Those who compare college football teams, assign ratings and determine playoff opportunities need to be correct. Errors could be painful, even lethal.
Let’s call them Committee 1.
What I am hearing is Tennessee, in comparison with other 8-2 teams Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama, ranks third in average strength of schedule and last regarding FBS opponents’ cumulative success.
The Vols have played only two teams with winning records, one win, one defeat.
Tennessee caused some of those losing records for others. Everybody knows the Vols delivered a big home win over Alabama and struggled through a bigger loss at Georgia. The upset at Arkansas is seriously bothersome.
Committee 1 is charged with considering head-to-head competition and comparative outcomes of common opponents. In theory, margin of victory or defeat is not a heavyweight – but it matters.
The other group that rates teams to fuel coffee conversations at Hardees doesn’t matter as much.
Example: That first group says Tennessee, with two games to go, is on the outside looking in as the 12-team post-season tournament takes shape. Bonuses for coaches, considerable pride and recruiting influence are at risk.
If you take Committee 2 seriously, it says the Vols’ Saturday foe at Neyland Stadium, University of Texas at El Paso, is a joke, Number 131 in the country. Old friend Kent State, 71-0 loser to Tennessee, is still the worst, No. 134.
Don’t put too much stock in those numbers. The incoming visitors probably aren’t quite that bad and the Vols aren’t as good as they thought they were in September.
Whether you like it or not, here’s some other stuff …
UTEP was founded in 1914 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy. The name was changed to a UT department. Feelings were injured. It soon became College of Mines and Metallurgy.
It got its nickname, Miners, honestly. The mascot was a student dressed as a prospector, carrying a pick and leading a friendly little burro. The digger was named Paydirt Pete.
The school’s name was changed again in 1949 – to Texas Western College. It got its modern name in 1967, the year after the basketball team won the NCAA championship and the city clamored for identity.
Ah yes, basketball – what the world insists on remembering is that the all-black Texas Western team defeated an all-white Kentucky team coached by alleged racist Adolph Rupp. It never seemed to matter that the winners could run faster and jump higher or that the Miners were simply better than the Wildcats at title time.
We are left to assume both squads met eligibility requirements. This was before NIL money.
The current football team is not really El Paso. It is Austin Peay Southwest. Head coach Scotty Walden, seven defensive assistant coaches, four offensive assistants and 11 players transferred from Austin Peay.
They were in different attire at Neyland Stadium last season. They put up a fight. The Govs led 3-0 and 6-3 and trailed just 13-6 at halftime. They lost 31-13. They said it was the loudest place they had ever been. That was then.
Rumor has it the Miners will use the same pace-and-space attack and the 3-3-5 defensive alignment the Governors deployed last September. Josh Heupel is expecting that. The Vols took a look at AP video.
Advantage in experience: UTEP punter is North Texas transfer Adam Jacklin, a 27-years-old Australian. Tennessee punter Jackson Ross, also Australian, is only 25.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The Vols’ record is 8-2. The Miners are 2-8. The game will be streaming on SEC-plus. It is not big enough for a spot on network TV. Tennessee is favored by about 40. Old faithful Vol Network, age 75, will have the radio broadcast.
Saturday is Senior Day. The Vols may wear orange and white.
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Tennessee basketball plays Virginia late tonight (9:30 start) in the Baha Mar Championship in The Bahamas. The Friday foe will be Baylor or St. John’s. CBS Sports Network will televise the games.
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LeBron James is a big fan of former Vol Dalton Knecht, 17th pick in the June 26 NBA draft. LeBron is laughing at the 16 teams that skipped Dalton to choose someone else.
“They didn’t find DK,” James said. “Did anybody watch him at Tennessee?”
Two nights ago, Knecht had 37 points for the Lakers on 12-for-16 shooting against the Utah Jazz. He hit nine of 12 three-pointers to tie the league rookie record. He scored 21 consecutive points at the end of the third quarter and the top of the fourth.
In a little hot streak, just over three minutes near the end of the third, Knecht made four threes, one after the other. He was fouled and made three free throws. After that, he hit another three-pointer. After all that, he shrugged his shoulders.
Charles Barkley got in a few words sideways.
“These NBA general managers don’t have any idea what they’re doing. Letting the Lakers get Dalton Knecht was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. That’s a bad boy right there. Remember that name, y’all, Dalton Knecht.”
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com