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Vols should take heart from Buckeyes
After losing to Georgia, Tennessee is 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1988. The Volunteers should look to Ohio State for reassurance. Like Tennessee, which had five would-be seniors leave early for the NFL this season, the Buckeyes suffered a mass exodus of talent to the pros last year and floundered to a 6-6 record. This season, Ohio State is 5-0, thanks to defense. On Saturday the Buckeyes sacked Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger nine times, bringing their season total to 24, five fewer than they had all of last season. When Ohio State defensive tackle Ryan Pickett revives an old nickname and declares, "The Silver Bullets are back," as he did Saturday, it should lift hearts in Columbus, and, if they're paying attention, in Knoxville, too.
Trying to keep 'em insideVirginia blew a four-touchdown lead at home over BYU earlier this season and almost blew a 21-0 lead at home over Maryland this past weekend before winning 31-23. One possible reason the team goes flat is that their fan support wanes in the third quarter.Cavaliers fans have a tradition of leaving Scott Stadium at the half to tailgate and taking their time to return. Virginia athletic director Terry Holland is considering a rule prohibiting fans from leaving then reentering the stadium. Angering the fans isn't going to make them cheer, is it?
Steele keeps friendly reminderIn his office, Baylor coach Kevin Steele keeps a laminated copy of the last page of the play-by-play from Baylor's loss to UNLV last year, with the final play highlighted.You may recall that Baylor led by three points when Steele yielded to his players' wishes and went for a touchdown instead of taking a knee. Tailback Darrell Bush fumbled and UNLV returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. Steele isn't a masochist. He keeps that laminated page handy to defy his critics. "I'm still here," he told me. The fact is, the 2-3 Bears are better. They've just got a long hill to climb. Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers the college football beat for the magazine and appears each Saturday on CNN's "College Football Preview." Click here to send a question to Ivan's college football mailbag.
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