Crimson Red Sports

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- The dog days of summer are probably a few weeks away, but we're currently entrenched in the dog days of the college football offseason.

Spring football seems like it was 40 years ago and we're still multiple weeks away from SEC Media Days, the unofficial kickoff celebration to the 2012 season.

That's why, over the next two weeks, we'll be taking an in-depth look at all 12 of Alabama's opponents. At the very least, it will get the conversation going in the direction of football and away from whatever else sports fans in Alabama discuss during the summer.

We're now over the hump and officially into the second half of the 2012 season. The Crimson Tide begins it with a trip North to face one of its biggest rivals.

Who: Tennessee

When: Saturday, Oct. 20, TBD

Where: Neyland Stadium; Knoxville, Tenn.

Series history: Alabama leads 47-38-7 (Last meeting, 2011, 37-6, Alabama)

Early line: Alabama (-17)

The coach: Derek Dooley (3rd season at Tennessee, 11-14 at UT; five seasons overall, 28-34)

Last year's record: 5-7 (1-7 SEC, last place in East Division)

Why should they worry?: Dooley has had three years to increase the talent on Tennessee's roster, but even that hasn't been long enough to get the Vols out of a hole dug from the poor recruiting classes of Fulmer's final years and the nightmare that was Kiffin's one and only class. There are enough holes and depth concerns that makes the Vols more of a one-year-away team than an immediate title contender. No one in the SEC was worse at running the ball than Tennessee was in 2011. There's probably no way this can be worse in 2012, but the Vols aren't exactly loaded at the running back position.

"hey hey hey , we ain't got no brakes" Fat Albert .... Means 

they return the most starters of any SEC team
but those same guys sucked last year ... is that a plus ?  :dunno:


- Aug. 31: vs. North Carolina State (Atlanta)  W
- Sept. 8: vs. Georgia State  W
- Sept. 15: vs. Florida  L
- Sept. 22: vs. Akron   W
- Sept. 29: at Georgia  L
- Oct. 13: at Mississippi State  L
- Oct. 20: vs. Alabama  L
- Oct. 27: at South Carolina L
- Nov. 3: vs. Troy   W
- Nov. 10: vs. Missouri   L
- Nov. 17: at Vanderbilt   W
- Nov. 24: vs. Kentucky    W

Tennessee also lost their safety (Janzen Jackson) in an effort to retain the Fulmer Cup.

http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/25/tennessee-safety-janzen-jackson-dismissed-team/

Finally a UT football coach with some discipline. Another one of Kiffin's Outlaws gone. JJ was given chance after chance. Dooley is the Man.

What is so great about what Dooley did ? 3 failed drug tests is an automatic UTK dismissal.....Dooley doesn't deserve any praise here. Remember DOOLEY is the one who let this thug BACK on the team....Dooley didn't even make the call here and yet gets all this praise.....give me a break