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Standing Strong on God's Word Audio

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Tue, 1 Sep 2015 12:35:00 -0700


Click for the Audio Sermon: Standing Strong on God's Word

Standing Strong on God's Word

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Tue, 1 Sep 2015 12:25:00 -0700

The life of Jesus Christ. Part 2, John the Baptist

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 10:54:00 -0700

Standing Strong on God's Word

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 08:16:00 -0700

Vols 2014 Early Schedule Report

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 12:58:00 -0700

Tennessee has posted three consecutive 5-7 seasons and has lost at least seven games in five of the last six years. In the standings, few things have changed in Knoxville despite the hiring of a fourth coach in six years.
However, things could not be more different now that Butch Jones is in charge. Entering his second spring practice, Jones has already accomplished more than his predecessor. He has a win over a top-15 opponent, produced more rushing yards in a season than any Tennessee team since 2004, signed a top-10 recruiting class, moved Tennessee from adidas to Nike apparel and has retained his entire coaching staff.
He also has converted a culture of losing into one with lofty expectations and championship aspirations. Jones talks of “building our identity,” improving “football intelligence,” creating “team brotherhood” and using a “consistent approach each and every day.”
All of that coach speak is important and relevant, especially for a team with 41 losses in the last six years. But behind closed doors, fans can bet his goals for his second spring camp are more specific. Tennessee must find pass rushers, rebuild the offensive line, work in more than a dozen early enrollees and, most importantly, settle on a quarterback.
These objectives are more concrete than “taking pride in the fundamentals” and will go a long way in setting up the Vols for their first bowl game since 2010.

2014 Schedule
Date	Opponent
Aug. 30
Sept. 6
Sept. 13	at
Sept. 20	Bye Week
Sept. 27	at
Oct. 4
Oct. 11	Chattanooga
Oct. 18	at
Oct. 25
Nov. 1	at
Nov. 8	Bye Week
Nov. 15
Nov. 22
Nov. 29	at

Tennessee Volunteers 2014 Spring Preview

2013 Record: 5-7 (2-6 SEC)

Spring Practice Opens: March 7

Spring Game: April 12

Returning Starters

Offense: 5

Defense: 5

Three Things to Watch in Tennessee's 2014 Spring Practice
Settle on a signal-caller
No one expects this battle to be over when spring camp ends, however, Jones and coordinator Mike Bajakian would feel a lot better about the future of their offense should they break camp with a clear(-er) pecking order under center. Justin Worley has the most experience. Joshua Dobbs has the most athletic ability. And Riley Ferguson, a redshirt freshman who didn’t play last year, might be the most gifted passer of the bunch. Nathan Peterman also is in the mix but appears like a distant fourth in the race for the starting job. Worley isn’t overly talented but has lots of snaps under his belt while Dobbs acquitted himself fairly well as just a true freshman a year ago with his ability to make plays with his legs. Ferguson is the wild card and many believe he might have the inside track on the starting job if he can prove to the coaches that he is ready to step into an SEC huddle. This battle should rage on into the fall but Jones and his staff would sleep better if they can establish at least the framework for a quarterback depth chart this spring.
Find answers in the trenches
All five offensive lineman are gone on offense and essentially the entire defensive line is gone as well. Restocking the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is imperative for success in the SEC. There is a host of young players on defense who will step into bigger roles (Jordan Williams, Corey Vereen) and a few who will eventually return from injury (Jaylen Miller, Trevarris Saulsberry) along the defensive front. And there are probably more than a few fans who would like to see what linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin would look like flying off the edge in blitz packages. So finding pass rushers on defense (ideally) shouldn’t be as difficult as replacing multiple All-SEC blockers up front on offense. Very little starting experience returns at this position for the Vols with Mack Crowder — and his one start — the only player with any starting experience. Crowder, Marcus Jackson and Kyler Kerbyson should get first crack at earning spots but other names will need to develop quickly if Tennessee wants to improve the 102nd-ranked total offense in college football. Going the junior college route is a slippery slope and can be extremely volatile but can also pay off in a big way (SEE: Cordarrelle Patterson). So keep an eye on JUCO early enrollees Dontavius Blair (OL) and Owen Williams (DL). It won’t matter who is under center if Jones and Bajakian can’t stabilize the front line... on either side of the ball.
Find playmakers and work in the youth
With 14 early enrollees, Jones has what amounts to an entirely new roster heading into his second spring camp. And he has repeatedly talked about finding playmakers on both sides of the ball. With Curt Maggitt and A.J. Johnson returning to the linebacking corps, that shouldn’t be a huge undertaking on defense. However, on offense, Tennessee is in much worse shape and will likely turn to more than one freshman to help create big plays with Pig Howard, Drae Bowles and Brendan Downs not participating in spring camp. Five-star wideout Josh Malone and five-star athlete Jalen Hurd, be it at running back or elsewhere, have elite upside but need to get acclimated quickly to college life if they want to contribute in the fall. The same can be said about junior college wideout Von Pearson and early enrollee freshmen tight ends Daniel Helm and Ethan Wolf. Jones and Bajakian have a lot of new toys to play with and figuring out how all of those pieces fit together is much easier in the spring than en route to Norman, Okla.
2014 Early Projected Win Range: 5-7
Things are finally pointed in the right direction for Big Orange Nation. While the results on the field are yet to come, Jones has established a winning culture within the halls of the luxurious Anderson Training Center. He has overhauled his roster, improved team speed, gotten stronger and now has a young roster he can mold into a winner. There is a lot of work left to be done before the Vols are competing for SEC titles again — in particular, with a schedule that includes road trips to Oklahoma, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt — but the overall trajectory of the program appears to be very positive for the first time in nearly a decade.

www.athlonsports.com

BasketVols. Tennessee VS. LSU In SEC Road Opener.

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Wed, 8 Jan 2014 17:59:00 -0800

On Jarnell Stokes's 20th birthday, the Vols traveled to Louisiana for the SEC opener against the Tigers. These two teams were both expected to finish 3rd and 4th in the SEC and go dancing in March. The Tigers were coming of an embarrassing defeat against a small but talented Rhode Island school. The Vols were riding on a 3 game winning streak against weaker opponents in Moorehead State, Tuscalum, and a blowout win against a really good Virginia squad.

Tennessee broke open a back-and-forth game late in the first half with a flurry of 3-pointers on the way to its biggest halftime lead in nearly two years and never eased up against LSU in a 68-50 triumph.

Tennessee used smothering defense and red-hot 3-point shooting to take a 38-24 halftime lead. LSU made just 34 percent (11-of-32) of its first half shots. Meanwhile, the Volunteers made seven first-half shots from behind the arc -- four by Barton.

Tennessee took the lead for good at 15-12 on a D'Montre Edwards 3-pointer with 11:58 remaining in the first half. The Vols (10-4, 1-0 SEC) got 19 points from Jordan McRae, 14 from Antonio Barton (12 in the opening half on four 3-pointers) and a ho-hum double-double from human rebounding machine Jarnell Stokes (15 points, 15 rebounds), his seventh this seaosn and the 25th of his three-year career.

The Volunteers protected their double-digit lead throughout the second half. In the first eight minutes after halftime, LSU cut its deficit to a dozen points on three occasions. Each time, Tennessee answered with a basket -- twice by birthday boy Stokes. The Vols pounded the backboards to the tune of 40-28, led by Stokes' 7 on offense and 8 on defense.

Jordan Mickey was again the best offensive weapon for LSU (9-4, 0-1) with 14 points and he also rejected 5 shots. Johnny O'Bryant bounced back from a second-half benching three nights earlier to contribute 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.

