Miracle at South Bend - 20 Years Later

Many of you have heard me tell this story, some of you more than others and still listen to it with polite boredom. I figured the release of the new NCAA football game, and my return to Ohio for my uncle's wedding in May would be a great time to put it online.

We go back to November 4, 1991. My family was living in Perrysburg, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo. Being up in NW Ohio put me right in the middle of Big Ten country. My dad went to Tennessee which of course rubbed off on me and I had been a Vols fan my entire life. Being a kid in second grade at the time I always wore my Tennessee orange on Fridays before games, but being up in Ohio I was surrounded by kids who cheered for Michigan, Ohio State, and independent Notre Dame (other Big Ten schools as well but it was a smaller amount). Of course kids are always so nice to each other when one of them is different (note sarcasm) and the SEC was not the power it has grown into today so I got my fair share of abuse for cheering for a supposedly inferior school to big bad Michigan, OSU and Notre Dame (this btw was when the Irish were a perennial top ten team).

In the previous season #9 Tennessee and #1 Notre Dame went toe to toe at Neyland Stadium. The Vols had one final drive left in them but quarterback Andy Kelly had his pass intercepted at the goal line and the Irish won 34-29. The Notre Dame kids didn't let me forget that and they ratcheted up the taunts and were joined by the OSU and Michigan kids the week prior to the game at Notre Dame Stadium in 1991.

Going into the game the Vols were 5-2 and ranked #13 while the Irish were 8-1 and ranked #5 with the seniors were playing their final home game in Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish were coached by Lou Holtz and led by QB Rick Mirer and future Hall of Famer at running back Jerome Bettis while the Vols had Andy Kelly under center, Dale Carter at safety and kick returner, and my favorite player as a kid, Carl Pickens at receiver.

On the first series the Tennessee defense forced a three and out, but Dale Carter muffed the punt. The Irish took advantage and rammed in down the Vols throats to score. Carter made it up by taking the kickoff past midfield, but Andy Kelly threw a pick right to a Notre Dame linebacker and he ran it all the way back for a score. Five minutes into the game it was 14-0 Notre Dame.

Just before the half Notre Dame led 31-7 and lined up for a field goal. Darryl Hardy blocked the kick and Floyd Miley ran the ball 85 yards for the score, drawing a famous "Oh My!" from broadcaster Dick Enberg. That is the definition of a "game changer." Instead of 34-7, Tennessee only trailed 31-14. Once the second half started, Tennessee was a different team. They looked sharper and were not intimidated by Notre Dame, or the aura of their stadium. The Irish could not keep their momentum on offense going and only scored three points in the second half. During the comeback, Andy Kelly passed Jeff Francis to become the All-Time passing leader at Tennessee. The Vols slowly clawed their way back to being down 34-28 in the forth quarter.

On a crucial forth down deep in Irish territory Notre Dame dialed up a safety blitz and stopped the Vols. However the Vols defense stood tall and Dale Carter picked off a pass to swing momentum back to Tennessee. On second and short, legendary coach and now color commentator Bill Walsh saw the Irish were going to bring that safety blitz again. Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors and then offensive coordinator Phil Fulmer saw it too and called the perfect counter to a blitz, a screen pass to the left to freshman running back Aaron Hayden. Hayden had two blockers in front with no one to block and Hayden went untouched into the end zone. After the extra point Tennessee led 35-34 with 4:03 to go.

Those were some of the longest minutes of my young life as the Irish in true Notre Dame fashion marched down the field on a drive to try and win. Now back on the blocked field goal at the end of the first half, the Notre Dame kicker Craig Hentrich got injured. He tried to make a go of it and was barely able to get the lone Notre Dame field goal of the second half over the cross bar. He further injured the leg on a punt and could not continue. Bill Walsh realized that Notre Dame would have to get the ball down where the winning field goal would be the distance of an extra point to make it easier on the backup kicker.

With four seconds to go in the game, sophomore walk-on kicker Rob Leonard lined up from the right hash mark to kick a 27 yard field goal that would give the Irish the win. This is the type of finish that Notre Dame always got, especially at home, and this ending would add to the legend. But it was not to be. Tennessee defensive back Jeremy Lincoln dove in front of the kick and the ball ricocheted off his butt to deflect the ball. The kick fell short. Game over. Tennessee 35 Notre Dame 34.

