Clarification: Tennessee is NOT competitive in the SEC

[JRich]

Another person seeing things that aren’t there. When I say “a Kirby or saban” I don’t mean only those two. I mean our university could’ve taken shots at big names and didn’t. UT was more interested in finding their next bargain bin coach and hoping for the best. There were definitely better out there list fulmer than dooleys, Pruitt’s, and butches

Yeah, but you specifically said Kirby and Saban, setting the performance expectations really high, and neither were "big names" when they were hired. Effectively, Alabama and Georgia were taking chances on them as well. You would have been better off naming the coaches that you would have preferred that UT hired instead that they had a legitimate chance at hiring.

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

Yes. When your recruiting is really good but not elite, it's really difficult to beat teams that have greater depth in addition to better talent across the board. We need to recruit elite talent for several cycles at the key positions at least to be able to compete for 4 quarters with Georgia and Bama. Even last year's team, which was our best in 20 years, was not competitive with Georgia but clearly was against Bama at least. That team had elite talent at key positions and almost all of that talent moved on to the NFL and we saw what the backups are capable of this year. Georgia and Bama horde the 5 stars along with Ohio State and have been for years now. Their championships are won in recruiting.

 

[sami]

I started watching in 1990s. No team was like Alabama until Saban. In the 1990s, you had almost a different team every year. Nebraska was most dominant with 3 National Titles. Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee all had 1 National Title but Florida kind of ran the SEC. People talk about Tennessee's dominant years but even then, we were 2nd fiddle to Florida.

We haven't had a dominant period since Neyland. I mean a period where we are doing what Alabama or Georgia are doing now or Florida under Meyer and Spurrier's stints were you are winning SEC regularly and beating all of your rivals. Someone has always been in Tennessee's way.

However, I would say the best time for College Football was 2000-2010. SEC had a lot of parity. Take 2006 season where you felt like Auburn, Florida, and LSU were all National Title Contenders. Tennessee wasn't great but they were still a decent program then. Alabama was actually in bad shape but Alabama's "down" period still had an SEC Title (1999) and a couple of 10 win seasons.

Alabama's down period was no where near as bad as Tennessee's and did NOT last near as long. Alabama was pretty good until 1996 and got good again in 2008. In the middle, they still had an SEC Championship in 1999 and 2 other 10-win seasons under Franchione and Shula.

Tennessee has done nothing. No SEC Championships this Century, no SEC Championship Game appearance since 2007, only 1 double digit win Season in last 20 years.

That is miserable and frankly it bodes for a miserable experience. Alabama never had a 16-game losing streak to anyone. That is brutal.

Yeah, I saw more parity when I first started. I was really old enough to start watching in 1997, you had in that span Nebraska/Michigan, Tennessee, FSU, Oklahoma, Miami, Ohio State, LSU/USC, USC, Texas, Florida, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn.

That is a different team every year and frankly a lot of parity.

Then you get 2010-2023 which has literally been all Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. I think Ohio State and LSU both had those one dream seasons each but that is it. No parity. That is 13 years with only 5 teams vs previous 13 years that saw 13 different teams claim a title or co-title.

Honestly, if I felt something was a miserable experience I sure as hell wouldn't waste Saturday afternoons and any emotion or passion on it.

Having been a UT fan since being a student here in the early '80's, I would say that the best times were the '80's, with the 10-team single division conference, and the 90's after Arky and USCjr were admitted. It was pre- all the conference networks, the crazy realignments, and the money that has destroyed sports in general, and while I didn't get to see every UT game, those opportunities were special. UT was elite, even if it didn't result in more than one natty, but we were as relevant as anyone in the country.

I don't disagree that the last decade and a half has been awful, but it's not just for us. Imagine being a fan of Washington St. or Oregon St., two solid programs who will be Group of 5 schools now. It has become a sport of the haves and have-nots, and if your sole reason for being a fan is hoping to join the haves, you'll likely be very disappointed.

The 15 years before Heupel was a picture of dysfunction from the top down in UT athletics, and the Kiffin hiring scared the administration into the dreadful "safe" hires of Dooley and Jones. The Pruitt disaster was hitting rock bottom. The NCAA penalties, cleaning house, and the hires of White and Heupel hopefully signals a return to permanently being relevant, and while I'm not harboring any delusions of being on the Bama/UGa/OSU level recruiting-wise, my hope is to be competitive every season and make the occasional run in the playoffs when the talent mix is right. It just doesn't happen overnight like some here seem to believe.

 

[08Vol]

Where did I say that was the best we could do? It was one horrible decision after another beginning w/ Dooley being named head coach and not putting Kippy Brown as the interim. The biggest problem we’ve had IMO is that we weren’t all on the same page. The administration, the athletic department and the boosters were not rowing in the same direction at all. Since Danny White has arrived, coupled w/ Donde, Boyd I think everyone seems moving in the same direction.