The Tigers lost back-to-back games for the first time this season and this one was as thorough as any they have absorbed by a long stretch. The same problems that plagued the Tigers in an unexpected 74-70 loss to Rhode Island last Saturday in their final non-conference game reared up again, this time against a much more talented and veteran Tennessee team that may be playing as well as it has all season.

The first half was competitive until the closing minutes despite the Tigers' shooting woes. The Vols eviscerated LSU's defense with the same slow-paced approach. With the Tigers honed in on not allowing McRae to erupt after he scored a career-best 34 points against them last season, he became a distributor early on. He recorded four of his five assists in the first half, three to Barton who peppered LSU with four 3s -- three in the last 6:23 before halftime, which started the unclimbable mountain for LSU in the 2nd half.

Now the Tigers head out on the road, with a game at South Carolina (12:30 p.m. | SECTV) in Columbia, Mo. The Vols (10-4) will face off against The Texas A&M Aggies (9-4) back home in Knoxville, Saturday, January 11, 2014 - 6:00 PM ET airing on ESPN3

The Vols are starting to look like the top 25 team they were projected to be preseason. With balanced scoring, a smothering defense, an insane duo in Stokes and Maymon under the goal, arguably the best player in the SEC in Jordan Mcrea, and surprise contributions from players like Antonio Barton, the Vols are poised to compete toe to toe against the rest of the SEC and come out on top. Coach Martin needs a NCAA tourney trip this year after disappointing NIT departures the last two seasons, and this team is capable of playing deep into the tournament.

The problem is no one ever knows what team we will see take the floor on any given night, extreme highs and disappointing lows. If the Vols keep playing games like they did against Virginia and LSU, expect a very interesting season and a good bid going into the NCAA Tourney.

Tennessee Volunteers Midseason Revisit

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:58:00 -0700

The Vols have made it through 7 games and have been almost as predicted except for a great effort and overtime loss to Georgia and upset against the then #11 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Coach Butch Jones has kept a great recruiting effort going and the team seems to have fully bought into the philosophy of the new coaching staff and also seem to be getting better every game so far this year. The Vols have made it through the gauntlet of Oregon, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina with a 1-3 finish and almost beat Georgia, only losing by a literal inch. They are setting at 4-3 because of a 23-21 victory over the Gamecocks, while most predictions preseason had them setting at 3-4. Coach Jones has the team riding on the emotions of the upset going into Tuscaloosa this weekend against the #1 Crimson Tide. Nobody is giving the Vols much of a chance to win, and an upset would be unlikely, so lets go ahead and say we end up 4-4 after the game and finishing up one of the toughest stretches in college football this season by any team.

Now the bad news.

At the beginning of the season most people, be it fans, experts, etc. had the Vols winning against Austin Peay, Western Kentucky, South Alabama, Kentucky, and going 2-3 against mediocre teams in Mizzou, Auburn, and Vandy. Since we have pulled an upset against USCjr, we should theoretically be sitting pretty for a bowl game in the new coaching staffs first year. The problem now is that Auburn and Mizzou are highly ranked and playing lights out. Mizzou is undefeated and ranked #5 in the nation, Auburn comes in with only 1 loss and scoring a lot of points on offense. Kentucky looks terrible, and while Vandy has played well and did beat Georgia, the Bulldogs were missing many of their starting players.

Lets take a closer look at the rest of the way for the Vols.

Alabama
There isn't much to say here. The Vols are playing well and Alabama looks vulnerable at times, but the talent level is so far apart it would take a miracle for the Vols to pull this off. I will say that if you are a betting person the Tide is favored by 26.5, smart money would take the points, I don't think the Vols can win but no way they lose by 26 points. Alabama is good but they are no Oregon or FSU on offense.

Mizzou
This is such an unfortunate turn of events for a rebuilding program. Many people, myself included, had this as a win this year for Tennessee. Now enter the likely undefeated Tigers and the game to be played in Columbia. This is gonna be a tough one and I'm not very optimistic after watching the Tigers destroy other SEC competition. Looks like we are 4-5 after this one.

Auburn

Right now Auburn is a 1 loss team and plays with a high octane offense. This is Tennessee's homecoming game and the crowd at Neyland will be in full force. Tennessee's defense is much improved this year and it won't be as easy to score as Auburn is used to. Tennessee can and will stop the Tigers with the defense and crowd. I think we end up 5-5 after this close homecoming victory.

Vanderbilt

Vandy has new-found success and a very outspoken coach in James Franklin. Vandy smoked UT last year when the team gave up on Derek Dooley. That won't happen this year, I am biased and I am happy Vandy thinks they are accomplishing great things. Trust me on this, The Vols will decimate and embarrass the Commadores, it will be hard for a Vandy fan to watch. Coach Jones will do it for the fans, the upperclassman will do it for revenge, the Vols will roll in this one. I would go as far to say that they will run up the score to a point, and do everything they can to pitch a shutout. I'm not saying it will be 70-0, only because I think Jones will let off the gas and get younger people playing time. 45-0 is well within the realm of possibility and this will be our 6-5 bowl invite.

Kentucky

Oh boy, UK. Dooley let a wide receiver play quarterback 2 years ago and beat us for the first time in decades. Kentucky is bad this year, they have a new coach with good experience and a bright future in Lexington. Stoops inherited a mess with the Wildcats, and I truly believe he will do well there. This isn't the year they do well though, Tennessee will win this game big.

This puts the Vols at 7-5 and still a huge improvement over the last 3 years. Coach Jones is bringing in a huge recruiting class in 2014 and with a real coach and players buying into the program, the Vols will be competing for the East in the next 2 years. The Vols are a team on the rise and the nation is already starting to take notice.

Tennessee At Oregon

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 14:50:00 -0700

On September 14th, the Tennessee Volunteers travel to Oregon to meet the Ducks in a big game for both teams. Tennessee is looking to make a name for itself once again on the national stage while Oregon is looking to go 3-0 and keep pace with Alabama in the race for the national title.

It's Hard To Determine What Either Team Is Really Capable Of

The beginning of the college football season is not the best time to separate the good teams from the bad. This is because most college teams in major conferences play cupcake opponents to get themselves ready for league play. Oregon has played FCS school Nicholls State and ACC weakling Virginia while Tennessee has defeated Western Kentucky and FCS school Austin Peay. However, if you are looking at the betting odds for the game, don't be shocked if Oregon is a huge favorite simply because they are ranked second in the nation.

Marcus Mariota Deserves Respect

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota deserves respect as one of the finest dual-threat quarterbacks in the game today. He has thrown for three touchdowns and rushed for three touchdowns in under two games of total work this season. His 235 rushing yards put him second on the team to running back De'Anthony Thomas. It would not be surprising at all to see his name mentioned in the Heisman race this season or next. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to see him being mentioned as a high NFL draft pick in the next year or two.

Tennessee Will Look To Run The Ball As Often As Possible

How do you keep a prolific offense off of the field? The answer is to run the ball to keep your own offense on the field. The Volunteers have run the ball 96 times in two games. If they run the ball 40 or more times this week, it will keep the Tennessee defense well rested while keeping Mariota and the Ducks from getting into a groove.

The Team That Has The Ball At The End Will Most Likely Win The Game

Tennessee has scored almost 100 points this season while Oregon has 120. That means that the winning team could be the team that has the ball last. Although the two teams have combined for over 10 takeaways on defense, the sheer power of the offenses will render that a moot point.

Anyone who wants the best betting odds this Saturday should go with the Ducks. They are playing at home and have one of the best offenses in football. While the Volunteers may be a team headed for a bowl game at the end of the year, they will have to do something out of the ordinary to gain an advantage.

