Rick Barnes throws Tennessee players under the bus after Kentucky 'collapse'

Saturday ended up being a disaster for Tennessee, with a loss to rival Kentucky being posted. In the first half, the Vols looked great, taking a double-digit lead into the halftime break. Then in the second half, the wheels started to come off and a heartbreaking 80-78 loss was posted.

3 observations from Tennessee's inexcusable home loss to Kentucky

Plain and simple, a defensive collapse led to the defeat and that was the main thought head man Rick Barnes had on his mind after the final whistle. However, it felt like Barnes called out his guys a bit while speaking to the media. Was that the right thing to do or are some fans right in saying Barnes crossed the line a bit:

Rick Barnes calling out his players has Tennessee fans talking

We get what Barnes is trying to do and say here. Yes, Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler were incredible Tennessee leaders and they would have most likely found a way to come out on top against the Wildcats. Still, those guys are no longer in Knoxville.

Instead of Barnes hyping up those two to bring his players down, he needs to find a way to inspire the locker room in a different way. This was an inexcusable loss for the Vols, especially with the defensive collapse that Barnes alluded to coming in front of the home fans.

With Tennessee ranked as the No. 24 team in the AP Poll this week, it's safe to say that UT is going to fall completely out of the rankings once the new ones drop. It's going to be a bit of a setback for Barnes and Co. and not one that people were expecting at this point of the campaign.

This needs to be a wake-up call for Tennessee, as blowing a 17-point lead is absurd. There's still plenty of time left this season, but the lack of effort and sluggish play must end immediately. It's going to be on Barnes to motivate his guys, but throwing everyone under the bus like this isn't going to help anything.