Tennessee

Didn't see today's debacle in Atlanta, where Philip Fulmer and his University of Tennessee Volunteers got beaten 27-14.

I don't care for the bowl season, anymore. Used to be, January 1st was the bomb for college football. I'd even get two TVs in the same room just to watch everything.

But they just don't do anything for me anymore. I mean, there are, like, 28 bowls. It would be different, maybe, it they were regional things between teams who didn't play in the regular season. Which, I suppose, Tennesse vs. Clemson was, but honestly, how excited can you get for Auburn vs. Wisconsin?

As toward Tennessee's loss....Didn't see the game. Actually, I forgot about it, and didn't hear anything until I was waking up and heard they'd lost.

But here's what I'm guessing happened: Tennessee's offense came out dead, and the defense came out a step slow....Clemson ran a lot of reverses and fade routes, and maybe even a trick play or two, and just made Tennessee look bad. Kind of like where you pop yourself in the nuts when opening a box....looks stupid and actually hurts, too.

Not to excuse Tennessee for showing up dead, but what is there to get up for when you had a better season than your previous one, and the only thing you have to show for it is going back to the same bowl you went to last year?

But it is the job of the coaching staff to get their kids prepared and up for the game. And it sounds like Tennessee failed at that. Again.

It just goes another step in proving that all other things being equal, Philip Fulmer is going to get outcoached. He's a great recruiter, and he puts together a solid football team. And facing a bunch of teams over a week-to-week basis, his teams are going to have a better than average shot at beating you.

But in big games where the other team has time to think about it, and devise strategy around him, I can't think of many big games Fulmer and Tennessee have won. Other than that National Championship game a few years back. But I guess that's the big one.