The Bid is to You, Mr. Hamilton

Several weeks ago, something very rare happened in college football. Rare, as in Halley's Comet-type rare: Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan and Notre Dame all lost on the same day. At the time, all of them were unranked with a combined record of 11-13. I'm sure they've all lost on the same day before. It's probably happened more than once. But the significance here has less to do with the results of each team on that dubious day. Rather, it's the direction of the teams, and it cannot be overstated.

Although Michigan is suffering this season, Rich Rodriguez is a fine coach who employs an exciting brand of football. He's also a great recruiter. When he gets his type of player wearing the maize and blue, and it's only a matter of time, the rest of the Big Ten will be playing catch-up with him no different than the SEC did with Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators during the 90's. Notre Dame has been borderline laughable but this just in, the Irish are beginning to show signs of life. It's almost unfathomable to imagine Charlie Weis not getting the Irish back into college football's elite. And in Lincoln, although Nebraska has suffered a few beatdowns this season at the hands of Missouri and Iowa State, they stand at 5-3, could very easily be 7-1, and folks there will quickly tell you they sense a very different atmosphere, and future, under first-year coach Bo Pelini.

And what of the Tennessee Volunteers?

Tennessee counts three teams as their primary rivals: Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The general wisdom in college football is that a coach needs to beat his rivals to beat reporters to questions about his job status. And while some numbers in sports can be deceiving, even a team's won-loss record, this one has no argument: The past two seasons, Tennessee is 1-5 against their Big Three, having been outscored 199-101. Take out the lone 35-14 Vols win vs. Georgia last season and those other five losses work out to 185-66.

Admit it, you thought that was an old Florida-Tennessee score from the Swamp didn't you?

On Saturday night in Neyland Stadium, there were the Vols lined up against their longtime rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide. But a quick look around the stands told you a few things were just a bit out-of-sorts.

Who knew the allotment of tickets for Alabama was closer to 20,000 than approximately 9500? And if you were paying attention, there were noticeable empty spots in the upper deck student section. Students passing up a Saturday night in Neyland Stadium against the Akron Zips might be understandable. But this was the #2, and properly hated, Alabama Crimson Tide. And if you really want to stretch the point, even Alabama's Million Dollar Band seemed twice as large as normal because they dwarfed anything coming out of Tennessee's Pride of the Southland Marching Band. I received a text message from a friend asking "did the Tennessee band make it on time for the game?"

The real question is whether the Vols made it on time for the season.

After Alabama showed their clear superiority in beating the Vols 29-9, leaving UT at 3-5, there is only one question that needs to be on the table for Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton: Mr. Hamilton, is your list a long one or a short one?

I have always been one who is firmly in the camp of Hamilton. I still am. This notion put forth by many that he's - pick one - a Fulmer puppet, a figurehead, unable to lead a program like Tennessee, only cares about Neyland being full is shortsighted, at best. Many try to brush aside credit for the hire of Bruce Pearl, saying it was all thanks to Ernie Grunfeld. Those same fans forget he stood his ground with many deep inside the UT family who loved Buzz Peterson, insisting a change wasn't necessary.

Hamilton has shown a deft touch in leading the renovation, and building, of facilities as well as possessing a clear conscience when he's needed to hire, or fire, a coach. But in every case, it may be fairly stated none of those decisions rank with what surely lies ahead of him.

Based not only on the results of this season, but the direction - there's that word again - this program seems to have been heading for more than a few years now, it's hard to come to any conclusion other than the Tennessee Volunteers, under its present leadership, are finished. Done.

Unless the Vols are playing a ranked team, their score appears on an ESPN crawl somewhere betweeen games from the Mid-American and Sun Belt Conferences. Highlights? On the internet, yes. On network television, come on.

That may not seem significant to some fans but the bottom line is that Tennessee is no longer relevant. They no longer matter. Oh, the Vols will always matter to their fans, just as Kentucky and Mississippi State matter to their fans. But like UK and MSU, no one on the national scene cares or even notices.

There's an old adage among actors in professional theatre that says it's always better to receive a bad review than no review at all. At least someone was watching you.

In college football, Tennessee no longer receives reviews.

CGabriel is a radio talk show host, freelance writer and voiceover artist. A native of Chicago, he makes his home in Minneapolis with the three loves of his life: His beautiful wife and two daughters.