Vols Problem: A Sense of Entitlement

Tennessee Volunteers fans are optimistic.

The 1–2 Vols are two-touchdown underdogs at ninth-ranked Florida tomorrow. Tennessee has lost 13 of their last 14 to the Gators. Or, if you prefer, 21 of their last 26 and 26 of the last 33.

Put it this way. Since 1975, Vanderbilt has defeated Tennessee more times (eight) than the Vols have Florida (seven).

Tennessee not only will be playing a 3–0 team on the road, but will be facing the nation’s top pass rush (16 sacks) with an offensive line that has three different starting lineups in three games.

But with a Knoxville sports talk show giving away a new pickup truck to a lucky listener who picks the score correctly, fan after fan calls up predicting the Volunteers to win in Gainesville.

W.C. Fields is assuredly rolling over in his grave, because that is the very definition of giving a sucker an even break.

Why Florida beats Tennessee all the time isn’t difficult to decipher. A scan of National Football League rosters reveals the Sunshine State produces almost six times the football talent of the Volunteer State and for the most part the Gators have had bigger name coaches through the years.