what if Peyton.....

#53
#53
One element that is difficult to predict in scenarios like this is what effect Peyton’s return would have had on team chemistry. Would Al Wilson have seized leadership ownership of the ’98 team to the extent that he did if Peyton had returned for the ’98 season? I am reminded of the 1985 team and the performance of the defense before and after Tony Robinson went down with a knee injury against Alabama. Daryl Dickey proved to be a fine game-manager but he clearly did not possess the physical talent of Robinson. The defense, however, circled the wagons and played with a fury that they had not consistently demonstrated prior to Robinson’s injury. That level of performance culminated in their 35-7 rout of Miami.

With respect to arguments pertaining to how much credit Tee Martin personally deserved for the ’98 national championship, I have the utmost respect and fond memories of what Tee accomplished that year. However, I would submit the following information for your consideration:

In 1997, Peyton led us to a SEC championship and was 287-477-11 for 3819 yds. and 36 tds.

In 1998, Tee was 153-267-6 for 2164 yds. and 19 tds. As best I recall, he ran for around 300 yds. that year.

When you compare QB production from 1997 to 1998, you lose 1700 yds. and 17 tds. through the air. Tee didn't make up the difference with yardage he gained running.

What was the difference in terms of overall team performance? A strong running game that, in 1998, posted an SEC-best 211.3 ypg (most of which was provided by Travis Henry, Travis Stephens and Jamal Lewis), and a defense, led by the iron-willed Al Wilson, that gave up only 189 points (in 13 games), compared to the '97 team which yielded 286 points (see Tennessee Historical Scores). Overall scoring for Tennessee was virtually identical, 431 points in '98, compared to 428 in '97. In short, a stout defense and hardnosed running game has always been and remains a winning formula in the SEC.
 
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#54
#54
Rudy123 said:
NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you remember the scramble in the Syracuse game that Tee made to get the 1st down before being pushed out of bounds? Well, that scramble put us in field goal position for Jeff Hall to make the game winning field goal.

Manning is not capable of a scramble like that. So, we have one loss for the season.

The storm in early September in Florida that caused U.C.L.A. & Miami to reschedule happened and U.C.L.A. beat Miami, thus putting us # 1 in the nation and headed to the S.E.C. Championship game then on the the National Championship game.
Had U.C.L.A. beaten Miami and Peyton did not make that Syrcuse scramble to give us the win, we would have a loss and would probably be # 4 in the nation and not considered for the Fiesta Bowl.
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Would the scramble have been necessary if manning was qb? May have been up by 3 Tds for all we know. Cause and effect..
 
#55
#55
Rudy123 said:
NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you remember the scramble in the Syracuse game that Tee made to get the 1st down before being pushed out of bounds? Well, that scramble put us in field goal position for Jeff Hall to make the game winning field goal.

Manning is not capable of a scramble like that. So, we have one loss for the season.

The storm in early September in Florida that caused U.C.L.A. & Miami to reschedule happened and U.C.L.A. beat Miami, thus putting us # 1 in the nation and headed to the S.E.C. Championship game then on the the National Championship game.
Had U.C.L.A. beaten Miami and Peyton did not make that Syrcuse scramble to give us the win, we would have a loss and would probably be # 4 in the nation and not considered for the Fiesta Bowl.
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Moot point. No need for desperation scramble after Peyton throws 5 TD passes. Get real.:good!:
 
#56
#56
GAVol said:
Ever consider that if Peyton Manning has been the QB that day, we'd have been ranked higher and would've had a better offense that didn't need to be bailed out by a QB scramble?
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I agree. If Peyton was playing the score would have already been ran up and no need for him to run. He would have been simply running the clock out.
 
#59
#59
GAVol said:
Except . . . That was actually the original plan.
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No internet back then and very little info about UT FB in my area, but if thats true (and I am not doubting you) I am a bit surprised he didnt go to Ole Miss.
 
