MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It was a chilly Tuesday afternoon on the Blue Raiders' practice field, the wind biting your skin as it whipped through the overcast sky. Just a few miles away at the Murfreesboro Airport, temperatures measured just above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
The players were dressed for the weather, long sleeves on their arms, shorts occasionally switched out for sweatpants during the non-padded practice. But the buzz on the field, and the thoughts of where the Blue Raiders would be at that time next week, certainly raised their spirits.
Nassau, Bahamas. At that time on Tuesday, 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and plenty of bright sunshine on the beach.