what are the biggest what ifs in tennessee football history

#226
#226
Clint Stoerner stumbled and fell because Billy Ratliff drove the Arkansas guard (Burlsworth) back causing him to step on Stoerner's foot. The Vols won that game and I hate to see UT "fans" constantly apologizing for it.
 
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#229
#229
What is the Rick Clausen never transferred here? We would have lost that LSU game for sure and Rick would not have been the greatest story in America
 
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#230
#230
Volosaurus rex said:
Excellent rhetorical question/topic for discussion. My submission would be: what would the course of Tennessee football have been if Dickey had not responded to his alma mater’s call? Personally, I believe that he could have carved out a legacy comparable to Vince Dooley’s: 250 career victories, a half-dozen SEC titles and, perhaps, a national title or two. We almost certainly would not have experienced the dark days of the mid-late 1970s and early 1980s, and Dickey’s impact would have lessened the severity of Bear Bryant’s reign of terror in the 1970s.
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Dickey was 3-2-1 vs. Alabama including 3 in a row.
I met Doug in the 80s. He said that move was the worst mistake he ever made and that he hoped he'd never make another one as bad. I was glad to see him get some redemption when he was forgiven and summoned back to The Hill as AD.
 
#232
#232
What if Tennessee didn't lose to Arkansas in 1999 as the #2 team in the BCS?

What if the Vandy ref correctly called the Gafney catch in 2000? Would Tennessee have gone on to beat LSU (letdown performance IMO) and win the SEC title in a rebuilding year?
 
#234
#234
1972 Grad said:
I think that with T Rob, we tied UCLA and lost to Florida that year. With Dickey, we were 6-0-1.
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Come on--do you REALLY believe we were a better team with Dickey at QB?

6-0-1 against GT (at home), Rutgers, Memphis, Ole Sis, Kentucky, Candy, and Miami...

We would have probably been 10-1-1 going into that Sugar Bowl with a legit shot at a NC after running off 8 straight wins--TR as a Heisman finalist--and momentum... :salute:
 
#235
#235
Backwards K said:
Clint Stoerner stumbled and fell because Billy Ratliff drove the Arkansas guard (Burlsworth) back causing him to step on Stoerner's foot. The Vols won that game and I hate to see UT "fans" constantly apologizing for it.
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PLUS--we were screwed in that game by the safety call when the Arky punter kicked the ball through the end zone. We should have had the ball 1st and goal from the 3 instead of just 2 points and a free kick...:salute:
 
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#236
#236
MikeVol44 said:
Come on--do you REALLY believe we were a better team with Dickey at QB?

6-0-1 against GT (at home), Rutgers, Memphis, Ole Sis, Kentucky, Candy, and Miami...

We would have probably been 10-1-1 going into that Sugar Bowl with a legit shot at a NC after running off 8 straight wins--TR as a Heisman finalist--and momentum... :salute:
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Their stats were very similar with a slight edge to Dickey. I posted them earlier in this thread. I don't remember all the particulars, but I do remember that TRob had 8 tds and 7 int, and Dickey had 10 tds and only 1 int.

I think that the rest of the team pulled together after robinson went down. I would be hard pressed to see how that team could have finished any stronger, no matter who was qb.
 
#237
#237
1972 Grad said:
Their stats were very similar with a slight edge to Dickey. I posted them earlier in this thread. I don't remember all the particulars, but I do remember that TRob had 8 tds and 7 int, and Dickey had 10 tds and only 1 int.

I think that the rest of the team pulled together after robinson went down. I would be hard pressed to see how that team could have finished any stronger, no matter who was qb.
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I agree completely. Tony was a superstar, he had a gunslinger's mentality and he guided us through the toughest part of the season. As a coaches' son, however, Dickey played virtually error-free football. No, he didn't have anywhere near the physical talent of Robinson but I am thoroughly convinced that the team had the confidence that it could ride Tony's strong right arm to victory. Consequently, the defense simply did not play consistently with the intensity that they demonstrated in the second half of the season. Notwithstanding how well they played against Auburn while Bo Jackson was in the game, the defense gave up 75 points in the first three games, 106 over the course of the first five, but only 34 points over the last 7 games, including, of course, the 35-7 icing on the cake in the Sugar Bowl against Miami.
 
#238
#238
1972 Grad said:
Their stats were very similar with a slight edge to Dickey. I posted them earlier in this thread. I don't remember all the particulars, but I do remember that TRob had 8 tds and 7 int, and Dickey had 10 tds and only 1 int.

I think that the rest of the team pulled together after robinson went down. I would be hard pressed to see how that team could have finished any stronger, no matter who was qb.
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Here are the stats for 1985.

Robinson 91/143 63.6% 1246 yds 8.7 yds/att 8td 7int
Dickey 85/131 64.9% 1161 yds 8.8 yds/att 10td 1int
 
#239
#239
MikeVol44 said:
Come on--do you REALLY believe we were a better team with Dickey at QB?

6-0-1 against GT (at home), Rutgers, Memphis, Ole Sis, Kentucky, Candy, and Miami...

We would have probably been 10-1-1 going into that Sugar Bowl with a legit shot at a NC after running off 8 straight wins--TR as a Heisman finalist--and momentum... :salute:
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We might also have gone into the Sugar Bowl thinking we were hot sh!t like Miami did, and got beaten. That team had something to prove .
 
#243
#243
Weee'rre Baaccckk said:
What is the Rick Clausen never transferred here? We would have lost that LSU game for sure and Rick would not have been the greatest story in America
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He wasn't the greatest story in America.

OK, maybe for a few days, he was. We still had a losing season that year.
 
#244
#244
Again, apologize if it's already been mentioned but...

What if Chuck Webb doesn't tear his knee up against Pacific?

Or what if Reggie Cobb didn't get into cocaine?
 
#245
#245
orangetd88 said:
Again, apologize if it's already been mentioned but...

What if Chuck Webb doesn't tear his knee up against Pacific?

Or what if Reggie Cobb didn't get into cocaine?
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If it wasn't Pacific...it would've been Bama

He would've got into heroin instead
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#248
#248
ZZ13 said:
I didn't read all 15 pages so I apologize if this one is already taken, but:

What if Bill Battle were still our coach. He'd barely be 70 years old (10 years younger than Bobby Bowden when he quit), and have about 320 - 350 wins to his name. He'd be considered one of the all time greats ever.
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Wow...
 
#250
#250
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
What if we'd brought Majors back in '70 to replace Dickey instead of promoting Battle?
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This...

In my mind the two biggest what-ifs in the post-Neyland era are

*Majors gets the head coach call instead of Battle... This was well before my time but it's pretty clear that John Majors involvement marked the most significant positive turning point for Tennessee football since General Neyland stepped down.

*What if Tennessee beats LSU in the 2001 SEC championship? The program has been in decline ever since. Obviously we were still good for six years after and a perennial top 10 or top 15 program. Over the last five years, however, we have effectively hit rock bottom.
 
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