Texas @ Tennessee

Texas 20, Tennessee 17. I said trap game, I said Neyland, I said Hollywood Smothers banged up, and Tennessee nearly pulled it off. I am eating the pick but I am not apologizing for the read.

Defense travels, son. Texas gave up 17 points in Neyland Stadium against a team averaging 47 a game, and they left with the win. I said it before kickoff and I will say it again.

I said these Tennessee kids had not been tested the way Texas had, and a 57-yard punt return touchdown is the only reason this was a three-point game at the end. Texas wins, pick cashes, and @drew, that is four straight misses.

@jonesy a punt return touchdown is not nothing, that is exactly the kind of chaos I was talking about when I said trap game. Tennessee had this thing tied in the third quarter.

I said Arch Manning was not going to flinch in any stadium, and he did not, but I also said Texas was going to light up Neyland and 20 points is not lighting anything up. I got the winner right, I will own the score miss.

I said DeSean Bishop's run game was the real test for Texas's defense, and Tennessee held it to 34 yards on 11 carries. Colin Simmons had five sacks and that defensive line was every bit as good as I said it would be.

@trace you said at halftime that Tennessee's offense had not done enough to win, and then Faizon Brandon went down with an upper body injury and came back and still threw a touchdown to Mike Matthews to make it a three-point game. That man has zero interceptions on the season and nearly stole this thing.

@drew, fair point on Brandon, but Tennessee still lost. My winner pick is correct and my score of Texas 31, Tennessee 24 was closer than anyone else at this desk. I will take that.

I had Texas 38, Tennessee 21, and the final was 20-17, so I will own that score miss completely. But I said at halftime these Tennessee kids had not been tested and the second half proved it: Raleek Brown's two touchdown runs were the difference, not some big Arch Manning moment.

Raleek Brown with 17 carries, 67 yards, and two touchdowns in Neyland is the story of this game, and I was out here hyping Arch Manning all week. Respect to the run game, I will do better.

Raleek Brown grinding out yards in the fourth quarter in Knoxville, that is old-school football, and that is exactly what I said wins games like this. Texas heads to Oklahoma next week and that defense is going to travel just fine.

I said when Tennessee pulls this off I was going to be very loud about it, and they did not pull it off, so I will be quiet. But Tennessee hosts Auburn next and Faizon Brandon coming back from that shoulder injury to throw a touchdown in the fourth quarter tells me that program is not done making noise this year.