Tennessee Football: I’m feeling a range of emotions after Alabama game

The Tennessee Volunteers took on Alabama and the SEC officials on Saturday night, and Jarrett Guarantano didn’t help the Vols any.

Well, as the game comes to a close, I have a few different emotions running through me. The first one is anger. Obviously, the crap show that ESPN put together for the broadcast combined with the officiating was the worst I have ever seen.

We have all known about the “Alabama bias” from the SEC officials, but that has been taken to a new level after this game. Tennessee finished the game with 14 penalties, and they had maybe five or six actual penalties.

Every time Tennessee got close to threatening Alabama with a score or defensive stop, a phantom penalty popped up. It got so bad that non-Tennessee fans and some Tennessee haters were even upset about the officiating if that tells you anything.

The bums in the booth drooling over everything Alabama did right and not giving Tennessee credit and giving Alabama the benefit of the doubt throughout the whole game was equally as frustrating.

So that’s where my anger is coming from. Another source of anger is from Jarrett Guarantano. He is the worst quarterback I have ever seen.

He missed a wide-open Jauan Jennings steps from the endzone, which led to a field goal and topped off his career at Tennessee with a fumble trying a quarterback sneak into the endzone. With that play, he should never play another snap again at Tennessee.

Even though all of that happened and pretty much ruined what’s left of the rest of my night, but there are some good things to come out of this game.

I have three main things I want to point out from this game, and I’d love to hear what all of you think. Hit me up on Twitter and let me know. Help me feel better about this game.

The first thing I liked about this game was Tim Jordan. That guy is a football player. Not one time did he quit on any play that I saw, and every time he had the ball in his hands, he fought for extra yards.

He has some real fight in him, and I love it. We saw some of that in him last year, but this was the first time for me where that really stood out to this extent.

I don’t think it’s just a Tim Jordan thing either. I think Jeremy Pruitt has instilled a new attitude in this football team. That’s the second thing I like coming out of this game, and I’m on the verge of saying I love it.

Over the past few weeks, I have taken a complete 180 on Pruitt, and I was sold after the Georgia game that Pruitt is our guy. The players not quitting in this game is another reason why I believe that.

This team is getting better each week, and I can’t help it, but it’s getting me really excited for Tennessee’s future. Pruitt showed some emotion on the sideline, too.

Pruitt had enough from the officials, and he might’ve been ready to fight the officials, but seeing him on the sideline throughout that game got me pumped up too.

I told you earlier this week that Alabama’s defense isn’t that good, and if you watched this game, you know, they’re not as good as they have been. I haven’t felt like Alabama is a top-three team for most of the year, and with their defense slacking, I don’t know if they’re top five.

Alabama’s defense didn’t show up, but Tennessee’s did, and that’s the final thing I want to point out. They played their hearts out, and even though Tua Tagoviloa left with an injury, I believe the defense still played a really good game.

If the offense was able to do anything in the second half, then I don’t think Alabama reaches the 30-point mark, much less win by 20 plus.

A non-targeting targeting call on Daniel Bituli hurt the Vols and forced Tennessee to finish the first half without him and Henry To’o To’o. The Vols got Henry T back in the second half, but missing Bituli still hurt the Vols and left a hole in their defense.

A lot happened in this game, some good and some bad, but I’d say more good than bad. A win would’ve been sweet, but the SEC simply wasn’t going to allow that.

I think Pruitt is pushing the Vols in the right direction, and I’m confident he’s going to get it all figured out. And for the Alabama fans reading this, Dixieland Delight is about Tennessee. GBO!