University of Tennessee Volunteer linebacker Kevin Simon is vowing not to lose this Saturday when the Vols travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. At 3-2, the Vols are on the brink of mediocrity, but Simon won’t have it:

No one came here from California (like Simon), or Hawaii (like defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona), or Florida, or Texas, or up north in New Jersey to be 3-3. We’re not a .500 ball club.

Without the glare of the Spotlight, Tennessee has something to prove for probably the first time this season, and they could very well return to Knoxville 4-2 (and 3-2 against top ten teams) instead of 3-3.

College Football News’ weekly Road to the Rose Bowl is out. Remaining in the hunt are:

• Seven Unbeaten Contenders, including SEC teams Georgia and Alabama;
• Nine No Margin for Errors, including LSU and Auburn.

The Tennessee Volunteers can improve their position significantly by beating Unbeaten Contender Alabama at Tuscaloosa this weekend.

Tennessee Volunteer linebacker Kevin Simon on the Vols’ five overtime victory over Alabama two years ago:

I’ve never been that tired ever in a football game. The best part about that game was you know you gave your all, and when you were laying down on that field, it was in victory.

It was a great game to be a part of if you were Tennessee. If you were Alabama, you probably wouldn’t feel the same.

Simon played 102 of 108 defensive plays in the 2003 victory.

John Pennington’s random thoughts for the day:

• Is there a happy medium between a Johnny Majors-esque live-in-fear-for-your-job mentality with respect to assistant coaches and the Fulmer-ish we-are-all-a-family approach?
• Ohio State fans handle disappointment better than Tennessee fans.

OSU is a mirror of UT in almost EVERY way this season. But their fans packed the stadium and were IN the game from start to finish. Even when Michigan State was capitalizing on OSU special teams fumbles… the fans would immediately re-charge their batteries and begin screaming again with the ensuing kickoff.

That’s what Neyland Stadium USED to be. Personally, I think Vol fans grew spoiled during the Manning Era (and the immediate aftermath) and now they look at the game as they would a film or an opera. “Entertain me!” Sure that’s a fair assessment.

But Vol fans used to look at the games as THEIR chance to get involved. They seemed to believe that they were as important a part of a Vol victory as the team was. And that’s a far cry from, “Entertain me!”

• An outsider’s perspective on Neyland Stadium:

“The most uncomfortable stadium in America.” The seats are too small from side-to-side and there’s very little room front-to-back, either (according to [Pennington's friend]). If you’re not driving your knees into someone’s back, then somebody else has theirs in yours.

• Volunteer bowl projections look disappointing.
• You know any Kentucky football coach has his work cut out for him when the local media has pre-game coverage of a basketball practice during football season.
• Calls to replace Randy Sanders with Trooper Taylor because Trooper offers a lot of excitement is like “choosing a doctor because he’s got good hair.”
• Gerald Riggs is “Cedric Houston Part 2.” Good, but not great.
• The guy who created firerandysanders.com (intentionally not a link) deserves the same treatment. Go read Pennington’s suggestions here.
• Tennessee might have been able to beat Alabama last week, but now that the Crimson Tide has had their wake-up call, it’s much more difficult to call.

Pennington, as always, is full of insight. Today’s blog is lengthy, but worth the read.