Everyone watching at my house went nuts. I could not sleep that night I was so excited. I could not wait to see what would happen Monday at school. To rub some salt in the wound I made sure to wear my Tennessee sweatshirt to school so all the kids had to look at that wonderful shade of orange. Of course all the Notre Dame kids blamed me for the Irish blowing a 31-7 lead at home and wanted to punish me for that. Since they were all fat, slow, midwestern kids they could not catch me at recess and I made it through the day unharmed and had a nice wide grin on my face.

I still got my fair share of bullying and abuse for being a Tennessee fan through 1995 when my family moved away, but I never shied away from my love of orange, or the fact that they could never catch me on the playground anyway. The only way I could have enjoyed Tennessee's 20-14 win over Ohio State in the 1996 Citrus Bowl, or their 45-17 drubbing of Michigan in the 2002 Citrus Bowl anymore is if I was back in Ohio and wearing my orange and being a Vol for life.

2010 College Football Conference Preview - The SEC

Last but not least it's the proverbial king of the mountain of college football conferences, the SEC. The list is impressive. The last four BCS Champions, 49 out of 255 players selected in the NFL Draft, the toughest schedules, and arguably the best defenses, most passionate fans, and giant stadiums. Let's take a look to see who will play for the SEC Title this season.

East Division

Champion - Florida

We all know the story by now, Tim Tebow has left and John Brantley must follow one of the greatest college football players of all time. Brantley is not as mobile as Tebow, but he does have a better arm so expect more running from the likes of Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moodey and more deep ball. Who will catch those passes has yet to be determined. Other than Deonte Thompson no one in the receiving corps has much experience. The defense is loaded and fast as always, but who will lead them? Carlos Dunlap and Brandon Spikes are gone as is defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. Yes many familiar faces are gone from the Gators, but it's not like the cupboard is bare. What I want to see is if one of the running backs can pick up a third and short on the ground since Tebow isn't there to run left anymore. The Gators have to travel to Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida State this season, but they have enough talent, albeit unproven, to win the East.

Runner-Up - Georgia

Right now the only school in the East who I believe has enough talent to try and hang with the Gators in the East is the Georgia Bulldogs. They are breaking in a new QB, but the other ten starters are returning which gives whomever starts under center plenty of weapons, especially WR A.J. Green who is the biggest home run threat in the conference. Defense on the other hand is a toss up. Only five starters return from a unit that performed poorly last season. Switching to a 3-4 defense might just fix some of the problems. This may be a make or break year for head coach Mark Richt who has seen the Bulldogs record slide the past two seasons.

Everyone Else

Tennessee

For once I would like Tennessee to have a quiet offseason. The Vols are under their third head coach in as many years. Derek Dooley, son of legendary Georgia Coach Vince Dooley was brought in and has set in motion his plan to get the Volunteers back to respectability. It is not going to happen overnight though. Tennessee is very thin in spots, mostly on the two lines. The offensive line will have five new starters and the defensive line has been decimated by injuries this summer. Also, the Big Orange will be breaking in two new quarterbacks. JUCO transfer Matt Sims (Son of Phil Sims) looks to get the nod to start the season, but look for true freshman Tyler Bray to get plenty of snaps. The other skill positions have the potential to be quite potent. Receivers Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore are experienced and will get a boost from freshmen Da'Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter. Tight End Luke Stocker can be all-conference and running backs Tauren Poole and David Oku will be a nice 1-2 punch. On defense the Vols have great depth at linebacker and defensive backs Art Evans and Janzen Jackson are both heavy hitters. Tennessee fans will have to be patient and I think they will. This season the Vols can be anywhere from 8-4 to 4-8 finishing 6-6 and a small bowl will be deemed a success.

