Your blood is already boiling at the sight of the team at the top of this post. Let me turn up the heat a little bit for you;
"I'm really looking forward to embracing some of the great traditions at the University of Tennessee, for instance the Vol Walk, running through the T, singing 'Rocky Top' all night long after we beat Florida next year," Kiffin said. "It will be a blast."
Thinking about running through a brick wall to get at Lane Kiffin? Wait, here's one more;
2009 Hate Tennessee Week is unlike recent weeks as Lane Kiffin's contribution to the rivalry is to make every Florida fan hate him more than they ever hated Phil Fulmer. While this can be appreciated as a calculated move to increase Tennessee's visibility in a crowded room, Kiffin decided to make more noise by taking a personal shot at Urban Meyer. Rather than the standard, "We'll beat them," (which was met with humor) Kiffin decided to write a check his mouth won't cash until he wins two National Championships. Any insult to Urban Meyer is seen as an insult to the Gators' fanbase. Just as Geno Hayes and Dominique Franks found out, insults to the Gators are returned with force. Making it worse for Kiffin and the Vols, Tim Tebow is the leader in retaliation, and Kiffin must not have realized that our favorite Bible thumper has hate in his heart.
The lead up to Saturday's game will be focused on Kiffin's comments, Meyer's response and how many points the Gators will try to score on a team that had four turnovers and 208 yards of offense against the mighty UCLA Bruins. However, Meyer has already locked down his team and is just talking about what this game means to winning the SEC.
It is entirely possible Tennessee could shock the world and play with the Gators for four quarters or win. Their defense against UCLA was good enough to win, and they broke the jaw of the Bruins' quarterback on a safety. But the Vols will be walking into an environment they created; facing a champion who should be content, suddenly inspired to destroy. The violence and force we expect out of the Gators should be unlike anything we have seen. As for this game's impact on the rest of the season, it is the perfect thing to jolt the Gators out of their preseason nap. While Tennessee is not as good as LSU or Georgia, they are a team that wants what the Gators have. Florida's intensity Saturday will be a measure of how serious this team is about defending their crown.