Why Tennessee football fans were rooting against more than Missouri | Adams

Tennessee had tough acts to follow when it beat Missouri 66-24 victory Saturday.

Why? Because the Vols haven’t just won big this season at Neyland Stadium. They have celebrated big.

But how do you celebrate a victory over a school that doesn't take football any more seriously than Missouri?

For example, it just rewarded coach Eliah Drinkwitz with a hefty raise and contract extension through 2027 for having lost only three more games than he has won in two-plus seasons. What's its next move? Hiring former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt as its offensive coordinator?

TILLMAN:Cedric Tillman out for Tennessee football against Missouri with injury

REPORT CARD:SEC football predictions: Tennessee Vols will rebound. What about Nick Saban, Alabama? | Adams

INJURY REPORT:Two Tennessee football players out against Missouri

Tennessee fans celebrated the 52-49 victory over Alabama last month by lighting cigars, rushing on to the field, taking down the goal posts and depositing one of them in the Tennessee River.

Two weeks later, Tennessee’s 44-6 rout of Kentucky produced a more strategic reaction. After UT's basketball team was honored at the stadium for winning last March's SEC Tournament, the players walked to the northeast corner, where Kentucky fans were seated, and extended their hands to show off championship rings.

Two weeks later, Tennessee’s 44-6 rout of Kentucky produced a more strategic reaction. After UT's basketball team was honored at the stadium for winning last March's SEC Tournament, the players walked to the northeast corner, where Kentucky fans were seated, and extended their hands to show of championship rings.

Alabama is a football school. Kentucky is a basketball school. Missouri is better known for journalism. And who cares about that?

But don't get the wrong idea. It's not as though the Tigers ran onto the field and immediately went belly-up. The 20-point underdogs made a nuisance of themselves for a half and cut Tennessee's lead to 28-24 early in the third quarter.

That apparently got the attention of the Vols, who spent the rest of the quarter showing why they are unbeaten at home this season, on pace for a 11-1 regular season and still in the running for the four-team College Football Playoff. They scored fast enough to remind you why they had 45 points by halftime last season against Missouri.

By then, quarterback Hendon Hooker already has produced Heisman Trophy-worthy stats: 24 completions in 32 attempts for 349 yards and three touchdowns, plus 54 yards rushing and another touchdown.

Now, back to my original question: How should Tennessee fans have celebrated a victory over Missouri?

Answer: They should have gone home and watched other relevant games: Oregon vs. Washington, and TCU vs. Texas.

TCU and Oregon account for Tennessee’s most meaningful competition at this point. The unbeaten Horned Frogs began the day No. 4 in the CFP poll, which puts them one rung higher than the Vols in the race for football’s final four. Oregon was sixth but with the possibility of playing several nationally ranked opponents down the stretch.

Translation: The Ducks could pass the Vols.

Tennessee can't control the Ducks or Horned Frogs. It could control the Tigers. And it proved it could not only win against an inferior opponent but register style points as well.

The offense took care of the style points while totaling more than 700 yards. The defense looked awful at times but tightened in the last quarter and a half. To put Tennessee's defensive showing in perspective: Missouri ranks 99th in total offense and 100th in scoring. And it hadn't scored more than 23 points on its sixth previous SEC opponents.

But how much defense do you need when you can score 66 points?

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.