Greeson: Today surprisingly big for UT, Georgia, UTC

Every college football fan circles important dates on the schedule.

Big rivalry games and revenge contests are easy to remember. Next week's Oklahoma-Texas and Alabama-Florida games quickly come to mind.

Games that potentially mean the difference between a good season and a great one are highlighted early on. Arkansas fans knew in July that Alabama was coming to town today.

Before the season, however, today's schedule for Tennessee, UT-Chattanooga and Georgia was little more than a primer. Back in June, today simply was going to be a set-up Saturday that put the tumblers in motion for an October that will define each program's season.

Now, a month into their schedules, the Volunteers, Mocs and Bulldogs face must-win scenarios against a collection of unlikely opponents.

Think about it: UT needing to beat UAB just doesn't sound right, does it? Georgia needing a win over Mississippi State to salvage its season seems like hyperbole, huh?

Yep, you read that right. These Vols have to win today. So do the Bulldogs. And, in truth, so does UTC, which has its best team talent-wise in a decade. If the Mocs stumble today at SoCon cellar-dweller Western Carolina, then talented or not, the Mocs would be 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the league.

"We're in the conference right now, and one of our goals is to win a championship, so as of right now every conference game is critical," UTC coach Russ Huesman said. "Whether there's a bye week next week or not, I think building the momentum is the key. It's a conference game, and a big one for us."

Momentum is a critical word for the Mocs and the Vols in particular today. Each plays a game that was viewed as a win in August, and if it's reviewed as a defeat come Sunday, well, the future is limitless. And not in a good way.

Western Carolina may be improved, but seriously it's tough to put a lot of stock in a team's improvement if the linchpin is beating Gardner-Webb - unless we're talking hoops in the 1970s when John Drew was on the Boiling Springs campus before becoming an NBA star. The Mocs should win today, and while better talent is one measure of an improved program, handling games like this quickly and efficiently is another.

For the Vols - whose coach Derek Dooley has talked all week about how dangerous the Blazers are - this is a must-win. At 1-2 and staring at an October death march that goes to LSU, to Georgia, hosts Alabama and visits South Carolina, the Vols losing to UAB would be crippling. If they harbor any goals that include the words "bowl" and "eligible," well, today is the springboard. Or the trap door.

"Oh, man, I hope they're not looking ahead," the coach said. "I don't see why they would. We're focusing on improvement. That's the big thing. We're looking at what they're doing, how we can attack them, and then how we can improve at each position. That's what we're doing.

"I hope the kids are doing that. If they're not, it's not going to be a good day."

For Georgia, well, a nervous fan base has become downright nauseous. Now that Dan Mullen is starting to shape his program, losing at Mississippi State no longer will represent the scarlet letter that it may have been in previous regimes. That said, it's still Georgia vs. MSU, Big Bulldogs vs. Li'l Bulldogs, and other than those pesky cowbells, Georgia is better at almost every position.

Still, it's an SEC road game at night, and an 0-3 start in the SEC for Mark Richt could further erode his tenuous standings among the Bulldog Nation. Richt has earned the chance to work through the kinks of a freshman quarterback and the unforeseen problems of A.J. Green's NCAA-issued absence.

Mike Bobo, though, has not earned as much street cred, and a year after Richt replaced most of his defensive coaches, Bobo's seat becomes hotter by the week.

That said, each fan base - and each coaching staff - will be able to rest a little easier this weekend. As for next month, though, well the challenges will be as big and more difficult.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6273.

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