This was a tough year for Mizzou fans. 4-8 was not what most expected, especially in the way we went 4-8. Losing to two teams from Tennessee in one year is hard to swallow.
But even in a down year, there are the little things we can be thankful for. For example, Drew Lock threw for more than 3,000 yards putting him in the top ten for the country. That helped to take an offense that was ranked dead last in the country last year to number 15 in the entire country this year.
In any other year, that jump may be enough to hang your hat on, but this year was special. Why? Simple, the Pre-Season National Champs (and SEC Champs) Tennessee fell flat on their face. Over and over. It was so much fun to watch that I almost don’t even care we struggled so much on defense this year. (almost)
If you’re a regular listener of our show, you’ll know we don’t hold Tennessee in a high regard. They are cocky for having a good team back in 1998 (the last time they won the SEC). Or maybe it’s because they won the East Division in 2007. They also have no respect for Missouri, which would be understandable just looking at this year. However, since Mizzou joined the SEC, the Tigers have a better conference record than Tennessee’s losing record (Tigers: 19-21, Vols: 15-25).
I could go on and on about how, in total, Tennessee has been worse than Missouri over the last five years, but I wont. That’s not the point of this. The point is to enjoy how miserably Tennessee failed in the most overhyped year ever. Various prognosticators had Tennessee as #1 overall at various points heading into the season. Something Alabama fans laughed and then promptly checked the schedule and then simply replied “we’ll see after October.”
In any other year, that jump may be enough to hang your hat on, but this year was special. Why? Simple, the Pre-Season National Champs (and SEC Champs) Tennessee fell flat on their face. Over and over. It was so much fun to watch that I almost don’t even care we struggled so much on defense this year. (almost)
If you’re a regular listener of our show, you’ll know we don’t hold Tennessee in a high regard. They are cocky for having a good team back in 1998 (the last time they won the SEC). Or maybe it’s because they won the East Division in 2007. They also have no respect for Missouri, which would be understandable just looking at this year. However, since Mizzou joined the SEC, the Tigers have a better conference record than Tennessee’s losing record (Tigers: 19-21, Vols: 15-25).
I could go on and on about how, in total, Tennessee has been worse than Missouri over the last five years, but I wont. That’s not the point of this. The point is to enjoy how miserably Tennessee failed in the most overhyped year ever. Various prognosticators had Tennessee as #1 overall at various points heading into the season. Something Alabama fans laughed and then promptly checked the schedule and then simply replied “we’ll see after October.”
All of Alabama: "Don't we play you in October? Wonder how that is going to go?"
October is when the wheels fell off the wagon, but it didn’t start there. From the first game, Tennessee fans should have realized the season wasn’t going to go the way they thought. Barely beating Appalachian State then struggling against Ohio and Georgia were clear signs a national championship was not in the cards. Everyone saw it, except Tennessee. Flash forward to October and Alabama fans just sat back and laughed. Three straight losses (one to South Carolina) ended their chance at any national championship. But it wasn’t until Florida stepped up and beat LSU before the real damage was done. After that week, Tennessee fans had nothing to do but to hold each other and wonder what went wrong.
I don’t take satisfaction in other people’s suffering, but… I’m just kidding. It’s what helps me wake up every morning. Watching Tennessee’s easily predictable fall from grace was the only thing that got me through this year. The icing on the cake was when Butch Jones delivered one of the worst spin jobs in the history of press conferences by declaring Tennessee "Champions of Life". I can take solace in the fact that even though Mizzou was pretty bad; Tennessee lost something that Mizzou didn’t have to lose: their arrogance.
I leave you with sad Tennessee:
I leave you with sad Tennessee:
