1998 season

[Volosaurus rex]

Am I remembering incorrectly or did ut not have some bad luck in the ruling on that poor punt snap that was kicked out of the end zone? Should ut not have had that ball at 5 or 10? I could be wrong...

You are correct. The SEC later admitted that an officiating error had been made on that play. We should have had possession where the punter made contact with the ball. To view the play, fast-forward to roughly the 2:19:00 mark (3:04 left on game clock) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AREe6S8W4lI. Officials appropriately called an illegal kicking penalty and awarded Tennessee a safety, but the ball should have been placed at Arkansas' 9-yard line, where the punter made contact with the ball.

 

[PowerSweep]

BCS Standings (as of 12/5/98)
total points
1) Tennessee 4.95
2) UCLA 5.03
3) Kansas St 6.43
4) Florida St 8.20
5) Ohio St 12.29

It would have been close between UCLA and Tennessee (although Miami was unranked and had lost the week before to Syracuse 66-13) but there is no way Tennessee would have fallen below Kansas St to 3rd. Kansas State's strength of schedule was too weak and the difference between Miss St and Texas A&M wasn't enough to close the gap.

do nothing more than have ut and kst switch places at 2-3 in 2 computer polls and kst moves ahead...with schedule strength change they would have gained more where they would perhaps have only had to jump ut in one comp poll...a real possibility...and a certainty with an ohst-wisky '14 result.

 

[TrueOrange]

it sure was going to be VERY tight with kansas state...they were going to gain sos vs #8 tx am, and who knows what an impressive win would have done with the computers...not that it really matters now but it is definitely an aspect that people forget...that ut was not in a "win in you're in" position with secc game.

They're SOS was 62nd (compared to UT's 29th and UCLA's 7th); the A&M they were playing getting a third loss wasn't going to help that. Sorry, but no, they didn't really have a chance to make up a gap of the size they had with how the system was structured at the time.

 

[TrueOrange]

it was going to be dead tight between ut kst and ucla had all 3 won, and especially so had kst won impressively...by no means was ut's place in tempe assured with a win heading into that last saturday

It was "dead tight" between UT and UCLA, but the best KSU was likely going to be able to do with the system in place at the time (which honestly worked almost drastically different than the BCS we saw from 2004-2014) was maybe jump UCLA. They most likely needed help. Even blowing out A&M enough wouldn't activate any sort of "quality wins" factor (I'm not sure it came in until 2001 if I remember correctly) but even then it likely wasn't going to be enough in that system at that point (a gap of over a point - in that system - was a lot bigger than what it was in the one we saw still going a few years ago...).

 

[KBVol]

Your an idiot if you think that Arkansas fumble wasnt luck. No one touched him. He just dropped the ball. 99% of the time that doesn't happen.

Are you serious with this??? Do a little research chief. Stoerner stumbled/was tripped by his right guard Burlsworth because Billy Ratliffe bullrushed him and pushed him into the backfield. As Stoerner pulled away from center, he tripped on Burlsworth's left foot. No luck involved. And he didn't "just drop the ball"... as he was falling to the ground he was putting his hand down, a natural human reflex. He lost his grip on the ball, and his momentum carried him away from any chance to recover it. And then Ratliff, after single-handedly causing the play to happen, recovered the fumble, since he was in the backfield, too.

Here, see if this helps

http://youtu.be/GWl3cg-gdD8

 

[butchna]

Some of these people think because they have no life. They comment on every thread. That their opinion is gospel. No wonder every team in the SEC finds our fan base to be a joke. Now I know why I don't comment on here to often. Several of the guys on here are just jerks. Good luck Vols in 2015. I'm done with this site for now.

You always leave us...wanting more?

 

[LittleVol]

This is a ridiculous post. That 98 defense was one of the best in UT history and the 2015 O has not even hit the field. They were still a modern era team that was very fast, skilled, and deep. Athletes are taking advantage of newer methods for performance but you buy into the business and hype to much. Don't believe much you say.

You should!

It would be a very good game.

You'll see when we drop 70 points on Bowling Green in 2 weeks.

 

[Backwards K]

yes it was luck. Martin was hit while passing and threw up a lame duck. If Price hadn't saw it was under thrown it could have been picked off. He was double teamed.

Quit whining. That 98 team was not going to lose to anyone. Their will to win was stronger than any opponent they stepped on the field with.

Price made the play that the Florida DBs couldn't make. And if Collins Cooper had kicked the FG towards the goal, Tennessee would have blocked it or the Vols would have won in the 2nd OT. The game was only in OT because Deon Grant caught a cramp on a long pass that allowed UF to score a TD.

Billy Ratliff drove Burlsworth, the Ark All American guard back into Stoerner causing the fumble and then Ratliff wanted the ball more than anyone else on the field and got it. Then the OL blew Ark's defense up and Henry ran over the ones who weren't blocked.

Tennessee beat everyone that showed up to play them. If Kansas St and UCLA had shown up together at the Fiesta Bowl, UT would have beaten them too.

:rock:

 

[PowerSweep]

They're SOS was 62nd (compared to UT's 29th and UCLA's 7th); the A&M they were playing getting a third loss wasn't going to help that. Sorry, but no, they didn't really have a chance to make up a gap of the size they had with how the system was structured at the time.

that makes no sense..every team that ut kst and ucla played would have taken a loss that day..

ut did not fare as well in the comp ratings that made up the bcs rankings at the time...kst was playing a much better opponent...Had they won in impressive fashion(and they were favored by 15 fwiw) it is very possible they could have moved ahead of ut in 2 of the 3 comp rankings(whereat the time kst was 3rd, ut 2nd)...that is ALL that needed to happen...change ONLY that and instead of leading kst by 1.4 points they would then be virtually tied...so the idea that it was in impossible task is silly...kst also would have gained more in sos boost than either ut or ucla.

