re: Why do Tennessee fans think beating Northwestern was such a big deal?

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Maybe a good question, but asked in a shitty way. Nobody ever claimed that Northwestern was some juggernaut

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True, nobody claimed Northwestern was a juggernaut, but the preseason hype for Tennessee has reached unreal levels, and some of us are scratching our heads to try to figure out the root of it. And it did seem to ratchet up after the win over Northwestern. So while claiming Northwestern was a juggernaut may not have been verbally stated, it certainly seems to have been implied.

It boils down to this: Does Tennessee return more than most any other team in college football? Yes. Did those starters last year prove they had what it takes to compete for championships? Absolutely not. Will they have what it takes to compete for championships this year? Maybe, but until they prove it by winning a big SEC game, I think there is very little reason for hype.

I've picked UT to win the East this year. But it probably has more to do with the fact that Georgia, South Carolina, and Missouri all have first year coaches.... and I think Florida takes a step back this year, and UT gets them in Knoxville very early. So I think UT is the projected East champ by default more so than because they'll be extremely good.