There have been plenty of occasions through the years when college football programs dreamed of being the next Notre Dame.
This isn’t such a week.
The No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers are seven-touchdown favorites against Kent State at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night (7:45 on the SEC Network), and if they need a fresh example of overconfidence, they’ve got one. Notre Dame vaulted to No. 5 after opening this season with a double-digit win at Texas A&M, but the Fighting Irish fell flat last weekend, losing to Northern Illinois 16-14 in their home opener.
“I think a great thing for us to look at is what happened this past weekend in college football,” Tennessee sixth-year senior receiver Bru McCoy said. “My parents’ alma mater is Northern Illinois, and you saw them upset Notre Dame at Notre Dame. It’s just a reminder that you can’t get too comfortable or complacent.
“You can’t disrespect any opponent, because you never know what can happen.”