by design | Jun 15, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly Would an 11-2 record overall, along with an SEC title, a Top 10 finish, and a BCS bowl bid be satisfactory to the Vol fan base in today’s college football environment? Every game now appears to be an “elimination game,” with the perception of...
by design | Jun 8, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly When No. 4 Tennessee squared off against No. 11 Air Force in the 1971 Sugar Bowl, there was a prevailing thought among the Vol faithful that the Vols didn’t seem to be the biggest deal in town. That honor went to the Air Force Academy in the first...
by design | Jun 1, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly AUTHOR’S PREFACE: In my quest to identify Tennessee football’s “Best of the Best, By the Numbers,” sometimes the best selection is clear-cut, e.g. linebacker Steve Kiner (1967-69) for No. 57 or Hacksaw Reynolds (1967-69) for No. 64. Other...
by design | May 26, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly Over the years, there have been a number of memorable excursions en route to telling the story behind Tennessee Vol athletics. These trips have involved venues across the width and breadth of the Volunteer State and beyond. They have proven to...
by design | May 18, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly When news broke the morning of June 3, 2020, that former Tennessee tailback and head football coach John Majors now belonged to the ages, everyone who knew him weighed in with a number of different perspectives of a Tennessee legend. Majors...
by design | May 11, 2026 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly In nearly 70 years of watching Tennessee football, I have calculated seeing the Vols play in 15 states and 38 stadiums, 34 outdoors and four indoors (the Astrodome, the Carrier Dome, the Louisiana Superdome, and the Georgia Dome). I’ve been around...