If you go back and read newspaper articles of the time they do not agree with you.

 

[thebjd]

Some of these people think because they have no life. They comment on every thread. That their opinion is gospel. No wonder every team in the SEC finds our fan base to be a joke. Now I know why I don't comment on here to often. Several of the guys on here are just jerks. Good luck Vols in 2015. I'm done with this site for now.

 

[Gramps]

The 1998 team did receive a little luck to get to the NC Game. The vast majority of teams that make it to the NC receives a little luck. That is the nature of the game.

 

[VolFan4Life87]

Exactly. Luck had nothing to do with any win that season. They were just a great team and proved it on the field.

Especially the Arkansas game. Luck didn't have squat to do with that win right cherr

 

[vflducksmith]

Pretty sure UT needed Kansas State and UCLA to lose, which they did.

No. Tennessee was #1 they just had to take care of there sec championship and they done everything they needed to that year. UCLA and K state just couldn't do the same. A lot of luck that season did help but almost every team needs a little luck at some point in there NC season. We were loaded on both sides of the ball that year! Here's to more undefeated seasons soon to come. Go vols!!!

 

[Skip E. Maddoo]

Interestingly enough, the aforementioned Texas A&M Aggies were led by former Vol QB Brandon Stewart whom in his freshman year at Tennessee was considered by many to have a greater upside than fellow freshman QB Peyton Manning.

 

[PowerSweep]

No. Tennessee was #1 they just had to take care of there sec championship and they done everything they needed to that year. UCLA and K state just couldn't do the same. A lot of luck that season did help but almost every team needs a little luck at some point in there NC season. We were loaded on both sides of the ball that year! Here's to more undefeated seasons soon to come. Go vols!!!

change ucla and kst results to 2 td wins and it would be close either way...ut was#1 in one poll and #2 in another, 2/2/3 in comp rankings and 2nd of the 3 in sos...you have to factor in sos and the computer rankings, both areas where ut was not #1, and that was 2/3 of the formula...google's newspaper archives have lots of articles from 1st week of december saying the same thing...

 

[Wylo]

2015 vs 1998

Dobbs would slice that defense up. 1998 couldn't handle this weird new style called "up tempo" offense.

On defense Sutton would lock down Price!

28-27.... 2015 the winners.

No joke.

Football and the athletes that play get better every decade.

Don't believe me... look at the size of lineman just 20 years ago compared to now.

This is the stupidest, dumbest, most ignorant post I've ever seen on here.

That's saying something.


You know zero about football if you truly think that.

 

[vflducksmith]

change ucla and kst results to 2 td wins and it would be close either way...ut was#1 in one poll and #2 in another, 2/2/3 in comp rankings and 2nd of the 3 in sos...you have to factor in sos and the computer rankings, both areas where ut was not #1, and that was 2/3 of the formula...google's newspaper archives have lots of articles from 1st week of december saying the same thing...

yeah guess it was close but I can't see both ucla and k state jumping us. Maybe one of them and we would've beat either of them IMO

 

[KBVol]

Interestingly enough, the aforementioned Texas A&M Aggies were led by former Vol QB Brandon Stewart whom in his freshman year at Tennessee was considered by many to have a greater upside than fellow freshman QB Peyton Manning.

Wound being not remotely the case. Brannon was the better athlete...Peyton by far the better QB.

 

[Sikerth]

A lot of you are acting like saying we had some really good luck that season takes away from how good the team was. FFS people. You guys can be like feminists when someone says the words "sandwich" or "man up" sometimes. R-E-L-A-X.

 

[Backwards K]

Interestingly enough, the aforementioned Texas A&M Aggies were led by former Vol QB Brandon Stewart whom in his freshman year at Tennessee was considered by many to have a greater upside than fellow freshman QB Peyton Manning.

How'd that opinion turn out for you Skippy?

 

[KBVol]

A lot of you are acting like saying we had some really good luck that season takes away from how good the team was. FFS people. You guys can be like feminists when someone says the words "sandwich" or "man up" sometimes. R-E-L-A-X.

The 1998 team had some good fortune that other Tennessee teams haven't. But they also were able to consistently turn that into wins. And I'll refute the idea that the Stoerner fumble and the resulting game-winning drive that won the game was a result of luck, because it was not....it was the result of a great individual play by Billy Ratliff and then Travis Henry and our OL just shoving the football up Arky's arse for 4-5 plays until we ran out of playing field.

 

[PowerSweep]

Brandon Stewart came to UT hoping to help UT win a national title..in a weird way he did so

 

[volfanhill]

Since when did it become odd to say we had some luck come our way? It happens to every team every year. Some of you are so freaking sensitive.

 

[TennFan]

When I looked at the schedule of 1998 season, I knew the toughest games would be the first two-Syracuse and Florida. I figured if the Vols won 1 we'd be in the top 5 of the country. Win both and play for the National Championship! After the first two close calls, and beating Georgia and Bama I knew the Vols were unbeatable. Little did I know that Arkansas was play awesome football. Well, both faced each other in Knoxville undefeated. The Hogs were killing us and with under two minutes to play the Vols turn over the ball to the Hogs with less than 2 minutes to play. All they had to do was get one ot two first downs and the game was over. Clint Stoerner fumbles on the first play and the Vols recover with just over 1:45 to play and the rest of the game is history. The Vols march down the field and score a TD with 30 seconds left but miss the extra point and lead 28-24! Game over!

 

[tennfanatic]

I would say the best team we beat that year was Syracuse.