After the long drive home to gather my thoughts...

[Black Diamond Vol]

This hurts more than any of the close calls we had under Kiffin and Dooley.  Even while we were playing UGA and USC close last year, it always seemed to me like there was a great deal of luck involved, that we were more or less doing it with smoke and mirrors.  And you just KNEW that they would find a way to blow it in crunch time.  I didn't feel that way tonight in the 2nd half.  Even when UGA went up 24-17, I still thought we were going to win.  We were outplaying them and outcoaching them.  And Neyland was once again a great homefield advantage, a place to be feared.  It hasn't been like that in a long, long time.  So this game was progress.  Painful progress, but progress nonetheless.

Tyler Bray was a supremely talented QB.  He was also a mentally fragile frontrunner, who had a tendency to pout and mail it in if things didn't go his way.  Well, for tonight anyway, Justin Worley was the Anti-Bray.  He's still limited physically, and he still has some serious issues.  But he was absolute nails tonight.  After all that kid has been through this season, losing his job and then getting it back only by default, it would've been really easy to check out of this game after going to the locker room down two TDs.  And that's exactly what Bray would've done.  Eventually, we're going to have a QB who is a much better fit for this offense, and is physically capable of running it at the highest level.  But we can only hope that, whoever he is, he plays with half the heart that Justin Worley showed tonight.  

Did we turn a corner in the second half tonight?  It sure felt that way.  And IMO that was mainly due to trust.  You saw Butch finally begin to trust his players, and they began to trust him, and each other.  As a competitor in the ultimate team game, your biggest fear shouldn't be of losing, but of letting down the guy lined up next to you.  When you get 22 guys and their coaches buying into that philosophy, special things can happen.  

The bye week couldn't come at a better time.  It gives the team an extra week to heal after a physical slugfest, and an extra week to recover mentally after our most painful loss in 12 years (I'm going with the 2001 SECC.  Anyone disagree?).  If they can build on what they did tonight, they have an excellent shot to beat USC in two weeks.  

I would seriously trade away the rest of our season if we can just win one of these next two.  I'm ok with a 1-5 finish, as long as the one is against USC or bammer.  Not that that would ever happen, I'm just saying...

So the fans gave the team a standing O as they left the field.  And all those visiting recruits hopefully saw that.  You have to think that that would leave a HUGE impression.

Another hot, miserable day today.  Is Fall ever going to get here on a gameday?

[VinnieVOL]

This hurts more than any of the close calls we had under Kiffin and Dooley.  

...after our most painful loss in 12 years (I'm going with the 2001 SECC.  Anyone disagree?).

See, I can't explain it but I don't feel this way at all.   Was telling Dad on the walk back, "I'm disappointed, but this doesn't hurt like the Dooley losses did."  To me it was because they left it all out there on the field, players and coaches.  Players played a heckuva game and coaches coached a heckuva game.  I just can't ask for anything more.  After the second half of the South Alabama game, I was really down.  I wondered if we'd win another tame this season.  But today felt like, "ok, we belong".  We went toe to toe with them and we belonged.  Neyland felt like the good old days.  Today gave me hope.

[Creek Walker]

Two things you pointed out that struck me tonight:

1.) Butch Jones out-coached Mark Richt tonight. Badly. Richt won on talent alone.

2.) I cringed when the fans booed Worley once in the first half, because no one wants a house full of prized recruits to see that. But it's hard to imagine that these recruits weren't pretty well impressed by the end of the night. When everything is going right, Neyland Stadium is a pretty special place to play football. It's been a while, but tonight was just one of those nights. Tennessee played well enough to show that they can belong but are just a few pieces away from being a real competitor again in the SEC. 100,000 fans spending most of the second half singing Rocky Top at the top of their lungs...that an't hurt. Oh, and speaking of the atmosphere, I love the enthusiasm on the sideline. From Butch chest-bumping his players to the way the reserves are constantly working the crowd. Every time I saw Curt Maggitt tonight he was running up and down the sideline trying to make everyone louder.

I still don't think Worley can win in the SEC, but I'm rooting for him. I'd love to see him succeed. I hope the second half tonight was the start of him coming out of his shell. One thing that was really nice was the coaches calling the game to his ability. I don't think they've always done that this season.

[Inspector Vol]

Not upset either, but then I never invested in it. Was more amazed than anything.

Thought that 2nd half of last week would be a turning point for good or bad this year. The effort the guys put out today was great. We did not get that the past 3 years. Hopefully they continue to get better and play hard. Bowl game is still a huge long shot, but maybe next year.

[Creek Walker]

See, I can't explain it but I don't feel this way at all.   Was telling Dad on the walk back, "I'm disappointed, but this doesn't hurt like the Dooley losses did."  To me it was because they left it all out there on the field, players and coaches.  Players played a heckuva game and coaches coached a heckuva game.  I just can't ask for anything more.  After the second half of the South Alabama game, I was really down.  I wondered if we'd win another tame this season.  But today felt like, "ok, we belong".  We went toe to toe with them and we belonged.  Neyland felt like the good old days.  Today gave me hope.

It really didn't bother me that much, either. Part of that is because I've become immune to it over the years (haven't we all?  ). Another part of it is that I just don't become emotionally invested in football like I used to. I love to win and I hate to lose, but at the end of the day it's just a game to me. There was a time when I would gripe all the way back home. Anymore I've already moved on by the time I get back to the car. I did allow myself to get into this game emotionally about midway through the third quarter, but I guess in the back of my mind I always knew Georgia was going to find a way to pull it out. That's what Tennessee football is all about, after all. What did make this one sting a little is knowing how important it was for the state of the program. A win over the nation's No. 6 team would have not only given us a really, really great shot at bowl eligibility, but it would've been a huge confidence and morale booster.

[RockinGrannyVol]

See, I can't explain it but I don't feel this way at all.   Was telling Dad on the walk back, "I'm disappointed, but this doesn't hurt like the Dooley losses did."  To me it was because they left it all out there on the field, players and coaches.  Players played a heckuva game and coaches coached a heckuva game.  I just can't ask for anything more.  After the second half of the South Alabama game, I was really down.  I wondered if we'd win another tame this season.  But today felt like, "ok, we belong".  We went toe to toe with them and we belonged.  Neyland felt like the good old days.  Today gave me hope.

I agree with you 100% on this -- these guys are leaving it on the field and they never QUIT -- which was probably my biggest upset with Dooley's teams.    They may make mistakes, they may not have the talent or depth of other SEC teams....but they just took the Dawgys to the toughest game they've had all year long.   I could not be prouder and it was so wonderful to HEAR the fans in Neyland on TV again!!  The commentators mentioned it several times. 

[Volznut]

This one doesn't hurt at all to me as much as that, or even LSU '10, Bama '10 or UNC '11.

This one showed me that we have a coach, and we are on the way back. I didn't expect a win.

[Black Diamond Vol]

This one doesn't hurt at all to me as much as that, or even LSU '10, Bama '10 or UNC '11.

This one showed me that we have a coach, and we are on the way back. I didn't expect a win.

I didn't expect a win coming in to the game, but as the 2nd half wore on I did.  Because unlike all the other games you mentioned, we actually looked like the better team.  Our play after halftime last night was no fluke.  We out-schemed and out-executed them, but their overwhelming talent advantage won out in the end.  And while I feel for their kids who were injured, I don't want to hear about it as an excuse (as I have been all day).  Because we've had just as many injuries off of what was a razor thin roster to begin with.