Consider, for eight seconds, the wonderful, awful difference in winning or losing against Vanderbilt.
Billie Bob Browning of Long Rifle, Texas, my longtime consultant on human behavior and social consciousness, hasn’t changed much with the times. He still says we really ought not kick a dog when it is down.
If we make proper adjustments and stretch that far enough, we can apply the wisdom or kindness to Vanderbilt football. The Commodores have lost 20 consecutive Southeastern Conference games.
They are occasionally unfortunate instead of always inept. They are dependable in effort. They try and try but have almost nothing to show for their efforts. They are 2-9 with the grand finale to come at Neyland Stadium.
Vandy is in an unusual position. This meeting matters. The Commodores can become the little star atop Tennessee’s winning season or they could spoil bowl enthusiasm, such as it is.
There is one caution signal: Vandy made it interesting at Ole Miss. It converted three of five fourth-down attempts and made Lane Kiffin unhappy.
The visitors’ best hope in Knoxville will be that the Vols are still tired from running up and down the field in the 60-14 romp past South Alabama.
Vanderbilt has endured harsh abuse. Georgia gave it a very swift kick, 62-0. Coach Kirby Smart made a sincere effort to let up but Vandy would have none of it.
“This is just a point in the progression line,” said coach Clark Lea. “It didn’t shake us because we understand it doesn’t define us. This is a delicate ecosystem. We’re in the infancy of our program. This is the long, hard way.”
Florida, back when it was pretty good, inflicted a 42-0 thrashing. Losers contributed.
Vanderbilt faithful (I know seven or eight) still think the 23-3 loss to East Tennessee State was the lowlight. The Commodores just didn’t get their anchor down.
The one win at home, 30-28 over UConn, remains cause for celebration. The Huskies are not the worst team in the country. They beat Yale.
There is no way to explain the Vanderbilt victory at Colorado State.
The Tennessee-Vanderbilt relationship is much easier to understand. The late, great George Cafego spelled it out decades ago. They don’t like each other. They are very different as people and places. Rival coaches seldom bump in recruiting races. Vandy fans don’t wear overalls.
Back in the dark ages, before the Vols learned all the rules, Vanderbilt was dominant. Since the coming of Robert R. Neyland, Tennessee has won 75 and lost very few. It’s been a century since the Commodores have had sustained success. They do not attract large crowds. They are essentially charity cases when the SEC splits profits.
Pardon me, that’s going too far. Vanderbilt University helps the league’s academic image and is big-time in baseball.
Vandy has sometimes been competitive, now and then truly difficult, occasionally belligerent, but 1994 wasn’t such an occasion. That was when the Vols set the record for superiority at 65-0. That was a peak in Tennessee’s 22-year winning streak.
Vandy was five times successful during the terrible DJP depression. Initials stand for Dooley, Jones and Pruitt.
The above information is background for the 115th clash between what used to be the really Big Orange and their hapless neighbors. This is far from a national attraction but it is important. It may influence a bowl assignment. It will be a factor in how we remember Josh Heupel’s first season.
Because there are potential residuals, this might be the one time when it is permissible to kick the Commodores when they are down. I’ll ask Billie Bob.
Let us hope there is a faint light at the far end of their tunnel. Lea, new coach, Nashville native, former Vandy fullback, former Notre Dame defensive coordinator, is an intellectual but a tough guy. He has mentioned long-term optimism, a 10 or even 20-year plan for the Commodores.
Lea is not up to date on history. There are no valid 10-year plans in the SEC. Coaches of bottom-feeders are lucky to last five.
OK, winning is not impossible. James Franklin once won nine and finished in the top 25 of the AP poll. The record shows the deficiency before and after Franklin.
I do not expect the Volunteers to coast into Saturday combat. They’ll park the South Alabama exercise a safe distance behind them and be ready to go. The Heupel staff has excelled at fast starts.
As for South Alabama, Tennessee really shouldn’t play too many like that. UT lost serious money in potential concession sales because many fans skipped the tilt and many others left early.
They missed some fun and fireworks. Hendon Hooker was very good (17 of 20 for 273 and two TDs). Velus Jones had a very intelligent, artistic 96-yard kickoff return and 246 all-purpose yards. Cedric Tillman continued doing his thing. He looks more and more like an NFL receiver.
Young linebackers showed promise. Other young Vols played for the first time this year. There were a couple of dumb-dumbs. South Alabama caught everybody sound asleep and ran a fake punt. It opened the second half with an easy onside kick.
Strange that the Vol coach and Vandy coach convey similar intentions – 11 players functioning precisely, got to have a run game, protect the quarterback, be smart on defense. Both teams play hard but look very different. Tennessee does quick strikes for big chunks.
Coach Lea says he is still hoping Vanderbilt will play a four-quarter game. He says he’d be really excited to see the capability.
He’d better hope the Vols don’t play a whole game at peak efficiency.
Marvin West welcomes reader comments or questions. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com