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Florida Recap plus Vandy and Kiffin Predictions · Champions of Life

welcome to the champions of life podcast where 3 orangeblooded Tennessee alums discuss how there's always next year Hey y'all.
Welcome back to the, there's always next year podcast is that, oh, champions of Life.
But there is always next year where there's always next year.
Yeah.
Put on by three RN S3 RS employees.
Here we go.
Joe Mahalick, Laney Greer, and myself.
We are doing logistics and talking shop about the balls.
We know ball and so here we are.
All right.
RNS team, how do we do? Are we happy that the swamp was drained or did we left unsatisfied leaving the allyou can eat buffet? I was happy.
Belaney has a different take on this.
I was happy to finally say in 20 years we finally did it in their house.
I just throwing me under the bus from the get go.
Okay, so this just briefly why I was not.
I was happy we got the monkey off our back.
Yes.
If you'd have told me we're gonna go down there and win, I did not think we were gonna win.
Right.
Sure.
I was expecting another loss.
Also, if you'd have told me we weren't gonna score any in the second half, I wouldn't have gotten my hopes up that we would've continued to ram it down their throats.
Like I just wanted to, if we'd walked down there scoring 60 plus, that to me is that's what we we're capable of, right? Mm-hmm.
I agree into the first half.
Happle does this thing.
There's clock mismanagement not right.
We can throw a couple, balls to the end zone.
Like we've got some guys who can go up and catch it, like just try once, right? But we run it, we take the safe approach, whatever.
We don't wanna repeat Alabama, but if this is Florida, this is not Alabama, are they really gonna be able to come back? We were up 31.
All the things I just, again, it goes back to hypo plays it safe.
And I don't like that he doesn't have a killer instinct and I just don't like it.
But would you have said those things in 2022? He was still newish then.
So we didn't know, like this was hypo and Hendon Hooker I think probably covered up some of those.
Like, let's play to hopefully win guys.
Like, no, let.
Ensure, do whatever we have to do to ensure we get the win.
Mm-hmm.
And let's run up the score, especially against Florida, like maybe not some, some, you know, lower division team, but Florida.
Yes.
And I think he was willing to take more risks early on 'cause he had to show some wins.
He's willing to, like you said, do whatever it ever it took.
And I wonder if since that time his play calling has gone more and more conservative than a downward trajectory.
Scared to make a mistake.
Where the team we've talked about this before, would love that rally.
Go for it on fourth and two.
Mm-hmm.
You've got these three great backs.
But the other piece too that we talked about was why did we see some things for the first time that we've not seen all season? Like he went to they, they targeted Ethan Davis just about as much as Kitman was targeted all season in one game.
Then you bring in the Jackson Moy package, like where has that been? Right.
It's, I know you don't show everything at the beginning of the season, but good.
Not, you know, maybe some of those things could have helped us with Oklahoma.
Yes.
Helped us with Georgia.
Yes.
That's what's frustrating.
And it's almost like too little, too late.
Yes.
At this, the second to last game of the season.
Yep.
When the playoffs are no longer Right.
The No, I, in some def defense, Ethan's been, I think injured on and off.
A lot of the season and yeah, for me personally, I think Miles has been a great asset to the university.
The program appreciate everything, but like he's, I think Davis is a huge upgrade in the passing game.
You just see that there's more, his route running's a little bit more crisp.
He, his hands are more sure.
I don't know if he's as good in the run game.
But anyways, I am thankful to see him wide open like we've seen in some of these hypo offenses.
But I would also argue that at the swamp, from a consumer standpoint, yes, put up 50, let's see how close we can get to a hundred.
We need to exercise these demons.
It is time, but at the same time, like they have an interim coach.
They can't run a series without setting themselves back with a penalty or something stupid.
And they're running the ball down 30 points and it's midway through the third quarter.
And so it's like.
To me it was a little bit of a white flag.
Hey, we're not even gonna try to throw the ball.
We can't even do it.
And so what's more embarrassing? Is it more embarrassing to put up a hundred point? Yeah, if you're looking at the bottom line, Tennessee put up 70 on Florida ish.
Good for them.
But in the game it's kind of like, Hey, they've given up.
And it's not even the second half yet, I think.
You know, we can do the same, but I get it.