South Carolina

Steve Spurrier never seems to be happy with his quarterback. Returning starter Stephen Garcia has drawn the ire of the ol' ball coach. Garcia has to learn to get rid of the ball quicker to cut down on his sack total. He has plenty of talent but if he struggles, Spurrier will be there with the quick hook. Garcia does have some good targets. Alshon Jeffery is an emerging star and tight end Weslye Saunders is a big target once he gets back from suspension The Gamecocks finally have some talent in the backfield. True freshman Marcus Lattimore is poised for big things. The defense will be solid again behind SEC Defensive player of the year candidate in cornerback Stephen Gilmore. The biggest question will be if the Gamecocks can finally get over the proverbial hump and win nine to ten games this season.

Kentucky

Going to four straight bowl games has been nothing short of a miracle for the Wildcats. Joker Phillips comes in to take over at head coach for the retiring Rich Brooks. The Wildcats are talented on offense. RB Derrick Locke and WR Randall Cobb are two of the most dangerous playmakers in the conference. The secondary is quite battle tested and is the strength of the defense, while the front seven just cannot seem to stop the run. If the defense can hold people once and awhile a fifth straight bowl game is not out of the question.

Vanderbilt

New head coach Robbie Caldwell was the life of the party at SEC Media Days, but now it is time at start playing football and the Commodores have plenty to work on. There are some quality players, namely RB/KR Warren Norman and the defense should be pretty sturdy but there are still gaping holes in talent compared to the rest of the SEC. Vanderbilt will have to keep games close and make plays at the end when it counts, just like they did when they went bowling in 2008.

West Division

Champion - Alabama

The defending National Champions are ready to defend their title. The Crimson Tide are loaded on offense. Heisman Trophy winner RB Mark Ingram returns but may have less of an impact as his backup Trent Richardson is a beast as well. With the two of them sharing duties they have the best backfield in the country. QB Greg McElroy did not have to do much last year but was great when he needed to be, the last minute drive to beat Auburn and in the SEC title game against Florida. He has great targets to throw to as WR Julio Jones looks to rebound from a down sophomore season and Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks can both go out and get the ball. Defense could be the Achilles heel of the Crimson Tide. Nine starters from last season's team either graduated or are in the NFL. DE Marcell Davis and LB Dont'a Hightower lead this new group. We might not be familiar with the names on defense but they definitely have the talent, whether they can grow enough this season will be the factor. Also the schedule is not friendly this season. Six of Alabama's conference opponents have a bye the week before they play the Tide. One of those teams will trip them up.

Runner-Up - Auburn

No one is out at the airstrip yelling at Gene Chizik anymore. Auburn went 8-5 last season and were seconds away from knocking off Alabama. The Tigers are a veteran team especially on the offensive line and had the nation's number four recruiting class. JUCO transfer Cameron Newton has the job at quarterback. At 6-6, 247 pounds Newton has great arm strength and running ability which is perfect for Auburn's high tempo offense. The defense is strong but lacks an elite pass rusher and there is no real ball-hawk in the secondary. The Tigers should be fun to watch but, Auburn has to travel to Alabama this year which means they fall short again to the Crimson Tide.

Everyone Else

Arkansas

Combine one of the most acknowledged offensive coaching minds in Bobby Petrino and one of the best NFL prospects at quarterback in Ryan Mallett and you have an offense that is ready to put on a show at Arkansas. Add to that a very deep receiving corps in Greg Childs, Joe Adams, and Jarius Wright and things could be perfect through the air. However, Arkansas has to get something out of their running game and Mallett needs to throw more than just the deep ball. Also, despite the great offense, defense and kicking still wins games in the SEC and the Razorbacks have struggled there. Games 3 and 4 at Georgia and hosting Alabama will go a long way in determining how far the Hogs will go.

LSU

Following the 2007 BCS National Championship, the LSU Tigers had two disappointing seasons of 8-5 and 9-4. A renewed emphasis on the running game and better overall play from QB Jordan Jefferson will help the Tigers rebound on offense after finishing the season ranked 112th in total offense last year. The Tigers challenged Florida and Alabama last year until the lack of firepower caused them to fall short. Defensive attrition is a concern but CB Patrick Peterson is a big time player. Stamina and late game dominance will be critical to the Tigers success and Lord help Les Miles if he has a clock problem again.

Mississippi State

The Bulldogs ended 2009 with a momentum building blowout over rival Ole Miss and saw its future at QB in Chris Relf. Coach Dan Mullen has worked to fill in some of the gaps but is is going to be tough to replace All-Time rushing leader Anthony Dixon at running back and there is little experience at receiver. If they can shore up those spots and the defense can stay salty a bowl game should be in sight.

