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Why does America love to hate the Tennessee Vols? It is the same kind of dislike reserved for a few other teams like the Dallas Cowboys, the L.A. Lakers, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

Now we add the Vols. They own a proud tradition of SEC football that has been ongoing for over a century. How did this great team that regularly has over 100,000 fans attend their home games get to this point?

Is it that America is beginning to realize that this team never stays down long? Is that old UT confidence starting to show up in the staff and players this year? Is this a team that is starting to remember that it knows how to win? Starting to realize that winning is an attitude that begets more winning.

More winning, like a 35-7 romp over No. 2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl, Like shelling a No.1 Auburn team 38-20, when it was double-digit underdogs. Like 18.5-point underdogs knocking No. 2 Florida out of a chance to go to a national championship game in The Swamp by a narrow 34-32 margin. There are others too, but you get the idea.

Here are nine of the other top reasons why the rest of America loves to hate the Volunteers: