When did the frustration begin?

[GAVol]

Anyone says pre-2008 they're spoiled brats really.

Ehh... I don't think it's a stretch to say 2005. There was a lot of talent there to go 5-6.

 

[Spartacavolus]

2002 or so

 

[Brave Volunteer]

And I mean really begin. For me it was watching the loss to UCLA in 08. I mean, 05 was bad, sure, but 2006 was really fun, and going to the SEC championship game in 07 was pretty sweet. That loss in Cali really started all of this for me. It's really been tough to be a fan ever since then.

Think about it, that's way too long to be disappointed as a Vol fan. It just really hit me how hard it's been.

Yeah, this pretty much was the tipping point for me. From 2002-2007 I thought we as a program had settled for being "upper level mediocrity." However the 08 UCLA game (and season) was when it really hit home for me just how far we had fallen. Yes we managed to meander into the SEC championship game in 07, however we had gone from being dominant in the 90's-2001 to merely hanging on for dear life to be competitive. The 2008 season hit me like a ton of bricks and really it has not been enjoyable to be a Vol fan ever since then.

 

[JohnnyBall]

January 15th, 2010. I lost all hope that Tennessee would ever be on the national landscape ever again.

Guess you had to look that date up to make yourself look informed.

 

[deckerkd]

Walk down memory lane for the Fulmerites. Read this thread from the beginning. It wasn't all a bed of roses. My stance was always that with all the talent UT had during Fulmer's era, that only 2 SEC championships wasn't enough. On top of that we didn't play extremely well in either of those wins really. Had to come from behind to beat Auburn and couldn't pull away from Mississippi State in the other. The NC year was magical is so many ways that breaks went our way.

I do agree with you completely. We had much better talent than what Fulmer did with that talent. I could go on and on about the talent UT had. And I do remember the disappointing years leading up to the NC. But disappointing then was a 10 win season and comparatively, Fulmer was a genius as to Dooley. I do agree that Fulmer was not as good as his record. Chavis certainly helped him. But I remember that prevent defense causing us many games that we were ahead in

 

[gasguy98]

Of course I'd like 10-2 seasons again, but I'll still be disappointed if I thought we should realistically be winning the SEC and playing for NC's more often. A lot of the Florida loses weren't due to talent, but that Spurrier out schemed and coached us. If Fulmer had gotten over that hump a few more times he'd been knocking on Neyland's throne as best ever at UT. Not to mention if he'd retired while near the top of his game.

I can't argue with you on this but 10-2 is practically a national title these days. I would rather be relevent and dissapointed than irrelevent and dissapointed.

 

[JACK8254]

It has been a steady downward arrow since the 2001 LSU Sec championship game. THe Fla victory the week before was the high-water mark of the program since the 98 NC game. Even though I wish we had the chief back- LSU ran a QB draw on every 3rd down and picked up a first down every damn time. We never had an answer for a second team slow-footed QB running the QB draw. Very frustrating.

 

[Catbone]

05.

 

[Vato]

The hiring of kiffin. The lowest point in our history. Kiffin was a douche before he left us.

 

[Volwark]

2001 SECC

That was rough, but there were some good times in between then.

There was, but after 2001, I was definitely soured and had a tainted view on even the good stuff.

 

[GKSS 61]

2001 SEC championship game 2nd half.

This

 

[Vercingetorix]

Anyone says pre-2008 they're spoiled brats really.

I said the Peach Bowl vs Maryland earlier in the thread. Because it was obvious during and after that game that the inmates were running the asylum and Fulmer had essentially lost control of the team. He could not get them to give the slightest damn about the fact that an ACC team was kicking their asses. Meanwhile Mark Richt had rushed in to fill the Spurrier void in the east that was supposed to be Fulmer's ascendancy. Maybe it's not fair to say that's when the "frustration" began, in that it wasn't in the same zip code as the sort of frustration we've had for the last 5 years, but that's when it became obvious that the Fulmer magic was over and the rest of it was just going to be playing the string out.

 

[Boca Vol]

For me, the intense frustration began in 1999 when we played Florida and Alex Brown sacked us 4 times AND Jamal Lewis failed to convert on 4th and 1 (or 2?).

It was the first time in years that I thought we definitely had a better, more talented team than Florida. We were coming off a National Championship. We were loaded with NFL talent on the roster on both sides of the ball. And we didn't get it done.

That happens sometimes.

But then we lost to an Arkansas team that year which we were WAY better than.

And in 2000, we somehow had to choose between starting Joey Matthews, AJ ??, and a freshman Casey Clausen at QB. We lost 5 games that year.

And I was scratching my head, saying "What happened? I thought we were about to start a dynasty-like run."

Then enter "The Future", Kelley Washington.

I don't feel we've ever really recovered.

Gotta agree with this. 1999 at UF. UT should have won that game. I was so upset leaving the stadium that night.