Ole Miss

Ole Miss is coming off 18 wins in the past two seasons but will need to almost totally revamp its offense to keep winning. Ole Miss picked up former Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli after he was dismissed from the school following his third arrest. If Masoli can stay out of trouble things might improve but they still have to find someone to replace Mr. Everything Dexter McCluster and WR Shay Hodge. The Rebels do return a stout defense which should keep them in games but this looks like a down year in Oxford. However, Coach Houston Nutt seems to do much better when expectations are low.

SEC Champion - Alabama

The Tide will not get through the season unscathed which will keep an SEC team out of the BCS Championship Game, but they still have the best team in the conference.

Derek Dooley Stays On Point Through SEC Media Days

It's a time we all know and love down here in the SEC. Media Days! Where the head coaches and select players from each team are available to the media. Last year the big story was who did not vote for Tim Tebow in the preseason All-SEC team. It turned out Steve Spurrier had some member of the athletic department fill it out and left Tebow off. Also, everyone was very interested in what then Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin would say.

This year the big stories have been about agents as pimps and new Vanderbilt head coach Robbie Caldwell's first job working on a turkey farm (which was actually very funny as Caldwell said he was on the "inseminating crew").

Tennessee of course has Derek Dooley as the new head man on Rocky Top and he came prepared for the media gauntlet today. Dooley was first asked about his parents and what colors they would be wearing to games (real tough questions I know) since Dooley's father Vince was head coach and athletic director at Georgia for decades. I thought Dooley handled all questions quite well trying to keep the focus on what is going on now and what this season will bring instead of what his predecessor had done.

Dooley's biggest point had been the same he had talked about since he got the job, character. He wants his players to be accountable for their actions and be great representatives of the University of Tennessee and the community. “Certainly our image is not where we want it to be,” Dooley said. “All I know is that whether you have two incidents, four incidents, five incidents, either way, you don’t want any incidents in your program. So it’s important to do a lot of things internally to minimize the risk of those incidents.”

The biggest test of this policy came a few weeks ago after the brawl at Bar Knoxville in which safety Darren Myles was dismissed from the team and linebacker Greg King and defensive tackle Marlon Walls were suspended. Dooley said that the team as a whole felt responsible for what happened as the leaders of the team did not do their best at educating the players to take responsibility for their actions. This is something Dooley is looking to change on Rocky Top. Many know it is not going to happen overnight, but I think they are off to a good start.

Overall I thought Dooley did quite well at the podium. Being a former lawyer he knows how to work a room, is very engaging, and he thinks before he says anything. Which was good since the media kept trying to get him to take a shot at his predecessor.

While I think Dooley has said and done things the correct way so far, the real test comes this fall when he has to coach the Big Orange in Neyland Stadium. As always the SEC media days really signals the countdown to football season! So let's get rolling!

NFL Draft Proves SEC is the Best Conference

It is not really much of a debate anymore. The SEC is the best conference in college football. While the four straight National Championships should be proof enough, the real proof comes in the NFL Draft.

Every year the NFL Draft selects the best college football players in the country. This year the SEC set a draft record, 49 league players selected out of the 255 drafted. That's nearly one in every five draft picks.

Taking a look at the 2010 draft, the next closest conference, the Big 10, had 34 players taken. The rest of the conference breakdown in the 2010 NFL Draft looked like this: ACC (31), Big 12 (30) and Pac-10 (29). (It should be noted that the Pac-10 and Big Ten have 10 and 11 teams in their conferences, respectively, so both of these conferences actually outperformed the ACC and Big 12 on a per team basis.) The SEC the conference has also led or tied for most players taken in the draft 11 of the past 13 seasons.

However, in my humble opinion I believe where the SEC has shown its true dominance is on the defensive line. Top teams all over the country have speed at the skill positions, but on the defensive line the SEC has had an overwhelming advantage. Look at the number of defensive linemen taken in the first round of the last four NFL Drafts: SEC (9), ACC (5), Big 12 (5), and Big Ten (4).

Again, the numbers do not lie.