With Tennessee and Kentucky both having lame-duck coaches on the sidelines, there was very little excitement for Saturday's game. The Volunteers pulled away for a 37-17 victory, but the highlight of the day didn't come between the two teams or a play on the field.
Instead, it was Smokey - Tennessee's mascot - that stole the show. Smokey broke loose from his handler, which caused him to go after a Kentucky kicker.
Needless to say, it was an entertaining moment between two teams staying home for the postseason.
Printer-friendly version
There isn’t a ton of drama remaining in the regular season. Assuming Alabama beats Auburn — and Nick Saban’s team is favored by over four touchdowns — the SEC Championship Game is set: Georgia vs. Bama. Two teams are fighting for bowl-eligibility; Ole Miss must defeat Mississippi State and Missouri needs a win at Texas A&M to reach the six-win mark.
The Derek Dooley era at Tennessee is over. Dooley was fired after Saturday's 41-18 loss to Vanderbilt, which dropped his overall record in Knoxville 15-21. Under Dooley's watch, the Volunteers were just 4-19 in SEC play and made only one bowl appearance. Tennessee has fallen behind Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in recent years, so this is an important hire for athletic director Dave Hart.
There were no changes in the power rankings, but it was still a huge weekend for the SEC. Thanks to losses by both Kansas State and Oregon, the winner of the SEC title game between Alabama and Georgia will be in position to play for the national championship. Also of note, Vanderbilt beat Tennessee in Nashville for the first time in 30 years.
After Saturday’s 41-18 loss to Vanderbilt, Tennessee decided to pull the plug on the Derek Dooley era. Dooley went 6-7 in his first season in Knoxville but went 9-14 over the next two years. Also, the Volunteers were just 4-19 in SEC play under his watch and was off to a 0-7 start in 2012.
All 14 SEC teams are in action this weekend, but there are only three games involving two league teams. And all three feature at least one team that needs to win to keep its bowl hopes alive. Tennessee is 4–6 and needs to beat Vanderbilt this week and Kentucky next week to get to the six-win mark. Arkansas, also 4–6, has a tougher road.
