How did the 1999 team not make it back to the National Championship game?

#26
#26
Winning the title in '01 would have meant beating that Miami team. Obviously it's football and it would have been nice to have had a shot but damn that team was ridiculously talented.
Yeah they were and people tend to forget that Miami team beat our brains out in Knoxville the following year.
 
#28
#28
I'm just wanting to pick the brain of some older folks here. I was five then.

I'm watching the Wyoming game and seeing all these NFL players all over the field. Tee Martin dropping dimes. Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry look ridiculous. Defense has unreal speed and talent.

How did we screw that up and lose three games?
Well Fla was the same thorne in our side that they've always been except we were just as talented as they were. We slept walked through the Arkansas game. I remember thinking if we don't get it together soon we are going to mess around an lose. Sure enough it happened and i was stunned. Nebraska was just a better football team. Honestly it takes some breaks to be champs and we caught a bunch in 98 ( SYC, Fla, Ark, & Weinke getting hurt). We didn't catch any of those breaks in 99 and had we ran the table FSU would have been a tough matchup.
 
#29
#29
Yeah they were and people tend to forget that Miami team beat our brains out in Knoxville the following year.
Yeah but the following year we weren't nearly as good. Our 01 team was loaded and we had just as many NFL players as they did. Their backfield was ridiculous I can't even lie. That Miami team was scary but I think we would have been more competitive then anyone else at the time. It's just a shame we let that uga game get away. LSU put a spell on the refs and the rest is history. 01 was the last GREAT vol team. We've had a few good teams since but that one was our last legit shot at a natty. When u look at that roster top to bottom its as good as any we ever had.
 
#31
#31
If the coaches had adjusted and put a tight end on Alex Brown's side, we had a winner.

In that case, Phil was stubborn to a fault.

This could also go to the theory of Fulmer being the greatest recruiter at UT ever but not the greatest in game coach. I think when it all said and done we will win more national championships with him as AD than we ever could have with him continuing on as Head Coach. And I loved Fulmer as HC.
 
#32
#32
Reading our own press. Too much interest in the draft. Jamal Lewis has Toss sweep to the short side on 4th down against Florida, plus Alex Brown. Arkansas got theirs back.

That toss sweep to the short side still pisses me off. All we had to do was PA rollout with a run/pass option for Tee, put the FB in the Flat and chances are high that we get a first down. The throws were open that day against the Gators, we didn’t execute very well.
UT had regained momentum in that game vs UF. Had UT gotten the 1st down they would've scored. No doubt about it. Can still see that play from my seat in the stadium..
 
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#33
#33
The Vols had almost everyone back for 1999. Should have been a repeat of undefeated seasons. I personally think there were several stars on that 99 team who were thinking about draft status and making the big $$$. Although the score was fairly close Tennessee dominated the line of scrimmage against Bama in Tuscaloosa that year. The Florida game baffles me. I think we had more talent than the Gators. If that games in Knoxville we win which brings up a good point. Our tough games were all away in 99. They were at home in 98. Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl was a bad matchup and we were uninspired to win playing in the same bowl game 2 years in a row. It’s hard to believe that was the last year we played in a major bowl.
 
#34
#34
The 2001 Hurricanes would have destroyed anyone they faced in the Championship game.
I agree they were better than everybody, I feel like we matched up with them better than anyone though. It would been an upset but if we could have played ball control, scored touchdowns not field goals and got a break or two I think we'd have had a chance.
 
#36
#36
UT had regained momentum in that game vs UF. Had UT gotten the 1st down they would've scored. No doubt about it. Can still see that play from my seat in the stadium..
We really had turned it around. I think we had clawed back from 23-7 to 21-23 and then Deon Grant had an interception similar to the one he had in’98 and I thought we were in business.

I guess I was wrong about the short side toss. I thought we were on the short hash, but I just decided to watch a quick recap on YouTube and I was wrong. Tee was not really sharp that day at all and our play calling was pretty bland. Surprise surprise. Still blows my mind how we didn’t block Alex Brown with more than one guy most of the night .
 
#38
#38
It’s easy to say that Arkansas game cost us a shot at a title but we wouldn’t have won the East regardless and, IIRC, VT played a few ranked teams right at the end of the year. I feel pretty confident VT would’ve jumped us in the BCS in the end anyway. We blew our chances in September as far as I’m concerned.
 
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#39
#39
This could also go to the theory of Fulmer being the greatest recruiter at UT ever but not the greatest in game coach. I think when it all said and done we will win more national championships with him as AD than we ever could have with him continuing on as Head Coach. And I loved Fulmer as HC.


Never thought about it that way, but I agree with your statement.
 
#40
#40
To this day I’ll swear in court he was offsides on three of the five sacks!!!!

He was quick off the ball....basically just running around the OT. That is why we had to put help on that side....but we didn't.
 
#42
#42
He was quick off the ball....basically just running around the OT. That is why we had to put help on that side....but we didn't.
To be honest he should’ve been ejected in the first half for the hit he put on Tee. As blatant a late hit on the QB as you will ever see. I still say he was offsides on 3 of those sacks.
 
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#44
#44
He was quick off the ball....basically just running around the OT. That is why we had to put help on that side....but we didn't.
Went back and watched highlights on YouTube. No question he was offsides on two sacks. Another was really close.
 
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#45
#45
To this day I’ll swear in court he was offsides on three of the five sacks!!!!

IDK, I was at the game and all I remember was #13 laying on top of #17 every 3rd or 4th play. UF was not great in 99'. We really blew a shot that year. Almost lost to Tiger High iirc too. We were stacked. Still, had we beaten Bama again, I did not feel good against the Seminoles in a rematch with the Heisman winner replacing the Rooster.
 
#48
#48
UT had regained momentum in that game vs UF. Had UT gotten the 1st down they would've scored. No doubt about it. Can still see that play from my seat in the stadium..

Bad things always happened whenever Doug Johnson broke from the pocket and rolled to his right.

We were in control up 23-7 until the point where DJ started playing catch with UT defenders.

But yeah, that play call on 4th and 3 was a head scratcher...oof...
 
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#49
#49
Reading our own press. Too much interest in the draft. Jamal Lewis has Toss sweep to the short side on 4th down against Florida, plus Alex Brown. Arkansas got theirs back.

That toss sweep to the short side still pisses me off. All we had to do was PA rollout with a run/pass option for Tee, put the FB in the Flat and chances are high that we get a first down. The throws were open that day against the Gators, we didn’t execute very well.

This all day. Not why we didn’t repeat but I’m with this guy about that stupid toss sweep call to Lewis. I am screaming at the TV “No!! Not to Lewis!!” They did and he was stuffed. I screamed at the TV even louder; obscenities may have been involved. Lewis himself said after the game, IIRC, that “everybody in the whole stadium knew that was coming.” He was pissed too.
 
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