If you’re finished crying … or drinking … or spitting anger after last week’s coaching debacle that led to a 26-20 What-the-Hail?!!? Mary win by Florida over the Vols, it’s time to get back on the horse and get ready to play the Minutemen.

Hey, that’s one mascot we can all identify with, amirite?

Anyway, onward and upward. None of us are happy with Butch Jones right now, but we need to snap and clear, build back our emotions brick by brick as individuals and get back to being champions of life. It’s UMASS WEEK, after all! WOOHOO! Win comin’!

Speaking of wins, last week, I went 4-2 in my picks, upping my record to 10-7-1 on the season. That’s not bad. We’re improving every week, getting there. It’ll come. Maybe by year seven [in Jones years]. Who’d have thought UCLA would get out-gunned by Memphis? I sure didn’t. Also, the Vols were getting 5.5 points in Gainesville, and they were two touchdowns better with decent coaching. I don’t feel bad about that loss, relatively speaking.

The others were pretty easy. Tulsa lost but easily within the 10.5 points it was getting. That Missouri-Purdue under 78.5 never even got close, Clemson trounced Louisville and North Carolina (a 7.5 favorite) beat Old Dominion by 30. Good week for the good guy, even if it wasn’t for the Good Guys.

Anyway, UT is 2-1, and that’s all we care about. Let’s first take a look at last week’s keys and find out why they’re 2-1. It’s because they didn’t listen to me.

• Take care of the ball: Nope. This didn’t happen. Quinten Dormady threw three interceptions, including one inside the 10-yard line and one that was returned for a touchdown. That’s inexplicable when you’re playing against a team like Florida. You simply can’t do it. The Vols did it. FAIL!
• Impose your will: Nope. Tennessee did this at times through the game, riding John Kelly. But the Vols didn’t do it when it mattered most. They had seven and-goal downs against the Gators, and all seven of them were passes. One was completed for zero yards. That’s awful. As good as Larry Scott was in the first two games, he was terrible in the game that mattered most so far. FAIL!
• Cover those edges: This was much, much, much better. The Gators struggled to sustain drives and couldn’t get anything going offensively for much of the game. It was a much-improved game by the defense, until the last play of the game, that is. SUCCESS!
• Get a game-changer: This never happened for the Vols, and you feel like Kelly was close. Instead, the Gators got a pick-six and then the 63-yard incredible completion on a beautiful bomb by Feleipe Franks on the game’s final play. FAIL!
• Be the aggressor: Same ol’ sloppy, timid Tennessee against the Gators. The Vols tried to do better in the fourth quarter, and you have to give it to the players for fighting. But the coaches coached soft. FAIL!

That’s one out of five. That’ll get you beat every time.

KEYS

Get Guarantano Extended Reps

The talented Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback hasn’t played enough yet for us to really know what we’ve got with him. While Q hasn’t really lost the starting QB job, he hasn’t seized it yet, either. What if what the Vols have on the sideline is the next star signal-caller, and he just needs a chance? If he comes out and lights up the Minutemen, I’m not suggesting you start him against Georgia, but this UMass team is awful. You need to get Guarantano some key reps just in case Dormady continues to struggle with his ball placement and decision making.

Both of these signal-callers are talented. But only one of them is getting the most important reps. These coaches need to prepare for anything, and that means Guarantano needs to be ready. The only way he gets that way is with extended action.

Can I Get a Shamburger, Please?

All we heard about throughout the preseason was how impressive Tennessee freshman cornerback Shawn Shamburger was. The same goes for fellow cornerback Cheyenne Labruzza and safety Theo Jackson.

Well, I think it’s time to play at least Shamburger.

No matter how much Justin Martin hustled and batted that ball through the end zone for a touchback last week, it’s not been a good start to the season for the senior. What do you lose getting Shamburger a lot of action against UMass? What if he’s a star-in-the-making? Jackson looks primed to be the No. 3 safety with Todd Kelly Jr. out for the year, so it’s important that he gets some reps, too. But the Vols need help in the secondary. This is the right time to do it.

Ty Time

One positive for the Vols coaches last week was the package that they put in for freshman running back Ty Chandler. We all know John Kelly is a horse, and you’d like to get him enough yards in a quarter or two to set him up for some postseason accolades, sure, but those things aren’t important. The most important thing is that he’s healthy for the gauntlet UT must endure in October.

Plus, Chandler needs a long look as a primary back. Let’s give him 20 touches and see what happens. I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised, and Kelly will get a rest, too.

Don’t Get Anybody Hurt

Again, we touched on this with Kelly above, but UT is averaging about one season-ending injury per week. Can we stop this trend? Please?

Let the Byrd Fly

Remember when Tyler Byrd flipped from Miami to Tennessee and we thought we had one of the best incoming playmakers that we’d had in years? Yeah, he is still talented. We just don’t get him the football.

It’s asinine that Tennessee is playing Byrd on offense, but whatever. The Vols say they’ve got him over there because he needs the ball in his hands. Well, then, GET HIM THE BALL!

It’s time for him to have an expanded role. This is getting ridiculous. We’re wasting a great talent. Throw him the ball or put him at cornerback where he’s an NFL player.

LOCKS

Either I’m seeing things incredibly well this week, or I’m going to get taken to the cleaners. Two or three of these look too good to be true. That means they probably are. But I’m 10-7-1, so I’m gonna keep going with my gut.

1. Utah -3.5 over Arizona: I don’t get this one at all. The Utes probably aren’t good enough to be ranked, but just because the Wildcats blew out UTEP doesn’t mean they’re suddenly good. They aren’t. I like coach Kyle Whittingham’s team by double digits.
2. West Virginia -21.5 over Kansas: In the past two weeks, Central Michigan beat this Jayhawks team by 18 (then went on to get crushed at Syracuse), then Ohio beat them by 12. Now, you’re telling me that Will Grier and Co. won’t win by more than three touchdowns? The only way this doesn’t cover is if the Mountaineers are resting starters.
3. Duke -2.5 over North Carolina: I believe in Duke. I believe in David Cutcliffe. I believe in quarterback Daniel Jones. And I believe in the Blue Devils’ top-ranked rush defense. This is a team good enough to be ranked. The Tar Heels? Not so much.
4. Florida -2.5 over Kentucky: I don’t believe in Kentucky. I know the Wildcats believe they found something a week ago in a shocking road win at South Carolina. And the Gators certainly aren’t world-beaters. But they’re better than UK. They’ll win by a touchdown or more.
5. Oregon -14 over Arizona State: Again, this is one I do not get. I believe this Oregon team is rolling under Willie Taggart and behind Royce Freeman. The Sun Devils cannot stop anybody. Tons of points will be scored, but the Ducks will score a lot more.
6. Tulsa -10 over New Mexico: Tulsa is a winner against the spread. I like winners. I ride winners. The Golden Hurricane has been money for a lot of weeks for me [if gambling were legal]. I’m gonna keep riding them.
7. San Diego State -3.5 over Air Force: Two good, well-coached teams going at it in what is a very important Mountain West Conference game. But this is a low spread, even if the Aztecs are on the road. They’ve got the best runner in the nation you don’t know about in Rashaad Penny and a solid defense. They’ll cover.
8. Oklahoma State -12.5 over TCU: Remember what I said about winners? Mason Rudolph and Co. are winners. I don’t think the Horny Toads can hang.