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Episode 8: Alabama preview and the TX A&M Cult · Champions of Life

welcome to the champions of life podcast where 3 orangeblooded Tennessee alums discuss how there's always next year Hey everybody.
Welcome back to the Champions of Life podcast.
I'm your host.
Wait, I'm not a host, I'm just a guy.
My name's Bobby.
I'm here with Laney and Joe.
Just a couple UT fans, alums, talking about Tennessee sports.
So we come to you here on Alabama Hate Week, and a big win against our Kansas.
Was it a big win? Any SUC win is a big win.
It was not pretty.
Nope.
Our defense against the run made some great adjustments, but uh, we had a lot of the same woes we did against Mississippi State, which I think we were all hoping would be put to bed after a bi week did not happen.
Quarterback is really good for Arkansas.
We'll give him that.
He is.
Coach and they played for Katrina.
I was gonna say the same thing.
Go for it.
Yeah, they, I mean, I just thought they were ready.
They're probably excited.
Probably hopeful.
You knew they were gonna be aggressive.
They were gonna come out swinging, going forward on fourth down, taking shots.
Fortunate.
I don't know which maxim it is, but fortunate that we controlled the ball.
We got more turnovers.
And if you don't get those fumbles, you're in trouble.
And the clock management is concerning still, a lot of complaints on the boards, message boards, conservative play call fourth quarter.
Hmm.
It, we need to get that worked out.
There's a little bit like Georgia probably could have done a little better there too.
There's a lot of chatter about conservative hypo versus, you know, the Hinden hooker.
You know, uh, Hyatt's got five touchdowns, Hele, and so I don't know what the strategy is.
I don't know if it's his coaching staff.
I've heard other people say, well, I think he's got more talent.
So he is being more conservative in the fact that he can control the game and coach the game, whereas.
When he was aggressive, maybe our roster wasn't as competitive as it is now.
And so you take more shots because you don't know how many possessions you're gonna get.
You don't know if your team is just gonna straight up match up with Georgia, Alabama level athletes, and so you try to out scheme it.
But to me, I'm like, can you find a good balance? If you've got better talent, you would assume that you could still out scheme them.
I will just say I watched some highlights.
I was unfortunately in the Texas a and m Florida game.
I was in the stadium.
I had my phone going, I was watching it.
The wifi was bad, so it was going in and out.
I saw some things here and there.
But I had to be subjected to all of the stuff that happens at a Texas a and m football game.
And, I'm not a fan.
I don't like it.
It's weird, it's cultish.
So one example, Florida is running on the field.
Okay.
Beginning of the game.
What do we do when Florida's running on the field? We boo.
We boo.
We boo very loud.
Like yes.
Everybody in the is booing.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
They are singing The Cut, the Bevo, Texas.
Horns off.
Not the team like doing the sway and every, they have no idea that Florida's running out.
I'm standing there booing.
Everybody else is singing about Texas.
Who they're not even playing.
They're crazy.
They're crazy.
That is an unhealthy obsession.
It is.
And they sang it twice.
They sing it in the fourth quarter.
They're doing horns down.
Yeah, I saw some of that.
And then they're yell leaders.
They should have a different song for whatever team's there, like wrangle the gators or something.
They should, but they are so stuck in their traditions.
And if you're anybody other than Texas, like it's okay.
They aren't gonna heckle you.
They're not gonna do anything.
They're still gonna hate Texas and let you know about it.
Hmm.
So they don't do cowbells like Mississippi Stateway? No cowbells.
Oh, that would've been terrible.
But they do all the weird signs with the yell leaders and the hand motions, jazz hands all over the place.
Jazz hands.
Oh yeah.
There's all kinds of.
They literally do this and they turn in a circle that is, and then they do this, and then they come down.
I mean, like, it is, this is not a video podcast, but if it was, and they don't even watch the game, their backs to the game, right? Yeah.
They're trying to get the fans going.
Yeah.
