A trip down memory lane......

#1
jakez4ut

jakez4ut

Patience... It's what's for dinner
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#1
i've been posting here regularly since 2005, and we've seen a lot happen to this program over that time. and since we're in the midst of yet another topsy turvy, and disappointing season, i thought it would be interesting to compare what i thought about the program back then to what i think now.

i wasn't surprised by what i found, but it was interesting.

and i apoligize if this is a little long, but those of you that have been here that long, well, this should be expected from the likes of me from time to time.:)

Now, i posted this in Nov. of 2005, the fate of the 05 season not yet determined, but obviously it had already gone bad.....
The opinion of UT Football..hmm. Good topic. I got in to a discussion with someone about this before the season started...and even though this year has sucked big time, when you look back over the years, and hopefully years to come, there is one thing that you alwasy have to come back to..."ARE WE IN CONTENTION FOR OUR CONF. TITLE ON A REGULAR BASIS?". Which really means, are we competitive with the top teams in the conf. regularly. Now, going back to 2000 to now, there is a definite drop off for us against the rest of the big boys of the league. But what you have to consider is this, are we as capable of beating those teams as they are of beating us? Usually the answer it YES. YOu can't win 'em all, though it would be nice.

Last year was a perfect example. We were not expected to do anything but finish behind UF and UGA. And at the end of the year, no one was all that suprised though that we won the EAST. There's a reason for that.

While we all have justified gripes with the way this season was handled and all have differing opinions of what is to come in the future, there's still one thing that cannot be overlooked. Year in and year out we are usually in the discussion of winning the division and/or conference.

And at the end of the day, that's really all you can ask for as a fan. i'd rather be in the discussion, or be a factor, than not be heard from at all, like the MSU, Ole Miss, Vandy's, USC, and Kentucky's of the world.

Let's face it, over the past 5 years, this conference has developed in to a 6 way race for the title every year, and with the addition of Spurrier at USC, and based on what he'd done down there this year, you'd have to think they'll be in the mix as well in the future...

No team has repeated as conf. champs since we did it in 97 & 98, right?. And i think it will be a while before you see a team come out and dominate like UF did in the 90's.

So, overall i'm still happy with the status of this program just not recent performance of this program.

Which could lead to the direction of the program..which is a nother important part of this equation...are you going up, down, staying still? While i wouldn't say we've acheived the same success we did in the 90's by any stretch, we have won the East twice since 2000, we've played in Bowl games every year, so w/out a BCS berth or a conf. champ in the last 5-7 years, i would lean RIGHT NOW to saying we're staying still. Now, if we have a losing record this year, and follow up next year with another crapola season like this, we will have done a complete 180, and going down hill fast. But if you really want to see a team that was heading down hill...go to Lincoln, NE and State College, PA (at least until this year), and Tuscaloosa, AL (also at least until this year), and South Bend, IN (also until this year). All of those hit VERY rocky times, much rockier than we have seen thus far (barring a losing season or two!).

So until we hit the bottom, there's still a chance to turn it around w/out having to go thru what those afformentioned programs had/have to endure.
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on point 1, we're 0-3 against Meyer. got drilled by 63 points by our two biggest rivals this year. mathmatically, yes, we're in competition for the division. in reality, we're not even competitive with Bama or FL.

point 2. based on the results so far, no, we are not capable.

point 3. we've gone from being in the serious discussion for hte title to more of a road bump for teams like FL, Bama and now SC and KY. when we play those games, those games are played to judge and measure our opponent, not us.

KY is currently ranked ahead of us and in the same position as us in the SEC E Standings.

FL is on the verge of doing just that, they control their own destiny and have a legit shot at winning back to back SEC titles for the first time since we did it, and they have dominated the SEC E since Meyer arrived, going undefeated against GA and TN, and 1-1 against SC.

and nearly two years later, i'm not willing to say i'm still happy with where this program is or where it's going.

and to the last two points about direction of the program, my tune is different now as well.

well worth the trip down memory lane imo.
 
#2
#2
Very interesting Jake... what we didn't know in 2005 was that '05 was not just an aberration. No question that the program has trended downward significantly.

In '05 we were at least competitive in all of the games... Notre Dame being the only possible exception. Fast forward to '07 and we are being outclassed by good teams.

I really hope some changes are made, I don't know how any reasonable analysis of the state of the program could yield a realistic optimism with the current regime in place.
 
#3
#3
1992 5-3 3rd E
1993 7-1 T1st E
1994 5-3 2nd E
1995 7-1 2nd E
1996 7-1 2nd E
1997 7-1 1st E
1998 8-0 1st E
1999 6-2 2nd E
2000 5-3 T2nd E
2001 7-1 1st E
2002 5-3 3rd E
2003 6-2 T1st E
2004 7-1 1st E
2005 3-5 T4th E
2006 5-3 2nd E

Only 3 times since the SEC has split into divisions have the Vols finished below 2nd in the East Division.
 
#4
#4
you know exactly what i was getting at AV.....

we're tied for 2nd right now, and what does that really mean? we still weren't competitive with FL or Bama.

and that's the single biggest disappointment in my book. unprepared. out coached. out played.

and it didn't used to be that way, this often or this bad.
 
#5
#5
jakez4ut said:
you know exactly what i was getting at AV.....

we're tied for 2nd right now, and what does that really mean? we still weren't competitive with FL or Bama.

and that's the single biggest disappointment in my book. unprepared. out coached. out played.

and it didn't used to be that way, this often or this bad.
Click to expand...

Your forgetting 1893.....:p
 
#7
#7
true dominate tennessee football is just a memory...we are in a bad dream right now
 
#13
#13
I40VOL said:
anyone that finishes undefeated in the SEC is going to be close to the top of the rankings...
Click to expand...

University of Auburn was perfect a few years ago (Im not gonna look it up) and they did not play for the NT. Winning the SEC is an accomplishment no doubt, but it does not award an automatic NT game appearance. Sorry guys, I love the SEC,but that is too much.
 
#14
#14
he did say "close to the top"...which would be correct as Auburn went in to the BCS 3 and finished 2.
 
#15
#15
If you go undefeated in the SEC and win the CG IMO you should be awarded with a BCS National title berth.
IMO
 
#18
#18
TXVOL07 said:
University of Auburn was perfect a few years ago (Im not gonna look it up) and they did not play for the NT. Winning the SEC is an accomplishment no doubt, but it does not award an automatic NT game appearance. Sorry guys, I love the SEC,but that is too much.
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i never said it won you a NT but your going to be at the top or near the top if you finish undefeated
 
#19
#19
Auburn didn't make it because they weren't more deserving than the other two teams at the top... It may have been very close, but up until the the bowls, Oklahoma and USC had very much earned it.
 
#21
#21
tvolsfan said:
Auburn didn't make it because they weren't more deserving than the other two teams at the top... It may have been very close, but up until the the bowls, Oklahoma and USC had very much earned it.
Click to expand...
that OU defense had sucked, and I mean sucked, for a while leading into that game
 
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