Official Gramps' Memorial Eternal OT Thread

[Orangeslice13]

So Bama looks past ole miss for Ga next week?
Still a win for Bama.

I still don’t think Ga, who has the better team, can beat Bama because Smart will find a way to lose to Saban again.

 

[1972 Grad]

Lol nice. When you were there when I was a freshman at Horace Maynard High School. The old high school is now the middle school and was replaced by Union County High School i believe in the late 90’s. Small world.

The house was on the property of the Shields Station Mansion. My wife and I actually stayed in the mansion the first few days until the little house was ready to move in. It was behind and to the right of the mansion on 11W.

 

[AM64]

I actually did see us play against Bear Bryant's Texas A&M team in the 1957 Gator Bowl at Jacksonville. We won 3-0. We went from there down to Miami to watch Bud Wilkinson's powerhouse Oklahoma team beat Duke on Jan.1, 1958 in the Orange Bowl. Duke was a big time team in those days.

Impressive. I didn't see a UT football game until I was a freshman in 1964. McGhee Tyson was an AF base in the 50s, and my dad was stationed there and went to a few TN games with buddies. I do remember how impressed he was by Johnny Majors play. UT was a last minute Plan B for me because I was headed to the AF Academy until the AF decided the year I would have entered to make it pilot only - a deal killer for anybody without 20/20 vision.

 

[ajvol01]

I really want us to beat Georgia. I just dont think we are "there" yet. But we're closing the gap. We will not be embarrassed like the last 3 games.
38-23.

First half was adequate.

2nd half was embarrassing.

 

[ajvol01]

 

[Fun coupon VOL]

I wouldn’t count on it. There is a reason they’re essentially extinct.

I think they are extinct due to a fungus brought over by Japanese trees. Could be wrong. The ones I have are crossed with the Japanese chestnut(1/16) to make them resistant.

Learned a lot about this recently, due to some logging we are having done. There is a true stand of the American chestnut trees somewhere in Jackson county, TN that made it through the plight.

 

[hog88]

Quite a bit of difference in our past recruiting classes and GA's, and it showed in the second half defense. The difference is narrowing, but those guys have to develop to show up on the field. Games like this are like the slow motion train wreck - you know it's going to happen probably starting in the third quarter, and it seems to last forever.

Watching the Ol Miss Alabama game, do you think OM has better talent than we do?

 

[hog88]

I'm thinking the year after next. The incoming class was good, but covid completely screwed development this year. Next year they'll be better than incoming freshmen but far less than returning sophomores. A ten game SEC only season is a kick in the teeth for teams coming back from the depths. Tossing new kids in the pool in this conference is like tossing them into a shark infested pool under the old sink or swim philosophy - only they better be able to walk on the water.

the year after next will be Pruitts 5th season, can we agree that if he can’t get to Atlanta by then he needs to go?

 

[ajvol01]

the year after next will be Pruitts 5th season, can we agree that if he can’t get to Atlanta by then he needs to go?

Nope. Firing coaches isn’t a path to success.

 

[1972 Grad]

the year after next will be Pruitts 5th season, can we agree that if he can’t get to Atlanta by then he needs to go?

How many times have we been to the championship game since 1992 or whenever it started?

 

[hog88]

Nope. Firing coaches isn’t a path to success.

Keeping losers isn’t the path either.

 

[hog88]

How many times have we been to the championship game since 1992 or whenever it started?

5 I think

 

[1972 Grad]

5 I think

5 times in 28 years. We should have somewhere between 1/6 and 1/7 of the appearances to be an average SEC team, because most of that time, there were 6 teams in the East, and part of the time, there were 7. I think Missouri has been in less than 10 years. So, between 4 and 4.67 appearances would be our share. We are barely above average.

 

[hog88]

5 times in 28 years. We should have somewhere between 1/6 and 1/7 of the appearances to be an average SEC team, because most of that time, there were 6 teams in the East, and part of the time, there were 7. I think Missouri has been in less than 10 years. So, between 4 and 4.67 appearances would be our share. We are barely above average.

No argument on that from me. It starts at the administration level and regardless of who has been in charge they have not made winning a priority.

 

[ajvol01]

5 I think

Yep

2007 L to LSU
2004 L to Auburn
2001 L to LSU
1998 W over Miss St
1997 W over Auburn

 

[ajvol01]

5 times in 28 years. We should have somewhere between 1/6 and 1/7 of the appearances to be an average SEC team, because most of that time, there were 6 teams in the East, and part of the time, there were 7. I think Missouri has been in less than 10 years. So, between 4 and 4.67 appearances would be our share. We are barely above average.

0 times in 5 seasons 1992-1996
5 times in 11 seasons 1997-2007
0 times in 12 seasons 2008-2019

That’s not encouraging.

 

[1972 Grad]

0 times in 5 seasons 1992-1996
5 times in 11 seasons 1997-2007
0 times in 12 seasons 2008-2019

That’s not encouraging.

It seems to repeat. We were great in the early-mid 50's, then we sucked for 10 years, then we were very good for about 6 or 8, then we sucked for about 10 more. Then, we got good again for several years, etc., etc. We are currently still stuck sucking.

 

[ajvol01]

It seems to repeat. We were great in the early-mid 50's, then we sucked for 10 years, then we were very good for about 6 or 8, then we sucked for about 10 more. Then, we got good again for several years, etc., etc. We are currently still stuck sucking.

13 seasons of sucking is a trend I’m not fond of

 

[AM64]

Watching the Ol Miss Alabama game, do you think OM has better talent than we do?

