GENIUS ALERT IN KNOXVILLE:CLAUSEN BENCHED, SOPH. TO START

Genius alert in Knoxville: despite whipping the ass of a pretty good A&M defense in the Cotton Bowl, Rick Clausen is going to start his senior season on the bench for the Vols in 2005. Has Fulmer caught the genius bug? We used to think of Fulmer as a conventional kind of dude who tucks his undershirts into his boxers and defines "thinking outside the box" as "trying the spicy sauce they put on the side of the Blooming Onion" every now and then. Are we seeing the blossoming of a wacky, Gary Barnett-esque decision here, followed up with months of second-guessing, forum-stretching complaints from fans, and talk-radio conjecture about Fulmer's coaching?

As a shit-starter, we can only say this: we really, really hope so.

18-of-27 for 222 yards with three touchdowns in the bowl game. Have a seat, Rick.