Is Tennessee a "CFB Blue Blood"? - Twitter Poll

#51
#51
Brave Volunteer said:
I wouldn't categorize Texas as a blue blood program. They are actually very similar to us. Historically successful but just on the outside looking in.

Right now the blue blood programs to me are the following...

Notre Dame
Michigan
Ohio State
Alabama
Oklahoma

With a rather large rotating cast behind them.
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Great post and agree although the USC Trojans are missing.
 
#52
#52
The simple answer to this question is if you have to even ask, you aren’t.

It’s just like anything else involving old money, class and privilege.

Or even simpler: a Lion doesn’t have to tell you he’s a Lion.
 
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#53
#53
It's completely subjective, of course, but I think top ten in all-time wins is a pretty good qualifier. Even beyond that there are a few teams that are in the conversation.
 
#55
#55
first time caller said:
Tennessee also lost to USC in the '45 Rose Bowl 25-0. Best I can tell that is their only 2 appearances in the Rose Bowl. So 0-2 and shutout both times. Let's keep that to ourselves...
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How do you suppose teams traveled back then? I've seen a lot of regular season games between cross country schools back then too. Like a week long train or something? ha

Hey honey, going to go watch Tennessee in the Rose Bowl, I'll see you in 10 days.
 
#56
#56
Here's a good question, if a program isnt currently a blue blood and has never been a blue blood, can they become a blueblood over time if they ramp up the wins / championships in a sustained period?

I say the answer is, no.
 
#57
#57
McDad said:
Here's a good question, if a program isnt currently a blue blood and has never been a blue blood, can they become a blueblood over time if they ramp up the wins / championships in a sustained period?

I say the answer is, no.
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No, they would be considered "new money." Think UCONN basketball.
 
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#58
#58
volbound1700 said:
I would say no just because Tennessee just doesn't win a lot of National Titles and they don't have a Heisman. Even out of the 6 we claim, only 2 were from AP and one of the AP ones saw us losing the bowl game.

Even when Tennessee is good (such as the Fulmer era), they don't win a lot of Conference Championships. Blue Bloods usually just dominate their leagues. Us and Georgia are neck-and-neck in all-time rankings and I think due to the last 3 years Georgia passed us to be in top 10 so our program dropped to #11 in most rankings.
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There was nothing to play for in that bowl game. Bowl games at the time were junkets for parties. The NC is totally valid.
 
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#59
#59
Historically, we are an 8 win a season team that occasionally has years where all the pieces fit together perfectly resulting in a conference and national championship. I think that would classify as a blue-blood program.
 
#60
#60
McDad said:
Blue bloods are fluctuating based circumstances...is that how you see it? It's not wrong. It's just different from my take. I think of it more as a historical standard than I do something which changes over time.
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Agree on both opinions. I think most would have considered Florida an elite program (maybe not historical blue blood if there's a difference), after the run from Spurrier thru Urban. Most would also not consider them elite or historical blue blood today. They certainly have the capability to be elite, but are enjoying some of the things we struggled with during our decade + of darkness. I think we're a historically relevant program in CFB...no doubt about it, but also think we're in an entirely different category than the OSU, Bama, Michigan's and now obviously UGA's of the world because of recent trajectory. If we rolled from Fulmer into staying a top tier program, that's probably a different opinion.
 
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#62
#62
If the blue bloods are Belle Meade, we're probably still in Forest Hills. High dollar property to be sure, but they won't ever let us in the country club.

And that's OK. Florida, FreeShoesU, Aubie, PennSt, clemson and a mess of others are out in Brentwood trying to convince people that they have enough money to buy class
 
#63
#63
Using Twitter as a polling platform severely limits your pool and doesn’t produce accurate results.

Twitter folks probably consider Oregon a Blue Blood, if they even know what that term means.
 
#64
#64
Boston Vol said:
No, they would be considered "new money." Think UCONN basketball.
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No. Nuevo Riche.

You can tell by how they act. And their desire to flaunt. They are worse than poor people.

Put it this way: you’d rather hang out with fans from Mississippi State than Florida fans from 1997.
 
#65
#65
replying to Brave Volunteer,If you take the quality of the "blue-bloods"teams schedules,Ohio State and Michigan play Vandy six to seven times a year.Blue blood being only record.If you play nobodies,you shouldn't be a true "blue-blood".You could add Notre Dame to that also.Bama and now Georgia are considered by me to be actual "blue-bloods..
 
#66
#66
just bob said:
How do you suppose teams traveled back then? I've seen a lot of regular season games between cross country schools back then too. Like a week long train or something? ha

Hey honey, going to go watch Tennessee in the Rose Bowl, I'll see you in 10 days.
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They traveled by train in 1939/40...i assume they did as well in '45. We were discussing this in an earlier post. It was like a home game to USC. The article I read said they left for the Rose Bowl on Dec 21st..for the Jan 1st game. I'm guessing they overnighted some places along the way. That's a long haul to play a team resting in a comfortable bed at home.
 
#67
#67
McDad said:
I say no. There are only a handful of bluebloods. Bama, Ohio state, Notre dame, texas, and USC.
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They, along with possibly Michigan are on the '1st tier', but there are a few schools on the next level that have a national following and generate buzz and ratings when they are playing at a high level. I would put us firmly on that level.
 
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#68
#68
I would have said yes up to around 1972. But since then no. We are a historical program of the past.
 
#69
#69
Brave Volunteer said:
I think to call certain programs "blue blood" it goes beyond just the wins and losses. There's a certain "gravitas" and prestige that goes with it and I've never looked at Tennessee that way. If anything, I feel like we are the antithesis of a blue blood program in the sense that, we are the rednecks, the outcasts, the hillbilly's, the common folk.
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I would be interested in whether you consider Alabama a "blue blood" or not. 1705099008670.png
 
#72
#72
first time caller said:
Tennessee also lost to USC in the '45 Rose Bowl 25-0. Best I can tell that is their only 2 appearances in the Rose Bowl. So 0-2 and shutout both times. Let's keep that to ourselves...
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Your point is accurate but not germane to the distinction I was making. Counting their appearance (and win) in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, USC's all-time bowl record is 36-20. In Rose Bowl appearances, their record is a gaudy 25-9. USC's record in all other bowl appearances is a distinctly unimpressive 11-11. Needless to say, home field advantage is always important, but it must have been particularly noteworthy during the era when USC had the luxury of playing eastern teams that traveled cross-country by train for 3-4 days, whereas the distance from the Trojans' campus to the Rose Bowl is 15 miles or so. See List of USC Trojans bowl games - Wikipedia.
 
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#73
#73
volfan_28 said:
Texas??
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Yes.
Again, it isnt a distinction based solely on wins. There is more to it, to me. Texas may not be on the top tier list but I think a case can be made for our little brother.
 
#74
#74
McDad said:
Yes.
Again, it isnt a distinction based solely on wins. There is more to it, to me. Texas may not be on the top tier list but I think a case can be made for our little brother.
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But we have Neyland Stadium. General Neyland’s dominance, Reggie White, Al Wilson, and Peyton Manning. We are the original WRU. I do so see how Texas carries an advantage in intangibles
 
#75
#75
volfan_28 said:
But we have Neyland Stadium. General Neyland’s dominance, Reggie White, Al Wilson, and Peyton Manning. We are the original WRU. I do so see how Texas carries an advantage in intangibles
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Welcome to the world of opinions
 
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