I'm equally, the halftime thing was frustrating.
I don't understand the, I don't think, I think everything, the first four possessions, you're scoring touchdowns easily.
I don't think if your quarterback throws another pick six right before halftime, that is gonna be the momentum swing that gets the game back.
But we've been watching Tennessee and Florida for years and we've seen some absolutely insane, crazy things.
Right.
That should not happen.
Right.
And so, if you wanna play it safe and go up 31, nothing and a half, I get it.
But I would've liked to have seen one shot maybe outta the back of the end zone.
Either Brazel gets it or he doesn't, that type of thing.
Exactly.
I'm worried, to your point, Lanny, of if the playoffs are not the option or not in our future, would we just lay down, is there any fight left in them? And then we lose the last two games.
Mm-hmm.
Like we felt could happen.
That's the way Tennessee does go.
There is some fight left.
Mm-hmm.
But how are we gonna do against Vanderbilt? That's, they're a better team.
They have the opposite.
They've got a guy who can sling it and run it.
So what are you guys thinking? I think his running is an issue.
I think he's skilled at just enough to get.
When a play breaks down and things are covered up, he can go get them six, seven yards, which I think is mm-hmm.
In college football, that's so valuable, because you can, the defense can plan appropriately and perfectly and cover it, but just having that playmaking ability can kind of just throw everything out the window.
So they're playing really well right now.
They're motivated, they have every.
Opportunity still in front of them.
They win this game.
They should be in the playoff conversation.
Um, maybe has been conversation for pa.
Yep.
He certainly thinks that he's the best player in the country.
He'll, he does.
He'll tell you all about it.
Yep.
But his numbers aren't as good.
His impact on the team is huge, but his numbers aren't near as good as even our quarterbacks.
Yeah.
You know what, if he was in a different conference, I bet they would be.
Hmm.
A hundred yards better.
A game maybe.
Yeah.
He's playing against SEC teams.
Yeah, he's putting I mean, six touchdowns against an SEC team is, that's insane.
Yeah.
So, yeah, a little nervous.
I think they will push us and challenge us in a way that, makes you a little nervous.
But I think Tennessee opened up as three point favorites.
That's home field advantage a little bit.
We're playing really good ball right now compared to, I mean, the first half of Florida is really good ball, and I know it's Florida.
Yes, exactly.
First half of Georgia was really good too.
First Uhhuh, you know, it's there.
This is tennis.
This is our season.
The first half we're, we come out second half.
We're a different team.
Yep.
Yeah, it's like don't give your speech whatever speech you're giving, don't give it this time.
Just don't say anything at halftime.
I just wanna know if he's flat.
Is he flat in, is he as flat? In his halftime speeches as he is talking to the reporters after the first half or doing his press con like that and too prideful to make changes.
This is why George and Alabama win every year.
They make changes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What was the year? Saban pulled his starting quarterback to put a freshman and still won.
It was like one of the national championship games.
Yeah.
Nothing is off the table for them to change.
They'll do whatever.
To your point, Lanie do whatever it takes to win.
I'm nervous.
Uh, I don't know.
Vanderbilt is playing for everything.
Mm-hmm.
We are playing for pride.
We don't lose to Vanderbilt.
We definitely don't lose at home to Vanderbilt, but we have two pretty bad home losses this season.
Mm-hmm.
When the atmosphere was great.
Right.
And the fans were in it because we're playing for something.
Mm-hmm.
One, it's right after Thanksgiving.
So is it gonna be a full stadium? I don't know.
Probably more Vandy fans potentially.
We are probably maybe gonna be a little bit less into it because we're not playing for anything.
So if the atmosphere isn't quite as good and you have a really incentivized bandy team and paa, who is gonna want to back up what he's been saying.
I just best team in the State's what he wants.
Yeah.
I, it'd be, I would be hard pressed to see more Vandy fans in there than Tennessee fans.
No, I'm not saying more, but just more than normal.
More, yeah.
More away fans than normal.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I, I think they, yeah, they're motivated to, to finally, I mean, they beat us a handful of times with, some of our older coaches.
Yep.
Which was not an impressive feat for Vandy, but it's still, you don't lose to Vandy.
So.
Yeah.
Are some of the players already thinking, where am I gonna go with a transfer? Mm-hmm.