Tennessee Vs. Oregon: A Delusional Fan's Perspective

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:45:00 -0700

Saturday the Oregon Ducks welcome the Tennessee Volunteers to Autzen Stadium. The line on the game is currently 27.5 points in Oregon's favor. This Tennessee fan is about to tell you why Oregon will, in fact, lose the game. I will do this with facts that cannot be denied by any Duck fan, and will set the stage for this so called "upset".

SEC,SEC,SEC!!!
Look, Tennessee plays in the SEC. Last year we were in games down to the wire with Georgia, South Carolina, and had Gameday in Knoxville for the Florida game. We lost them all, but that's not the point. The point is this, Oregon could not go undefeated with Tennessee's schedule. This does not need to be debated because it's true. I'm sorry kids, but the SEC plays big-boy football not the glorified flag games the PAC 12 plays. This should be enough to convince you of a UT victory, but just in case, I have several more.

Coaching Staff.
Oregon lost Chip Kelly to the NFL last year, and promoted OC Mark Helfrich to replace him. While all this was going on, The Vols were looking for a suitable replacement for Derek Dooley (aka. the worst football coach of all time). We went and assembled the greatest coaching staff ever with Butch Jones at the helm. Turning away the likes of Jon Gruden and other high profile coaches in the process. So the Ducks bring an unproven head coach in their toughest game so far, and Tennessee brings an all-star staff against a team that isn't even in the SEC? It will be a long day for the Ducks.

Experience.
Tennessee has achieved its 800th win and is #8 for all-time wins in college football history. They have 6 National Championships and 16 SEC titles. This is in contrast to the Ducks, who only transitioned from two hand touch to tackle football four years ago. Don't get me wrong, they have done well in the last four years. They have really dominated the PAC 12 conference (which I assume stands for something like Pee-wee All Children), but again, SEC.

Mascots.

I will assume there will be no discussion about mascots.

Verdict.
I'm sure this is a hard and jagged pill to swallow for Oregon fans who have been fed ESPN propaganda. I don't know why ESPN is so jealous and hates the Vols, but I do know they are the greatest team to ever grace a college stadium. The Ducks will be so overwhelmed by the pure awesomeness that is the Vols, the game could be over before halftime. I respect Oregon for agreeing to play us in such a one-sided game and hope that the Ducks will one day be on the level with programs like UT. I'm very sorry to have to be the one to drop a reality bomb on the Oregon fans, but it had to be cleared up before Saturday.

Good luck Ducks!! After this game, you have a realistic chance to win out.

College Football Uniforms: Tradition VS. Change

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 11:13:00 -0700

The Tennessee Vols have unveiled a new uniform dubbed "Smokey", which is a play on the mascot, The Smokey Mountains, ETC.

I'm in my 30's and have been a Vol fan my whole life. I grew through my teenage years in the 90's, so I have saw The Big Orange at their highest moments. The Volunteers are able to boast one of the richest football traditions in the nation, and the new uniforms have created quite a debate among fans.

We are the Orange and White and have been for years. There was a period long ago that the Vols wore black uniforms, but Orange 151 is our color.

No offense to the Oregon Ducks, but I'm not sure how much football tradition they actually have, so school colors and uniforms don't carry the meaning and following that traditional football schools have. I'm sure having all new Nike gear and having recent success has helped the Duck's recruiting, but kids don't come to Knoxville for Adidas and Orange, they come for playing time and getting to play in the SEC. We have never recruited on our uniforms on any level, a little or a lot, it's never been used at all.

I like the new uniforms, for one game. I can't see the harm in doing something a little different against a rival like Georgia or even South Carolina. Last time we changed the uniform for a game we won, and wins will be hard to come by this year. So I say go for it, if you win it doesn't matter if the colors are pink and purple.

The Vols are not starting some new tradition or changing the schools colors, they are mixing it up for 1 or 2 games a season. This excites the team and the fans. If there is excitement about it, especially from the team, this translates to more excitement on the field and a small edge during the game.

Don't get me wrong, I am opposed to changing the orange and white colors permanently. I don't think Coach Jones would ever let that cross his mind. Giving the fans and the players something exciting occasionally is a great thing. People need to calm down and realize that change is inevitable, and this "Smokey" uniform is a whole lot more subtle than many programs have already implemented.

We will need all the help we can get this season, and if this uniform gives us the slightest edge in a home game we can use it. The Orange and White isn't going anywhere, we will always be The Big Orange.

Paying College Athletes.

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:51:00 -0700

A huge debate has been going on about whether or not college athletes should be paid for their contributions to the respected university.I had a different view of this until recently I found out that student athletes we not allowed to have jobs during their time at a university.

Sport enthusiasts favoring the idea of paying student-athletes argue that student-athletes should be paid, in light of the huge revenues they have generated for the colleges and universities. They also believe that paying student-athletes would alleviate problems related to illegal payments and point shaving. Paying student-athletes would provide athletes an incentive to stay in school and complete their degree programs, instead of leaving early for the professional leagues.

On the other hand:
Student-athletes already are richly compensated. When athletes accept scholarships, they are provided tuition, books, meals, housing, and sometimes graduate assistantships. At some colleges and universities, such support may reach a value of $200,000 or more over a four-year period. Student-athletes may also receive special treatment when it comes to academic issues, for example priority scheduling, tutoring assistance, and excused absences.

Both are reasonable points, the thing that sways my opinion to allow compensation is the fact that college athletes are putting their bodies on the line for the university. The colleges are getting rich off of young adults who are in the same amount of danger as their professional counterparts. Video games, jerseys, any college products that include players are exploiting them for their own monetary gain.

There is also the subject of importance to the university. The University of Tennessee makes most of its sports money from football and basketball, so if a sweeping student athlete compensation package came, where would that leave women's softball or track and field? There isn't going to be an easy and probably not a fair way to do it. This doesn't change the fact that it needs to be done.

I don't have a solution, and I am glad I'm not tasked with coming up with one. The things college athletes do for their university cannot be ignored. With so many college sports being played, and so much revenue being generated, this issue will not be resolved quickly or easily.

Tennessee Volunteers 2013 Preseason Depth Chart

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Sat, 3 Aug 2013 17:08:00 -0700

OFFENSE

Tight End

85 Brendan Downs

Jr.

6-5 // 248 // Bristol, Tenn.

Joseph Ayres

6-3 // 254 // R-Sr.

Woody Quinn

6-6 // 253 // Jr.

Left Tackle

74 Antonio Richardson

Jr.

6-6 // 327 // Nashville, Tenn.

Brett Kendrick

6-6 // 305 // Fr.

Left Guard

78 Alex Bullard

R-Sr.

6-2 // 302 // Franklin, Tenn.

Marcus Jackson

6-2 // 307 // Jr.

Center

64 James Stone

Sr.

6-3 // 291 // Nashville, Tenn.

Mack Crowder

6-2 // 280 // R-So.

Right Guard

72 Zach Fulton

Sr.

6-5 // 323 // Homewood, Ill.

Kyler Kerbyson

6-4 // 306 // R-So.

Right Tackle

70 Ja'Wuan James

Sr.

6-6 // 318 // Suwanee, Ga.

Kyler Kerbyson

6-4 // 306 // R-So.

Wide Receiver

83 Cody Blanc

So.

6-3 // 205 // Knoxville, Tenn.

Paul Harris

6-4 // 200 // Fr.

Marquez North

6-4 // 215 // Fr.

Wide Receiver

2 Pig Howard

So.

5-8 // 185 // Orlando, Fla.

Devrin Young

5-8 // 171 // Jr.

Wide Receiver

18 Jason Croom

R-Fr.

6-5 // 223 // Norcross, Ga.

Vincent Dallas

5-11 // 187 // Jr.

Quarterback

14 Justin Worley

Jr.

