What was the biggest all time UT upset win?

#51
#51
'86 Sugar Bowl. In the Navy, my Tennessee buddy got drunk and wagered about 7 different bets for UT to beat Miami. I thought he was insane. He won a lot of money.

UT beat the hell out of Miami.
 
#52
#52
tm3 said:
Bama in 82 has to be up there, i think they were top 3 and UT not ranked
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They were ranked #2 when they came to Neyland that year. We had just come off a trip to LSU (tie game) where we had no chance to be in the game with them as well. I spoke to Johnny Majors on Vol calls the Monday night after LSU and before the Bama game. He was on cloud nine (as I was) that we even tied LSU. I remember telling coach to keep em playing like they did against LSU, and we would win the Bama game. He said it was a tall order, but we were going to give it our best.
 
#53
#53
tm3 said:
Bama in 82 has to be up there, i think they were top 3 and UT not ranked
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Ah, yes, the "World's Fair game" to me. That win was all the sweeter, as we hadn't beaten them in several yrs and my young co-workers said prior to this one that the Vols would never again "beat the Bear." :)
 
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#54
#54
Gramps said:
Yep and I remember the TN defense stopping Eddie George in a bowl game against OH ST. I believe it was the year he won the Heisman.
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Yup. Heisman Eddie George, running behind (Outland winner?) Orlando Pace. Yet we had a classic goal-line stand to hold em out. :loco:
 
#58
#58
orangebloodgmc said:
Ah, yes, the "World's Fair game" to me. That win was all the sweeter, as we hadn't beaten them in several yrs and my young co-workers said prior to this one that the Vols would never again "beat the Bear." :)
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Bama had won 11 in a row. I remember watching the Johnny majors show on TV that Sunday, hosted by john ward. Ward tossed orange confetti at the end of the broadcast.

I had tickets available but decided that I was not going to drive all the way from Memphis just to see another loss to bama. One of my all time great regrets re sports.
 
#63
#63
YorkVol said:
Auburn '85 was my pick. We were not ranked at the time and shocked everyone with that win.
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It's got to be that one. We had played well but choked at the end to tie UCLA in the opener. Meanwhile Auburn was #1 and had the Heisman favorite at tailback. It was the most out of nowhere win I can ever remember.
 
#64
#64
orangebloodgmc said:
Ah, yes, the "World's Fair game" to me. That win was all the sweeter, as we hadn't beaten them in several yrs and my young co-workers said prior to this one that the Vols would never again "beat the Bear." :)
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The first game I ever attended. I was 9 and saw the coach get carried off as the goal posts got torn down. It's also the first time I ever remember being aware of drunk people.
 
#65
#65
W.TN.Orange Blood said:
That '85 Team upset #1 Auburn, who had Heismann Trophy Winner running back Bo Jackson, at Neyland Stadium that year. They went on to win the SEC East that year behind backup QB Darrel Dickey & a right to play #2 ranked Jimmy Johnson's Miami Hurricanes in the 1986 Sugar Bowl. Tennessee won 35-7 & ended up as the #3 ranked team at years end.
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My memory is a little foggy, but it seems to me that while Miami was ranked #2 in the nation, it was being touted that all they had to do was beat us and they would be the National Champs. I can't remember why though. Had the #1 team already lost? I seem to recall that while we were expected to lose, we were actually ranked #7 in that game. Was it because Miami on paper was playing the tougher opponant?
 
#66
#66
Doyle Hargraves said:
86 Sugar Bowl win over the Canes imo.
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Yep...'at's what I was going to say. BIG time under dogs there. Everyone and their grandmother counting that as a loss....just like the feckless, Failure-Focused crowd here, predicting us to lose every game that matters this year.

Funniest part about it, is that not only did we upset the team we were underdogs to, but we served them up a heaping plate of Southern Fried A$$-Whoopin. :) Hopefully, Oregon will get their own plate of it, Saturday.
 
