Absolute crap that we won't be playing y'all yearly now.

#51
#51
Meh, it hasn't been really a big game in a long time. The 90s through the mid 2000s maybe but honestly the last 20 years it's basically been just another game. It used to be THE game but both programs dipped and it's now running on past glory. I'm not really sad about it
Yea it started to lose its luster after Spurrier left then Fulmer got fired and then both teams going thru down periods. It was replaced by LSU-Bama and Georgia -bama games.
 
#53
#53
I would assume every conference member got a vote as to the series they wanted protected the most. Tennessee would say Bama. Vandy and UK would say Tennessee. Florida and Georgia rivalry are as old as my kids. Vols have played Bama, Vandy and UK over 100 times. Vols have played Ole Miss 65 times, Florida 54, Georgia 54, Auburn 54 and South Carolina 42.

I think the conference got it right for the Vols and the fact that everyone plays everyone else twice every 4 years balances the strength of schedule.
 
#54
#54
I'm sure every 4 years there will be a few changes here and there. Wouldn't be surprised to see that 3rd slot for us rotate between UK, UF, Ole Miss, and Auburn over time.

At least we'll still play 2 out of 4 years.
 
#56
#56
I can see the SEC always preserving one very traditional rivalry - like for UT it would be Bama (although we would have to compete with Auburn), Florida it would be Georgia, etc.
Then the other two 'annual' opponents be rotated every 4 yrs to get some of those rivalries that exist but not as historic, like UT / Florida.
Bama got screwed and its great to see. GBFO!!
 
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#58
#58
True but there's no team Kentucky fans hate more than us. That game means a lot to them.
Well then they need to improve their program so it is worthy of our hate. Even with Florida down, we've only taken two of four and have never had momentum in the series. When Kentucky is at their very best, we still beat them 9/10 times.

Kentucky hates us, Vandy hates us. That's great. Vandy gets the pass because they are instate. That's maybe unfair, but they aren't going to split us. We are FL's #2 rival in conference, and they are ours. Nobody valued our opinions when we had Dooley, Butch and Beldar, so why should we care about being someone else's #1?
 
#59
#59
UK doesn’t really have a rival other than TN. They would complain about losing us the same way we would complain about losing the 3rd Sat in Oct.
who cares? If they want to preserve the rivalry then do something about the program. Quit using basketball as an excuse and put the money where their mouth is, improve to the point that they can compete, and then we will talk.
 
#61
#61
WE have always had those two cup cakes every year. Nothing has changed in that respect. So by playing Ga. Fl. two out of four years, we will add Texas/ LSU in the other two out of four years. It is not going to be easier. Just hope they balance out the power evenly over the four years.
I don't care about LSU, and I really don't care about Texas. Would it be nice to beat them, sure! - but it doesn't have the intensity of the Florida game, and my point is that Kentucky brings no passion to the table. They suck. I'm sorry but I don't care that we've played 102 years or whatever.

My point is why keep pushing a game that isn't exciting for us. For years, we heard about how great we were in the month of November. The reason was that we always played Vandy and Kentucky in November and we could count on a few more wins. Even Vanderbilt went through a period where we lost 5 our 7 games to them in the last 15 years. From 2011-19 we were 5-5 against Vandy. Let that sink in: Vandy has been a tougher opponent this century than Kentucky, who we have like a 22-3 record against over the last 25 years.
 
#64
#64
I agree. Florida game is one of the biggest weeks of the year to a generation of Vol fans. To hell with Kentucky they don’t deserve to play us every year
They picked the only logical combination for Tennessee, Vandy, Kentucky and Alabama. Who else would/could they pick for any of the other three? Have to look at the BIG picture.
 
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#67
#67
I'm honestly more surprised they they didn't protect the LSU/Florida rivalry.

The important thing for me is keeping TSIO. I honestly don't care who our other two are as long as we always play Alabama.
 
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#70
#70
Tennessee/Kentucky is the second oldest rivalry in the SEC and is Tennessee is Kentucky's biggest rivalry. I want Kentucky every year. I was 22 years old before I knew what a loss to Kentucky was about and since then the Kentucky fans in my life are insufferable. I want them every year. I want them to never win a game ever and I want the damn beer barrel back so we can hoist it over them year and year out. That is a tradition in the SEC that should never die.
I'd rather repay Florida for the better part of the last 20 years
 
#72
#72
It’s no surprise the OP wants to keep our annual game. How often are you guaranteed that your opponent, no matter how good they are, no matter how bad you are will have a complete mental breakdown and play like a middle school team against you for just this one game. An added bonus is that your second and third string QBs become Heisman candidates overnight.
 
#74
#74
I was 17 the last time the Vols lost to KY until the WR at QB game.

In between those two, I attended two Universities and lived in 3 states other than Tennessee.

Even worse, at the time I was 25 and had NEVER witnessed Kentucky beat Tennessee. It was all due to a coach who had zero control over his locker room and let the players mail it in because they didn't want to play in a small bowl game.
 
#75
#75
Y’all were our biggest rivalry from the mid 90’s for about 15-20 years…

A certain generation of UT fans know that as fact.

To this day I still hate Florida more than Bama. When I was growing up we would win over Bama a few times and even went on a winning steak against them but we couldn't do the same against Florida. Not to mention Spurrier's cocky attitude.
 
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