Vols Favored By Five
“Whiney McWhinerson” Lane Kiffin and his University of Tennessee “Wild Boys” have a losing record and have managed just one SEC win in four tries – yet they are favored by five-and-half points over Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks, who come into Saturday night’s game with a 6-2 record and No. 21 national ranking.
Talk about a “Rodney Dangerfield moment” for USC, which to be fair has struggled mightily against the Volunteers – as well as in games played after the mid-point of the season – since coming into the Southeastern Conference in 1992.
Guess the odds makers take things like that into account, huh?
South Carolina has managed just three wins over the Vols since joining the toughest football conference in America, although they’ve split the last four games – including a 2005 win in Knoxville, the school’s first-ever road win over Tennessee.
It’s been a hard-fought series of late. In fact, with the exception of last year’s 27-6 Gamecock victory, all of the previous four contests have been decided by a touchdown or less.
Tennessee is led by its All-American strong safety Eric Berry, who has started thirty-three consecutive games for the Volunteers. Widely-pegged as a top five NFL draft pick, Berry has thirteen interceptions over the course of his career – including a pair against the Gamecocks.
He is also second only to Florida State’s Terrell Buckley in career interception return yardage.
Of course South Carolina has a defensive star of its own, “hybrid” lineman/linebacker Eric Norwood – the school’s career sack leader and another sure-fire NFL first-rounder.
Both players should give fits to their opposing head coaches (who also call the plays) …
Comments
By weighing in on October 27th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Neyland Stadium normally carries about a 4-5 point advantage in itself if the the teams are evenly matched. The defenses are probably even, with SC’s being more physical. The offenses are both anemic, but advantage goes to the HBC here. QB play will dictate this game. If the regular Crompton shows up, USC wins. Shut down the run and make Crompton beat you with his arm…Hardesty is no Ingram. Predict USC 21 UT 13
By Big 10/11 is Better on October 27th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
You say the toughest in the nation? The worst Big 10/11 team would finish in the top of the SEC any year…and the best SEC team would be lucky to finish in the top half in the Big 10/11.
By The Douche on October 27th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
“The defenses are probably even, with SC’s being more physical.”
Are you kidding?
I will agree that the offense are blowing ass though.
By Seymour Glass on October 27th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
@ Big Televen,
Do you even watch college football? Do you have a television? Purdue, who is arguably the worst team in the Big Ten this year, beats tOSU, who is arguably the best team in the conference. That shows not a strength throughout the conference, but a lack of supremacy at the top. When did the last Big Televen team win a national championship… ‘02… and that was a fluke. Factor in the humiliation of the championship game losses over the previous 3 years, and your argument fails miserably.
By Brandon on October 27th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
LMAO @ Big 10…obviously doesn’t watch college football, SEC always puts Big 10 in its place during bowl season end of story
By Brandon on October 27th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Also I think Kiffen meant to say “my wife” instead of “gas”
By Beltway Dude on October 27th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
TAKE..UT…GIVE…THE…POINTS
By Fluke? I Don't Think So on October 27th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
The Big Televen, as you call it, would whip up on these southern schools if they ever did a SEC/Big 10 Challenge like they do with the ACC and basketball.
I watch football all the time. You must be drinking the SEcoolaid.
By B. Sizemore going to the USCjr. @ Tennessee game on October 27th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I’m going to this game on Saturday and look forward to chanting “overrated” when Tennessee takes it to the lame cocks. The new offense took some time to get installed but things are starting to click now. Tennessee will cover that point spread because the defense will easily stop spurrier’s offense repeatedly.
PS. The big ten fan on here just sounds ignorant when it comes to college football.
By Liberty For Me on October 27th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Big Ten….yeah they are better.Thats why OS always gets smashed by Florida.As far as SC,I would hope they handle the Vols but Tebow will be their real Waterloo…(sorry senator)
By weighing in on October 27th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
The Douche – My mistake, meant to say USC’s D was quicker but UT’s probably more phyiscal
B. Sizemore – Offense clicking? UT has totaled 2,600 total yards this season with almost 700 of them coming against Western Kentucky. That means the other 6 games a total average of a little over 300 total yards a game
And to the Big Ten folks – the only legit Big Ten teams are PSU and Iowa. And Iowa has had cardiac moments against weaker opponents. But how can you seriously say that the Big Ten is that good…they are AWFUL
By K Trane on October 27th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Still no article on Clemson’s upset over No. 10 Miami? Ouch…
By Volfan on October 27th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
UT vs. the SEC
Florida(L), Auburn (L), Georgia (W), Alabama (L)
USC vs. the SEC
Georgia (L), Ole Miss (W), Kentucky(W), Alabama (L), Vanderbilt (W)
Who has had the harder schedule? Nice spin.
USC will lose their last four like they historically have and UT will win their last five like they historically have. You figure out the final records.
To put USC football in the same group as Tennessee is insulting.
“South Carolina has an all-time winning percentage under .500, which ranks 90th all-time in D-1A football history…only 27 of the 117 programs who are currently competing at the D-1A level have been worse.”
“Their all-time record of 776-327-53 ranks the Vols second on the list of winningest SEC programs, and ninth on the list of all time winningest major college programs, just behind Alabama and ahead of Southern California. They rank third all-time in bowl appearances(tied with USC) and fourth all-time in bowl victories. Their last national championship was in the 1998 college football season. The Vols boast six national titles in their history.”
By Volfan on October 27th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Here is an article on ESPN placing USC as the 3rd worst football program of all time.
“As an independent in the ’80s, they lost to The Citadel (Div I-AA), Furman (Div I-AA), Hawaii (twice) and Pacific when all four of those schools were simply horrible. To top it off, all of these losses came at home. In 1987, during their one chance to gain some national prominence, they were 9-0 until they lost to one of the poorest teams in the country that season — Navy.
They played 100 years without ever winning a bowl game and have appeared in only 12.”
It is obvious to anyone that has watched this season that UT’s offense is not working. Good Luck
Vols 31
USC 10
By Steve V on October 28th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Listen Douchebags….
USC 27
UcheaT-6
Sound familiar? I will say Tennessee is a better team than their record indicates. It will be a close game. If offense wasn’t part of the game, Tennessee would be good. Not that it makes much difference…but USC is one game over .500 all time. And the Big 10/11 better than the SEC? What a joke! I believe they have proved that on the field over and over again!
By weighing in on October 28th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Volfan,
Quit drinking your moonshine and get back to bootlegging and trying out on the dirt track circuit.
Thanks,
By B. Sizemore going to the USCjr. @ Tennessee game on October 28th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
It’s not all about stats, although Tennessee put up more points on bama than USC… and to keep this short, just look at the CRAP out of conference schedule Carolina plays. NC State and Clemson are two weaker teams in a WEAK conference. The rest of the way through the SEC is gonna chew the shame cocks up just to keep tradition the way it’s always been… a disappointing end to the season.
By Volfan on November 1st, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Wow. 31-13. please revisit my post four up. :O