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Wiedmer: Vols may still be years away from topping Alabama

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd Head coaches Butch Jones and Nick Saban are surrounded by photographers before the game. The top-ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide visited the University of Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football action on October 15, 2016
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd Head coaches Butch Jones and Nick Saban are surrounded by photographers before the game. The top-ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide visited the University of Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football action on October 15, 2016 Staff Photo by Robin Rudd Head coaches Butch Jones and Nick Saban are surrounded by photographers before the game. The top-ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide visited the University of Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football action on October 15, 2016

By Mark Wiedmer 6 min read

photo Mark Wiedmer

Read more about the Vols, Crimson Tide game

KNOXVILLE – With 12:41 to go Saturday afternoon, Tennessee football coach Butch Jones figuratively threw in the towel against No. 1 Alabama. Not that you could overly blame him, given that 42-10 hole his Volunteers found themselves in at that moment.

Still, when you’re down by 32 points and you’ve got a fourth-and-1 at your own 34, what would it hurt to go for it instead of punting? How much worse could it possibly get, other than a slightly more lopsided final score? If nothing else, do you have any better chance to win the game by voluntarily giving up the football?

No.

A thousand times no.

And what was the result of that punt? Did it stop the bleeding? Stem the Tide, so to speak? Not exactly.