YouTube user “bill4volz” uploaded a video entitled “Volunteer Boy calling out N.C. State football,” July 2. The video features a University of Tennessee fan (who conceals his identity using a comic book-like camera effect) expressing his disdain about the Volunteers’ opponent in the Chick-Fil-A Kick Off game in Atlanta – the Wolfpack .
The video has clearly angered many State fans and has left me wondering what pitcher of Kool-Aid this guy has been drinking from. I realize Tennessee has six National Championships, and all of its fans must think they are high and mighty due to past success, but I think some information needs to be clarified for them.
“Bill” begins by expressing his utter disappointment in having N.C. State on the Volunteer schedule, stating that Tennessee deserves a better opponent. From there, he degrades the Pack with one insult after another.
Bill seems to believe that Tennessee deserves to, at the least, play the best that North Carolina has to offer, arguing that NCSU isn’t the marquis athletics program in the state.
Fair enough. Duke and North Carolina have had our number in most sports since the Jim Valvano days in basketball. However, Bill seems to be missing a couple pieces of key information. State has defeated UNC , a team currently under heavy NCAA investigation, five consecutive times. And then there is Duke. Duke is … well, Duke. The Devils have amassed a whopping total of 25 wins over the past decade in football. So, go ahead. Let them play the Tar Heels or Blue Devils if that is what Bill believes his program deserves. It sure doesn’t say much about the Volunteers.
Bill also can’t escape the argument that Tennessee is one of the best programs in the nation’s history. Can someone remind me what year it is? I keep thinking it’s 2012, but Bill seems to think it’s 1998.
While it is undeniable that Tennessee has a far more storied program than State, the present is all that matters in this debate. It has been five seasons since the Volunteers finished with a winning record after the regular season and two seasons since they last saw the field of a bowl game, which was a double-overtime loss to UNC in Nashville.
State has racked up 17 wins over the past two seasons, including back-to-back bowl wins. The team is returning 17 starters to the roster led by highly touted NFL prospects in QB Mike Glennon and CB David Amerson . If Bill insists on talking ancient history, though, I would be happy to show him the all-time winning record State has amassed against Tennessee.
Don’t get me wrong. Tennessee is a great team with potential to crack the top 25 this year. They have a first-round draft pick in Tyler Bray who has strong targets in wide receivers Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter, assuming he can stay healthy. However strong the offense may be, the Pack should be able to counter that. The passing game is likely to be much less effective than Tennessee fans expect with Amerson and C.J. Wilson in the backfield. They’ll have to figure out ways to move the ball other than passing.
My message to Tennessee fans: Don’t sleep on the Wolfpack . The name on the uniform isn’t playing the game. That is left up to the players.
