They watched DeSean Bishop rush for 138 yards and the winning touchdown, then complained that the offensive line couldn’t block.

One hundred thirty-eight yards. Seven-point-three yards per carry. The winning score, in favor of the Vols. On the road, at Arkansas. Tennessee won, and the message boards continue to find new ways to be miserable.

The VolQuest and VolNation message boards’ collective brain trust remained hyper-concerned the O-line was going to get Boy George killed.

Arkansas crowded the box with 8, Bishop found daylight anyway, and somehow the OL was the problem. There’s a reasonable argument about making Arkansas pay for stacking defenders up front.

Jaybird reminded everyone, “haven’t beat a ranked opponent in almost 2 years btw”.

Tennessee had won 24–17. Jaybird had already moved on to the next reason a road SEC win didn’t count.

Butch Jones Has Entered the Chat

Over on X, Trey Vaughn (@CaptainVol) offered this:

“Butch Jones is a better coach than Heupel. Heupel has had a little success here because of NIL money and NIL money only. You can argue if you want but you’ll be wrong.”

You’ll. Be. Wrong. He announced it between the absolute destruction of two Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.

A road win had somehow become the argument for bringing back Butch Jones. Somewhere, the old Tennessee sideline trash can was being dragged out of storage, ready to celebrate another turnover. Team 121 never dies. It just waits for somebody stupid enough to put it back on the sideline.

The Winning Isn’t Enough Department

AwlVawl: “We averted disaster today. Not good. Not good. Lost faith in heupel.”

Bigun: “Everything is perfect because we win obviously. Nothing to fix or improve on because we beat the worst team in the nation.”

Peayp: “How about we just be happy with a win.”

An outrageous suggestion, idiot. Enjoying the win would only encourage more winning. Then what would these people complain about?

OakVol wanted the coach gone no matter what: “This win is a firable performance if we lose is normally what we want. Let’s fire his underachieving ass now.”

Vol4Life: “If you’re a Tennessee fan & you’re not embarrassed right now You’re apart of the fucking problem.”

You can be disappointed in the performance. These men are disappointed in the winning an SEC road game.

The Seniority System

On Tennessee message boards, age is a credential. If you weren’t alive when Johnny Majors arrived in Knoxville in 1977, your opinion doesn’t count. Never mind that Bishop just rushed for 138 yards. These men remember the Carter administration, goddammit, and that makes them offensive-line experts.

Three_Vol: “What year were you born?”

Bud_Fox: “Love this argument lol”

Volman1975: “No he is not how old are you?”

Bud_Fox: “In my 40s you complete loser”

Coop_43533 contributed, “You’ll have that when you don’t know ball, shut up casual.”

The credentialing process is rigorous.

The Far End of the Gauge

Jaybird was so fucking miserable. Arkansas hadn’t delivered the loss he could spend a week enjoying, so he reached for Alabama.

Alabama lost to Georgia. Now they’re coming to Knoxville. Angry. Humiliated. Looking for somebody to take it out on.

The message board can hear the tires on the gravel.

Somebody turn off the lights. Maybe Bama will think nobody’s home.

Related Reading

• Arkansas Halftime Oh-Shit Gauge
• This Auburn Win Feels Like a Loss Kinda
• VolQuest Came for Elarbee. PinhotiVol Brought a 2×4.

These are real public discussions held by real Tennessee fans.