Time Out
by Dan Rutledge

TV Schedule Below

Week No. 12 is the first half of a two-week Grudge Match Week in the Southeastern Conference, where in-state or old traditional foes get together. You know, the “you can throw the record books out on this one” kind of games where a win for one team can salvage a losing season, send the fans home into the long no-football break with happy memories to sustain them.

An example of that is the first game on this week’s list. There are only four games on tap for this Saturday, three of them conference games with a little extra meaning.

First up — the battle of Tennessee, where both teams involved would savor a win with special delight. Tennessee (3-7, 1-8) comes into Vanderbilt Stadium to take on the Commodores (6-4, 4-3) on a mission, but the ‘Dores are also highly motivated. Ordinarily, in most years, this game is an easy one to call. Tennessee leads the series 69-28-5, has won the past 12 times it visited Nashville and has lost just once in the last 25 meetings with Vandy. But this isn’t any year. Vanderbilt last week won its sixth game of the season, making the ‘Dores bowl eligible for the first time since1982. And while Vandy is having its best season in the past quarter century, Tennessee is in the midst of one its worst ever. And it will certainly be the first time in anyone’s memory that Tennessee comes into the game as the underdog (Line: Vandy by 3).

Most of the time, state bragging rights are the spoils of a victory in this game. This year, that holds true as always, but there is also more to the story line. A Vandy victory would be historic. It would give the Commodores, always the doormat of the league, five SEC wins in a season for just the second time EVER. The only other time Vandy won five games, the makeup of the league itself was markedly different – coming in just the third year of the SEC’s existence, way back in 1935. And Tennessee is also threatening to break a record in the other direction, setting a new all-time mark for incompetence. Right now the Vols have seven losses. They have never lost eight in one season. The only other time they lost seven games was back in 1977, when they posted a 4-7 mark. A loss would also set a new record for conference losses. Tennessee was 1-5, the same mark it now holds, back in ‘77.

So, Vandy has a lot to gain in a win. Tennessee has a lot to lose with a loss. With the game being played on Commodore turf, calling the outcome seems simple – until you factor in the lame duck status on 17-year Vol head coach Phillip Fulmer. Ever since Fulmer announced his resignation, effective at the end of the season, the Vols have been playing with more energy, more purpose. The players obviously believe in their head coach and want to show up the powers-that-be that forced his hand. They probably feel that their lack of effort, intensity, etc., was the reason Fulmer was losing his job and are now highly motivated to win the rest of the way out.

The other two league games this week are meaningless except to their fans. The LSU 7-3, 3-3)-Ole Miss (6-4, 3-3) (Line: LSU by 4_) is one of those traditional battles, even though the two schools aren’t from the same state. They hail from neighboring states and have been playing each other for what seems line forever, LSU holding a lopsided 55-37-4 lead in the series. Ole Miss has been coming on strong and has had its moments in the first year under Houston Nutt – like, for instance, the upset win over Florida. LSU has looked great at times, and at times has looked like it did in the first three quarters against Troy last week, when it fell behind 31-3. A win by the visiting Rebs would give them the same record as LSU overall and move them ahead of the defending national champs in league play – something the Rebel fans and Coach Nutt would point to with pride and a sign of better things to come.

Arkansas (4-6, 1-5) at Mississippi State (3-7, 1-5) (Line: Arkansas by 1). is one of those games where only bragging rights can be one. Neither team can get bowl eligible with a victory.

The only other game this week – The Citadal (4-7) at Florida (9-1) Line: None) – is one in which the only question is how much with the Gators win by. Not only are the Gators playing a school from a non-BCS conference, they are playing a small school having a so-so season. Florida Coach Urban Myer isn’t one that is shy about piling up the points to make a big impression with the poll voters. So don’t be surprised to see 50 or even 60 points put on the scoreboard.

Stay tuned – next week will be the second week of Grudge Week in the SEC, featuring the Alabama-Auburn showdown, formerly known as the Iron Bowl. Will Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville be running around the field in Tuscaloosa holding up seven fingers after the game? Or will the Tide fans be showing seven fingers to Tubs? More next week!!

WEEKEND TV LINEUP

Saturday’s television lineup follows (all times CST):

11 a.m.
Clemson at Virginia (CW), Michigan at Ohio St. (ABC), West Va. at Louisville (ESPN), Indiana at Purdue (ESPN2),Yale at Harvard (Versus)

11:30 a.m.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt (Raycom Sports), Texas at Kansas (FSNS)

1 p.m.
Alcorn St. at Jackson St. (ESPNU), Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M (ESPN Classic)

1:30 p.m.
Syracuse at Notre Dame (NBC)

2 p.m.
Washington at Washington St. (FSNS), Appalachian St. at W. Carolina (SportSouth)

2:30 p.m.
Ole Miss at LSU (CBS), Boston College at Wake Forest (ABC), Michigan St. at Penn. St. ESPN2)

3 p.m.
Air Force at TCU (Versus)

4:30 p.m.
Duke at Virginia Tech (ESPNU)

6 p.m.
E. Carolina at UAB (CSS), Oregon St. at Arizona (Versus)

6:15 p.m.
Pitt at Cincinnati (ESPN2))

6:45 p.m.
FSU at Maryland (ESPN)

7 p.m.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma (ABC)

Dan Rutledge is a veteran sports writer and editor who recently retired after 25 years with Gulf Coast Newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. He writes this advance column on college football exclusively for The Locust Fork News-Journal every Friday during football season.

Tags: SEC Football

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