GATORS: TALENT + REDEMPTION = TENNESSEE

 As a trial attorney, SNL is accustomed to creating a “theme”  for a case that will resonate with jurors.  The theme is arrived at after considering the facts of the case, and accounting for variables that are not fact sensitive, such as emotion, opinion, prejudice and bias.  The theme often becomes as much a part of the case as do the actual facts. 

For example, a boring breach of contract case arising from the failure of a large trucking company to deliver vegetables on behalf of a smallish farm, will be themed as a case about a “promise broken by a large, unfeeling, multi-million dollar trucking company, which caused the near bankruptcy of this small mid-Florida farm run for two generations by my clients, the Mr. and Mrs. Miller.”  

Intuiting football games is, in SNL’s opinion, not altogether dissimilar as football, like lawsuits, is underpinned by themes, which are fluid and dynamic and at the end of the day, equally important as the “x’s and o’s.” Right now, there are literally dozens of blogs and websites extolling the “whoever rushes for more yards will win” mantra and for good reason, this is often true.  But guess what?  This is often true in every football game played on every level-so how, praytell, is this banal comment plated and served as analysis? 

The more well-reasoned query,and in SNL’s opinion more important to the possible outcome, is “what is the theme of this game in the ongoing story that is UT football?”  Assessing this angle, which is admittedly difficult, allows SNL to make an educated hypothesis as to how this theme will manifest itself in the minds and hearts of the jurors which in this context, consist of the 19 and 20 year-olds that will take the field for the Vols this weekend.    

One disclaimer:  The impact of a theme presupposes that there does not exist a significant talent gap between the teams.  In other words, the theme that arises from a UT/UAB matchup is immaterial because UAB is simply overmatched physically and therefore, could not beat UT no matter how motivated. 

Tennessee, by all objective measures, should be a beacon of stability.  Coach Fulmer, the dean of SEC coaches, just received a lucrative contract extension, and the Ainge-led Vols represented the SEC East in last year’s title game.  Further, despite being picked to finish third behind their fair-haired brothers who are all the rage, Georgia and Florida, UT was considered a darkhorse for the East crown this year, which is an endorsement of the talent on UT’s roster.  Nonetheless, there are (again) large pockets of discontent amongst the Vols fans, many of whom are blatantly seditious when it comes to Coach Fulmer, after only 2 games.

UT players and fans, however, are recovering from the UCLA-induced hangover not because UT pummeled UAB last week, but because 4th ranked Florida, winners of 3 straight, is coming to town.  For the UT faithful, this means one thing:  respect.  UT’s unrestrained motivation comes not just from its embarrassing loss to a UCLA club that lost 59-0 to BYU last week, but from last year’s 59-20 loss at the Swamp.  Another log was thrown on the fire when Florida’s Linebacking Cyborg, Brandon Spikes, accused UT of “quitting” in last year’s contest.

The foregoing ingredients create a powerful football-cocktail (or  theme) that should work in favor of the Vols:  Redemption.  Because UT’s talent is a given ( and anyone who has stood on the sideline of a UT game nows that the Vols always pass the “eyeball test”), the unbridled motivation, if properly harnessed, can work to UT’s advantage.  In sum, SNL expects this UT squad, which knows that it can atone for past sins and catapult itself back into national relevance,  to play extremely hard this Saturday and maybe, just maybe, escape with a win.   

For you Gators, this is a very, very, dangerous team.  Sure, an early punt return by James or spectacular play by Harvin may cause a leak in the Vol-ship that cannot be repaired.  But given the incentive to perform that UT has, this game is bigger than playing #4, bigger than beating the hated Gators, bigger even than Fool-mers waistline, and the Vols know it. 

-So Sayeth the Shepherd