Are they already looking at other teams? If that's in their head, maybe they don't play as hard.
If they don't wanna get hurt.
I don't know.
It's just like, after this game they start, a lot of the guys last year, last couple years, they're backing outta playing in the ball games.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Because they don't wanna get hurt or, but, uh, I hope that doesn't happen for Saturdays.
Is it a noon game? 3 30, 3 30.
Score predictions.
What do we think? 35, 31 falls.
I was confident you did not have to think about it.
No, it just came to me mainly because I, yeah.
Sorry, max.
I hope we don't, I hope it doesn't come down to a field goal.
See, that's why I'm going that way.
I'm going 41 37 Vandy.
And I don't want to, but I'm over it.
We're like, I just think we're gonna lose.
Move on.
Let's talk about some basketball.
Sound like a Kentucky fan.
I know.
But hey, we're good this year.
I'm torn on this.
I cannot, I can't decide.
The heart of me says we're gonna win.
Just like, just like always.
This is why we do the podcast because we believe deep down and we believe we can do, we have the talent we do, but we don't always perform.
Hmm.
I'm gonna go lower than both.
You.
I'll go 28, 28, 25.
Tennessee by a field goal.
Okay.
All right.
Well, all this week, so great.
He is, he's kicking like a hundred field goals a day.
He's out.
He's working in the rain right now.
He needs to be, it's raining.
He's out there practicing.
Mm.
He needs to do his work.
I hope so.
Yeah.
His job is on the line.
Do we have a backup? Is there someone that could take, there's two kickers on the team.
Let's see what Jackson Ross can do.
Just put him in there.
Right? Let's, why not? Yeah.
Drop, kick it.
Let's drop kick it here.
He drop kick in college school.
Opposite foot drop.
Yes, absolutely.
He crush it on Saturday.
Yeah.
He's the special teams player of the week.
Yep.
Okay, so basketball.
Hmm.
Good matchup tonight, Bobby.
Yeah.
It's the first couple of cupcake games.
You're like, all right.
I feel like we're maybe just, I don't know.
We're pressing some things, taking some, maybe I would say low quality shots.
Let's try to work for it a little bit better.
I think they were just trying to get their legs underneath them.
Watching 'em against Rutgers.
I didn't watch it, but seeing the highlights against Rutgers, who plays at one o'clock on a, what was yesterday? Monday? Yeah, Monday.
Monday.
Come on.
I know.
It's not, it's the week of Thanksgiving.
It is not Thanksgiving.
Anyways, I seeing some of the highlights.
It's like, okay, these guys, they're gonna get better at defense.
Rick's gonna get more out of them on that.
Mm-hmm.
Nate feels like a guy that, we've had a great success outta the transfer portal.
We've had some really good guys over the years, but they kind of like, eh, they vanished a little bit.
Or maybe we didn't.
We were getting shots all season long and now they, Nate feels like a guy where it's like, Hey, we can figure it out.
And then Jacoby is, he's playing fantastic right now and the best part about it is we have probably the best rotation of big men that we've had in a long time.
Yes.
So those three, four guys down low.
If Carrie can stay out of foul trouble, man, I feel more confident.
Yep.
We've never, and we've had big guys before, but not big guys that can score.
Mm-hmm.
They're just down there to get rebounds and defense, but now we're dunk.
I we, this the little high low dunk we do the lob, it's like the NBA.
They'll pick and roll.
You get those two guys to draw to you at the top.
And as you start to drive your wide opens, I love those place.
It feels almost unstoppable.
And for Ocpa to be able to stretch the floor a little bit.
I mean, shooting lights out on three pointers.
Yeah.
I mean, it's amazing.
So, I don't know, where's the final four this year? We should probably start, this feels like a Final Four game.
This feels like a Final Four game.
Yeah, but Houston always has our number.
They do.
I'm just gonna say they do.
What's his name? What? Sam Coach's name.
Sam.
Yes.
He out coaches farms.
He's a good coach.
He's a good coach.
Yeah, he's very good.
But.
I was telling Ms.
Slaney earlier, they played late last night.
Mm-hmm.
And it went to overtime.
So maybe they're a little tired.
Maybe that's worth three to five points.
I think we win.
I think we win tonight.
Yeah.
I think we're deeper fresher.
