I haven't seen the line yet, but I guessed Vandy at -3 last night, just based on the difference between average points scored and average points given up. I think it is a bad line, personally. That is basically saying Vandy is -6, given the 3 point home advantage. If Bray plays, I take UT. If Bray doesn't play, I take Vandy.
I'm 31. I'd have to check 82, but I've got to think this is the first time they've been favored over us in my life.
Anyone remember the line in 2005? I don't know if Vanderbilt was favored, but I do remember feeling pretty strongly going into that meeting that Vandy would win.
Remember what Wes Brown said after the 2008 victory? "We'll always be Tennessee and they'll always be Vandy" Bwahahahaha.
You keep throwing this statistically identical idea out there, but I think you are ignoring something pretty important. Vanderbilt is playing better than what they actually are. UT is playing worse than what they actually are. These teams aren't even. As a bettor, pick who you want, but UT has better players all over the field, even with the injuries. Vandy sucks, perhaps not as bad as the last two seasons, and perhaps not as bad as when Larry Smith got to touch the ball, but they suck still. This isn't a test of coaching acumen. It is a test to see whether we are completely hopeless.
What do you feel defines "hopeless?" Further, for sake of argument, why can't one team playing better than their ability and one team playing worse than their ability... meet in the middle and become "evenly matched?" If Tennessee plays to their ability, just based on talent, and Vandy plays to their ability, just based on talent, Tennessee is the better team. The fact that neither team actually is playing at their level, suggests that they are evenly matched, even if they aren't evenly talented. You disagree?
I'm pretty confident Tennessee will win. Vanderbilt's doing well enough that they won't be overlooked but they're not so good that Dooley will look lost on the field like he has lately.
I'm definitely not confident about this game at all. Go look at all of Vandys games, they easily could have won the east. Crazy to think. Franklin won't be there long if he wins, someone big will offer him.
I also had Vandy set as a slight favorite. It's difficult to look at these two teams objectively and come to the conclusion that we'll win. Unless Bray is healthy.
Franklin will have Vandy ready to play. If nothing else, they've bought in to him. If Bray plays, I think he gives an added boost. Not sure there is any mo there otherwise.
I don't disagree; I think that is exactly the situation. I just think it shouldn't be overlooked that neither team is playing at their level. Vanderbilt looks to be getting more out of less, and UT looks to be getting less out of more. I just don't want "evenly matched" to become a built in excuse. A loss to Vandy would be inexcusable. If we are evenly matched, it is because this staff hasn't done a very good job of getting anywhere close to the level of play out of the players they have that they should. A loss would be a prime example of the guys in Nashville doing a much better coaching job than they guys in Knoxville. I don't disagree with that, either. Even with injuries to Hunter and Bray, though, there is no way in hell that it should be the case.