Biggest single game in Tennessee history?

[Volosaurus rex]

I think mine will still always be the 82 win against Bama. First game as a kid I remember with any detail is the 72 Bama game and the 82 Bama game is the first win against them I can remember

And Bear Bryant handled that loss with far more grace than Saban did with respect to this game.

 

[Mikevol1964]

He did, but I doubt that anybody then realized how dominant Tennessee would later become under his leadership. On the other hand, Neyland's players said that our victory over Alabama in 1928 was the game that "put Tennessee on the map." So, once again, you come back to the Third Saturday in October as the historic measuring stick for both programs.

Bama will always be our biggest rival to me.

 

[OrangeBloodinTN]

The history isn't history yet. The event must march down the corridors of time, as new events unfold, with which it will be compared against. Then and only then will we know. Currently, we are caught up in emotion, spirit, and the spasm of "FINALLY!" so we have an exaggerated perception of this event. Not that should feel good about. GO VOLS, and a pox on you Cringing Crimson.

It will march down those corridors of time, with a little jingle, and will henceforth be known as the "Dixieland Delight."

 

[SKBubba]

The successful invasion of Normandy in 1944, for example. It wasn't the end of the war, but was the conflict's most significant turning point.

You are seriously comparing a football game to D-Day? Thousands of Americans died. Thousands more Allies died. Tens of thousands more were wounded.

It was an epic game and a huge win. But, c'mon. Perspective.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

You are seriously comparing a football game to D-Day? Thousands of Americans died. Thousands more Allies died. Tens of thousands more were wounded.

It was an epic game and a huge win. But, c'mon. Perspective.

Brother, you have to get better with the concepts of analogies, which COMPARE things that are otherwise very DIFFERENT.

And war-to-football analogies, in particular, have been a part of the sport since the sport was invented. Captains ... air raid ... bombs ... attack ... formations ... the list is nearly endless. Dr. Andy Kozar's excellent book about General Neyland is entitled, Football as a War Game.

You seem newly akimbo about this horrific idea of comparing war to football ... is this like an epiphany for you, and now you're going to look back in horror at all the other ways the two have been compared?

I recall sports (maybe not just football, can't remember for sure) analogized to Custer's Last Stand, to the Battle of the Bulge, to Agincourt, and probably to several other battles and operations that I've since forgotten.

One of our treasures here on VolNation, OneManGang does a weekly post during the season outlining a battle or campaign and--directly or indirectly--underscoring parallels between it and the previous weekend's football match.

Have you been shocked by all that as well?

 

[SKBubba]

Brother, you have to get better with the concepts of analogies, which COMPARE things that are otherwise very DIFFERENT.

And war-to-football analogies, in particular, have been a part of the sport since the sport was invented.

Yeah. Ok, then.

 

[scottvols69]

I think in time this will be seen as the beginning of the end for Saban

 

[wmcovol]

I go back a long way. I can recall huge wins in 1967 vs Bama, 1969 vs Bama, 1970 vs Florida & Doug Dickey (hell they wrote song about it before the game) 1986 Sugar Bowl, 1995 @ Alabama & all the 1998 games. This was huge but somewhat because Tennessee let their program go to dogs with bad people in Administration & Coaching. Saban won 13 straight against bums.

 

[SoddyAllVol]

22 bama and 01 uf. Unrelated but before this past Saturday the best game I had ever witnessed was the usc Texas title game but this past weekend topped it

 

[vol94]

I’d add the 2001 win in the Swamp, post 911, and 17-1/2 pt dogs to my list.

I still rewatch that one at least once a year.

That was a great game as the Vols held on at the end. With that said, I Will remember the 2001 as a lost opportunity as we choked the following week against an average LSU team after having a two score lead while knocking out their QB and RB.
But you are correct that the 01 game @ the Swamp was special. Nobody gave TN a chance.

 

[VolArmy74]

Biggest in UT history can't really be squared away to a single game imo. Some signaled a changing of the guard, some reestablished order. Some were huge upsets that sparked a big upswing for the program. It's just hard for me to pick a single game that towers over all the others.

A few that are big moments for the program. General Neyland's first win over Alabama in 1928. Everyone expected Tennessee to be blown out but Tennessee handled them. His first win over Vanderbilt, the whole reason he was hired, he destroyed Vandy's program from that day forward. The 1938 Orange Bowl, which flavored Neyland's view of bowls for the rest of his career. After that he treated them as the exhibition games they were in that era. General's 1946 win over Alabama. Alabama had went 10-0 in 1945 while Neyland was still away for the war. The next year they were in the top 10 and Tennessee dominated them and shut them out as the Vols went unbeaten in SEC play. It let Alabama know the General was back and they were never going to be the leader in the SEC as long as he was around. His wins over Bear Bryant in the early 50s that kept UK from winning a championship and sparked UT to back to back titles. Who knows how the UK program develops if Bryant was ever able to win even a single game against Tennessee.