Six o'clock we coasted a little bit against the Rutgers.
Yep.
And the fighting SHIs.
I think Nate is only gonna get better.
Mm-hmm.
In the first four games each game, I can tell more and more confident.
I think he was kind of shocked.
The speed, the physicality.
He's realizing this is big boy ball.
But those other guys coming in, like you said, transfer, they're all working out so far.
Yeah.
I think it's a solid team.
And I do think Nate will find his shots and I think he'll be able to adjust to the speed finding angles.
The game within the game.
He's getting the fouls called against him now.
Exactly.
You don't just have to pull up and take a shot.
Drive it.
Drive it.
That's what connect with so cadet.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
I'm excited for the season.
I think it'll be, I don't, you know, we go as far as the health of the team will go, but also, you know.
Yeah, we struggled in postseason play, but I think this is, this is a team that could go deep.
Um, and we say that every year, which is true.
We've gone deep.
This is why we're on the podcast right here.
This is the year, next year's the year for football.
But this is the year for basketball.
Yeah.
Hey, next year we're getting Joey back.
He's Come on man's.
Yeah.
Um, okay, so we gotta wrap it up here.
Uh, let's go on the way out.
Let's do predictions for Lane Kiffin.
Mm.
Where's he headed? Mm.
Brief explanation of why.
Mm-hmm.
You're picking what you do.
Mm-hmm.
I, I think he should stay.
I don't know if he is.
I think he should stay because he is been to so many different places.
Mm-hmm.
I don't know.
I just think he's, I don't want him at Florida.
Really? That's probably why.
Mm.
I don't want him at Florida.
He'll.
Take it to the next level, and then there'll be a thorn in our side, just like Spurrier was.
And just like Urban Meyer was.
Mm-hmm.
So that's why.
Hey, he's, I'm, I can't wait to welcome Coach Kiffin in two-tone blue.
He's gonna be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Come on down.
What? What? Come on down.
Where is that? Whoa.
I love that.
Why not? He's got some pro experience who wants to keep messing? He's the transfer portal king, but like, who wants to keep doing it? Interesting.
This flip.
Move the family in Nashville.
Okay, come on down.
Put knocks in it.
Vandy system.
They're an elite program.
This is his calling.
I doubt he goes to the pros.
Because I think he likes being a troll and he likes being goofy.
Mm-hmm.
You can only do so much of that in the pro.
So I agree with Joe.
I think he should stay at Ole Miss.
I think in today's world that program is just as competitive as LSU or Florida or Penn State.
As far as the financial backing, the resources, the NIL stuff, you can make the argument that they're even better.
I think he should, but I also think he's, he likes chasing.
Rabbits a little bit.
I think he's got a little bit of that saving.
You know, I wanna prove that I was wrongfully doubted or left on the tarmac or whatever, and I think I could see him going to LSU and being the guy that turns it around.
He's done it everywhere.
Except for Oakland.
He was not very good as a Raiders coach.
No.
And USC, he failed miserably at USC.
So you think LS U Okay, so you think LSU, I think stay.
You're L.
SU.
I, okay.
Two reasons why he is going to Florida.
One, the same type of, I don't know the word, moxie is not the right word, but the same type of whatever the Florida fans have and you know what I mean? Throwing urine on people.
They throw PE on people.
Yeah.
Okay.
That same type of just stuff that they do.
That is Lane Kiffin.
Okay.
As a troll, as a coach.
Right.
So he fits the fan base.
Plus he has always loved Spurrier, and that's why he wears the visor.
Mm-hmm.
So he wants to go down there.
Mm-hmm.
He wants to redo all of, the clout that Spurrier had.
He may or may not throw his visor if he gets down there, but.
Um, and that's my biggest fear.
I don't want 'em down there.
No, because Florida will, they'll get back above us.
Yep.
Because again, hap has hit a ceiling anyway.
We're not going down that rabbit trail again.
Okay.
We're gonna end on that note.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Yep.
Everyone.
Um, yeah, us next time.
Jamie, it's for live podcast.
All my millennials go out there and watch the Spurrier.
You think visors are cool? Georgia fan video.
That's all I can think about when we're talking about Spurrier Visors.
Go Balls.
Gobble.
Gobble Ball.
Go Balls.
Go Balls.