6-4 // 222 // Rock Hill, S.C.

- OR -

12 Nathan Peterman

R-Fr.

6-2 // 221 // Fruit Cove, Fla.

Running Back

20 Rajion Neal

Sr.

5-11 // 212 // Fayetteville, Ga.

Alden Hill

6-2 // 215 // R-Fr.

DEFENSE

Left End

55 Jacques Smith

Sr.

6-2 // 243 // Ooltewah, Tenn.

Jordan Williams

6-5 // 260 // Jr.

Defensive Tackle

98 Daniel McCullers

Sr.

6-8 // 351 // Raleigh, N.C.

Maurice Couch

6-2 // 304 // R-Sr.

Nose Tackle

97 Daniel Hood

R-Sr.

6-4 // 277 // Knoxville, Tenn.

Danny O'Brien

6-2 // 287 // R-Fr.

Defensive End

58 Marlon Walls

R-Sr.

6-2 // 272 // Olive Branch, Miss.

Corey Miller

6-3 // 265 // Sr.

Weakside Linebacker

41 Dontavis Sapp

Sr.

6-2 // 227 // Valdosta, Ga.

Kenny Bynum

6-1 // 247 // R-Fr.

Middle Linebacker

45 A.J. Johnson

Jr.

6-2 // 243 // Gainesville, Ga.

Christian Harris

6-1 // 240 // R-So.

Strongside Linebacker

17 Brent Brewer

Sr.

6-1 // 221 // Tyrone, Ga.

Curt Maggitt

6-3 // 239 // Jr.

Cornerback

27 Justin Coleman

Jr.

5-10 // 184 // Brunswick, Ga.

Malik Foreman

5-10 // 177 // Fr.

Nickelback

35 Jaron Toney

R-Jr.

5-10 // 184 // Alcoa, Tenn.

Geraldo Orta

6-0 // 176 // R-So.

Free Safety

37 Brian Randolph

R-So.

6-0 // 199 // Marietta, Ga.

Max Arnold

5-11 // 188 // R-So.

Strong Safety

33 LaDarrell McNeil

So.

6-1 // 199 // Dallas, Texas

Byron Moore

6-0 // 208 // R-Sr.

Cornerback

21 Riyahd Jones

Jr.

6-0 // 179 // Columbus, Ga.

Cameron Sutton

6-1 // 180 // Fr.

SPECIALISTS

Punter

1 Michael Palardy

Sr.

5-11 // 185 // Coral Springs, Fla.

Matt Darr

6-1 // 220 // R-Jr.

Placekicker

1 Michael Palardy

Sr.

5-11 // 185 // Coral Springs, Fla.

George Bullock

6-0 // 207 // R-Fr.

Kickoff Specialist

1 Michael Palardy

Sr.

5-11 // 185 // Coral Springs, Fla.

George Bullock

6-0 // 207 // R-Fr.

Long Snapper

53 J.R. Carr

R-Sr.

5-10 // 215 // Lomita, Calif.

Matt Giampapa

6-0 // 229 // R-So.

Punt Returns

19 Devrin Young

Jr.

5-8 // 171 // Knoxville, Tenn.

Pig Howard

5-8 // 185 // So.

Kickoff Returns

19 Devrin Young

Jr.

5-8 // 171 // Knoxville, Tenn.

Pig Howard

5-8 // 185 // So.

Holder

3 Tyler Drummer

R-Sr.

6-1 // 169 // Powell, Tenn.

Matt Darr

6-1 // 220 // R-Jr.

www.utsports.com

Tennessee Volunteers 2013 Game by Game Predictions

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 18:09:00 -0700

Football season is almost here! (thank you lord), and the Vols have a new coach, a new defense, and a new excitement in the fanbase. Now is as good a time as any to look at the new season and to preview the 2013 schedule.

TENNESSEE 2013 SCHEDULE
Aug. 31 - Austin Peay
Sept. 7 - Western Kentucky
Sept. 14 - at Oregon
Sept. 21 - at Florida
Sept. 28 - South Alabama
Oct. 5 - Georgia
Oct. 19 - South Carolina
Oct. 26 - at Alabama
Nov. 2 - at Missouri
Nov. 9 - Auburn
Nov 23 - Vanderbilt
Nov. 30 - at Kentucky

Tennessee has hired former Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones. Former coach Derek Dooley left him a cupboard that was far from bare,and Jones has proven he can win big games. Coach Jones has brought new life to the fanbase and recruits alike. The Vols now boast the #1 recruiting class for the 2014 season.

Tennessee will switch back to a 4-3 defense after one year of the 3-4. Last years defense was quite possibly the worst defense the Vols have ever put on the field. The 4-3 should improve the overall defense as just about anything would be better than last years disaster.

There will be a new quarterback heading the offense this year. Justin Worley has had some in game experience, but mobility isn't one of his strong suits. Nathan Peterman is a mobile quarterback that could very well fit into Jones's fast paced offense a little better than a strait pocket QB.

Aug. 31 - Austin Peay
August 31st starts the season against Austin Peay, this should be no more than a glorified practice and should give everyone an idea of what type of offensive plays and defensive schemes we can look forward to the rest of the season.

Sept. 7 - Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky is a very interesting game. I thought that Tennessee should have given Petrino more interest during the coaching search than they did. He is a proven winner and has done more with less talent. WKU has a SEC caliber running back and will be ready to fight it out. The talent level difference is why I think UT will get this one, I do believe it will turn out to be a whole lot closer than most fans want to believe.

Sept. 14 - at Oregon
It 's a little unfortunate for the Vols that this game showed up on the schedule this season. In a rebuilding stage with a new coach isn't the best position to be in going up against Oregon in Eugene. I do think that UT can and should keep this game within a respectable range, and most fans will be OK with a 7-10 point loss. What they can't do is get blown out, to get deflated so early in the season going into SEC play could be devastating. I'm not conceding anything and I believe miracles happen, but it would take one for the Vols to pull a win here.

Sept. 21 - at Florida
I'm still not sold on Muschamp being the coach the Gators keep for the long haul. They got embarrassed by Louisville and looked like they could fall apart at any moment last year, but they didn't, and 11 wins in the SEC can't be ignored.Tennessee hasn't beat the Gators in almost a decade, sadly, the streak will more than likely continue in 2013.

Sept. 28 - South Alabama
South Alabama will be a good game to get all of the frustrations out after the Florida game.

Oct. 5 - Georgia
Tennessee vs. UGA is a great tradition game, and UT could have won this game last year if they had anything resembling a defense on the field. I like to think of this as something of a "question mark" game. UGA has better talent and more success recently, but if Tennessee gets some calls and a couple of turnovers, this game could go either way.

Oct. 19 - South Carolina
I'm in the minority thinking Tennessee will win this game outright, but I do. I really think this is a must win game for Coach Jones. Coming into this game with a probable record of 3-3 with no wins in the SEC, a win here could be the turning point in the season. What "The Ole' Ball Coach" has done for the Gamecocks is amazing, and they will have another great team this season. South Carolina is the best chance for Jones to pull an upset in the SEC, something Dooley could never do. This game will be the deciding factor for a successful season or a disappointing one.

Oct. 26 - at Alabama
Nothing to see here, maybe in a couple of years.

Nov. 2 - at Missouri
Tennessee lost in OT last year to the Tigers after dominating the first half. Many people, myself included, think the game was lost due mostly to coaching incompetence. That won't be the case this year. Mizzou is in over its head playing in the SEC, and Tennessee should be angry and vengeful after playing Bama the week before.

Nov. 9 - Auburn
If there was any team as disappointing as UT last year, it was Auburn. The Tigers have a new coach with a lot of intensity and ties to the school as an Offensive Coordinator. This is another "question mark" game, I think this game could go either way depending on the seasons each have had up to this point.

