How would you feel about not playing Alabama every year?

[bamawriter]

Yeah, That was 50 years ago.

And just before universal integration.

 

[JBVolunteer]

I’ve been saying for a while that Tennessee should ditch the SEC and join the ACC as soon as possible. The balance of power right now is so heavily weighted toward the top 3-4 elites in the SEC that it is killing college football.

That any college team would be traveling anything over 400 miles for a conference game is absurd.

 

[OrangeSoddyDaisy]

I’ve been saying for a while that Tennessee should ditch the SEC and join the ACC as soon as possible. The balance of power right now is so heavily weighted toward the top 3-4 elites in the SEC that it is killing college football.

That any college team would be traveling anything over 400 miles for a conference game is absurd.

I agree. The problem will probably be whether the ACC would want Tennessee as a member. 50/50 would be my guess.

Certainly the SEC would benefit from some of the lesser competitive schools (UT, SC) to find a home elsewhere. Clemson is SEC caliber and sniping them would be a win-win. The SEC would be better served to pick up someone with upside potential rather than the now eternally failing UT.

 

[JBVolunteer]

I agree. The problem will probably be whether the ACC would want Tennessee as a member. 50/50 would be my guess.

Certainly the SEC would benefit from some of the lesser competitive schools (UT, SC) to find a home elsewhere. Clemson is SEC caliber and sniping them would be a win-win. The SEC would be better served to pick up someone with upside potential rather than the now eternally failing UT.

Absolutely, the ACC would take Tennessee in a heartbeat. It makes sense on every front especially from a logistical standpoint.

Really Tennessee, Clemson, USC would all be in the ACC easily due to proximity.

The SEC is as out of control as our constantly expanding federal government. It keeps getting bigger and covering more territory while 2-3 dominate and have all of the control.

 

[rjd970]

How has UT been at a disadvantage? Over the past 13 years since UT last went to Atlanta, they could have beaten Bama every single year and still wouldn't have won the East a single time.

Bama is not UT's problem. The East is UT's problem.

Assume we could beat beat everyone on the east schedule - chances are we would have to beat Bama twice - and how many times has that happened? How many times do you think Urban could have done that and how many championships would that have cost him?

It's a disadvantage, whether we are down or not.

 

[Border Vol]

I’ve been saying for a while that Tennessee should ditch the SEC and join the ACC as soon as possible. The balance of power right now is so heavily weighted toward the top 3-4 elites in the SEC that it is killing college football.

That any college team would be traveling anything over 400 miles for a conference game is absurd.

 

[airvols]

I bring up this thread and you always get the same answer. We are Tennessee we don’t run from anyone. These fans will never be convinced that we’re in a different time with a different set of circumstances. We should be rotating the schedule to make it a fair playing field for all teams concerned. People point to tradition the tradition is whatever the new norm is determined to be. In my opinion Florida should be the new Alabama. There in our division it matters more. As long as we’re in the eastern division and the reminder of the teams in the eastern division don’t play Alabama annually then we are at a disadvantage as long as Alabama continues to be A perennial power. We can say we will get there, we can say it’s just a matter of time, but for 15 years that hasn’t worked out so well. If Alabama was in our division I would be happy to play them every year it would continue to be a great rivalry but as long as we have different divisions our chances of winning the Southeastern conference championship is diminished. Stop living in the past and think about what the possibilities are for the future if you swallow your ego and make changes to the schedule.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

Not sure if you caught the thread earlier, but they lose everyone next year! We gone whip they ass!!

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

I think the SEC should drop the permanent cross division games for all SEC teams and just go to a rotation like they do for the other non-permanent games. TN is at a big disadvantage to winning the East having to play AL every season. As Spurrier said about the TN-FL rivalry; Its not a rivalry when the same team wins most of the time. Apply same logic to TN-AL. No reason to keep it.

This. We would play every West team every three years. Except for Alabama , we play the other West teams every six years.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

Absolutely, the ACC would take Tennessee in a heartbeat. It makes sense on every front especially from a logistical standpoint.

Really Tennessee, Clemson, USC would all be in the ACC easily due to proximity.

The SEC is as out of control as our constantly expanding federal government. It keeps getting bigger and covering more territory while 2-3 dominate and have all of the control.

Add Va Tech to the close proximity, 4 hrs via I-81.

 

[Volfan2012]

Since we are to Bama what Vandy is to us I would be all for not playing them some seasons.

 

[bamawriter]

I’ve been saying for a while that Tennessee should ditch the SEC and join the ACC as soon as possible. The balance of power right now is so heavily weighted toward the top 3-4 elites in the SEC that it is killing college football.

That any college team would be traveling anything over 400 miles for a conference game is absurd.

Maybe I'm missing sarcasm, but have you checked on the distance from Knoxville to Miami and Boston?

 

[volfaninbuckeyeland]

As the only team in the East that has Bama as a permanent opponent, it is a huge competitive disadvantage to UT. Not just in terms of wins and losses, but the ability to attract the "proven" coach everybody on here wants to hire. I think there should be no more permanent cross-division opponents. All teams would rotate opponents from the other division. Things need to evolve. JMHO.

