Four or five weeks ago, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football season still very much a work in progress, Mocs coach Russ Huesman made an interesting observation.
“Everybody thinks we have to get it done this year, that the sky is going to fall if we don’t make the playoffs,” he said. “And I want that as much as anybody, especially for our seniors. But I happen to think we’re going to be a pretty good football team next year, too.”
When the NCAA’s FCS playoff selection committee failed to include UTC in its 24-team playoff format on Sunday, next year began for Huesman and his team. Next year has also arrived for the Tennessee Vols, Florida Gators and, to some extent, the Georgia Bulldogs.
UT and Florida, of course, locked up losing records on Saturday, which means this is the first year since 1978 that they’ll both be home for the holidays at the same time.
In Georgia’s case, quarterback Aaron Murray’s career-ending knee injury in Saturday’s rout of Kentucky means the Bulldog coaching staff can find out two games prior to spring practice (this week’s regular-season finale against Georgia Tech and a bowl contest) how well Hutson Mason handles being the starting quarterback, rather than merely subbing for Murray against the SEC’s worst team.