Best VOL team of all-time

#1
IknoxvolsI

IknoxvolsI

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2016
Messages
1,171
Likes
617
#1
The 1998 team won the NC. But, could some of those Peyton Manning teams have beaten them? I wasn't around during the Neyland era's so I can't comment much except to say he is the foundation of Tennessee football.

Was the '67 team under Dickey better than what we had in the '90's? My favorite team and season are the '85 Sugar Vols. But, in my own personal opinion, I think the '95 team is the best. A one loss season that saw impressive wins including a bowl win over a good oponent. However, that season we lost in dominant fashion to an outstanding Florida team that got hammered by Nebraska in the NC game. Was Mannings Sr season of '97 better? What about one loss '89? Could that team have beaten the '95 team?

What say ye Volnation members?

Let the debate begin.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#2
#2
It's hard to compare teams from different eras because athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster now. Plus offense and defense are completely different. Having said that the 1939 team didn't give up a single point in the regular season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 16 people
#3
#3
I've always been partial to the 2001 squad. They wet the bed against LSU, but win that game and we would have played for another national title. That team was loaded with talent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#4
#4
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
It's hard to compare teams from different eras because athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster now. Plus offense and defense are completely different. Having said that the 1939 team didn't give up a single point in the regular season.
Click to expand...

End of debate! '39 was one of the best (or THE best) in the history of college football.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
#5
#5
OrangeByBirth said:
End of debate! '39 was one of the best (or THE best) in the history of college football.
Click to expand...

No offense but this is what "football" looked back in the 30's...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l3LIXFry0[/youtube]

Those guys looked slow and clumsy. They would get annihilated against pretty much any era in the past half century.

Imagine seeing Leonard Little meeting one of these guys over the middle.
 
Last edited:
#6
#6
Stoked said:
No offense but this is what "football" looked back in the 30's...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l3LIXFry0[/youtube]

Those guys looked slow and clumsy. They would get annihilated against pretty much any era in the past half century.
Click to expand...

On a side note...this looks like a Mike DeBord ran offense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#7
#7
Stoked said:
No offense but this is what "football" looked back in the 30's...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l3LIXFry0[/youtube]

Those guys looked slow and clumsy. They would get annihilated against pretty much any era in the past half century.

Imagine seeing Leonard Little meeting one of these guys over the middle.
Click to expand...

You know the old saying about speed "kills", well if that is the case these guys "died" very, very, very slowly.
 
#8
#8
Stoked said:
No offense but this is what "football" looked back in the 30's...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l3LIXFry0[/youtube]

Those guys looked slow and clumsy. They would get annihilated against pretty much any era in the past half century.

Imagine seeing Leonard Little meeting one of these guys over the middle.
Click to expand...
Did you miss the part where I said that you can't compare teams from different eras because today's athletes are superior?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#11
#11
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
It's hard to compare teams from different eras because athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster now. Plus offense and defense are completely different. Having said that the 1939 team didn't give up a single point in the regular season.
Click to expand...


That 39' team would get crushed by UT Martin if played today.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#12
#12
1939 Vols featured 2 All Americans (Cafego and Molinski) and lost to USC in the Rose Bowl.

1938 squad featured 3 All Americans (Cafego, Suffridge, and Wyatt), gave up 16 regular season points, beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, and won the National Championship.

Clearly, 1938 was better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#15
#15
IknoxvolsI said:
The 1998 team won the NC. But, could some of those Peyton Manning teams have beaten them? I wasn't around during the Neyland era's so I can't comment much except to say he is the foundation of Tennessee football.

Was the '67 team under Dickey better than what we had in the '90's? My favorite team and season are the '85 Sugar Vols. But, in my own personal opinion, I think the '95 team is the best. A one loss season that saw impressive wins including a bowl win over a good oponent. However, that season we lost in dominant fashion to an outstanding Florida team that got hammered by Nebraska in the NC game. Was Mannings Sr season of '97 better? What about one loss '89? Could that team have beaten the '95 team?

What say ye Volnation members?

Let the debate begin.
Click to expand...

I'm voting 89 vols.

:)

Tennesseeduke
 
#17
#17
Stoked said:
What's the point of debating "best VOL team of all-time" if you can't compare them head to head?
Click to expand...
Evaluate them based on the time they played. Assume the playing field was as level then as it is now and go from there.

If you want to get into something really mindblowing, consider the 1969 national champ Univ of Texas team. An all-white team that played teams with black players, including two integrated top 10 squads, and they went 11-0 running the wishbone.
 
#19
#19
Stoked said:
What's the point of debating "best VOL team of all-time" if you can't compare them head to head?
Click to expand...

Because head to head obviously any team from the last 30 years would boat race a team from the 40s or 50s. The comparison is vs other teams of their era. For example the 1939 Vols vs the other teams of their era were a much better team than the 2015 Vols vs the rest of college football in 2015.
 
#20
#20
One more point I'll add and then I'll quit. Arguing that today's teams are greater simply because of the evolution of the athlete is like saying Rommell is a greater military leader than Atilla the Hun because he had guns and tanks and air support.
 
#21
#21
eh, if you keep the debate limited to the competition that each team was playing against, and not try to decide if the 39 vols could beat the 98 vols, then that kind of evens the playing field. that 39 team (i think that's the one) didn't get scored on in the regular season. that's pretty special.

it's easy to say 98, but someone said it earlier....the 95 vols were awesome. that team was capable of winning a national title, so was 01.

92 won't come up, and it probably shouldn't, but i've always wondered how different that 92 team would be viewed had we not had the coaching issue we had. that team was as hot as any team in the country, until Majors came back and the infighting started. oh well.

1990 team was good too. but i'd have to say it's close between 95 and 01. those two teams were stacked.
 
#22
#22
I've always thought that 90 team could've and maybe should have won the NC. A missed FG against auburn, a blocked fg against Alabama, an interception against ND, and a draw on the last play against Colorado and we're 13-0. I agree on the 92 team as well. We probably don't beat Alabama that year, but no way we should have lost to Carolina and Arkansas.
 
#23
#23
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
One more point I'll add and then I'll quit. Arguing that today's teams are greater simply because of the evolution of the athlete is like saying Rommell is a greater military leader than Atilla the Hun because he had guns and tanks and air support.
Click to expand...

...but his supply logistics were the weak-link; not much to pillage from in the desert.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#24
#24
Stoked said:
No offense but this is what "football" looked back in the 30's...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l3LIXFry0[/youtube]

Those guys looked slow and clumsy. They would get annihilated against pretty much any era in the past half century.

Imagine seeing Leonard Little meeting one of these guys over the middle.
Click to expand...

Imagine how good Doug Atkins could be in the modern era with the advancements in training, medicine, nutrition, and technique. He'd make offensive players from any era poop their pants seeing him line up across from them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#25
#25
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
I've always thought that 90 team could've and maybe should have won the NC. A missed FG against auburn, a blocked fg against Alabama, an interception against ND, and a draw on the last play against Colorado and we're 13-0. I agree on the 92 team as well. We probably don't beat Alabama that year, but no way we should have lost to Carolina and Arkansas.
Click to expand...

yep. those two teams had some real potential.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top