ESPN Analysis of the Season-Defining Games for the Top 25 Next Season

[SprocketRocket]

In this opinion piece, both Alabama and Georgia's season-defining games are against UT. I know this has been said over and over, but I am happy to say it again. I am over the moon that the Vols are relevant again in college football. I have no idea if the season plays out like this, but just knowing that sports journalists THINK it will gives me great pleasure and satisfaction.

What's the season-defining game for each Top 25 team next season?

Interestingly enough, the article suggests that Florida is our season-defining game, but I would argue that the Georgia game is. Beating Florida on the road would be huge, but IMO beating Georgia would be bigger. They currently own the East. We need to take it back before it goes away. This article also points out just how pathetically weak Georgia's out-of-conference schedule is this year.

 

[UTgrad2015]

Tough call to say whether beating UF or UGA would be bigger. Honestly I could see us losing in Gainesville and beating UGA at home as the most likely scenario if we were to win one of those

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

Tough call to say whether beating UF or UGA would be bigger. Honestly I could see us losing in Gainesville and beating UGA at home as the most likely scenario if we were to win one of those

Not really. UGA will be a top 10 team. UF probably unranked

 

[UTgrad2015]

Not really. UGA will be a top 10 team. UF probably unranked

Literally doesn’t matter. Lose in Gainesville (place we haven’t won in 20 YEARS now) and people will be nervous. Ranking couldn’t matter less

 

[GulfCoasterVol]

Every Game!

 

[zaqhhh]

Literally doesn’t matter. Lose in Gainesville (place we haven’t won in 20 YEARS now) and people will be nervous. Ranking couldn’t matter less

It would be special for sure, but beating the defending back to back Champion on a 30+ game win streak would easily be bigger

 

[GreyhoundMan]

Two things - I wouldn't call the Georgia loss last year a rout. Not the Vols' finest hour, maybe, but they made a game out of it. And two, why was storming the field after the Alabama win such a bad thing? Don't other teams celebrate after such a huge victory?

 

[sami]

Two things - I wouldn't call the Georgia loss last year a rout. Not the Vols' finest hour, maybe, but they made a game out of it. And two, why was storming the field after the Alabama win such a bad thing? Don't other teams celebrate after such a huge victory?

Because the world has gotten soft, specifically the media, but parroted by too many fans as well. Hell, look at the criticism the FDU coach took for suggesting that Purdue looked like a team on film that could be beaten. Or the schiit the FAU player took for dunking at the buzzer. They took a fan reaction of pure joy and turned it into some sort of "controversial" event.

I don't know when it happened, probably in the last 15-20 years, but too many things that were seen as just fun are now frowned upon as 'disrespectful' and 'unsafe'. I wish they'd react the same way about the foolish TD celebrations in the NFL.

 

[swampfoxfan]

Tough call to say whether beating UF or UGA would be bigger. Honestly I could see us losing in Gainesville and beating UGA at home as the most likely scenario if we were to win one of those

For me , beginning a long streak against the Gators will be good times

 

[Tin Man]

Beat them all. GBO.

 

[headhunter15]

Gotta beat UF in Gainesville and get payback from SC.

 

[NashVol11]

Because the world has gotten soft, specifically the media, but parroted by too many fans as well. Hell, look at the criticism the FDU coach took for suggesting that Purdue looked like a team on film that could be beaten. Or the schiit the FAU player took for dunking at the buzzer. They took a fan reaction of pure joy and turned it into some sort of "controversial" event.

I don't know when it happened, probably in the last 15-20 years, but too many things that were seen as just fun are now frowned upon as 'disrespectful' and 'unsafe'. I wish they'd react the same way about the foolish TD celebrations in the NFL.

"Everyone is too soft nowadays" and "they should crack down on NFL TD celebrations" in the same post is quite something

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

In this opinion piece, both Alabama and Georgia's season-defining games are against UT. I know this has been said over and over, but I am happy to say it again. I am over the moon that the Vols are relevant again in college football. I have no idea if the season plays out like this, but just knowing that sports journalists THINK it will gives me great pleasure and satisfaction.

What's the season-defining game for each Top 25 team next season?

Interestingly enough, the article suggests that Florida is our season-defining game, but I would argue that the Georgia game is. Beating Florida on the road would be huge, but IMO beating Georgia would be bigger. They currently own the East. We need to take it back before it goes away. This article also points out just how pathetically weak Georgia's out-of-conference schedule is this year.

Basically UGA is playing Georgia Tech instead of Virginia. They had Oklahoma scheduled in Norman also but the SEC made them cancel it, like they did us for 2024. Georgia ordinarily plays 2 power 5 teams out of conference most years (Oregon/GT in 2022; Clemson/GT in 2021; Notre Dame/GT in 2019; Clemson/GT in 2024), Florida regularly plays 2 too. We haven't played 2 since 2003. The bottom line is we live in a glass house when talking about OOC schedules. Where our schedule is tougher is we play Bama annually, though a loss to Bama has never cost us the East.

 

[Voldog1998]

We need to end the losing streak in Gainesville that’s a huge game and we haven’t won in the Swamp since 2003.

 

[sami]

"Everyone is too soft nowadays" and "they should crack down on NFL TD celebrations" in the same post is quite something

Yeah, it would have been if that's what I had actually said.

"I wish they'd react the same way about the foolish TD celebrations in the NFL."

Where in there am I advocating for a "crackdown" on anything?

 

[Vol865]

We need that win in the swamp. The other 2 would be icing on the cake imo

 

[ptcarter]

I heard from a reliable source that UF will be 0-12 yet again.

 

[UTblood4life]

September 30th, will the Real Rattler show up

 

[JRich]

I'd never thought I'd say this, but he's right. It seems obvious, but the Alabama and Georgia games won't mean much unless they beat Florida.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Basically UGA is playing Georgia Tech instead of Virginia. They had Oklahoma scheduled in Norman also but the SEC made them cancel it, like they did us for 2024. Georgia ordinarily plays 2 power 5 teams out of conference most years (Oregon/GT in 2022; Clemson/GT in 2021; Notre Dame/GT in 2019; Clemson/GT in 2024), Florida regularly plays 2 too. We haven't played 2 since 2003. The bottom line is we live in a glass house when talking about OOC schedules. Where our schedule is tougher is we play Bama annually, though a loss to Bama has never cost us the East.

True, but Tennessee and Auburn are the only teams wholly the top 3 SEC teams every year.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

True, but Tennessee and Auburn are the only teams wholly the top 3 SEC teams every year.

Certainly, though we will be escaping that annually after next year when Georgia and Florida go to every other year on the schedule.

 

[Dudleys87]

If Milton can get Tennessee a road win at Florida they’re in good shape.