Nov. 23 - Vanderbilt
I don't understand the national attention Vanderbilt has been getting. I realize every dog has his day, and Vandy won a bowl game last year, but they didn't beat anybody that was any good. They did blow UT out, but it was the worst Tennessee team that ever took the field. I'm not afraid of Franklin and Vandy, and I don't think Coach Jones and the Tennessee team is either. UT wins this one big and proves a point.

Nov. 30 - at Kentucky
Stoops has been selling air to recruits and doing it well. I think that he could be the Wildcats savior, just not this year. Tennessee will win this game, but the Wildcats will be good in the near future if Stoops hangs around.

The Vols should make a bowl this season, and the fans will be happy if they do. 6-6 and a bowl win would give so much hope to the Vol fans, and it isn't a reachable goal, it is a minimum standard. Anything less than 6 wins would be underachieving considering we have 3 easy OOC games and the last half of the season has 4 very winnable conference games.

Tennessee self-reports NCAA violations

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:34:00 -0700

Tennessee has self-reported seven NCAA secondary violations, including two in football.

One of the football violations involved a prospect making an unofficial visit before he had completed his first year at a junior college. The unnamed prospect visited several other schools, who were also unaware of his status.

In the other violation, a prospect making an unofficial visit attended an off-campus meal at Calhoun’s on the River intended only for official visitors, causing the staff to exceed the permissible number of off-campus contacts.

Swimming coach Tyler Fenwick, who texted recruits he had coached at his previous job at a private club in California, said he was unaware that he was committing a violation. Fenwick was banned from telephone contact with recruits for 14 days and UT was banned from contacting the recruits in question for 30 days.

Michael Beaumont,the current women’s basketball director of operations, handed out cash for meals during a trip to Arkansas, he used the per diem rate for Knoxville, not Fayetteville. Each player received $3 more than permissible for their lunch.

Men’s tennis coach Sam Winterbotham inadvertently paid for a breakfast that had been charged to the room of a visiting student-athlete. The amount paid was donated to a charity.

All the violations occurred since March.

Universities routinely self-report secondary violations to their conference offices and the NCAA. In most cases, the SEC and NCAA accept the university’s self-imposed punishments and take no further action. The university's compliance department posted the violations and subsequent punishments on its website. Coaches went through additional rules education, but UT said the mistake was inadvertent and no recruiting advantage was gained.

Tennessee Vols Recruiting 2014

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 14:43:00 -0700

Current Verbal Commitments

Jalen Hurd, Hendersonville (TN) Beech High School: Hurd is arguably the most important recruit in Tennessee's class. A massive 6'3, 225-pound running back, Hurd has the potential to be a beast in Butch Jones' run-first spread. Keeping in-state prospects in Tennessee is crucial for the Volunteers, as the state doesn't produce all that much elite talent in the first place. Hurd is a consensus five-star recruit and someone around whom Tennessee can build its offense.

Todd Kelly, Webb School of Knoxville (TN) High School: It's always nice when an elite recruit pops up in the shadow of a school's stadium who happens to be a legacy, and that's exactly what the Volunteers have in Kelly, a 6'1, 190-pound safety prospect. Kelly is a consensus four-star recruit and top-10 safety nationally. He holds multiple offers from the SEC and other elite schools around the country.

D'Andre Payne, Washington (D.C) Friendship Academy: Payne is one of 20 best cornerback recruits in the country, and is a consensus four-star recruit. While only 5'9 and 170 pounds, he consistently makes plays and has good instincts, quickness and toughness. Payne chose Tennessee over many SEC and ACC offers.

Treyvon Paulk, Alpharetta (GA) Milton High School: Paulk is a three-star running back who profiles as a solid contributor to the Volunteers. And "solid" also describes his physical profile. Paul is 5'9 and 200 pounds, and doesn't give defenders much to tackle. He is considered a '9 200 top 40 3-star

Neiko Creamer, Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian High School: In Butch Jones' run-first spread, receivers are required to block. And Creamer should be a big advantage not only as a size mismatch (6'4, 220) against smaller defensive backs in the passing game, but also in the run game on the edge. Some think Creamer can stay at receiver, while others think he will grow into a tight end. Either, way, the consensus three-star is a nice grab for the Volunteers.

Coleman Thomas, Max Meadows (VA) Fort Chiswell High School: Tennessee needs to rebuild its depth on the offensive line, and Thomas is a nice prospect at 6'6 and 298 pounds. He is a consensus three-star recruit, and despite his height, profiles as an interior player and not a tackle.

Vic Wharton, Thompson's Station (TN) Independence High School: A 6'0, 177-pound athlete capable of playing cornerback or slot receiver, Wharton is rated a consensus three-star.

For more on Vol Recruiting visit http://www.sbnation.com and www.rockytoptalk.com

San Fransisco Vs. Baltimore, Super Bowl XLVII

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:38:00 -0800

One Harbaugh will win Super Bowl XLVII. Another will lose it. John turned 50 on Sept. 23, the day his Ravens played New England in a Sunday night game. Jim turned 49 on Dec. 23, the day his 49ers played Seattle in a Sunday night game. A huge amount of the pregame coverage will surround the brothers Harbaugh, but there's plenty of other, on-field stuff worthy of tuning in for.

Baltimore advanced while playing on the road, traveling to New England and upsetting the heavily favored Patriots 28-13, the 49ers rallied from a 17-0 hole to defeat the Atlanta Falcons, who had posted the best regular season record in the NFC.

The Patriots started out against the Ravens strong, jumping to a 3-0 lead and -- after a Baltimore score -- entering halftime up 13-7. New England had the better regular record, not to mention a playoff pedigree having played in five Super Bowls in the past 11 years. They also had Tom Brady, who last Sunday passed Joe Montana as the quarterback with the most playoff wins ever. But the second half was all Baltimore. The Ravens scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, two of them on Joe Flacco touchdown passes to receiver Anquan Boldin.

"We came here last year and left with a bitter taste in our mouths," Baltimore's Boldin told reporters after the game. "We felt like this team took something away from us. And we wanted to come back and make that right."

John Harbaugh to reporters, after the Ravens' win, that he and his brothers had a "few dreams" -- one of which may have been meeting up in the Super Bowl -- as well "as a few fights ... just like all brothers."

"We'll let the two teams duke it out, as much as possible," John Harbaugh said, smiling.

The 49ers haven't been in the Super Bowl since 1995, and their 2000s were marred by mostly losing regular seasons. Since the 2011 hiring of Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback himself who'd been coaching at nearby Stanford, things have turned for the best. The next season, they made it to the NFC Championship, only to fall to the eventual Super Bowl winners, the New York Giants. San Francisco's defense thrives on turnovers. It's also where they stole momentum against Atlanta, taking the ball away from Matt Ryan twice during the second half. Colin Kaepernick didn't put up impressive numbers, but he was solid in the 49er's victory over the Falcons. Trailing by three scores midway through the second quarter, San Francisco rallied for two quick touchdowns -- one on a LaMichael James 11-yard run, the other on a four-yard reception by tight end Vernon Davis.

This Super Bowl matchup features two of the most dominant inside linebackers of their eras. San Francisco's Patrick Willis counts Baltimore's Ray Lewis as a friend and mentor. The two have combined for 19 Pro Bowl appearances and 12 first-team Associated Press All-Pro selections. Lewis plans to retire after this game.

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NFL Conference Championship Games

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:58:00 -0800

The Patriots (13-4) advanced to a Jan. 20 rematch with Baltimore for the American Football Conference championship. The Ravens (12-6) two days ago knocked off the top-seeded Denver Broncos 38-35 in double overtime. Last season, the Patriots were able to survive a challenge from the Ravens thanks to a late field-goal miss by Billy Cundiff.