So if you were an opposing player, you'd be terrified of all the jazz hands and Oh, a hundred percent gyrations.
Yes.
From the, from the crowd.
Terrified.
Hmm.
And about how all the fans are.
Squatted down while they're doing their cheers and like they all know what to do.
Like when at certain point in a cheer Hmm.
Well they practice it.
They, yeah.
But like a Friday night before a game, they all practice it till midnight I think.
Yep.
Anyway, I was hoping, I didn't know who I wanted to win, but I was glad to see Florida lose.
So there you go.
I missed the Tennessee game sadly.
We won.
I turned it off in the fourth quarter.
We went up, what? 34? 17.
Didn't turn it off.
Changed to a different game.
The game was over and I don't know how they came back, but it's not Whatever we let them do, I don't know.
It's not good at all.
First of all, it's great that you were able to shake years of trauma.
To just be like that, confident to change the channel.
Hey, this, I'm a ball for life, Bobby, you are a, you would think that you would know.
Wait a minute, we had just scored twice.
I was like, oh, we're gonna score a third.
We're gonna get, we are gonna extend.
This is the feeling when I turned, I was like, now we're gonna go up.
What would that be? What's 34? Okay.
This is math for all, all for, it's two touchdown, right? We scored like two really quickly.
Mm-hmm.
34 plus seven would've been 40, 43.
43.
42, 43 is 9 41 34.
Hey, we all took math of U2 guys.
Give us, give us a little break.
But the point is I'm thinking we're gonna score at least one more and maybe a field goal, maybe add three to that, whatever that, whatever that number is.
Yeah.
Listeners, you, you write in and tell us, just score at home.
But I'm thinking we're gonna extend it and maybe they get.
A field goal, not expecting much.
Yeah, very.
You're right, Bobby.
I did, I did brush that off.
Years of, of uh, generational trauma.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It really is.
For you to feel that freedom to change the channel, that's a big deal.
It felt great.
I was like, we're in a different spot here, but then we let 'em back.
We'll never do that again.
And this is why we're taking supply.
This is why we do the podcast right here.
We got a little conservative on defense and, um.
Played a lot of zone, which you'd have to do for a running quarterback.
There were several plays where he just took over and was like, I'm faster than you.
So shout out to Talen, great athlete.
They found the holes.
They found the holes.
They moved quickly.
Our past rush was fantastic.
That's, that was the difference in the game.
Um, and I think we pulled back a little bit.
At the end to allow him to have a little bit more time.
So a little scary.
Yeah, you, I looked up at the scoreboards 34 17.
There's four minutes to go and you don't count all your chickens, but you feel pretty good about that.
You got a good enough cushion.
Um, got a little conservative on both sides of the ball.
But the good news is we won and that same pass, rush.
I'm hoping that that is what affects Mr.
Simpson this weekend.
I think, um, moving to the Alabama game, our guys up front, we may not be able to stop the run, which I don't know.
Somebody else smarter than me and understands X's and O's can tell me why.
We don't have linebackers on the field at all times.
We've got five or six in the secondary.
Which may be why they're running so much on us, but shout out to Hood.
And, a lot of these guys, um, Lander, t Lander, both of our safeties have been playing great to come up and stop the run.
They're undersized and so they've come in, they've stuck and made tackles, which is great, but do we not have more linebackers? But, yeah, I think the pass rush against Alabama will be the key to, to winning the game on Saturday.
Also.
We're where we thought we would be going into the Alabama game, right? Mm-hmm.
We lost to Georgia, even though we should have won.
Should have won.
But at least we are.
We're tracking.
We're in the hunt with where we want to be.
Can we figure that run defense out in seven days? Mm-hmm.
Before Alabama? 'cause the last two games hasn't been great.
Not a lot of hope there that we could, but.
They're gonna have a lot of film on this now, and that's what they're gonna go after.
Probably Alabama doesn't have the Derrick Henrys and the marking room, so they've still got good athletes.
Um, wait, is Ryan Williams, is he still 17 or has he turned 18 now? He's, he's, he's 16.
