UT

After getting curb stomped by Vanderbilt last night, AD Dave Hart has pulled the trigger and officially released Derek Dooley as head coach. Dooley turned down the offer of coaching the final game of the season and interim head coach Jim Chaney will coach the Vols against Kentucky.

http://tennessee.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1438232

It looks like the NCAA is kicking the University of Tennessee while they're already down. With a disgruntled fanbase and the huge rumors of Jon Gruden taking over the coaching job for Derek Dooley after seasons end that almost seem to be going no where, this is going to send their fans into a frenzy.

 

A former University of Tennessee assistant football coach knowingly worked with a booster to provide impermissible travel and lodging to a prospective student-athlete, according to findings by the Division I Committee on Infractions. The former coach was also cited for unethical conduct for his role in the violations.

 

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/november/tennessee+football+program+cited+for+recruiting+violations

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/01/13/charity-pulls-out-of-kiffin-... Looks like someone in Knoxville finally figured out what to do with all those left over Lane Kiffin bobbleheads. NOTE: The writer of the NBC sports article linked above is terrible at writing sports articles.

 

There is more to Neyland Stadium than meets the eye.

Dr. Bill Bass, a forensic anthropologist and author who founded the Body Farm in Tennessee a quarter-century ago, established the research facility to study how corpses decompose and help determine the time since a person's death. The facility is utilized by researchers and law enforcement as a scientific research lab.

UT football fans come much closer to aspects of the Body Farm than they may realize.

"The anthropology department is housed in Neyland Stadium and the bones (from the Body Farm facility) actually end up in Neyland Stadium," he said.

"They are sitting on about 5,000 to 6,000 skeletons (in Neyland Stadium)," said Bass.

Bass said the football stadium is the closest the public should come to the research conducted at the Body Farm.

 

http://www.eturbonews.com/9094/tourists-dying-get-univ-tenns-body-farm

a quick run down of the story says that several, i've heard the number 7, football players from the university of tennessee were involved in a bar fight last night which ended in the assault on an off-duty knoxville police officer. one player has been charged so far, Da'Rick Rogers a freshman 5* receiver.

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/fight-992807-football-arrested.html

So I was wondering what the general feeling is amongst the MGoUsers about the rivalry games this weekend. I'm torn as to the USC-ND game but don't really have a rooting interest in the UT-OU game (other than my girl being a UT fan I guess that answers that question).

As for the USC-ND game I'm obviously conflicted (I think most are) on one hand we have ND and we hate them and they suck and *insert we hate rival verbiage here.* However, on the other hand, should ND win that means Front Butt might not get fired (woo!) and, almost as important, Clausen might be viewed as one of the top QB prospects in the land and considering the rookie salary cap starting next season (most likely) would be likely to leave and that would be awesome so we don't have to deal with him next year.

Thoughts?