I don’t think Kippy Brown could have even been considered since he was part of Kiffin’s coaching staff. Kiffin was breaking all kinds of rules including openly paying players and sending “pep squad” girls to HS games to “cheer” for recruits. When Kiffin left town he knew the NCAA was investigating him so he agreed to give them a lot of dirt on what happened at UT in exchange for not being punished. The NCAA contacted UT and reached an agreement that UT would distance themselves from Kiffin and his staff (much like we did with Pruitt & co) and UT would go on probation with a clear understanding that any more major violations would result in the death penalty. At that point UT admin needed a coach that had no prior connection to the program, had a good reputation with the NCAA, and 100% would not violate any major NCAA rules. Dooley was the answer. His main job was to get UT off of probation, which he did.

Kiffin is the reason we had to go with Dooley and I wish more Vol fans realized this. Have to read between the lines a bit but in the end the NCAA cared more about punishing the Vols than Kiffin.

Lane Kiffin gets no NCAA penalty for year at Tennessee

Lane Kiffin gets no NCAA penalty for year at Tennessee

www.latimes.com

 

[EastTNVol6240]

Yeah, but you specifically said Kirby and Saban, setting the performance expectations really high, and neither were "big names" when they were hired. Effectively, Alabama and Georgia were taking chances on them as well. You would have been better off naming the coaches that you would have preferred that UT hired instead that they had a legitimate chance at hiring.

Exactly my point. They took chances and it worked out. We were never willing to do so. You lose at 100% of things you don’t do…

 

[Flipdaddy]

I’m just as bummed as anybody about this season but I’m not going to judge Huepel until year 5. Coaches that take over a dumpster fire needs a chance. He beats candy and the bowl opponent, he’s 9-4 not too bad. I expected 6-5, 7-5, 9-3 in that order. Last year he beat Florida, LSU, Alabama, Kentucky and mighty Clemson. That deserves some respect.

 

[NEO]

We beat Bama last year when we had a QB who wasn’t throwing to back of Olinemens heads. Relax.

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

Not really, Florida beat us and under Butch Jones and Pruitt, they had a losing record against the SEC West.

But to be fair, Pruitt did get us our first win over an SEC West team in about a decade. I think our last SEC West win was over Ole Miss under Dooley prior to Pruitt's win over Auburn.

 

[adam.vol]

You guys really need to stop kissing Oklahoma’s butts. They haven’t been dominant in a long time. The big 12 has been terrible for a long time.

You can respect Texas’s money but they haven’t done anything since Mack Brown was coach.

 

[JRich]

Exactly my point. They took chances and it worked out. We were never willing to do so. You lose at 100% of things you don’t do…

I consider 2 coordinators and 3 non power five coaches taking a chance. I guess it’s all about perception.

 

[voltn21]

I started watching in 1990s. No team was like Alabama until Saban. In the 1990s, you had almost a different team every year. Nebraska was most dominant with 3 National Titles. Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee all had 1 National Title but Florida kind of ran the SEC. People talk about Tennessee's dominant years but even then, we were 2nd fiddle to Florida.

We haven't had a dominant period since Neyland. I mean a period where we are doing what Alabama or Georgia are doing now or Florida under Meyer and Spurrier's stints were you are winning SEC regularly and beating all of your rivals. Someone has always been in Tennessee's way.

However, I would say the best time for College Football was 2000-2010. SEC had a lot of parity. Take 2006 season where you felt like Auburn, Florida, and LSU were all National Title Contenders. Tennessee wasn't great but they were still a decent program then. Alabama was actually in bad shape but Alabama's "down" period still had an SEC Title (1999) and a couple of 10 win seasons.

Alabama's down period was no where near as bad as Tennessee's and did NOT last near as long. Alabama was pretty good until 1996 and got good again in 2008. In the middle, they still had an SEC Championship in 1999 and 2 other 10-win seasons under Franchione and Shula.

Tennessee has done nothing. No SEC Championships this Century, no SEC Championship Game appearance since 2007, only 1 double digit win Season in last 20 years.

That is miserable and frankly it bodes for a miserable experience. Alabama never had a 16-game losing streak to anyone. That is brutal.

Yeah, I saw more parity when I first started. I was really old enough to start watching in 1997, you had in that span Nebraska/Michigan, Tennessee, FSU, Oklahoma, Miami, Ohio State, LSU/USC, USC, Texas, Florida, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn.

That is a different team every year and frankly a lot of parity.

Then you get 2010-2023 which has literally been all Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. I think Ohio State and LSU both had those one dream seasons each but that is it. No parity. That is 13 years with only 5 teams vs previous 13 years that saw 13 different teams claim a title or co-title.

Same.. though I started watching in 1989. Man I miss those years. That was great college football back then.