Big football game coming Saturday evening, 10-2 Tennessee versus 10-2 Ohio State in the big playoff, in the big Horseshoe, in not-so-hot Columbus. Home team is favored by a touchdown.

Winner gets to go to Pasadena to play No. 1 Oregon in another big game. Winner of that will be two big victories from the national championship. Believe me, those things are big.

Tee Martin

Tennessee has been there and done that – once – 23-16 over Florida State, January 4, 1999, Fiesta Bowl, Tempe, Arizona. Those of medium adulthood and beyond are expected to remember. I’ll help.

The Volunteers jumped ahead with two touchdowns in a 25-second span in the second quarter. A very big 76-yard pass from Tee Martin to Peerless Price carried to the FSU 12. Martin threw a little pass to fullback Shawn Bryson for the touchdown.

After several commercials, Dwayne Goodrich intercepted a pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Tee threw a perfect pass down the right sideline to the Peerless one for a 79-yard catch and run. Jeff Hall added a 23-yard field goal. Martin completed 11 of 18 for 278. Star running back Travis Henry had only 28 yards rushing.

Ah yes, Al Wilson, great linebacker and dressing room preacher, contributed nine tackles and fiercely determined leadership.

“I just knew, I just believed,” said Wilson. “So many times we needed to make something special happen, and we always did. Always.”

David Leaverton stopped a punt at the 1. Tim Sewell blocked a punt. Eric Westmoreland made three tackles for losses. Raynoch Thompson was tough. The offensive line was very good.

That perfect season of big games ended with a really big one.

Most of the other big games in Tennessee football history were against Southeastern Conference foes, Alabama, Florida, two or three against Georgia and Arkansas, two against LSU and a large one against Mississippi State that opened the door to the championship opportunity.

Several years ago, my hand-picked panel of experts selected other treasures. As I recall, they invested days in consideration, argued frequently and twice engaged in amateur wrestling matches.

When chairs were again upright and Band-Aids were in place, they had picked what the 1985 Sugar Vols did to Jimmy Johnson’s Miami as the next biggest game.

No. 8 Tennessee defeated the No. 2 Hurricanes, 35-7, in the sold-out Superdome on January 1, 1986. Replacement QB Daryl Dickey and a crusty defense led the underdog Vols to the really big upset.

The sign out front said Sugar Bowl and it was in New Orleans, but it was Big Orange Country South. Tennessee fans were everywhere. Bourbon Street never before or since looked like that.

Most didn’t give the Vols the proverbial snowball’s chance in July of winning. Coach Johnson’s cocky message in the days before kickoff was “Miami should be voted the national championship because we defeated Oklahoma.”

Jimmy totally overlooked the Volunteers. He had a boat load of NFL talent, including Vincent Frank Testaverde to Michael Jerome Irvin. Tennessee had good, old country boy Ken Donahue. He conceived the blitz defense that made an awesome difference.

Early shock: The Hurricanes ran a fake punt to the UT 18. Testaverde threw to Irvin for a touchdown. Keith Jackson said it sure looks bad for Tennessee. Nobody dreamed that was the end of Miami’s fireworks.

Vols sacked Vinny seven times for minus 84 yards. He was under constant pressure, hit hard and often. He fumbled three times. He lost three interceptions.

Dickey threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Smith. Tim McGee recovered a Vol fumble in the end zone. Sam Henderson scored on a one-yard plunge. The speedy Jeff Powell took a simple handoff toward left tackle, bounced outside and ran 60 yards untouched. Charles Wilson added a TD run from the 6.

The distinguished panel chose The Miracle at South Bend as Big No. 3 – based on who it was, where it was and the historic comeback.

“Highlight of my career” said John Majors of the 35-34 victory on a cold afternoon at Notre Dame, November 9, 1991.

Majors said Tennessee “has not had a more important comeback in our school’s history.’’

Coming from 24 down was a pretty good rally and a decent monument to Winston Churchill’s and Jimmy Valvano’s “Never give up, never, ever give up.”

It appeared the Vols lost the game before they joined the fight. The No. 5 Irish got three touchdowns in the first quarter and were up 31-7 in the second. So soon Notre Dame had run for over 200 yards. I know a fellow who said enough is enough, turned off his TV and went to Walmart.

For Tennessee, the real game started just before intermission. Craig Hentrich lined up for a nice little 32-yard field goal that would put Notre Dame up some more. Darryl Hardy jumped the snap count, broke open and blocked the kick. In the scramble for the loose ball, a Vol fell on Hentrich’s kicking leg.

From out of the scrum, Floyd Miley picked up the prize, ran 67 yards with only linemen chasing him and reduced the deficit to 31-14.

Momentum put on an orange shirt – but too soon took it off. Hentrich nailed a 20-yard field goal in the third quarter. His sprained right knee hurt worse. He was finished.

Momentum switched sides again. Andy Kelly threw a touchdown pass to Von Reeves. Aaron Hayden scored on a four-yard run. Dale Carter intercepted an underthrown Rick Mirer pass. Offensive coordinator Phillip Fulmer called for a screen pass and it caught Notre Dame in a blitz. Kelly to Hayden went for 26 and a touchdown. John Becksvoort kicked the extra point that put the Vols on top, 35-34.

Notre Dame had officially blown a three-and-a-half-touchdown lead in broad daylight in South Bend, Indiana, just below “Word of Life” mural Touchdown Jesus, something that had never happened in the 103 colorful and historic seasons of Fighting Irish football.

The clock said 3:57, enough time for forgiveness and to make amends.

The Irish got as close as the UT 9 and called time with four seconds showing. Lou Holtz put the outcome in the hands of reserve kicker Rob Leonard. Nothing to it, the coach said, just a little longer extra point.

It was Leonard’s first field-goal try in public. He didn’t choke. He said he hit the ball correctly. He thought the kick would be good.

“Then that guy (Jeremy Lincoln) got a piece of it. I heard the thump.”

Lincoln didn’t touch the ball with his hands. He overran the kick. It skipped off his rear end and floated off to the right.

Tennessee has been a partner in many other big games. The 1996 Citrus Bowl against Ohio State felt like a national championship challenge. Both teams were 11-1. Buckeyes had Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George. The Vols won.

UT defeated Penn State, Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris in 1971, national TV when only one game a week was on.

The Rosebonnet Bowl was big, 1965, UCLA and Tennessee, both bowl-bound, matched in Memphis. Dewey Warren made the decisive one-yard run. It took almost forever.

Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta, 6-0, on Nov. 10, 1956. Yellow Jackets were No. 2 in the country, Vols No. 3. Two John Majors’ passes to Buddy Cruze made the difference.

The 1938 Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma was big, 17-0 to cap a perfect season. George Cafego made the key plays.

There is a message in this mix of memories. Tennessee at Ohio State on Saturday evening will not be the Vols’ first big game.

Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com