What would be a more meaningful win this year?

[tomq_123]

Just something I was thinking about over the weekend and decided to find out what VolNation thinks. I voted Florida on the road since we haven't won in The Swamp since 2003.

 

[05_never_again]

That's really hard to say. It depends on how good of a season each of those teams end up having.

For the sanity of our fanbase however, beating UF on the road would be meaningful even if they end up going 0-12.

 

[vegasvolfan]

Just something I was thinking about over the weekend and decided to find out what VolNation thinks. I voted Florida on the road since we haven't won in The Swamp since 2003.

You didn't say that whichever game we choose means we drop the other games. So, there is no question that Georgia at home would be the most meaningful win. It would mean we finally beat the best team in the SEC over the past decade and snapped that losing streak.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Always Bama

 

[Orangesmokey]

I think for me personally right now its beating GA because they have been so dominate lately. I always want to beat all of them but this year I think its GA at home for me.

 

[RockyTop140]

Gotta be Georgia. They’ve beaten us pretty badly each year we’ve played them under Heupel. Need to put an end to it

 

[Ritzwatch]

I will let you know which one was more meaningful after we beat them all.

 

[BigBadVol]

All of them! Don’t capitulate. All are winnable until they are not.

 

[#1fulmerite]

I would like to see us beat a dominant team during their peak like Ole Miss did Bama except actually do something with the win.

Don’t get me wrong, at all, but, our two wins against the Tide have not been when they were in their prime. I remember thinking how special the ‘03 win over Miami was. After that and possibly even before, they were on a downhill trajectory.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

I would vote GA to but at some point the losing streaks in the Swamp and TTown need to be broken.

 

[05_never_again]

I would like to see us beat a dominant team during their peak like Ole Miss did Bama except actually do something with the win.

Don’t get me wrong, at all, but, our two wins against the Tide have not been when they were in their prime. I remember thinking how special the ‘03 win over Miami was. After that and possibly even before, they were on a downhill trajectory.

You're underselling the 2022 win. Alabama lost 2 games that year, both to top 10 teams on the road on the last play of the game, and finished 5th in the country. They would have been in the CFP had they won either one of those games.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I'm thinking Florida (away).

Here's why: there's an apparent trend running in the Vols-Gators rivalry over the past decade or so. And if that trend is valid, one would expect us to beat Florida at their house sometime in the next few years. If it happens this year, it's kind of a rough confirmation.

And the trend is this: our program is rising, while Florida's is falling. Subtly, but one is on the up swing, and the other is slowly falling relative to the other.

Consider this set of theoretical data points:

..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....

First five dots are all blue. Next five, one is orange. Next five, two are. And so on. Over time, slowly, the blue field is turning orange.

Now look at the Vols versus the Gators in our past 15 games:

..... ..... .....

The orange dots aren't in exactly the same spots, but the trend perfectly matches the theoretical version. Between 11 and 15 years ago, we never beat FL. From 6 to 10 years ago, we beat them once. In the past five years, we've gotten them twice.

BUT for the trend to continue, we have to start winning away games. You can't get past 3 wins out of 5, at most, only winning home games.

...

Our history against Florida isn't like the rivalry with Bama. Vols-Bama is streaky. Like turning the lights off, and them staying off several years. Then turning them on, and leaving them on a lot of years in a row. Florida-Vols is more subtle. Like the theoretical line of dots.

So for me, yah, the Florida game in the Swamp this year is a key data point for our program's climb back to dominance.

Go Vols!

 

[TNnative]

Bama ALWAYS Bama.

 

[tomq_123]

Just some clarification. I wasn't really speaking in regards to the whole season, just which (taking by itself) would be the more meaningful win.

 

[lastlapuncle]

Every damn game.

 

[DowsaTV]

Georgia for sure.

We beat Georgia and we are In the SECCG drivers seat. Going into Alabama at 6-0 and going into Florida 11-0 or 10-1 with only Vanderbilt left to play. We lose to GA, Florida likely becomes a fight for a playoff berth as opposed to a fight for SECCG berth.

 

[GulfCoasterVol]

All of em !

 

[mprock]

Georgia Florida and Bama

 

[WillisWG]

I would like to see us beat a dominant team during their peak like Ole Miss did Bama except actually do something with the win.

Don’t get me wrong, at all, but, our two wins against the Tide have not been when they were in their prime. I remember thinking how special the ‘03 win over Miami was. After that and possibly even before, they were on a downhill trajectory.

Alabama has had 17th straight T5 recruiting class, sure they weren't in their prime

https://atozsports.com/college-football/alabama-locks-in-17th-straight-top-five-high-school-recruiting-class-on-national-signing-day/

 

[VolForLife83]

Gotta be Georgia. They’ve beaten us pretty badly each year we’ve played them under Heupel. Need to put an end to it

Yep, I'm afraid Kirby might be to Heupel what Spurrier was to Fulmer