Oh, wow.
He's back.
Yeah.
He just got his driver's license.
Shoot.
He is a fantastic player.
Yes, he is.
We're so, is what, Jeremy, Jeremy Bernard, yeah.
Yeah.
Odd name, but proctor's, their leading receiver.
Yep.
Yep.
Big.
He's 350 pounds or whatever he is.
Are we getting our corner? Are our corners back? They didn't start the Georgia game.
Mm-hmm.
McCoy's not back, right? Mm-hmm.
No, not yet.
Which if he's not back at this point, it just really makes me think we may not see him for the rest of the season.
Okay, so what do y'all think? Win loss at Alabama.
We haven't won at Alabama since what, early two thousands? I think Outta three.
Yep.
And let me throw this in there.
Their last three SEC games, they have scored up to 30 points.
Our last three SEC games, we have scored at least 30 points.
Hmm.
It makes me hopeful.
I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I have hope so.
What's your prediction? I don't know.
I was gonna let y'all go first.
It's a night game.
It's a night.
All, all of our games from here on out are probably gonna be night games, is my assumption.
Kentucky's a night game.
Kentucky's a Yeah.
Alabama's a night game.
Probably gonna have van's in our favor at home.
A night game, Oklahoma.
I feel like Oklahoma would be during the day.
No, maybe.
Okay, so get your coffee ready at night in Tuscaloosa.
Yeah, Alabama looks way better than they did week one.
I think their offense was, not fluid.
Defense had a lot of questions.
You just saw stuff from Alabama that you just didn't see with Saban at that, you know, they're throwing their hands up in the air.
They're windings of the refs, they're pointing fingers at each other.
And so you go, okay, maybe something here that they are.
They're very beatable.
And so, week one.
You can't give too much credit to that, but Boston or Boston College, Florida State, the quarterback from Boston College.
Oh, at Florida State.
He's the, he's basically, they won the, he won them the game.
Yes.
They weren't prepared for him.
I don't know if they just didn't watch enough film.
They are beatable now playing in Tuscaloosa at night.
We will get into this.
Who knows what the officiating is gonna be.
Mm.
It doesn't give me, I'm not, I'm not sitting here saying, I think we can get a win, but.
The hope in me is you watch what Indiana did, they go out to Oregon, they're huge underdogs, and they come out and they get a win.
And so I'm going, why can't that happen for us? We're due one.
So I think if you are making your connections with Brazel, uh, Staley's staying hot, and Mike, you get Mike involved in the game, and then if Bishop and Star can keep.
The running game consistent.
It doesn't have to be eight, 10 yard runs, but five to six yards a carry.
And, Peyton can do that too.
I think you're in the game.
If you put a gun to my head, I'd say I, I think Bama probably will beat us by 10.
But the ball fan in me, I think we can go out and I think we can win by four.
So that's my official prediction is balls win by four and I'm gonna go something at, okay.
30 31 to 27 loss.
No vs.
Win vs win.
Yeah.
Wow.
You, it was like a, we were riding rollercoaster, riding away there, roller rollercoaster.
We were up and down.
You were going Alabama, you're going this, this way.
You tune in.
This is, this is the life of a all fans.
You've got your heart and your mind.
Mm-hmm.
Your mind says, we're going to do what we did at Georgia.
Mm-hmm.
And find a way to lose.
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
Put your hearts like I believe in us.
We could do it.
We got everything.
Okay.
Alright.
Well.
If I felt good about officiating or if I felt good about hoppel or you know, like there's all these extraneous things that can come in out of nowhere and just wreck us.
Mm-hmm.
I mean, I feel good about what we can do offensively.
I think we need at least one explosive play.
I would love to see two plus takeovers.
That'd be, or takeovers.
Turnovers.
That'd be amazing.
Apple takeovers.
Apple takeovers.
Delicious.
Also, turnovers.
We don't want turnovers.
No turnovers in the day.