No, but then having JG on your side changes the balance a lot. Kiffin has a way of overachieving until he doesn't; he's a pretty bright boy (except the fool managed to lose Layla); and Ole Miss could go places with him ... assuming they don't wind up on probation first. To me Leach is a similar issue - possibly a flash in the pan, but we'll see. The coach I'd tend to be worried about in the west is Sam Pittman - not Kiffin, Leach, Orgeron, or Jimbo; just a quiet guy building something solid if they have patience. Weird things happened in the SEC yesterday - and I didn't watch any games besides ours. Apparently AR was robbed, and Satan was claiming MS must know their defense's signals. Throughout it all according to some analysists, SEC offenses were running wild and setting records because covid screwed up defensive preparation more than offense. The idea being that one is choreographed and the other is somewhat impromptu - one you can train (except JG apparently), and the other takes some time to master. Perfectly logical if you have at least reasonably consistent talent (the good variety) in a couple of skill positions ... like QB.

I understand you don't like Pruitt - he probably wouldn't have been the way I'd choose to rebuild, but I do trust Fulmer. Maybe we should just have done the UAB thing and closed the football program down until the stench went away. Pruitt went about a systematic rebuild while having to make do with a lot of leftover mismatched BJ pieces (including an option QB who isn't). Not replacing JG the minute he got here was probably Pruitt's greatest blunder, but apparently JG is a magic act, and coaches keep on believing only to get burned again and again at game time. Seems like yesterday the O line lost the way; they certainly did some boneheaded stuff - we'll probably read in a week or so that one player pulled the others in for a come to Jesus meeting, but they can only do so much with JG stumbling around in the wilderness behind them. I'm a lot less optimistic about 2020 than a lot of people, and to be honest I'll just say right now be worried about AR - they have a bad history of resurrecting the year we play them. If Santa were available right now, I'd like a Dobbs clone (maybe a bit better passer) and 2020 gone.

 

[AM64]

13 seasons of sucking is a trend I’m not fond of

The slide started about the time Doug Dickey retired as AD. I'm a Doug Dickey fan even though I hated him ditching us for FL. We traded our soul to the devil when we turned the athletic department over to Hamilton and the following string of administrative/bureaucratic ADs rather than an old football coach. I'll admit to bias about Dickey - he was the first year HC my freshman year at UT, and built something significant from a failed program.

 

[ETV]

So Bama looks past ole miss for Ga next week?
Still a win for Bama.

I still don’t think Ga, who has the better team, can beat Bama because Smart will find a way to lose to Saban again.

Bama will make the necessary adjustments and get the win against Georgia. It may not be pretty or the usual dominant Alabama we've become accustomed to, but they have the same depth, maybe even better talent than Georgia.

Kirby is not Lane Kiffin and will mismanage the game at some point, giving the advantage to Saban. Bama should play it safe, stuff the running game and force the walk on to beat them with his arm. Same thing Georgia did to UT.

Bama by 10.

 

[ETV]

the year after next will be Pruitts 5th season, can we agree that if he can’t get to Atlanta by then he needs to go?

As long as Fulmer and the administration stop handing out contract extensions without seeing improvement and the entire scope of work....sure.

 

[1972 Grad]

The slide started about the time Doug Dickey retired as AD. I'm a Doug Dickey fan even though I hated him ditching us for FL. We traded our soul to the devil when we turned the athletic department over to Hamilton and the following string of administrative/bureaucratic ADs rather than an old football coach. I'll admit to bias about Dickey - he was the first year HC my freshman year at UT, and built something significant from a failed program.

I am also a fan of Dickey, and his son salvaged the 85 season for us, when it looked like we might be in trouble after T-Rob went down.

 

[AM64]

I am also a fan of Dickey, and his son salvaged the 85 season for us, when it looked like we might be in trouble after T-Rob went down.

I always hoped Daryl Dickey would find his way back to Tennessee as a coach; he really did a lot that year. The '86 Sugar Bowl is still my favorite game even though there have been more important games since.

 

[hog88]

No, but then having JG on your side changes the balance a lot. Kiffin has a way of overachieving until he doesn't; he's a pretty bright boy (except the fool managed to lose Layla); and Ole Miss could go places with him ... assuming they don't wind up on probation first. To me Leach is a similar issue - possibly a flash in the pan, but we'll see. The coach I'd tend to be worried about in the west is Sam Pittman - not Kiffin, Leach, Orgeron, or Jimbo; just a quiet guy building something solid if they have patience. Weird things happened in the SEC yesterday - and I didn't watch any games besides ours. Apparently AR was robbed, and Satan was claiming MS must know their defense's signals. Throughout it all according to some analysists, SEC offenses were running wild and setting records because covid screwed up defensive preparation more than offense. The idea being that one is choreographed and the other is somewhat impromptu - one you can train (except JG apparently), and the other takes some time to master. Perfectly logical if you have at least reasonably consistent talent (the good variety) in a couple of skill positions ... like QB.

I understand you don't like Pruitt - he probably wouldn't have been the way I'd choose to rebuild, but I do trust Fulmer. Maybe we should just have done the UAB thing and closed the football program down until the stench went away. Pruitt went about a systematic rebuild while having to make do with a lot of leftover mismatched BJ pieces (including an option QB who isn't). Not replacing JG the minute he got here was probably Pruitt's greatest blunder, but apparently JG is a magic act, and coaches keep on believing only to get burned again and again at game time. Seems like yesterday the O line lost the way; they certainly did some boneheaded stuff - we'll probably read in a week or so that one player pulled the others in for a come to Jesus meeting, but they can only do so much with JG stumbling around in the wilderness behind them. I'm a lot less optimistic about 2020 than a lot of people, and to be honest I'll just say right now be worried about AR - they have a bad history of resurrecting the year we play them. If Santa were available right now, I'd like a Dobbs clone (maybe a bit better passer) and 2020 gone.

I guess this is where we differ, I don’t trust Fulmer. He’s a big part of why the program fell to where it did.