The 1956 game at #2 Georgia Tech that should have secured anotner national title for us. 1958 vs #1 LSU. Doug Dickey putting Bryant in his place on October 21st 1967 in Birmingham which started a winning streak against those heathens after being so close the prior two seasons.

1982 vs Bama. 1985 vs Auburn. 1985 vs Bama. 1986 vs Miami. 1995 vs Alabama. 1998 vs Florida. 1998 vs Arkansas. 1999 Fiesta Bowl. 2001 vs Florida.

Big games that we won became rare as hens teeth after that. It was nice to blow out Michigan in the Citrus Bowl but we should never have been there. After that Florida game the narrative shifted from big wins to bad losses and didn't really change until this year, although beating Kentucky was big last year, it wasn't historic really. There were a few bright spots in the 2000s but huge black clouds invaded every season after any decent wins and rained all over us.

 

[TCNC53]

For my generation, gonna go with The Sugar Bowl vs Miami and The Fiesta vs FSU. The '82 win against Bama was also pretty big.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Perfect summary. Well done.

 

[hUTch2002]

Maybe. The Fiesta Bowl and '98 Florida game are both contenders. There are others from the 30's, 50's, 60's, and 80's that rank high.

But this one was also very special. It marked the definitive end to an entire fanbase wandering in the wilderness. Fifteen years of futility felt redeemed in the span of 15 seconds, faith was restored in Tennessee football, goalposts were quickly baptized, and we remembered our birthright: the certainty that Tennesse is a blue-blooded college football program, and, will once again, begin to act the part. It's hard to think of a game that ever meant more to a fanbase.

What do you guys think? Where does it rank? For those who were at the Florida game in '98, how does it compare for you?

I’ve said it many times and will say it again. The biggest single game, best game you’ll ever see at UT, whatever title you want to use, is Arkansas ‘98. This Bama game is clearly behind that one. It could be ahead and equal to all others though. ‘98 Florida was pretty special and one of the best ever but Arkansas that year had so many things that rarely happen that it’s unlikely to ever happen again.

 

[Yellowstone]

Oct. 1967 - “One way to dam the Tide” - the cover of Sports Illustrated! Tennessee had to use their 3rd string QB to break Alabama’s 27 game win streak!

 

[greenbacknative]

I think, obviously the Championship against FSU, the Miracle in Notre Dame, Fla in 2016(breaking a streak to them), beating Miami (both times we were underdogs), and now the gem we witnessed on Saturday.

 

[Orangepantsforever]

I think, obviously the Championship against FSU, the Miracle in Notre Dame, Fla in 2016(breaking a streak to them), beating Miami (both times we were underdogs), and now the gem we witnessed on Saturday.

Glad someone mentioned ‘91 Notre Dame win. The ENORMOUS amount of squandered talent that year kind of casts a shadow on that game and that season, but that was back when Notre Dame WAS college football.

 

[87&91ALUM]

I was at the 1986 Miami Sugar Bowl and 82 win over Bama. Saturday night was up there with the big games. 45-17 whooping of Michigan was huge. Every win over Florida, Bama, or UGA is huge. 1989 win in Pasadena over Bruins was big. Def the Fiesta Bowl and Natty. 1991 win at Notre Dame.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Brother, you have to get better with the concepts of analogies, which COMPARE things that are otherwise very DIFFERENT.

And war-to-football analogies, in particular, have been a part of the sport since the sport was invented. Captains ... air raid ... bombs ... attack ... formations ... the list is nearly endless. Dr. Andy Kozar's excellent book about General Neyland is entitled, Football as a War Game.

You seem newly akimbo about this horrific idea of comparing war to football ... is this like an epiphany for you, and now you're going to look back in horror at all the other ways the two have been compared?

I recall sports (maybe not just football, can't remember for sure) analogized to Custer's Last Stand, to the Battle of the Bulge, to Agincourt, and probably to several other battles and operations that I've since forgotten.

One of our treasures here on VolNation, OneManGang does a weekly post during the season outlining a battle or campaign and--directly or indirectly--underscoring parallels between it and the previous weekend's football match.

Have you been shocked by all that as well?

And that analogy was particularly appropos for a man, i.e. Neyland, who was a West Point grad, served as aide-de-camp to MacArthur and earned that star as Brigadier General during World War II.