Fulmer: Three UT teams were better than '98 Vols

[orangesox]

Mike Strange: Phillip Fulmer: SEC dominance began before seven-year title run » GoVolsXtra

Interesting take in this article. Basically, Coach Fulmer states that three of his teams ('95, '97, and '01) were better than the one that won the NC. What do you guys think? Is he right?

 

[YankeeVol]

I'd lean toward yes

 

[MSCE09]

97, 01 and 99?

Edit. Didn't see the article.

95 instead of 99

 

[ScornedPapaVol]

97. 99. 2001.

 

[ncvol17]

Darn, they were all fun to watch... I miss those days for sure

 

[GAVol]

I agree with him. The 98 team was great on defense but somewhat limited offensively.

 

[volfanecs]

Mike Strange: Phillip Fulmer: SEC dominance began before seven-year title run » GoVolsXtra

Interesting take in this article. Basically, Coach Fulmer states that three of his teams ('95, '97, and '01) were better than the one that won the NC. What do you guys think? Is he right?

I think 99% of his teams are better than his replacements.

 

[Gramps]

2001 was the best team I have saw at UT.

 

[BODACIOUS]

I'm still pi$$ed about '01.

 

[volfanecs]

Darn, they were all fun to watch... I miss those days for sure

Oh well....game had passed him by.....needed to be fired.

 

[davethevol]

Best part of the article:

Everybody in the league seems to be getting the right guys. Even Vanderbilt.

“That won’t do anything but help because that will raise our level of play,’’ Fulmer said.

“That guy (coach James Franklin) has done a good job. But it’s still Vanderbilt and we should still be better than them.’’

 

[Gramps]

I don't agree that the 1997 team was better. I sat in the Orange Bowl and watched Nebraska have a field day.
They simply wore TN out.
I always thought that lose taught the coaching staff some valuable lessons that led to the 1998 Championship.

 

[VOLfrombama]

the 98 run offense was one of the best UT has ever had with Lewis til injury, Henry, Stephens, Tee, and Bryson

 

[orangesox]

Best part of the article:

Everybody in the league seems to be getting the right guys. Even Vanderbilt.

“That won’t do anything but help because that will raise our level of play,’’ Fulmer said.

“That guy (coach James Franklin) has done a good job. But it’s still Vanderbilt and we should still be better than them.’’

That was pretty nice. Expect "that guy" and his underlings to launch a Twitter war against Fulmer in ...3...2...1...

 

[ScornedPapaVol]

Best part of the article:

Everybody in the league seems to be getting the right guys. Even Vanderbilt.

“That won’t do anything but help because that will raise our level of play,’’ Fulmer said.

“That guy (coach James Franklin) has done a good job. But it’s still Vanderbilt and we should still be better than them.’’

Damn right!!

 

[VOL6479]

The 01 offense might have been better I don't think the defense was.

 

[iluvsmesumdooley]

You win with defense. And that's why the 98 team is the best. That was the best D we had since 85. If the 01 team was better, they would not have blown that lead against UGly and choked against an inferior LSU squad. If 97 was better, they would have not gotten bullied by Nebraska. And if 98 was better, they would not have been spanked in the second half against UF.

 

[GAVol]

the 98 run offense was one of the best UT has ever had with Lewis til injury, Henry, Stephens, Tee, and Bryson

And the 98 passing game was ugly until about mid October.

 

[Backwards K]

The 90 and 91 teams were as good as any of them but I'd say the 95, 98, and 99 teams were the most talented Fulmer teams.

 

[CaVOLry]

I don't agree that the 1997 team was better. I sat in the Orange Bowl and watched Nebraska have a field day.
They simply wore TN out.
I always thought that lose taught the coaching staff some valuable lessons that led to the 1998 Championship.

The lack of good play was due to the injury Peyton sustained in the SEC Championship game. In the game against Nebraska he was only 50% healthy.

 

[supersmo18]

The 01 offense might have been better I don't think the defense was.

If you put the '98 D with the '01 Offense.... Holy Cow.

 

[JohnnyBall]

2001 was the best college football team I ever saw in person..totally screwed up an undefeated no.1 Rose bowl berth with about 5 plays in 2 different games

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I would agree. You have to get a few lucky breaks along the way to go undefeated and the 98 team got those. That team was still loaded though.
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[BeecherVol]

And the 98 passing game was ugly until about mid October.

Given our OL and the RBs listed, I wouldn't have thrown it enough for it to be pretty.

01' had better talent in places but was missing an Al Wilson type leader (He'd be the reason I would stick with 98', that was his team). 95 was a better balanced O, but wasn't as good on D. 97' is hard to figure given how the finished in the bowl.

Outside of 01', 99 was the biggest letdown IMO. That team should have won it as well.

 

[MikeVol44]

99 team was probably THE most talented team we've put on the field--other than the 1990 team. The '99 team would have played for the NC IF we would've beaten Arkansas--and we were one dropped pass (leonard scott) away from winning that game late....

Also---would have beaten Fla if we would have called a bootleg on 4th and 2 at Fla in the swamp..

I think somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-25 guys from that team ended up playing somewhere in the NFL for a time....some of them STILL are playing in the NFL....

Hard to discount that '95 team, though....Only 1 loss and beating a pretty good but poorly coached OSU team in Bowl game--Jay Graham showing off again!