There is a fine line between being confident and cocky. Tennessee’s football team likes to step up to that line more often than not.
That was most obvious when receiver Cedric Tillman said, “Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time moments,” after securing the game-winning touchdown catch in the Vols’ 34-27 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Let’s face it. That sounds cocky more than confident. However, the quote needs to be taken in context. Right after Tillman went “big time,” he was smiling when he said “In all seriousness,” and answered questions about the game. In other words, Tillman was joking – sort of.
There is certainly a swagger among Tennessee’s football players, especially on offense. Jalin Hyatt said recently that he thinks Tennessee’s receivers are the best in the SEC. That may be trending towards cocky. We’ll see.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said he wasn’t pleased with the Vols and how they practiced last week before the Pitt game. That makes one think that the Vols felt a little too good about themselves headed into the Pitt game.
Ego, especially among a group of very young men, can be tough to manage. Does Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh like the swag?
“Absolutely,” Golesh said on Tuesday. “I think they should have swagger and confidence. You earn the right to be confident. Cedric Tillman continues week-to-week to prepare like that, and he’s earned the right to be confident. There are a bunch of guys in that room who have earned the right to be confident.
“I don’t necessarily want us to be arrogant about it, but there’s a standard from the day we got here and from the day we met when everyone returned at the end of January that the standard here is to be the best offense in the country. We can say it, or we can work like it. There are a handful of guys who work like it.”
While Tillman may have earned the right to be uber-confident, that doesn’t mean every Vol should ratchet up the swag. Some can. Some can’t
“There are a bunch of guys who are learning to work like it,” Golesh said. “For us as coaches, that is our standard to ourselves and to the players and to this program and to this place.
“Our standard is to be the best offense in the country. If we fall short, we continue to work. If we have a great game, we continue to work. For Cedric to say that, jokingly or not, I hope they are the best at their position in the entire country. We need them to believe that. He’s certainly really good, and you could make an argument that he is the best in the country.”
Tennessee’s confidence can only lead to good things for the remainder of the season. However, if the Vols cross the line into being cocky, there could be a major disappointment on the horizon.
