Biggest "what-if" scenarios in Tennessee football history

#76
#76
IndianaVol said:
I think it's in another thread...what if Majors gets hired from ISU and does the rebuild here instead of Pitt?

Others on my list:
1) What if Peyton cashed out after his Jr year and we got 2 yrs with Tee? Would the team have come together and hoist 2 crystal footballs?

2) What if Kiffin turned down USC? Would we have had some 'AA issues...likely, but I think we also hoist a trophy or two.

3) What if Dooley would have actually recruited an O Lineman...like any O Lineman ???
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Umm, Tee Martin was the starting QB in 98 and 99 seasons….
 
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#78
#78
Frozevol said:
There’s no doubt in my opinion. Our unwillingness to understand what a gem Spurrier was and build a team around him was the first of our head-in-the-sand decisions that has plagued the Vols. Followed by not hiring Majors in 1970 and giving Hamilton the keys.
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Steve Sloan of Bradley County was a year ahead of Spurrier but went to Alabama because our stumble bum drunk of a coach just like with Spurrier wasn't changing his system for anyone. Sloan went on to win a NC in 65 with the Tide. IMHO he was a much better QB than Spurrier because he posed a run threat too.
 
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#79
#79
Volosaurus rex said:
Since it is off-season, here are a couple of monumental what-if scenarios to debate in terms of their most likely effects on the trajectory of Tennessee football:

(1) What would the effect have been if Doug Dickey had been hired as head coach in 1963, rather than 1964, thus making Tennessee a more desirable college destination for Stephen Orr Spurrier?

(2) What would the long-term effect have been if Dickey had never made the mistake of his life by returning to Florida as head coach, thus sparing us a decade-long decline and rebuild during the Battle and early Majors era?

If you have other, equally compelling, what-if hypothetical scenarios to add to the equation/discussion, feel free to do so.
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If Rohan Davey doesn’t get hurt, does the saban dynasty ever happen?

If drew Brees passes his physical with the dolphins, does Saban ever go to Bama? He wanted Brees over culpepper but the team doctors said his shoulder was no good.
 
#80
#80
What if Tony Elliott had accepted a Vol HC offer before Josh was hired? What if James Banks had above middle school level maturity?
 
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#82
#82
What if Tennessee had chosen the color of dandelions instead of daisies as our colors?images-3.jpegimages-2.jpeg
 
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#84
#84
utvols74 said:
That loss was a destiny changer for the next 15 years. I even read/heard that one of the coaches say years later that they struggled to get past that loss. In fact it took them years.
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In Andy Griffith's voice..."Yes, well we all have!"
 
#86
#86
Flipdaddy said:
How well did Dickey do at Florida?
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I couldn't care less about his abject lack of success with the Reptilian Horde. The more important questions are: (1) What was his record at Tennessee? and (2) What was his record against Bear Bryant and Alabama? By any standard, he did an excellent job of rebuilding our program, and he did so quickly.
 
#87
#87
utvols74 said:
That loss was a destiny changer for the next 15 years. I even read/heard that one of the coaches say years later that they struggled to get past that loss. In fact it took them years.
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I still blame the sale of those wretched ORANGE ROSES! A jinx for sure.
 
#88
#88
Thunder Good-Oil said:
What if Heath had returned for a senior year?
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...which reminds me that a similar question could be posed with respect to Bobby Scott. He once said that he always regretted having not taken a redshirt season. If he had done so, he explained, we could have seriously competed for a national championship in 1971. Looking at the stats, he's not wrong. We had a defense that certainly was worthy of a national-championship contender, but our quarterback play was absolutely atrocious. See 1971 Tennessee Volunteers Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
 
#90
#90
Savannahbayvol said:
What if Bill Majors had not been killed in the car/train wreck in 5. Would he have been named HC 4 years later rather than Battle?

What if Mr Hire from within Fulmer had hired an experienced OC in 98 after Cut left. He could have had almost anyone in the country after winning the NC
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This. Bill Majors was a "real coach" and the scuttlebutt is he would have been great. That was a bad day for Tennessee football losing 3 coaches during the season. I was passing through Lynchburg a while ago and decided to pay tribute to the Majors at the cemetery.

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#91
#91
What if Gruden had been hired for even one of those openings that people on here that had “inside information” assured us he would be?
Because you know “his wife was a cheerleader here,” and “they owned property in East Tennessee,” and “his dream job always was to be the Vol football coach,” and ”I know someone but can’t say who that works in the Athletic Dept and he saw the signed contract,” and oh yea, “he was seen at one of our games.”
 
#92
#92
Volosaurus rex said:
...which reminds me that a similar question could be posed with respect to Bobby Scott. He once said that he always regretted having not taken a redshirt season. If he had done so, he explained, we could have seriously competed for a national championship in 1971. Looking at the stats, he's not wrong. We had a defense that certainly was worthy of a national-championship contender, but our quarterback play was absolutely atrocious. See 1971 Tennessee Volunteers Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
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How can your #1 QB have 1 TD and 8 INTs?!?
 
#93
#93
Frozevol said:
How can your #1 QB have 1 TD and 8 INTs?!?
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Yes, the three of them combined for 3 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, perhaps 40% completion percentage, and less than 1,000 yards passing. We struggled mightily at the most important position on the field. Hence, Scott's observation. The running game was decent (+ 200 ypg), despite the lack of a functional passing game, and outstanding defense.
 
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#94
#94
Volosaurus rex said:
Yes, the three of them combined for 3 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, perhaps 40% completion percentage, and less than 1,000 yards passing. We struggled mightily at the most important position on the field. Hence, Scott's observation. The running game was decent (+ 200 ypg), despite the lack of a functional passing game, and outstanding defense.
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We only allowed 100 points that year. Rotella and Conrad Graham. Beat LSU in the Bluebonnet Bowl.We were the 2023 Iowa of 1972!
 
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