Tom Brady is the main reason New England is so tough to beat in a playoff situation, the Patriots also run a very balanced offense.

''I think the two best teams are in the final,'' Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. ''Baltimore certainly deserve to be here and so do we.''

The Patriots were made early 9 1/2-point favorites against the Ravens.

This season, Justin Tucker beat out Cundiff for the kicker's job. Tucker hit a 47-yarder against Denver on Saturday to lift the Ravens to a 38-35 win in double overtime, extending Ray Lewis' career for at least one more week and putting the 17-year veteran one win away from his second Super Bowl. Baltimore halfback Ray Rice rushed 30 times for 131 yards and a touchdown.

''We fought hard to get back to this point and we're definitely proud of being here,'' Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. ''We feel like it's going to take a lot for somebody to come and kick us off that field come the AFC championship game.''

The Falcons and 49ers haven’t met since Week 4 of the 2010 season at the Georgia Dome. At that time, Mike Singletary was San Francisco’s head coach and Kaepernick was playing at the University of Nevada. The Falcons won, 16-14, when Bryant hit a 43-yard field goal with two seconds remaining. The Falcons’ chances against Kaepernick will hinge on the status of the pass rusher John Abraham. After Abraham hurt his ankle against the Seahawks, Russell Wilson flourished because he did not face pressure.

The experience of playing a mobile quarterback like Wilson had better help the Falcons prepare for Kaepernick, who is even more dangerous running the read-option behind a bullying offensive line.

"Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick are mobile quarterbacks who throw the ball at extremely accurate levels," Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud said. "We can use this game as a cheat sheet to prepare for next week." .

Ryan will have the chance to make some hay downfield with wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones. No team spreads the ball around as well as Ryan and the Falcons.

San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick set an NFL single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 181 yards and two touchdowns. He also passed for 263 more yards and another two scores. Vernon Davis was targeted five times overall by Kaepernick. He could get even more opportunities Sunday.

"We're one step closer to where we want to be," said Kaepernick.

Though the 49ers must travel cross country for the game, they opened as 3-point favorites.

Tennessee Recruiting So Far

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 7 Jan 2013 08:15:00 -0800

With less than a month left before National Signing Day, Tennessee is clamoring to improve their #28 recruiting class rank. So far UT has 17 commits with 3 4*s and 1 in the ESPN top 300.

Riley Ferguson #15 QB-PP ESPN Top 300
Corey Vereen #21 OLB
Austin Sanders #26 OT

Tennessee has several offers out with 5* and 4* players who are yet to declare. While having a top 25 recruiting class is respectable, playing in the SEC makes it a bit tougher than most conferences. UT needs to secure at least a top 15 class and actually needs a top 10 class within the next 2 years to compete with the rest of the SEC competition.

A few of the undeclared prospects Tennessee needs to secure are:

Derrick Green #5 RB
Vonn Bell #5 S

Both of these players have been highly recruited and have Tennessee high on their list. Green took an official visit to UT on 09/14/2012, the first one he took and one of only three he has taken so far. Green's list is very long, so to have him on campus is a big plus. It is unfortunate that Tennessee has went through a coaching change this season, but the good news is Jay Graham was retained and was Green's recruiter for his visit. Vonn Bell grew up close to Tennessee Football and has an official visit scheduled for 01/25/2013. He has been recruited and will visit Ohio State and Alabama in January also.

Marquez North and Shelton Gibson have taken or will visit in January and have been offered by the Vols, although they are still uncommitted. Landing any of the undeclared recruits listed will push UT's class significantly higher, which doesn't necessarily equal success, but could definitely make a huge difference next season. Tennessee has also offered Robert Nkemdiche, the #1 recruit in the nation. There probably isn't a realistic chance of landing him, but at least UT and Butch Jones are going all out on the recruiting trail so far.

UT's 2013 class really comes down to this month, good visits, and a whole lot of luck. Realistically it will take UT at least two years, two winning years, to get a great recruiting class. With all that came out about Derek Dooley's recruiting practices, it should be safe to say UT can only get better on the recruiting trail.

As of today the top 5 recruiting classes look like this:

1	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	23
3	Alabama Crimson Tide	21
2	Florida Gators	25
4	Ohio State Buckeyes	21
5	USC Trojans	15

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SEC Hate and Too Much Love

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Thu, 3 Jan 2013 10:40:00 -0800

As a die-hard fan of the Tennessee Vols and college football in general, a few things have come to my attention in the last few years. One is that the SEC as a whole is hated by almost everyone who isn't directly a fan of one of the SEC teams. Another thing is that SEC team fans will pull for the conference no matter who is actually playing. For the latter, I cannot understand why anyone would pull for a rival team.

There are several reasons why the SEC is hated by other conferences, the biggest one being they have six National Championships in a row and are looking at a 7th. Perhaps the perception of it being a "thug league"? Miami, and therefore the ACC, would make a much better case for "thug conferences." Look at UNC as well, where's the ACC hate? Its not like the b10 is even close to being clean either. Especially in the last few years, if you didn't know any better, you'd think the b10 was the ruthless league that bent rules for the well being of the football team. There is some media bias, but ESPN and other media outlets ride the coat-tails of the "flavor of the month", the SEC has been good for 7 years. If the ACC, or any conference for that matter, had won 6 NC in a row, the media would be totally bias to them also. The fans of SEC schools are quite insufferable, I'll get more into that next. SEC fans will take every opportunity to remind fans of other teams how dominant the SEC is, usually in a rude and degrading manner. This is something I will never really understand.

OK so, hate the SEC don't hate the SEC, I don't really care. What bothers me most about this whole thing is the fact that fans pull for the SEC Conference. Why, please tell me, would you pull for a rival team to win against anyone? Especially in a big game. It is absolutely ludicrous to me. Auburn fans telling Notre Dame fans the SEC is the best and Alabama will win. No team from their respective conference should ever want an in-conference rival to win, ever. Florida lost last night, that's good for everyone but the Gators and Gator fans. Tennessee has been terrible the last few years and we need recruits, recruits from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, recruits from anywhere we can get them. So if a recruit was on the fence between UF and UT, a Florida loss helped Tennessee in recruiting. If Alabama wins another National Championship, it benefits Alabama and Alabama only. So how does it make sense to pull for another SEC school that isn't your team? It doesn't, in no way, shape, form, or fashion does this make any sense whatsoever.

Please SEC fans, we want the SEC teams to lose and lose badly, to be embarrassed on national TV. Think about it before you post on ESPN and other sites, it only benefits your school if they are the ones playing in the game. Who cares if everyone hates the SEC, we aren't advocates for the conference, we are fans of our team.

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NFL Wild-Card Preview

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 05:27:00 -0800

Cincinnati (10-6) at Houston (12-4)

When: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday

This game will include a matchup of the two best interior defensive linemen in football: J.J. Watt and Geno Atkins. Houston drummed the visiting Bengals, 31-10, in an opening-round playoff game last season. With the Texans forced to start a rookie quarterback in T.J. Yates, running back Arian Foster carried the offense with 24 carries for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive end J.J. Watt also scored on a 29-yard interception return in the first postseason game in Texans history. In the span of a month, Houston slipped from having the AFC’s best record to squandering a first-round bye by dropping three of its final four games. Particularly alarming are the struggles of quarterback Matt Schaub, who has one touchdown pass and three interceptions in the past four games. For the first time since 1981 and 1982, the Bengals have reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The next goal will be winning in the postseason for the first time since 1990.