Well stated. Certain traditions do need to be reevaluated from time to time. If "traditionalists" had been successful in maintaining the status quo, there would be no forward pass or 3 point shot, and what would those sports be without those innovations? It's my understanding, and I could be wrong, but an unwillingness to change a traditional offense was part of the reason Tn lost an eventual Heisman winner to Fla years ago, and the top talent in the state is still being plundered today. Is it any wonder that the only talent in Ala that other schools have a chance of securing are the ones Bama rejects? That may be a bit harsh, but for the most part it's true. What young man wants to return to his home each year and be subjected to humiliation and ridicule? I have jokingly told folks for years that UT needs to join another conference, but where do they go? Currently, the likes of Ap St, Liberty, Cinci, and even Ball State could probably get the better of UT. But we have all seen the impact of a single person, whether in the form of a coach or a player. Neyland's primary instructions when he was hired, believe it or not, were to beat Vandy, not Bama, and beat 'em he did as well as just about everybody else he faced. Pearl, Barnes, Dickey, Manning, Dobbs are all examples of the impact a single person can have. No, leaving the conference is not even a serious discussion, IMHO, but revising the schedule is a topic deserving of serious consideration. And for all the traditionalists who can't fathom playing anyone else on the 3rd Sat in Oct, let's just change the date to the 1st Sat in Dec. In the meantime, I patiently wait for that "one" person.

 

[bamawriter]

Assume we could beat beat everyone on the east schedule - chances are we would have to beat Bama twice

Nope, you'd only need to beat Bama once. If UT were to beat everyone on the East schedule, they'd only need to beat Bama in the SEC championship. The regular season matchup wouldn't matter a bit.

But let's be honest, shall we? To assume that UT could beat everyone in the East is to assume something that UT has managed to do a grand total of twice in the twenty-nine years since the divisional split. Again, UT is at no disadvantage playing Bama every year if they can't manage to win the East either way. Beginning in 2008 (and including tiebreakers) Tennessee has finished 2 games out of first once, 2.5 games out of first three times, 4.5 games out of first three times, 5.5 games out of first three times, 6.5 games out of first twice, and 7.5 games out of first once. Show me where in that stretch losing to Bama handicapped Tennessee.

 

[JBVolunteer]

Maybe I'm missing sarcasm, but have you checked on the distance from Knoxville to Miami and Boston?

All of the conference maps really should be redrawn. Miami should not be in the ACC and BC should have never left the Big East.

In all seriousness, Just like Texas, Florida universities should almost have their own conference.

Miami, UCF, UF, Florida State, USF, FIU are just the ones I can think of.

In my opinion, the more conferences the better. Let the winners represent their regions in a real playoff until we have an East vs. West National Championship.

Something like that might actually make college football fun to watch again.

 

[SayNoToJorts]

LSU plays them every year and has managed 2 NCs in the Saban era. Quit whining and field a better team

 

[05_never_again]

It's the most overrated rivalry in college football (and that isn't just because of the last 10+ years), but I wouldn't want to see it go away.

 

[rjd970]

Nope, you'd only need to beat Bama once. If UT were to beat everyone on the East schedule, they'd only need to beat Bama in the SEC championship. The regular season matchup wouldn't matter a bit.

But let's be honest, shall we? To assume that UT could beat everyone in the East is to assume something that UT has managed to do a grand total of twice in the twenty-nine years since the divisional split. Again, UT is at no disadvantage playing Bama every year if they can't manage to win the East either way. Beginning in 2008 (and including tiebreakers) Tennessee has finished 2 games out of first once, 2.5 games out of first three times, 4.5 games out of first three times, 5.5 games out of first three times, 6.5 games out of first twice, and 7.5 games out of first once. Show me where in that stretch losing to Bama handicapped Tennessee.

Ok - at the very least we would have to play you twice. No other team in conference would have to do that save to rotational team just so happening to make it to the SECCG or a rematch in the playoffs - and the playoffs are a recent thing.

Also - I'm not arguing what has happened. I don't know why you think I am?

Has it mattered? No - of course not. It's largely a moot point. We are awful and have been for quite a while now.

Could it matter and it is unique to Tennessee in the east? Absolutely. We are the only team in the east that plays Bama every year. Think about it this way...In a three-way tie breaker scenario in the east we could be the only ones with another conference loss, and it would be because we have to play Bama and the other two didn't.

It is a disadvantage. It's a built in loss, and has been for any other conference team.

 

[rjd970]

LSU plays them every year and has managed 2 NCs in the Saban era. Quit whining and field a better team

It also cost them one having to play Bama twice.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

If you want to compete for and win the SEC then you have to be able to beat them. The path goes thru Tuscaloser so suck it up buttercup if we get beat then we need to get better.

How's that working out for us?

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

I prefer us and Vandy to join the ACC. That way we would come back rapidly and I would get to see a ton of games lol

You want to trade an Alabama game for a Clemson game? That's a beat down either way.

 

[SmokeyDog1973]

Tennessee to the ACC makes sense let’s it get done guys. It would be awesome to see FSU and Clemson come to Neyland.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

LSU plays them every year and has managed 2 NCs in the Saban era. Quit whining and field a better team

One of them was with Sabam as LSU's head coach.
.

 

[NorthDallas40]

How's that working out for us?

Weak excuse. If we can’t beat them we don’t win the SEC. thus we need to get better. And it takes care of itself.

 

[bamawriter]

One of them was with Sabam as LSU's head coach.
.

LSU won in '07 and '19.