Neyland Stadium went awry as Tennessee beat Kentucky on Saturday night. It wasn’t a good look.
In a nationally televised game, chants could be heard calling out any injured Wildcats as they writhed on Shields-Watkins Field during the Vols’ 28-18 thumping of the Wildcats.
“You’re a (expletive),” could be heard over and over to the point that ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Tom Hart mentioned that the student section was lacking in decorum during the broadcast.
Hart was nice about calling out the student section. I’ll be a bit more critical. It was just a terrible look and one that needs to be addressed.
The “Neyland Effect” is powerful and can truly change a game with the raucous environment.. Opposing teams, especially on offense, have trouble communicating when the crowd gets rowdy. Neyland Stadium and its fans are a strong force that will be factored into the College Football Playoff committee selection process. Will that help or hurt the Vols?
Gamblers often say a home field advantage is worth three points. I’d argue that Neyland is worth a touchdown, but the accusatory chants that filled the air on Saturday night weren’t necessary and could actually hinder the Vols in the College Football Playoff, which will announce its first rankings on Tuesday.
I believe Neyland Stadium would be the perfect backdrop for a home playoff game as long as there is some decorum. Let’s remember that the College Football Playoff selection process will be contrived to be the best television show possible.
That makes me wonder if the College Football Playoff committee might think Neyland Stadium and its fans as a detriment when it comes time to stack the inaugural 12-team playoff.
The aforementioned chant could only hurt the Vols when decisions about the playoff are made. Then, there’s the penchant for charging the field. The SEC doesn’t like that. That’s why they fine a school when fans make it onto the field. Sure, it’s exciting, but Tennessee, in particular needs to act like they’ve been there before. That wasn’t the case earlier this season.
Tennessee beat Alabama in 2022 and fans charged the field. While I’m not a fan of field charging, I get that. It was the first time the Vols beat Bama since George W. Bush was president in 2004. However, Tennessee’s fans also charged the field this season when the Vols beat the Crimson Tide. Was that really necessary?
Tennessee has outplayed Alabama for the majority of the last three contests. They won two, both at Neyland Stadium. The field charging against Alabama this season was a bit silly. The Vols are at Alabama’s level and the game was expected to be close. It wasn’t a major upset like 2022.
Field charging should only be a thing in special instances, not when the Vols just beat a rival, which Tennessee will continue to do with head coach Josh Heupel in charge. It’s time to act like you’ve been there before.
Don’t think for one second that the College Football Playoff selection committee won’t consider Neyland Stadium when the members lay out their bracket. The committee will be well aware of a potential backdrop and they’ll want some class. That’s been lacking in Neyland Stadium recently as issues with fans have cropped up more than once this season. It has also been an issue for the Vols on the road.
Tennessee defensive lineman Omari Thomas shoved a fan into another fan when Arkansas beat the Vols earlier this season. That was certainly an upset, but not worthy of field charging by the Razorback contingent. Arkansas didn’t win a rivalry game against Tennessee. The Razorbacks just won a game, not the national championship. The fans at Razorback Stadium were overzealous, just like Tennessee’s fans have been on multiple occasions.
Tennessee’s fans were far too strong when the Vols slipped up against Ole Miss in 2021. Debris was thrown onto the field, often directed at former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, who is now the head coach for the Rebels. The Vols aren’t the only SEC fans that have interrupted a game as they did against Ole Miss.
Texas fans reacted in a similar fashion when debris was thrown onto the field following a controversial call when the Longhorns were playing Georgia this season. Both instances would not help either UT in the College Football Playoff selection process.
The fans in Neyland Stadium were frustrated by Kentucky’s injured players after SEC commissioner Greg Sankey chided SEC coaches for faking injuries to slow down opposing teams. It’s about time. However, I don’t think any of the Kentucky injuries were feigned as fans tried to call them out. Each Wildcat that left the game seemed truly hurt and missed multiple plays after going down. Nevertheless, the chanting reigned down on the Cats.
Part of the lore of home games in college football is that they aren’t like the NFL where families are about as welcome as a natural disaster. The cursing and fighting at NFL games is just a part of the experience. That’s why I’ve never taken my family to an NFL game.
I don’t want to explain what a chant like the one in Neyland Stadium means to kids who don’t know why expletives are being tossed at opposing players. Let’s hope the college environment is a little different. It wasn’t in Neyland Stadium on Saturday night. Tennessee’s fans, students or not, went too far.
Tennessee’s fan base should know that all factors will be accounted for when the College Football Playoff committee announces its rankings on Tuesday and its final bracket in December.
The Vols have been on the outside looking in before as Tennessee was ranked behind Alabama in 2022 despite having the same record as the Crimson Tide and beating them head to head. Why? Bama was a national brand and headed by legendary coach Nick Saban.
The College Football Playoff committee knew that and knew that Alabama would equal strong television rankings if they made the playoffs, which consisted of just four teams in 2022. Remember, the College Football Playoff is a television show. The 12-team television show wants the perfect “set” for its broadcasts. Neyland Stadium can be that – if fans can control themselves.
I would hate it for Tennessee’s coaches and players if their fan base was held against them, if chants and field charging are discussed when the College Football Playoff committee is considering what teams host a playoff game. If Tennessee is wavering at No. 8 or No. 9 in the College Football Playoff ranking, the committee could easily condemn Tennessee and make them travel instead of playing a game at home. That would be a shame.
The fans at Neyland Stadium are part of the reason why the Vols beat Alabama in 2022 and again in 2024. The fans in Neyland Stadium have been a factor in countless games in which the Vols were victorious. However, the fans in Neyland Stadium need to check themselves a bit.
There isn’t a game left on the schedule that would warrant a field charging, but there will be instances in which players get hurt and there will likely be accusatory chants headed their way. That’s not a good look.
The fans at Neyland Stadium are better than they acted against Kentucky and better than they acted against Ole Miss in 2021. At least I hope so.
If not, I wouldn’t be surprised if Neyland Stadium is a negative factor when home field selections are made by the College Football Playoff committee. That would be a bad look for the Vols.