No, not for us, but you know, if we can, if we can get, Simpson under pressure.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
There is hope.
Okay.
There's hope.
I feel like I don't wanna pick Tennessee, but you don't have to because we might win if you Yeah, I know, right? There's a psychological game that is being played, we believe we can win, but if we pick him to lose, it's that we really want 'em to win.
Yeah.
Reverse psychology.
Here's the other thing.
Is this the game where we make Ty Simpson or one of their running backs look like the leading Heisman candidate? No, no, no, no.
I think Simpson's already the leading candidate.
Candidate.
He, probably is.
Can we, can somebody talk about Joey please in the race as well? Can we just That's ridiculous.
If he wins this one, I think they will.
Hopefully they'll have to, yeah.
I have to.
Okay, so I'm, I don't care.
Whatever.
I'm going, Tennessee 44.
Wow.
Alabama 41.
Wow.
Okay.
No, I'm with you guys because if, if some Auburn officiating goes on and they want Georgia.
Mm-hmm.
If people want Alabama to win, they're gonna win, right? Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
The refs, the, I don't know, what would you say, Bobby? Vegas.
Okay.
Thank you.
Um, that's where I, yeah, I'm with you guys.
Okay.
I would say, I'll say we're gonna win I'll say 37.
37 to 30.
Hmm.
Tennessee.
Yeah.
Okay.
But I, there's a, okay, here's the dark, the bad side is sometimes the history of Tennessee is we just get off to a horrible start.
Mm-hmm.
And someone goes up on a 17 to nothing or 17 to three, and we're just happy to kick a field goal.
I have a fear of us going down there in the first half and then the second half we just play catch up.
It's just too deep.
Too big of a halt.
Yeah.
That's my fear.
Saw that against Ohio State.
But you also saw it against Vandy and we locked in and said it's Vandy.
Yeah.
Came back.
Right.
But you, it's harder to do that against South Van.
Yeah.
Here's the other thing we're doing and, and we gotta wrap this up soon.
I know, but we're also getting out to a good lead early.
Mm-hmm.
And then at halftime they've caught up to us.
Yeah.
We're tied up going into the half, and then we come out second half.
And we're slowing down and I don't understand that consistent.
You have to have the killer instinct.
We're there to win.
Yeah.
That's why Georgia and Alabama win they've got it.
This is the year where there's no overly dominant team.
This is not the same Bama.
And so I know we're three delusional people with a microphone right now, but to watch Georgia lose at home against Alabama, why can't Tennessee go in to write Denny and grab a win? I agree.
Bobby.
So, all right.
This is the year we're all in.
This is the year.
Okay.
Give us a couple random UT sports updates.
Joe, really quick.
Uh, man.
Preseason, preseason number 18 and they're playing Duke and go a deal up tickets.
They're outrageous.
It's not even a real season game.
It's a like unsubscribe and you can enter to win a free ticket.
No, we do not have any free ticket.
Do not say that by, this is like that jet, the documentary of the jet on Netflix.
The guy.
Oh yeah, yeah.
No, we're not Pepsi.
Where's my Pepsi? Or is my jet? The women are pre-season eight soccer team.
Still three or four depending, but supports your other sports.
They need it.
It's October, I think the first game's at the end of this month, like October 28th or 30th or something.
Mm-hmm.
So.
Alright.
No balls.
You heard it here.
Champions of Life podcast.
We're beating Alabama this weekend.
Well, now wait a minute.
It's disclaimer.
Asterisk is if the referees don't want us to win.
Oh, okay.
I didn't know we had asterisk here in Vegas.
I'm just saying Vegas.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist.
Okay.
But anybody with a functioning brain watching the Tennessee Arkansas game, it's like, what are these reps doing? And then if you're Auburn.
Was it the Mississippi State? The Phantom, yeah.
Passing offensive.
Passing interference was horrific.
Yes.
All right.
Watch out for those things.
I'm just saying.
Okay.
Tennessee wins a bunch of asterisks we'll see in a few days.