Minnesota (10-6) at Green Bay (11-5)

When: 8 p.m. ET Saturday

It's a quarterbacks league, and the Vikings don't exactly have a dominant defense. There aren't many bigger upsets possible than a Christian Ponder-led team beating an Aaron Rodgers-led team in back-to-back weeks. The Vikings have won four consecutive games since their Dec. 2 loss to the Packers but must snap a three-game losing streak at Lambeau Field to advance. The Weather Channel forecast calls for temperature at kickoff at around 20 degrees but with no snow. The Packers can’t ask much more from Rodgers, who threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns without an interception Sunday. Rodgers, though, did lose a fumble that led to a Vikings touchdown and was sacked five times as rookie right tackle Don Barclay struggled in pass protection.

Indianapolis (11-5) at Baltimore (10-6)

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

The Ravens have won at least one playoff game in every year of the John Harbaugh-Joe Flacco era. But this is the worst defense they've had by far, and the offense was poor enough to get the coordinator fired in December. Baltimore hardly is a heavy favorite. Harbaugh has led the Ravens to an NFL-best five consecutive playoff appearances and is yet to lose an opening game since taking the reins in 2008. With negative differentials in turnovers (12) and points (30), the Colts are the NFL’s most improbable playoff team. Indianapolis, though, is among the league’s best when it comes to winning close games. Nine of 11 victories have come by seven points or less.

Seattle (11-5) at Washington (10-6)

When: 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Redskins beat Seattle, 23-17, in Week 12 last season but both teams have changed radically since then with the addition of Wilson and Griffin at quarterback. The Seahawks struggled on the road for much of the season, but their victory in Chicago was the biggest win of their season. Seattle followed that up with a blowout win over Buffalo in Toronto. The Seahawks aren't the same team away from home, but they are good enough to be the favorites next week in Washington. The Redskins simply can't match the Seahawks' defensive talents. Three rookie quarterbacks will start in Sunday's wild-card game. Two will face off in this matchup. It's the battle of the read option. It's the most intriguing game of the weekend, and it comes last.

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Discover BCS National Championship Game-Notre Dame vs. Alabama

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 08:17:00 -0800

Discover BCS National Championship Game (Miami, Fla. – Monday, January 7, 2013)
Notre Dame vs. Alabama – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Two of the most storied programs in college football history will square off for the national championship when undefeated and top-ranked Notre Dame collides with No. 2 and reigning champion Alabama on Jan. 7 at Miami's Sun Life Stadium. Despite its unrivaled tradition, Notre Dame has not won a national title since 1988 and has not been atop the rankings since 1993. Alabama, meanwhile, will be chasing its third national championship in the past four years under Nick Saban, who has restored the luster to one of the few programs that can stand up to Notre Dame's legacy. The teams have met six times, with the Fighting Irish winning five.

The 2012 National Champion Crimson Tide are back in the BCS title game. An upset loss against Texas A&M almost prevented Alabama from making the game but their tough SEC schedule and dominant defense helped them earn their spot. The Alabama defense held four opponents scoreless while only allowing two teams over 14 points. The one lapse of the year was against Texas A&M where they allowed over 400 yards of offense and 29 points. The Crimson Tide will be happy to match muscle vs. muscle with Notre Dame's defense behind a powerhouse offensive line that averages 315 pounds per man. Alabama has a pair of 1,000-yard backs in junior Eddie Lacy and freshman T.J. Yeldon, who combined for 27 touchdowns and piled up 334 yards in the SEC title game win over Georgia. Quarterback AJ McCarron threw for 26 touchdowns against only three interceptions and showed he was much more than a caretaker of the offense by leading late drives to beat LSU and Georgia. His top weapon is Amari Cooper, who has 53 receptions and nine touchdowns. Notre Dame's defense has been getting all the publicity, but the Crimson Tide have their own elite linebacker in C.J. Mosley and held 10 opponents to less than 14 points while recording four shutouts.Alabama's recent experience on the biggest stage cannot be overlook. Never was that more apparent than in last season's BCS championship game, when the Crimson Tide avenged their only regular season loss with a dominating defensive effort in a 21-0 victory over LSU. And while Notre Dame always plays a schedule dotted with top programs, Alabama is part of college football's best conference in the SEC, which, by the way, has won all six BCS title games since its inception in 2006.

Although they did not enter the season as a contender for a national championship, Notre Dame earned a spot in the game through their tough play and going undefeated despite a very tough schedule. Their undefeated season included wins against Michigan, Michigan State, University of Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma, and USC. They now will face their toughest opponent by far in Alabama. The Fighting Irish have been utilizing the no-respect card as a motivator throughout the season, and the oddsmakers provided them with more fuel by installing the one-loss Crimson Tide as a 10-point favorite. Notre Dame played perhaps its best game in a 30-13 rout at Oklahoma on Oct. 27 - another contest in which it was a huge underdog and the consensus was that the Irish could not compete. Te'o, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, is the heart and soul of a defense that permitted only nine touchdowns overall and two on the ground. He has seven interceptions and played behind a stellar defensive front featuring ends Stephon Tuitt (12 sacks) and Kapron Lewis-Moore sandwiching the massive Louis Nix III. Notre Dame's running back corps of Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III combined for 2,000 yards and will test a defense that allowed a national-low 246 yards. Still, Notre Dame's offense revolves around dual-threat quarterback Everett Golson. He threw for 11 touchdowns against five interceptions and had four of of his five-highest passing totals in November. Golson also rushed for 305 yards and five scores and his ability to keep the chains moving against Alabama's defense will be vital.

Notre Dame will come out and play for 3 quarters, maybe even lead for awhile. I live in and write about SEC country, so maybe I am somewhat biased, but I can't see the Irish winning this game. The close wins and a less than impressive schedule have me a little worried for Notre Dame, the fans will point to wins against Michigan, Michigan State, University of Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma, and USC. I do think OU and Stanford were great wins, but the rest were not that impressive as the season unfolded. I think that Notre Dame could pull this off, but their margin of error is almost zero. I'm gonna say 21-17 Alabama wins.

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Allstate Sugar Bowl-Florida vs. Louisville

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 08:56:00 -0800

Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, La. – Wednesday, January 2, 2013)
Florida vs. Louisville – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Gators were one of the nation’s biggest surprises this season.

They followed up a 7-6 mark in coach Will Muschamp’s debut season with an 11-1 record in 2012, highlighted by victories over Texas A&M, South Carolina, LSU and Florida State. And if USC had upset Notre Dame, Florida could possibly be playing for the national title.Florida’s turnaround was led by a smothering defense, which isn’t surprising considering Muschamp’s background. The Gators rank in the top six nationally in total defense, rush defense and scoring defense and have allowed opponents to throw just five touchdown passes. Safeties Matt Elam and Josh Evans, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and linebacker Jon Bostic have had career years. The Gators have one of the most productive rushing attacks in the country, led by Mike Gillislee. The senior running back has 1,104 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Louisville linebackers will have to stop the screen passes from QB Jeff Driskel to Gillislee, as Gillislee has the speed to break short passes for a huge gains. Florida prides its self as a defensive team, and one of the major factors its secondary will face will be the difficult task of containing Bridgewater. Junior Matt Elam is a quick, hard-hitting safety that will try to stop Louisville's big plays. Elam was named to the Walter Camp Second-Team All-American Defense after he recorded 65 tackles, four interceptions and one sack this season. Florida will be without outside linebacker Jelani Jenkins, who went through surgery on his right foot after breaking a bone during the last game against Florida State.