#60
#60
508mikey said:
It was called the Bowl Alliance NC game, but I wonder if UT did beat Nebraska would Michigan have gotten the claim ?
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Yes, unanimously. But, had Wash St. beaten Michigan and UT had beaten Nebraska then UT would have been National Champs that year.
 
#61
#61
508mikey said:
No internet back then and very little info about UT FB in my area, but if thats true (and I am not doubting you) I am a bit surprised he didnt go to Ole Miss.
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This is covered well on the ESPN documentary about the Manning family. Jerry Colquitt, a senior, started the '94 season at quarterback for Tennessee but suffered a season-ending knee injury on the sixth play from scrimmage against UCLA. Until then, Peyton fully expected to redshirt.

He said that he would have attended Ole Miss if his father, Archie, told him to do so. And he almost certainly would have attended Ole Miss if his older brother, Cooper, who was then a receiver on the team, had not developed spinal stenosis. After receiving that diagnosis, it was decided that it was in Cooper's best interest to not risk debilitating injury by continuing to play football.
 
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#62
#62
Rudy123 said:
The reason Tee scrambled was because the receivers were all covered. Had P.M. had no receivers open, he would have been sacked and put us out of field goal position.
It was not the offense that caused Tee to scramble but it was Syracuse was in the perfect defense at the time for the offensive call that we made...... Everyone was covered. Price, Copeland, McCullough,
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True for that play. But with Manning we may have been up 10 instead of down 2 at that point. Which means with seconds on the clock were in victory formation. Which means a formation not in need of a mobile QB. Which means ... Gosh, its 2014. Why are we talking @ this?
 
#64
#64
Realistically there is no way that we could have won the national championship that year. The outcome of the Rose Bowl was already known before we played in the Orange Bowl, so there was going to be at least one undefeated team even if we beat Nebraska. Unfortunately, we had the misfortune of playing Nebraska in Tom Osborne's last game, so they were determined to send him out with a share of the national title. Furthermore, Peyton's knee was injured, so his mobility was seriously compromised.
 
#65
#65
Rudy123 said:
NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you remember the scramble in the Syracuse game that Tee made to get the 1st down before being pushed out of bounds? Well, that scramble put us in field goal position for Jeff Hall to make the game winning field goal.

Manning is not capable of a scramble like that. So, we have one loss for the season.

The storm in early September in Florida that caused U.C.L.A. & Miami to reschedule happened and U.C.L.A. beat Miami, thus putting us # 1 in the nation and headed to the S.E.C. Championship game then on the the National Championship game.
Had U.C.L.A. beaten Miami and Peyton did not make that Syrcuse scramble to give us the win, we would have a loss and would probably be # 4 in the nation and not considered for the Fiesta Bowl.
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Don't forget that Peyton redshirting may have had some influence on if Brandon Stewart would have transferred to aTm and got the win over KSU in 1998.
 
#66
#66
Don't know if anyone else saw the Broncos and Texans preseason game. Love the Hell out of how Peyton got in Bulwares(sp) face after they scored,for the cheap shot across the middle. Once again, Hell of a Guy!
 
#68
#68
Phfffft! If bullfrogs had wings beggars would ride, or some such. Peyton worship is really a little strange. He's a really, really, good QB and Tennessee was fortunate to have had him here. But he's not my favorite all time Vols QB because of other issues that have already been hashed out on here and even in Florida courtrooms. So as for Manning being Vols annointed one? Nope ... Just another really good college player. But in pros, probably the GOAT.
 
#71
#71
I would like to take a second and dispel some myths that I continue to see arise on the board from time to time.

Anyone who thinks UCLA and/or KSU loosing that final game had an influence on us getting to the Fiesta Bowl do yourself a favor and google "1998 college football standings by week". After doing that you will see that Tennessee was #1 in every major poll (BSC included) from the week of the Arkansas game on.

The only thing ULCA and KSU's loses did was keep them out. They in no way aided Tennessee in getting in.

I'm not really sure where these myths originated from from but they're just that... Myths.
 
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