The Vols are the total package.  I feel like Dr. Robert Neville in "I Am Legend" when he describes the mutating virus which has taken control of humankind, who grimaces with grudging respect and says: "It is...  elegant."

That's how I feel about Tennessee.  They're fluid, move the ball extremely well, they're long, powerful, and they can all shoot.  Their defense is second to none and starts from the second you inbound the ball.  Their bench seems to go on forever and they're led by one of the hottest coaches in the business.

It will be a long shot for any SEC team -- any SEC team -- to beat them.  And if anyone can string together 16 SEC victories this year, it's Tennessee.  But I don't think they're going to do that.  They'll lose a few games, anywhere from 1-3 in my view, en route to an SEC title.

Tonight could be one of those games.  Tennessee could very easily be overlooking the struggling 'Cats.  For Kentucky, winning this game would have such huge meaning for the program at this stage in its transition: a validation of sorts.  I won't say it would "make Kentucky's season" because Kentucky is too successful a program to need to win a single game over a top-ranked opponent to be satisfied in that manner with a win.  But it would still be undeniably huge.

Tennessee is playing in Rupp.  It's not easy to win in Rupp, even when Kentucky's not at their usual best.  Kentucky always has a chance at home.

This game can be won.  It will require a higher level than we've seen all year from the 'Cats; fewer turnovers, better decisions by Bradley, some signs of development on the part of Patterson, and Jodie Meeks -- probably the best pure athlete on the team -- has to be "back".  It's not fair to expect or demand that he do that after an extended downtime due to injury, but a high level of play is really needed from him.

I think Jasper might be less than 100% for awhile, but if his shooting touch is there and he make a couple of buckets and eat the offensive glass like he tends to do, he can be a difference maker as well.

Not gonna lie: it's going to take an off night on the part of the Vols to make it possible.  A full-strength, clicking-on-all-cylinders UT squad can probably beat any team in the nation.

But it is possible.  And speaking on behalf of other SEC teams, we need Tennessee to lose some games.  So we'll be rooting for you tonight.  GO CATS!

but that's why we play the games.  I predicted several weeks ago that during one of our first 4 SEC games this team would "click" and get on fire.  I've seen glimpses of such a click but it has not happened completely yet.  Maybe tonight will be the night.  Go Cats!

I haven't peeked here since the UT-UK football game (reminder: currently a UT student, though not from the South).  I thoroughly enjoy the UT-UK games precisely because of the nature of the two sides.  I fully expect a hard-fought game, and probably a close game that comes down to the final few minutes, but I haven't seen any UT or UK fans who have been ugly about the other side.  (To be honest, most UT fans were far more bitter prior to the Ohio State game than this one.)

From this side of the fence, I wish many thanks to Tru for a wonderful blog, and many thanks to the UK fan base for making this an energetic and thoroughly enjoyable conference rivalry.

... I've always had a really good experience with them.  We went to Knoxville for the 2006 Gators-Vols football game and we were treated with kindness and respect.

The worst fans in the SEC (football-wise) are LSU, in my opinion.  They're pretty hard to like.  And Bama fans can be... annoying (although they're not as bad as, say, Ohio State or FSU fans.)

a total beatdown tonight. Cats will lose by twenty something. Lofton won't let them "overlook" UK nor will Prince, who wasn't affected by not being recruited to UK, but the fact that his cousin played for us, he will want to have "one up" on his cuz for smack talk puposes.

I am not a naysayer or a doomsday prophet, I am just looking at this realistically without the benefit of paper. UK doesn't have the guns to get into a shootout nor does it have the talent to dictate tempo against UT, other teams like Florida maybe, but not UT. It sucks!@!!! At least you won't have to hear RockyTop in Rupp because by halftime the band would be clobbered for sounding like a broken record.

Hopefully, I am completely wrong and our boys pull a W out of their proverbial arses. We shall see.

GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!