t going forward the team is in a good position with Cooper "Weve got a pretty good pulse on where we are right now," he sa

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee believes it has plenty of incentive for the rest of the season even though a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game has slipped from its grasp.The 24th-ranked Volunteers were picked before the season to capture their first SEC Eastern Division title since 2007, but their hopes of making it to Atlanta vanished Saturday when Florida beat LSU 16-10 with a last-second goal-line stand. That victory allowed the 13th-ranked Gators to clinch the East and earn a spot in the Dec. 8 SEC championship game against No. 1 Alabama.The Vols (8-3, 4-3 SEC) say they still have more at stake than mere state bragging rights Saturday when they visit Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-5) in their regular-season finale.This football team has a lot to play for -- a lot, Tennessee coach Butch Jones said.That includes the chase for a 10-win season, a goal that multiple players mentioned Saturday after the Vols 63-37 victory over Missouri. Tennessee hasnt earned double-digit wins in a season since the 2007 team finished 10-4.Tennessee also still has at least a possibility of making its first Sugar Bowl appearance since beating Virginia 23-22 on Jan. 1, 1991.A Sugar Bowl bid goes to the highest-ranked SEC team in the final College Football Playoff rankings that isnt in the playoff. SEC teams in last weeks CFP rankings included No. 1 Alabama, No. 15 Auburn, No. 16 LSU, No. 19 Tennessee, No. 23 Florida and No. 25 Texas A&M.Tennessee has the most favorable remaining schedule of all those teams.LSU probably will fall behind Tennessee this week after its loss to Florida. Auburn is a 17 +-point underdog Saturday at Alabama. Florida must visit Florida State this week before facing Alabama in the SEC championship game. Texas A&M is a 5 +-point underdog Thursday at LSU.Were playing for a good bowl game right now and a 10-win season, offensive tackle Brett Kendrick said after the Missouri game. So, theres still a lot left out there for us.Jones said hes convinced his players will remain motivated the rest of the way because he liked how they performed in the second half of the Missouri game. Jones assumed most players knew they were knocked out of the SEC East race by then, even though the staff hadnt informed them of the Florida-LSU result.I knew on the sideline that when they stopped showing the score up there (ono the scoreboard), something had gone wrong, Kendrick said. Were not going to hang our heads about it.Jones emphasized Monday that I want to make it clear that winning a championship is our No. 1 goal in our program year in and year out, but later in his press conference he referred to championships that didnt necessarily involve the division title.First he mentioned that the Vols still could win a bowl championship this season. Later he praised his seniors by saying that theyve won the biggest championship -- and thats the championship of life.Jones noted the way Tennessee has withstood adversity all season. Injuries have forced Tennessee to use seven different starting combinations on the offensive line and nine different combinations in the starting secondary this season. The Vols lost their leading rusher nine games into the season when Jalen Hurd left the team . Linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Quarte Sapp and defensive tackles Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie suffered season-ending injuries.The injuries have extended to the coach himself. Jones told the Knoxville Quarterback Club on Monday afternoon that I blew out my knee before a Nov. 12 victory over Kentucky , though the injury hasnt necessitated that he wear a brace or crutches.I have never been through a season like this in 30-plus years of coaching in terms of the adversities, the injuries, the setbacks, the big wins. .... Our players have done a great job, Jones said. They have handled it exceptionally well. They have been individual champions.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---Follow Steve Megargee at www.twitter.com/stevemegargeeLeBron James Shoes Deals . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Cheap LeBron James Shoes . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. https://www.cheapshoeslebronjames.com/ . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Wholesale LeBron James Shoes . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. LeBron James Shoes Free Shipping . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round.PHILADELPHIA -- Wide receiver Riley Cooper returned to the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday after a four-day excused absence to undergo sensitivity training after he was caught on film yelling a racial slur before a Kenny Chesney concert. Cooper, in his fourth year out of the University of Florida, seemed remorseful during an eight-minute press conference with the media after the Eagles and New England Patriots began what will be a three-day practice routine before Friday nights preseason opener. "Its great to be back doing what I love to do, play football," Cooper said. "I realize being in the NFL you have responsibility to behave on and off the field. I realize that." "I realize how many people I hurt, how many families I hurt, how many kids I hurt. Its going to be tough. Im going to live with this every day the rest of my life. Its one of those things you cant let affect your play on the field." Video of Coopers racial slur surfaced Wednesday. He was immediately fined an undisclosed amount by the team, but was not suspended. Ironically, two days earlier he was promoted to the starting lineup after Jeremy Maclin suffered a season-ending injury. Last Friday, Eagles coach Chip Kelly announced that Cooper was given time off to seek counselling. Kelly did not put a timetable on his return. Four days later, he was back at practice and caught two touchdown passes against the Patriots defence. "My concern wasnt how he practiced," Kelly said after practice. "Its just him with the team itself and to get the chance to make sure he got to talk to every single guy so that they understood how we felt, what he did, and understand that hes truly sorry for what he did." Cooper said he talked to every one of his teammates, face to face, and apologized. "I told them I dont want you to forgive me. That puts the burden on you. I want it all on me. I apologized," he said. "They could tell it was from the heart. They know Im not that kind of persson.dddddddddddd It feels good to have the support of the guys." After one of his touchdown passes, he got a chest bump from teammate and fellow wide receiver Jason Avant, who is an African-American, and high fives from several other teammates. "I took a few days," he said. "Its been a tough, tough road. I talked to Chip. He asked me if Im ready to come back. I told him I was. I wanted to get back on the field and get back out here with my guys." Kelly emphasized that since the leave was an excused absence and not a suspension, Cooper was able to return once he felt he was ready. "I deferred to who he went to go visit with," Kelly said. "Again, it wasnt like he was suspended and he had to go through a set of things to come back. We just excused him, because everybody that met with him -- and Riley himself -- felt that he needed to go talk to someone." Kelly felt that going forward the team is in a good position with Cooper "Weve got a pretty good pulse on where we are right now," he said. "Our players have been fantastic with us in terms of feedback, so its really certainly a situation that, as I said, isnt something that we just kind of put in the back seat and get moving forward. Well make sure we keep our eyes and ears open and continue to monitor the situation." That includes owner Jeffrey Lurie, who issued the following statement, Tuesday. "I want to make this clear; the words Riley Cooper used were totally unacceptable. His words may have been directed at one person but they hurt everyone," Lurie wrote. "Riley has apologized to the team and community and has made a personal commitment to work hard to try and gain their trust and earn his position on the team." ------ NOTES: The practices with New England have allowed Eagles safety Patrick Chung to reunite with teammates from his Patriot days. He was drafted by New England in 2009. ... Wednesdays practice will start at noon EDT. ' ' '