Jay GreesonFrom Big Vol
I've been waiting for this season for a long time. How do you really think Tennessee is going to be this year?
Big Vol -
I expect big things Big Vol. Very big things.
Expect a win over Florida and Georgia. Expect a close win over Texas A&M in a traditional trap game that will feel like an escape.
Expect a tight loss to Alabama and a much-hyped rematch in the SEC title game with the winner getting a ticket to the national football playoff.
How about that for big expectations, and considering where the program was when he arrived, Butch Jones will be a front-runner for coach of the year.
That said, he will rank near the bottom of interview of the year, and that's OK. Dude is not paid to be a funny quote in the postgame. He's paid to win football games and rebuild a program.
And now, Big Vol, for the first time in a longtime, every UT has every reason to have the loftiest of expectations.
From Mike C.
Hotter seat - Malzahn or Charlie Strong?
Mike C. -
We'll say push. Each is in a world-class pressure cooker heading into year 3.
As for which one has the better chance to survive, we'll say Strong because the Texas schedule is not as daunting as the Auburn one.
Try to picture the start to your work day for Gus Malzahn this time of year.
Get up.
Wash face and brush team.
Realize you really need to win eight of your 12 games to feel safe.
Shower.
Remember that your schedule includes four games against teams ranked in the top 11 in the preseason poll and three against the top five.
Get dressed.
Drive to work as fast as you can because, hey there's nothing like Auburn fast and there's a lot to get done.
Remember that naming Sean White as your starting quarterback Thursday means John Franklin III is not ready, Jeremy Johnson remains the Jeremy Johnson we saw last year and not the Jeremy Johnson we heard the Heisman hype about last summer and you still do not have the single key piece to your offense - a quarterback who is a legit running threat.
Cup of coffee and three Advil.
And it's been that way since the start of camp. (Although those weekly pay checks of more than $100,000 on his $5.4 million annual salary do help take a bite out of the pressure.)
From Longtime Listener, First Time Asker
Hey man, I started reading your online column after listening to you guys in Press Row and thought you might could help me with this question.
My current girl friend does not care at all about football so I don't know how she is going to handle the massive change our life is about to get.
Do you have any tips to make this easier because I want to keep her around but it's football season?
(P.S. - If you use this in the mailbag could you put a fake name or something on it. Thanks and keep up the good work.)
RR -
Well, this is an excellent question, and the only way it could have been better was if you had asked it many months ago.
The easiest and most most fundamental key to a strong season of football bliss with a significant other is to lay the groundwork from post-Super Bowl to the end of August.
Why do you think so many dudes are at the Chattanooga Market or walking the Walnut Street Bridge or picking blueberries or you name any other mindless jaunt on weekends through the spring and summer?
Where we grew up our grandmother called it "baking sweet cookies" meaning you paid in kind - and in kindness - before the start of the football season.
(Now full disclosure, we had an exchange with RR to ask for some extra details. This girl friend has been serious since February, he ranks her below 'scorching' but as 'definitely hot' and is very content in all other matters. Also, this lady has occasionally made references to friends being "football widows" so there's some hurdles here.)
OK, with that background knowledge, it seems you have missed the best and most successful way and that's the direct approach. When she was dropping the lines about football widows, well, that was a cue in the moment.
We fully endorse the sit her down and let's talk about the fall. with a plan.
"Schmoopie, let's talks about the fall, because didn't you say your friend Hot Pants was getting married in October? What day was that again, because there's a lot of stuff going on this year."
"Yes, she's marrying Dumb Jock on the Third Saturday in October."
"Oh honey bear, well, I had tickets for us to the Tennessee-Alabama game that weekend. I thought you would have loved a trip."
"What? To a football game? You know we have to go to that wedding, she was my Omega Mu little sister's best friend back when I was in college."
"Snookums, that's why I wanted to talk about this because the fall gets busy with all the big weekends and events and things going on."
From there, you have to pick your spots. (And doing this after about 2.5 glasses of wine is not a bad thing either, considering once you have this conversation, you have the "Remember, we talked about this" ace in the hole.)
You may have backed yourself into a corner for this year, and you may have to pick which is more important Saturday's with college or Sunday's with the NFL, seeing as we are on the cusp and you are trying to pull this out with a late fourth-quarter Hail Mary.
