I forgot how close Tennessee was in 2006.

[BigOrangePhoenix]

They flat out choked against Florida and LSU, but they were a couple of bad calls. They win those two, do they win a rematch against Arkansas? Do they jump Michigan to play Ohio State?

But then again, maybe they were good, but not great. Alabama and Kentucky were lackluster wins. Oh,and so was Air Force.

 

[Boca Vol]

They flat out choked against Florida and LSU, but they were a couple of bad calls. They win those two, do they win a rematch against Arkansas? Do they jump Michigan to play Ohio State?

But then again, maybe they were good, but not great. Alabama and Kentucky were lackluster wins. Oh,and so was Air Force.

I think Ainge left the LSU game early on and Crompton played almost the whole game.

 

[BACKDOC]

I think Ainge left the LSU game early on and Crompton played almost the whole game.

If there were replay back then we beat LSU.

 

[Boca Vol]

If there were replay back then we beat LSU.

I remember there was some controversy with that game but can't remember. Can you remind me?

 

[PEPPERJAX]

We were not close in 2006.

 

[Cdywolfe]

I remember there was some controversy with that game but can't remember. Can you remind me?

Somebody correct me if I’m wrong but I think Russel clearly fumbled on their go ahead TD drive. We’d probably have won if it was called correctly. Either way we totally crapped our pants the next week against Arkansas so it didn’t really matter.

 

[Titans4Vols]

I remember there was some controversy with that game but can't remember. Can you remind me?

Skip to 2:11:12 if it doesn't start there.

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

I thought we were 9-3 that year. Could have sworn that was one of the Citrus Bowl years against a big 10 school too. Decent team but not championship level from what I recall.

 

[OrangeTsar]

It was the last brief sunset of the Fulmer years. Cutcliffe returned to revitalize the stagnant offense and we had one fleeting return to relevance before the long night descended on the hill and we began the endless Winter of our discontent

 

[scottchatt]

It was the last brief sunset of the Fulmer years. Cutcliffe returned to revitalize the stagnant offense and we had one fleeting return to relevance before the long night descended on the hill and we began the endless Winter of our discontent

The last few Fulmer years were wild. Game was moving on from him, but so much talent was on the sidelines he still pulled off some wins. 2004 East Championship with a team that had some promise and just couldn't beat Auburn, 2005 was terrible, 2006 team honestly was pretty good and lost some heart breakers. 2007 was a crazy year where everyone in the SEC had at least 2 losses in conference and only LSU (NC) and Georgia finished with less than 4 losses overall. Wild times.

Crazy to think how close we still were for the first part of the dark years.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

We were not close in 2006.

We actually were

Blew it against Florida

7-1 before we had to play LSU and Arkansas without Ainge who had been lighting it up.

We 100% beat LSU with Ainge and likely beat Arkansas since we destroyed them with a less talented team the next season

Side tangent

Then again it seems like our entire history has been marred by several seasons where something "almost" great happens lol

Even back to Neyland

Look at his first 7 seasons

1926 8–1
1927 8–0–1
1928 9–0–1
1929 9–0–1
1930 9–1
1931 9–0–1
1932 9–0–1

Now that's obviously an incredible record, but what's even more incredible to me is that somehow none of those years were undefeated and untied.

We were super close to several national titles and Rose bowl berths in that era and somehow every single one of those seasons came up just short of perfection.

Kinda like our entire history including the USCjr debacle last year

Literally just needed to show up and we are in the playoff.

 

[SpookyAction]

That is why we are not mentioned in the same breath as Bama, tOSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma as all-time great programs.
We are at the bottom of the top tier.
#15, with 4 Ivy League schools ahead of us, so really #11 in wins all-time.
The 2008-2020 years really knocked us down a couple of pegs.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

We actually were

Blew it against Florida

7-1 before we had to play LSU and Arkansas without Ainge who had been lighting it up.

We 100% beat LSU with Ainge and likely beat Arkansas since we destroyed them with a less talented team the next season

Side tangent

Then again it seems like our entire history has been marred by several seasons where something "almost" great happens lol

Even back to Neyland

Look at his first 7 seasons

1926 8–1
1927 8–0–1
1928 9–0–1
1929 9–0–1
1930 9–1
1931 9–0–1
1932 9–0–1

Now that's obviously an incredible record, but what's even more incredible to me is that somehow none of those years were undefeated and untied.

