A GREAT year for Tennessee Football - 1982 (even though only 6-5 +1 and a Peach Bowl Loss...)

[SpookyAction]

I started following the VOLS in 1980, @ 9 y/o. It seemed like beating Bama would never happen again.

If Coach Majors could've beaten Bama consistently, he might have had a couple of shots at a NC. When his teams won 4 in a row vs. Bama, I thought he had turned that rivalry around. I think we had better rosters some of those seasons. I have only ever known one person with inside knowledge from the money side of UT Athletics. He has always been consistent saying John Majors was sacked due to his 6 straight losses to Bama.

 

[herkyvol]

My first exposure to the Vols.... As an Iowa City native and Hawkeye fan. This was Iowa's first non-Rose Bowl bowl game.

I grew to love college football experiencing the revival of the big 10 basement dweller Hawkeyes as a kid. Hayden Frye was an absolute rock star in the state of Iowa at the time.

It took me 5 years in Knoxville and a degree from UT (not to mention a run at the title) to change my allegiances once and for all.

 

[wmcovol]

I can’t say it was a great year but they did beat Bama. Lost to Vandy thou. That team was frustrating. Lost to Duke early, got creamed at Auburn. Played a good LSU team to a tie in Baton Rouge. Didn’t show up at Ga Tech following the bama win. Defense was a big issue.

 

[#1fulmerite]

I started following the VOLS in 1980, @ 9 y/o. It seemed like beating Bama would never happen again.

If Coach Majors could've beaten Bama consistently, he might have had a couple of shots at a NC. When his teams won 4 in a row vs. Bama, I thought he had turned that rivalry around. I think we had better rosters some of those seasons. I have only ever known one person with inside knowledge from the money side of UT Athletics. He has always been consistent saying John Majors was sacked due to his 6 straight losses to Bama.

I remember how ticked off we all were when CPF lost to Zook and the Gators in ‘02!

Talk about the Florida curse!

 

[SpookyAction]

I don't use the word curse. We just didn't play up to the competition as consistently after 2001. We still won some games against strong teams, but we started losing more games that we should have won.

The "curse" was mostly Mark Richt started winning a lot of those recruiting battles in GA. Our talent advantage disappeared and exposed that our coaching wasn't as good as we had figured. It got much worse when Urban Meyer and Nick Saban were hired. Our coaching staffs then did what has to be done. They recruited sketchier talents to try to attract enough talent to compete, and we had more and more busts. Then Fulmer was fired and the talent drain was epically bad for two consecutive seasons.

 

[TAF]

 

[#1fulmerite]

I don't use the word curse. We just didn't play up to the competition as consistently after 2001. We still won some games against strong teams, but we started losing more games that we should have won.

The "curse" was mostly Mark Richt started winning a lot of those recruiting battles in GA. Our talent advantage disappeared and exposed that our coaching wasn't as good as we had figured. It got much worse when Urban Meyer and Nick Saban were hired. Our coaching staffs then did what has to be done. They recruited sketchier talents to try to attract enough talent to compete, and we had more and more busts. Then Fulmer was fired and the talent drain was epically bad for two consecutive seasons.

I completely agree. When Richt came into the SEC and poached Rodney Garner from us, that ended the Georgia pipe line for us. Majors did a heck of a job building those recruiting pipelines into Bama, Georgia, Louisiana etc. and Fulmer continued that precedent. However, as you stated, when Saban and Meyer and others came in, that hurt our recruiting.