That said, it's never over 'til it's over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Heck no. And it ain't over now. ("Germans?" "Forget it he's rolling.")
The most powerful subtle way to flip her completely would be to get her interested in the occasional sports wager - for entertainment purposes only of course. You will be amazed by the moth-to-the-flame reaction that most folks who do not follow sports and only are casual gamblers before (cards, slots, what not) have. This does not have to be huge amounts of entertainment tickets every game every weekend, but the fundamental basis of betting is offering a vested interest to even the most casual of fans. And it works.
You could even use fantasy league teams as a baseline for this and as a way to offer connection.
Plus, this gives you the chance to explain the game to her, and most times people who do not like football simply do not understand it so they choose to go in the other direction. Kind tips and tutorials about plays, positions, factoids and all the rest can go a long way in the novice fan enjoying and connecting to the game.
Speaking of connection, you could try the direct approach. Friday nights with her; Saturdays or Sundays with the football.
You can try to get in a position to go to a few games, especially college games, because the tailgating experience and the "trip factor" work in your favor here. It's decidedly more expensive of course, but we're weighing opportunity costs as much as financial ones.
Finally, we offer this as a matter of public service.
Do not force her or strong arm her to come to your regular watch events with your buddies, even if their significant others are there. This is of paramount importance.
Yes, ask her if she'd like to go, and if she says no, and you go by yourself, that's better than you calling in the cards and running the risk of her ruining the shindig. This runs the risk of turning her and your friends against each other and that's the ultimate lose-lose in this entire scenario. There's no good way out of that.
Right now you are trying to salvage your football season and your relationship; which means you run the risk of ruining your fall. If you start ruining your friends' football weekends, well, brother, you're doomed in each direction.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
In this June 8, 2016, file photo, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott walks off the field after a workout during an NFL football training camp in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
From Fat Vader
Thank God it is football season again. I have been aching in my bones since Basketball ended. JG, have you and the Press Row gang thought about bringing back the 105.1 sponsored Fantasy Football league that Bonsanto used to do? I was in it about 5 years ago (I'm pretty sure Wells was there too) and it was a good time.
Fat Vader -
We'll look into that later today. Not sure if that's in the works or not, but we'll let you know. This is a good point to start rattling off a lot of specific fantasy football questions you guys and gals have tossed our way in the last week, and let's do these in as rapid fire a way as possible.
Do you like Ezekiel Elliott? Like, no. Love, yes. Think he's going to be a fantasy difference-maker. (That said, if you draft him overspend for Alfred Morris, his back-up. Do not let a strained Elliott hammy can't derail your entire season.)
Is Cam the best fantasy QB? He's right there, but we'd still likely take Arron Rodgers before him. Yes, Cam runs more - and more effectively - but we believe Rodgers is poised for a monster year with Jordy Nelson back. (Also, this is an important point - if you can't get Rodgers or Cam, do not be afraid to wait on a QB. The difference between say a Drew Brees and Tony Romo or Philip Rivers is not as great as the difference between the tight end gap from rounds 3 to 6 or even the No. 2 RB gap there.)
Best fantasy advice? We'll give you three. First, know the scoring rules backward and forward, and know them before you start preparing. Second, kicks in last round. Period, and non-negotiable. Third, spot the position runs and either embrace it or veer off from it. For example, Gronk will be the first tight end picked, that won't start the run. When say a Jordan Reed or Gary Barnidge goes next, that could force the rat of the league to start looking at the tight end rankings. Do not over spend there because everyone else is panicking. Deal? Deal.
Better year Winston or Mariota? We'll go with Winston because of his perimeter weapons, and the chance to be a week-in, week-out starter in deeper leagues. In truth, in a 10-team league, both are back-ups to start the season.
If you had the No. 1 overall pick, who you taking? In a point-per-reception league, Antonio Brown. He's the surest thing there is, and first-round picks in fantasy are more about basement production than ceiling production, meaning a first-rounder needs to be dependable, and there's no one more dependable than Brown.
Biggest sleeper? We'll let you know Monday, after our draft on Saturday morning on the Weston Wamp show on ESPN 105.1 the Zone.