We were super close to several national titles and Rose bowl berths in that era and somehow every single one of those seasons came up just short of perfection.

Kinda like our entire history including the USCjr debacle last year

Literally just needed to show up and we are in the playoff.

That's what is so interesting about sports. Coming so close but failing to get the win by a single play, key injury, or penalty. The 2006 UF loss in Neyland still pisses me off to this day. The hit to the head penalty called on JT Mapu was complete crap. If that INT stands, then UT probably wins. He tapped Leaks helmet. If we win that game, we at Least reach ATL. IMO that squad had good talent, however, not enough elite talent that is needed to win it all. You are probably right about LSU. We still Lose to ARKY on the road, even with a healthy Ainge. They didn't even show up against PSU in the bowl. Don't forget, we beat Air Force at home by 1 point.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

That is why we are not mentioned in the same breath as Bama, tOSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma as all-time great programs.
We are at the bottom of the top tier.
#15, with 4 Ivy League schools ahead of us, so really #11 in wins all-time.
The 2008-2020 years really knocked us down a couple of pegs.

LOL. We own Michigan and their cousins, the bucknuts. We beat Nebraska last time and they well know it. And Bama, LSU and Clemson? Ask them who's their daddy now?

 

[MurphyVol]

Being a Vol.fan has always been.... interesting. Losing to Army, Wyoming, Memphis...wild times over the years. Phil almost lost to Duke, Johnny tied an awful Ga Tech the year we won the Sugar.

Johnny was particularly erratic. He was 6-5-1 in year 6, 5-6 in year 12. The assistant turnover back then was wild too..

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

That's what is so interesting about sports. Coming so close but failing to get the win by a single play, key injury, or penalty. The 2006 UF loss in Neyland still pisses me off to this day. The hit to the head penalty called on JT Mapu was complete crap. If that INT stands, then UT probably wins. He tapped Leaks helmet. If we win that game, we at Least reach ATL. IMO that squad had good talent, however, not enough elite talent that is needed to win it all. You are probably right about LSU. We still Lose to ARKY on the road, even with a healthy Ainge. They didn't even show up against PSU in the bowl. Don't forget, we beat Air Force at home by 1 point.

Yeah even if we were undefeated going into Ark with a healthy Ainge we probably find a way to blow it with Fulmers conservative bs or some wild fluke play.

They were also so wildly inconsistent under Fulmer and Majors

Like we could beat anybody and lose to anybody almost every year.

That's what seems to be different about Heupel

We have been very consistent over the first two seasons and they don't mess around with inferior opponents. They blow them out.

The USCjr game is hopefully a blessing in disguise. Perfect lesson in you must show up no matter what.

We also had the Jeremy Banks crap going on and USCjr completely changed their entire offense inexplicably, which of course happened to us, so I can't really blame Heuepl for that and Pruitts untalented leftovers on defense.

It's not as bad as Fulmer losing to a 3 win Memphis with Peyton Manning with basically a top 3 talented roster in the country after going 24-3 since Manning had taken over as starter.

I dont think Heupel with his aggressive style has bs like that happen

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

That is why we are not mentioned in the same breath as Bama, tOSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma as all-time great programs.
We are at the bottom of the top tier.
#15, with 4 Ivy League schools ahead of us, so really #11 in wins all-time.
The 2008-2020 years really knocked us down a couple of pegs.

Yep we don't have quite as long periods of dominance as those programs.

Neyland/Barnhill from 1926-1952 was as as elite as any era

205-36-14

4 titles
7 conference titles

After that there were too many average periods

Since Neyland I think we just haven't hired as well as those other programs.

Suffered more average periods (1953-64) and then the mid 70's until the mid 80's

Then the horrendous 2008-2020

They never screwed it up as bad as we did

It was also much harder for them to stub their toes with the charmin soft schedules they had for decades.

