are the four best overall defenses in the best defensive conference in the country. (Arkansas is 10th in the SEC, by the way, above only Auburn and Ole Miss.) Okay? Okay. Now we get November.