

Tennessee’s football program and its painful rebuild are chronicled in Friday’s Wall Street Journal, and the story concludes with ESPN/SEC analyst Paul Finebaum labeling Saturday’s showdown inside Neyland Stadium against visiting Florida as “one of the biggest games of Tennessee football history.”

Thursday evening on Nashville’s 3HL program on 104.5 FM, fourth-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones took his strongest stance of the week on any subject as he emphasized an opposite opinion.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous,” Jones told the hosts. “It’s comical. …

“I understand what’s at stake. I understand the rivalry and all that. [But if you] put so much emphasis on one game, there’s a long season to be played. Not one game is going to make or break Butch Jones and Tennessee football. I’d kind of chuckle if I hear that, but that’s not the case.”

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Jones was asked by 247Sports this week how he deflected the pressure from both players and himself, something that also was similarly asked on air.

“You take a bunker approach,” Jones said. “I’ve been in the office all day long. I don’t listen to any radio, unfortunately I don’t listen to you guys. If I did listen to radio, it would be you guys. I don’t read the Internet, watch TV. I’m a boring person. I’m watching football and preparing our football team.”