I dont think the Big Ten, SWC or Big 8 ever had near the parity the SEC had.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

That's what is so interesting about sports. Coming so close but failing to get the win by a single play, key injury, or penalty. The 2006 UF loss in Neyland still pisses me off to this day. The hit to the head penalty called on JT Mapu was complete crap. If that INT stands, then UT probably wins. He tapped Leaks helmet. If we win that game, we at Least reach ATL. IMO that squad had good talent, however, not enough elite talent that is needed to win it all. You are probably right about LSU. We still Lose to ARKY on the road, even with a healthy Ainge. They didn't even show up against PSU in the bowl. Don't forget, we beat Air Force at home by 1 point.

I don’t think it’s fair to say that the Arkansas game was a loss no matter what. We were completely deflated going into that one. Ainge was out, we left it all on the field and we’re kind of screwed vs LSU. If we go into that game undefeated with a healthy Ainge and something to play for I think our motivation would’ve been different . We may have lost, but it wouldn’t have a been the complete disaster it was.

 

[VolBricks]

Just like losing that bowl game year before last. We scored that TD in overtime but replay did not see it that way.

Close but no cigar

 

[SpookyAction]

Yep we don't have quite as long periods of dominance as those programs.

Neyland/Barnhill from 1926-1952 was as as elite as any era

205-36-14

4 titles
7 conference titles

After that there were too many average periods

Since Neyland I think we just haven't hired as well as those other programs.

Suffered more average periods (1953-64) and then the mid 70's until the mid 80's

Then the horrendous 2008-2020

They never screwed it up as bad as we did

It was also much harder for them to stub their toes with the charmin soft schedules they had for decades.

I dont think the Big Ten, SWC or Big 8 ever had near the parity the SEC had.

Every word is true.
The three dead decades in our history keep us out of the Top Tier. UGA, LSU, UT, USC Trojans, and Auburn are in the Second Tier of the Blue Bloods.

LOL. We own Michigan and their cousins, the bucknuts. We beat Nebraska last time and they well know it. And Bama, LSU and Clemson? Ask them who's their daddy now?

Chest thumping doesn't change anything.
We've not been in the National Championship hunt nearly as many times as your listed teams in recent memory.
One victory doesn't change it.
Look at Nebraska. Top 10 in wins and sliding further back every season through the 2nd Tier and maybe further down.
We'll have to be dominant for a lot of seasons to get back to that level.
Before Saban, no one put Bama ahead of us as a program, and it will take at least a generation of success to get back there.

 

[Hank Bukowski]

They flat out choked against Florida and LSU, but they were a couple of bad calls. They win those two, do they win a rematch against Arkansas? Do they jump Michigan to play Ohio State?

But then again, maybe they were good, but not great. Alabama and Kentucky were lackluster wins. Oh,and so was Air Force.

Was that the year that we very nearly lost to Air Force? What a nightmare that was.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Was that the year that we very nearly lost to Air Force? What a nightmare that was.

We never should’ve scheduled that game, let alone placed between 2 top 10 opponents. Disciplined opponent who runs the triple option and cut blocks all day = definition of a trap game.

 

[felloffthetrain]

Was that the year that we very nearly lost to Air Force? What a nightmare that was.

That was also the game that Inky got hurt and lost his playing career

 

[njvols]

That is why we are not mentioned in the same breath as Bama, tOSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma as all-time great programs.
We are at the bottom of the top tier.
#15, with 4 Ivy League schools ahead of us, so really #11 in wins all-time.
The 2008-2020 years really knocked us down a couple of pegs.

Moving forward with TX and OK joining SEC, it's going to be so hard to be year over year dominant...even for UGA and Bama, in my opinion. Once we keep elevating under JH, I think we can expect those "special" years every so often, but keeping the threshold of being competitive is the key. But, when you get to the top you've got to make it pay off so you can go on a run like UGA. Truly gets to the HC and the culture. You get the wrong coach and you're in trouble...especially if you get the wrong coach 2-3 times in a row. I think UF and AUB are in danger zone like UT had been before JH.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

We were not close in 2006.

Yes we were. 3 points away from a 11-1 season. That would have given us a rematch with Arkansas. I think it’s possible we could have gotten them in a rematch. So we were closer than you think.