There is one player on the Cardinals that would put fear in any team—Teddy Bridgewater.
Bridgewater has thrown for 3,452 yards with 25 touchdown passes. He is ranked sixth in the country in passing percentage at 69 percent. The 6'3" sophomore quarterback has had several Heisman-like performances this season. Whether playing hurt or under pressure, there isn't a quarterback in the country that has the poise like Bridgewater. Although he will have a broken wrist on his non-throwing arm, the Gators will do everything they can to contain the young quarterback. Louisville went into its regular-season finale at Rutgers without many people giving the Cards much of a shot to win. Rutgers jumped out to a 14-3 lead. But Bridgewater refused to be denied. Playing through his injuries, he led Louisville to a 20-17 comeback win to clinch the BCS spot. Bridgewater ended up throwing for 3,452 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season and was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the entire nation. He may have been an unknown outside the Big East before the season began; that is no longer the case. Bridgewater allowed his team to survive the loss of leading rusher Senorise Perry, who tore his ACL against Syracuse and is out for the season. He allowed his team to win games it struggled in for a large chunk of time. And he allowed his team to survive some pretty shaky play on defense. It’s safe to say that many expected Louisville to be better than it was defensively this season, particularly up front. But for a majority of the season, the Cardinals had a hard time consistently stopping the run or consistently getting a pass rush going.

I have a hard time thinking the Cardinals can pull this off, the Gators have survived the SEC and exceeded expectations this year. It could be a long night for Charlie Strong and his Cardinals.

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AT&T Cotton Bowl-Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 07:56:00 -0800

AT&T Cotton Bowl (Dallas, Texas – Friday, January 4, 2013)
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma – 8 p.m. ET (FOX)

In a sparkling, 77th AT&T Cotton Bowl that will pit a couple of familiar foes in, what are now, very different places, the Sooners and Aggies undoubtedly will provide a wonderful spectacle at Jerry World this January.
Texas A&M, led by its shining freshman quarterback, produced a 10-2 mark in its first season in the SEC.
Oklahoma narrowly missed out on its eighth Big 12 title, but with quarterback Landry Jones playing in his final game as a Sooner, the Crimson and Cream will have plenty to show in Arlington.
It smells of a Big 12 showdown, but this SEC-Big 12 clash already is gathering some steam.

In their first season in the SEC, head coach Kevin Sumlin has the #9 ranked Aggies in the Cotton Bowl, ending the season with a 10-1 record in their final 11 games. What the Aggies contain is the best player in college football, with quarterback Johnny Manziel. The freshman has 3,419 yards, a 68.3% completion percentage, 24 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and on the ground, has 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns. He won the Heisman this season, becoming the first freshman to ever do so. Manziel’s two primary receivers are freshman Mike Evans and senior Ryan Swope. Evans caught 75 passes for 1,022 yards and five touchdowns, while the steady senior Swope caught 64 passes for 809 yards and seven touchdowns.The biggest strength on offense that gets overlooked is the offensive line. Led by tackles Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, these guys are road graders and have made Manziel much more potent, especially run blocking. The Aggies have only yielded 23 total sacks on the season.

As the #11 ranked team in the nation, led by head coach Bob Stoops, the Sooners were co-champions of the Big XII. Oklahoma put up more than 6,000 yards of total offense this season, and a large part in that was quarterback Landry Jones, who has a 65.4% completion percentage, 29 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, along with 3,979 yards to go with it. The Sooners were largely thought to compete for a national championship this season, as they were penciled in on several preseason ballots. But the national title shot went out the window with losses to Kansas State and Notre Dame – both home games. The Sooners finished fourth in scoring defense in the Big 12 and fourth in total defense, but the defense hasn’t exactly forced many turnovers this season. To beat Texas A&M, the Sooners will have to play contain with their front four defensive linemen, something LSU and Florida proved they could do. But can the Sooners?

These are two classic-style Big 12 teams, and it could turn into a shootout and a track meet, as the team that has the ball last could have the best chance to win. Johnny Manziel is playing some of the best football right now in the NCAA, and because of that momentum that he's riding, I'll take Texas A&M to win this one.

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Outback Bowl-South Carolina vs. Michigan

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:16:00 -0800

Outback Bowl (Tampa, Fla. – Tuesday, January 1, 2013)
South Carolina vs. Michigan – 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Michigan will play two quarterbacks on offense in Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner. Robinson will be used more of a runner in his final college game, thanks to an elbow injury he suffered last month. Gardner started the season at receiver, but he moved to quarterback after Robinson’s injury. Gardner has thrown for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns, and Robinson threw for 1,319 yards and nine touchdowns. Combined, these two quarterbacks have thrown for 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Neither player has taken care of the football. Jeremy Gallon and Roy Roundtree are the top two receivers on the team, as Gallon leads all receivers with 40 catches for 684 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Devin Funchess has caught a team-high five touchdowns. Michigan currently has a -8 turnover margin and has turned it over 25 times this season. The biggest problem has been the quarterbacks throwing picks in horrible situations.

The 10-2 Gamecocks could play in any of the BCS bowls because they’re that good, and they’ll suit up a defense that is as physically big and gifted as Notre Dame, who happened to beat Michigan earlier in the year 13-6. The running game consists of Kenny Miles and Mike Davis in Marcus Lattimore’s absence. Miles has toted the rock 99 times for 358 yards and two touchdowns, while Davis only has 52 carries for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Neither are game breakers like Lattimore, but both are serviceable backs who can add punch to the running game and a balance to the offense. But South Carolina makes their money with a filthy defense. The Gamecocks haven’t missed a beat under new defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward. In fact, the defense is more explosive than last season. USC leads the SEC with 40 sacks. Jadeveon Clowney alone has registered 13 sacks alone with 21.5 tackles for loss. Those are stupid numbers. The Gamecocks are fourth in the SEC and 13th overall in scoring defense, allowing opponents a little over 17.4 points per game. It’s a stingy and stout group that loves to play physical and get after the quarterback.

South Carolina’s front four on defense gives the Gamecocks the edge against Michigan. The Wolverines have played five close games in which the outcome was ultimately decided by a touchdown or less, so they’re comfortable playing close games. And Michigan has done a particularly good job protecting the quarterback, as they have only surrendered 15 sacks all season. South Carolina will look to exert their will on whichever quarterback lines up in the backfield, but I’m just having a hard time seeing Michigan consistently putting drives together against the Gamecocks’ defense.

Saturday Down South Original Article by Jon Cooper

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Capital One Bowl

chumleypm@yahoo.com (Travis Chumley) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:20:00 -0800

Capital One Bowl (Orlando, Fla. – Tuesday, January 1, 2013)
Georgia vs. Nebraska – 1 p.m. ET (ABC)

So now we come down to one of the biggest game of the season. Nebraska vs. Georgia, neither team had a pretty win to make it through the championship games in their respective conferences. So, who do I think will win this game, I think there is no way ever that Nebraska will beat Georgia. I think Nebraska doesn't even have what it takes to be on the same field with Georgia.

Nebraska hasn't yet faced a team with the same kind of quarterback that Georgia has, he has passed for more than 3400 yards and 31 touchdowns. He is a straight drop back kind of player. So Murray will give them a challenge that they haven't yet faced, and he's coming into this game ranked no. 2 in the nation completing over 65 percent of his passes. Nebraska will have a hard time with any kind of containment on him!

Georgia may have some trouble with Taylor Martinez, but I'm sure they will make the adjustments quickly to contain any big runs that he might have gotten in any other game. In the championship game out of 282 yds. total, most of them came from a 76 yd scramble that Martinez made, but he won't be enough to carry the team past the Georgia Bulldogs.

Nebraska's front 7 will really have to step it up to do anything with the running game that Georgia has got going on, they will have to show less hesitation, better tackling skills, and a better burst off the ball to even compete with what Georgia is going to bring.

So, I'm saying Georgia Bulldogs all the way, I think Nebraska will feel like they have been steam rolled!!