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#67
#67
BaldBiker, Jimmy Johnson was making the argument that, if they beat us, and Oklahoma beat Penn State, Miami should be ranked ahead of Oklahoma because Thug U had defeated the Sooners in the regular season.
 
#68
#68
W.TN.Orange Blood said:
That '85 Team upset #1 Auburn, who had Heismann Trophy Winner running back Bo Jackson, at Neyland Stadium that year. They went on to win the SEC East that year behind backup QB Darrel Dickey & a right to play #2 ranked Jimmy Johnson's Miami Hurricanes in the 1986 Sugar Bowl. Tennessee won 35-7 & ended up as the #3 ranked team at years end.
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This is the correct answer. I was wondering if people had forgotten. I was a young teen at the time and remember watching the game with my dad. I'll never forget my dad making fun of Bo saying he wasn't hurt and he took himself out of the game because TN was hitting him so hard.
 
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#69
#69
Daloth said:
For those of us who weren't alive, why didn't the #1 and #2 teams play for the title that year? I know it wasn't BCS yet, but seems like it woulda been easier.
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Pre BCS is your answer. During that era, the big bowls were partnered to a conference. The Rose was the Big Ten and Pac 10. The Sugar was the SEC, the others had relationships as well but I do not recall all of them. It was stronger ties than the Rose with the Big 10 and Pac 10 today. Teams went to their bowl even if it would not allow a #1 versus a #2. The national champion was determined by votes after all the bowls completed on New Years day, and this was also why you sometimes saw split championships. (#1 and #2 both win their bowl games yet #2 seemed more impressive winning their bowl game. AP would vote one way and the Coaches poll voted the other way.)
 
#70
#70
Clemvolsince54 said:
The line was 8.Always enjoyed this video!!!!! :crazy:
Turn up your speakers

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23iaMmti_nk[/youtube]
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Loved this too. I had the cassette tape which had this song and several other UT songs from that season. That Sugar Bowl was a similar experience to the National Title game at the Fiesta for me.
 
#72
#72
GAVol said:
The first game I ever attended. I was 9 and saw the coach get carried off as the goal posts got torn down. It's also the first time I ever remember being aware of drunk people.
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My first game also. Sat in section M and watched the Bear shake Johnny's hand and as I recall doff his hat to the crowd as he walked into the visitors' tunnel.

The Auburn '85 game remains the most memorable upset in my memory. Despite UT playing UCLA to a tie the week before but no one gave the team a chance. It wasn't an upset by a point or two or because Auburn had a couple bad breaks. Vols dominated start to finish.

And Bo did take himself out. Ziegler, Dale Jones, Miller, Hovanic, etc., were hitting Tigers like runaway trucks out there.
 
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#73
#73
BJSforVols said:
Pre BCS is your answer. During that era, the big bowls were partnered to a conference. The Rose was the Big Ten and Pac 10. The Sugar was the SEC, the others had relationships as well but I do not recall all of them. It was stronger ties than the Rose with the Big 10 and Pac 10 today. Teams went to their bowl even if it would not allow a #1 versus a #2. The national champion was determined by votes after all the bowls completed on New Years day, and this was also why you sometimes saw split championships. (#1 and #2 both win their bowl games yet #2 seemed more impressive winning their bowl game. AP would vote one way and the Coaches poll voted the other way.)
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The Orange Bowl, at that time, was partnered with the, then, Big Eight, which is why Oklahoma was matched up against Penn State.
 
#74
#74
MikeTheVol said:
Yep, '86 Sugar Bowl (after 85 season) gets my vote too. We tamed the Canes. Testeverde couldn't get any rhythm all night. Our D was awesome, and our O was superb!
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Before that game I told a friend the qb's name, Vinny Testaverde, sounded like the name of a porn star.
 
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#75
#75
LakeMaryFLVol said:
I know that may be the best... beacause no one gave us a chance...What was the spread? Was it bigger than the 18 for the 2001 FL game?
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By game time it was only 7. All the smart money went to Vols late. Same thing happened in 92 against Bama in NC game.
 
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