Fulmer: Three UT teams were better than '98 Vols

[terrypedigo]

Yes, this is an accurate observation by CPF.

That 2001 team did not come mentally ready to the SEC championship game and they knew it. Then they went out and embarrassed a really good Michigan team in the Outback Bowl. It makes me sick that we only won one championship with those teams.

Man i still wake up in the night with cold sweats, man we should have 2 more NC at least and thats at a low estimate.hmy:

 

[85SugarVol]

the 2001 team was boss

 

[Gramps]

The 1999 team was stacked. Hard to believe that team lost 3 games.

It's called coaching. Cut was gone.

 

[VOL6479]

The 1999 team was stacked. Hard to believe that team lost 3 games.

If that team hadn't lost to Arkansas they would have ended up playing Florida St again for the NC.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

I agree the 98 team was better on defense and running the ball than the 97 team but I think the 97 team was still more talented. The Orange Bowl is not a fair assessment of that team. We were flat as hell after a huge win the SEC title game and the disappointment of Peyton getting robbed in that trophy thing i dont acknowledge by name. Peyton was hurt and that 97 Nebraska team would have beaten the 98 Florida State Fiesta Bowl team by 4 touchdowns.

Agreed. I wasn't debating overall talent level but simply tried to explain the difference in outcome. It is, perhaps, the oldest cliche in the book but the most talented teams don't always win. Al's leadership on the '98 squad was phenomenal and galvanized that team. With respect to the Orange Bowl vs. Nebraska, I understood Fulmer's game plan with an injured Peyton but was still disappointed by it. Our best chance to beat them was to stretch their defense with the deep passing game, but we were not going to risk further injury to Peyton. Those last Osborne-coached Nebraska teams were clearly his best and, with the direction college football is going, will probably be the last truly great power running offenses we will ever see.

 

[jayisavol]

if he would have taken over a couple years earlier i would put 1990 in there as well

 

[VFL 24/7]

Doesn't matter if they were better... the 98 team has the RING

 

[ZZ13]

The team that goes 13-0 and wins the SEC and wins the national championship is always better than the team that loses a game and doesn't win any championship ('95) or loses two games (both embarrassingly) and doesn't win a national championship ('97) or loses two games and doesn't win anything either ('01). This is exactly how you define "better". You can speculate and make up stuff all day long, but I go with the facts.

 

[strongtower]

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?

01 team was best i ever seen except for coaching

 

[ZZ13]

01 team was best i ever seen except for coaching

I just don't see that at all. They had to work real hard against three mediocre teams: Kentucky (38-35 after falling behind 21-0), Alabama (4th quarter come from behind win) and Notre Dame (another come from behind win). They were up 14-3 against UGA and blew that and the last drive thing they gave up to UGA was not a sign of "the best team ever". They absolutely were garbage in the second half of the SEC championship game and held on for dear life at the end against LSU in their first game.

The '98 team pretty much easily took care of everyone they should have and played real strong second halves against their three toughest teams (Syracuse, Florida and Arkansas). I guess you could argue that Auburn was a dud game. Plus they put a ton of players into the NFL with productive careers.

 

[VolBraniac]

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.

I was there as well.

I remember distinctly that we were a NC team...in 98...because of the promise of Tee Martin's mobility, the only thing that Manning never had. Martin finished the game looking very good.

 

[Backwards K]

The team that goes 13-0 and wins the SEC and wins the national championship is always better than the team that loses a game and doesn't win any championship ('95) or loses two games (both embarrassingly) and doesn't win a national championship ('97) or loses two games and doesn't win anything either ('01). This is exactly how you define "better". You can speculate and make up stuff all day long, but I go with the facts.

To quote the great Bill Parcells: "you are what your record says you are."

The biggest difference between the 98 team and all of the rest: They simply refused to lose.

 

[volfanecs]

To quote the great Bill Parcells: "you are what your record says you are."

The biggest difference between the 98 team and all of the rest: They simply refused to lose.

And what was CPF's record?

 

[iluvsmesumdooley]

There's a difference between "talented" and "best." That 97 team was stacked. But it was not the best.

 

[KBVol]

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.’’

Love the shots.... "But it's still Vanderbilt...." Hahaha

 

[JohnnyBall]

They could have beaten Arkansas 100-0 and they wouldn't have played for a national title.

This is total BS as usual..the BCS standings in its infancy never did the correction thing that everyone expects nowdays..Tennessee would have gone,no question

 

[sanddune50]

2001 was the best team I have saw at UT.

2001 was where Fulmer shined as a mediocre Xs and Os coach. Played an LSU team with the 108th ranked pass defense. The same team Kelly Washington had 200+ yards receiving, and Fulmer like a dullard ran on an 8 and sometimes 9 man front. Should have played the Canes in the Rose Bowl that year.

 

[1972 Grad]

2001 was where Fulmer shined as a mediocre Xs and Os coach. Played an LSU team with the 108th ranked pass defense. The same team Kelly Washington had 200+ yards receiving, and Fulmer like a dullard ran on an 8 and sometimes 9 man front. Should have played the Canes in the Rose Bowl that year.

Cutcliffe gone, replaced by Randy Sanders at that time..

 

[sanddune50]

Cutcliffe gone, replaced by Randy Sanders at that time..

I agree there was a huge drop off from Cutcliffe to Sanders, but one would think even a novice OC could see a team running 8 to 9 men in the box and adjust accordingly.

 

[Gramps]

I agree there was a huge drop off from Cutcliffe to Sanders, but one would think even a novice OC could see a team running 8 to 9 men in the box and adjust accordingly.

From what I understand Fulmer never gave Sanders full control of the offense.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

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

Me too.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

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

hmy:

 

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[SDV]

2001 team was best team I saw

 

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