5-at-10: Friday mailbag

Gang, excellent week. We are thankful for this little meeting place.

From the "Talks too much" studio, you know what time it is.

photo University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones answers questions from media at the University of Tennessee Football Media Day Thursday, July 31, 2014, in Knoxville, Tenn.

From Jomo

A question for Jay- is Vandy so bad that UTK can "mail it in" and win ? and if you are a UTK player do you really want to win this game and practice for 3 more weeks, just so you can make a trip to Shreveport or Memphis ? as you know practice ain't fun. are they motivated, just so UTK FANS can wear a sweatshirt that says Weedeater-First National-Ronco Cordless- Bowl champ?

Jomo -

We think UT can walk through Nashville with or without shoulder pads and be fine Saturday against Vandy.

Vandy is bad. Historically bad. So bad in fact that Derek Mason erased all three years of James Franklin's construction in a mere three months. You could even say it was wiped clean in three quarters in the season opener against Temple, but we digress.

Tennessee is not great mind you, but there's a reason this started as a two-touchdown game and the spread has grown.

Tennessee is better on each side and faster everywhere. That's a tough combination.

And to question the Vols motivation about a bowl is nonsensical. Of course the players are motivated.

Amid all the cliches and coach speak, this game actually gives Butch Jones and his players a true and tangible brick for this bunch to lay.

For the few seniors left, getting back to the postseason for the first time since Dooley's first year is a meaningful step. It may be a lower-tier bowl, but it's a bowl nonetheless, and that matters.

For the young Vols, it's a chance to provide an extra couple of weeks to prepare for what could be a meaningful run in the East in 2015.

And we'd so buy a Ronco Cordless Bowl shirt. Money.

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photo This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows actor Burt Reynolds portraying Lewis Medlock, left, and Bill McKinney as Don Job in the 1972 film "Deliverance." Four decades ago, the lush northeast Georgia mountains were introduced to the world in the hit film. That's why the communities along the Chattooga River are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie's release with this weekend's first ever Chattooga River Festival.

From Peter

Jay, I have been listening to Press Row all football season. You guys are awesome.

I have been looking for a a question you could have some fun with and I think I found it.

OK, did you see Burt Reynolds is auctioning off some of his stuff.

What's the Rushmore of Burt Reynolds gear if you could have any of his movie stuff?

Thanks and love the show.

Peter -

Thanks for the kind words and for passing along your question.

We had not heard about the Bandit's auction until your email, so we did some digging.

Man what a sad tale. Reynolds is selling everyone from a miniature sword letter opener (opening bid $25) to a 15-foot-tall statue of a bronco buster (opening bid $75,000).

Reynolds was at one time the George Clooney of his age. Seriously. Dude was the epitome of cool and was the top draw at the box office. And then, he was offered Jack Nicholson's role in "Terms of Endearment" and turned it down to play "Stroker Ace."

And from there, the careers went where careers go.

Still, it's sad to see a dude's entire life on the auction block - and we mean everything since there's 673 items there http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/146/.

If we had to go for a Rushmore, well, we'd go for movie stuff. We looked at some of the offerings and Burt had a lot of paintings, sports memorabilia and cowboy gear, but we don't know if these things were listed or not, but here goes:

-- The Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit, right down to the personalized tag plate "Ban One."

-- His Mean Machine 22 jersey.

-- Jack Horner's sunglasses in Boogie Nights.

-- His collection of cowboy hats from the Bandit to Gator to Hooper even to his turn as Boss Hogg.

That would be cool. And sad.

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From Al D.

Man, why do you guys only talk college football on your radio show? You know the NFL is in full swing, don't you?

I read your 'Power Poll' in the sports section and there's no way the Dallas Cowboys are one of the five best teams in the league. No way.

You are just drinking the ESPN Cool-Aid about Dallas. But since they don't play in the SEC why should we expect you to know anything about it?

Al D. -

To Al's credit, he submitted this question before the Cowboys laid a Turkey Day egg.

No Kool-Aid here, we just think that the Cowboys have an elite collection of offensive toys. Now if Tony Romo makes decisions like he did Thursday, it looks more like an elite collection of misfit toys.

Speaking of misfit toys, coming off a Thanksgiving buffet of NFL and with a supremely interesting slate of Sunday games, let's look at five NFL items of interest.

- Seattle is back. Wow the Seahawks stifled the 49ers.

- Speaking of the 49ers, uh, Colin Kaepernick has accepted franchise-quarterback money. So let's start see some franchise-quarterback plays, huh.

- The Eagles are legit and the work Chip Kelly is doing with Mark Sanchez speaks volumes for Kelly's skills as a QB whisper and screams insults about Rex Ryan's.

- We are stoked for Pakcers-Patriots on Sunday and will be interested to see how Belichick attacks Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson.

- Sunday night, Kansas City-Denver screams grudge fight. In truth, that one has the feel of a blow out one way or another.

Hey, maybe the winner of that one could even contend for an SEC title.

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From tcase08

I also have a hypothetical question you might consider for the mailbag. If (and that's a big IF) MIZZ wins out, SEC champs, could the committee really put them in the playoff? This is a team that squeaked by Vandy by 10 points and lost to Indiana.

Tcase08 -

No way Missouri gets in without a slew of help, and the reasons are what you stated - more the loss than the escape against Vandy.

The fact that Indiana beat the team that very easily could be in the Georgia Dome has to be mentioned. In fact, if the chips fall where they may, and Missouri and Mississippi State play for the SEC title, that's going to be what, a 7-point spread?

And if Missouri wins, then you are talking about an SEC champ sitting on the curb for the first college football playoff. You want to get this thing moving to eight in three years, let that scneario play out.

Which leads us to...

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From Chuck

OK, you have been raking on the CFB playoff committee and I tend to see your complaints.

So what is your four right now, and who do you think the four will be?

Thanks, and love the 5-at-10.

Chuck -

My top four as of this moment would be:

  1. FSU

  2. Alabama

  3. Oregon

4, Baylor

I think the four will be something very similar to that, too. Maybe the committee swaps Ohio State for Baylor or even TCU.

But what happens if Iron Bowl craziness happens or Georgia or Missouri win the SEC title and the top four looks something like this:

  1. FSU

  2. Oregon

  3. Baylor (or TCU)

  4. Ohio State

Nuts, right.

Well, nuts seems like a pretty description of what we've seen from the playoff committee so far. They are putting a quality metric on "game control" which is like rewarding a team for leading in time of possession.

So it goes, and if interesting is what they wanted with a committee shrouded in secrecy and controversy, then congratulations. If the best four teams and doing everything possible to get it right, then why not open up the process?

Nuts, right?

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