Lets Talk about an ugly Schedule 1985

#26
#26
mad4vols said:
Does anyone remember back in the 70's after the games on one of the AM stations that they would have a program where people would call in just to ask for a score from around the country?

I mean we had no way of knowing any scores, there was no ESPN, no internet.

So you would just call up and the host would pick up the phone live on the air and he would ask you which score you wanted to hear and you would say like "Could I get the score for the Michigan State game?" and he would look it up and tell you the score and if it was in progress or a final.
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The Slippery Rock score was a running joke on that show.
 
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#29
#29
NeverWe'llSever said:
I wasn't even born yet and know very little about the '85 season, besides the fact that we were SEC Champs and beat the crap out of Miami in the Sugar Bowl, so I've got a question. Would we have been the national champions if we hadn't lost to UF?
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we had 2 ties so I'm 99% sure no. Okl, Mich, and Penn St only had 1 loss.
 
#30
#30
coffeevol said:
What were they doing?
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spying on other teams' practices, payments and gifts to players, and allowing walk-ons to stay in the athletic dorm

They cheated enough to win their first ever SEC championship in 1984. The 1985 team was still at full strength as scholarship sanctions didn't start until the recruiting cycle after the 1985 season. Plus since Florida wasn't eligible for a bowl game, that game was their bowl game. It really sucked that their no TV penalty affected TN.
 
#31
#31
NeverWe'llSever said:
I wasn't even born yet and know very little about the '85 season, besides the fact that we were SEC Champs and beat the crap out of Miami in the Sugar Bowl, so I've got a question. Would we have been the national champions if we hadn't lost to UF?
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I think the tie to Georgia Tech was more damaging than the loss to Florida. And certainly the loss of Tony Robinson the week before played a huge roll in that game. Interestingly enough Fuad Reveiz (likely the best kicker in TN history) attempted 3 4th quarter FGs after the Vols spotted them a 6-0 lead. Made a 55 yarder, MISSED a 21 yarder, and made a 51 yarder with seconds left to secure the tie. Had they won that game I think they may have had a claim. It's always so hard to say when you're talking about re-writing history though.
 
#32
#32
VOLINHTOWN said:
I think the tie to Georgia Tech was more damaging than the loss to Florida. And certainly the loss of Tony Robinson the week before played a huge roll in that game. Interestingly enough Fuad Reveiz (likely the best kicker in TN history) attempted 3 4th quarter FGs after the Vols spotted them a 6-0 lead. Made a 55 yarder, MISSED a 21 yarder, and made a 51 yarder with seconds left to secure the tie. Had they won that game I think they may have had a claim. It's always so hard to say when you're talking about re-writing history though.
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Fuad graduated after the 1984 season. Carlos was the kicker in 1985.
 
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#33
#33
coffeevol said:
1985 was not pretty but it got the job done......Would Butch be on the hot seat with the same finishes? In today's instant gratification society what would opinions be if...


we tied UCLA, Had a close call with Wake Forest, Lost to Florida, Squeaked by Alabama, Tied GA Tech... and beat UK, Memphis, Vandy, Rutgers and Auburn
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Seriously?:blink:
 
#35
#35
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Fuad graduated after the 1984 season. Carlos was the kicker in 1985.
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You are correct! I stand corrected!

The more you look at it though, I think the Vols would have had a REAL legit shot at the NT that year. Oklahoma trounced Penn State to claim the title but Oklahoma's lone loss was to Miami. And Michigan was ranked #5 going into the Fiesta Bowl. The Vols were REALLY close that year.
 
#36
#36
coffeevol said:
Glad I posted this, it was a little before my time as I was 6 years old that year,,, but love, love love hearing those tales.
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I was 31 and at the UCLA game. I kept thinking , surely to God they can't comeback with this little time left. Then they did. Great season but disappointing game for sure. Terribly disappointing to lose Robinson too. He was on his way to be one of the greatest.
 
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#38
#38
VOLINHTOWN said:
You are correct! I stand corrected!

The more you look at it though, I think the Vols would have had a REAL legit shot at the NT that year. Oklahoma trounced Penn State to claim the title but Oklahoma's lone loss was to Miami. And Michigan was ranked #5 going into the Fiesta Bowl. The Vols were REALLY close that year.
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The UCLA tie was maybe the worst blemish on the record. TN was the home team and they blew a 16 point lead with only about half of the 4th quarter left to play.
 
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#40
#40
edyeary said:
I was 31 and at the UCLA game. I kept thinking , surely to God they can't comeback with this little time left. Then they did. Great season but disappointing game for sure. Terribly disappointing to lose Robinson too. He was on his way to be one of the greatest.
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I remember watching that game. That was about as deflating as a tie can get. Here's a good recap of the game.
College Football Belt - 1985 UCLA at Tennessee
 
#43
#43
NeverWe'llSever said:
I wasn't even born yet and know very little about the '85 season, besides the fact that we were SEC Champs and beat the crap out of Miami in the Sugar Bowl, so I've got a question. Would we have been the national champions if we hadn't lost to UF?
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No. We let UCLA come back from a 16 point deficit in the 4th and we also ended in a 6- 6 tie with Georgia Tech. I think we were 7 or 8 going into the Sugar Bowl. Penn State was undefeated and #1. Miami was 2 and Oklahoma was 3. It was a foregone conclusion that Miami and Oklahoma would both win. The question was who should be #1 since Miami had beaten Oklahoma in the regular season.
 
#45
#45
The Sugar Bowl win over Miami was the first Tennessee game I watched as a 9y/o kid, and what started my love for the Vols. The family was together for the holidays, but none of them were Tennessee fans. Most of them were Georgia fans, and my dad was a Georgia Tech grad, but they hated Miami, so we watched the game mainly to see what would happen. I remember my dad and my Pawpaw telling me when the game started that Tennessee was probably going to lose, and I couldn't understand why. "Miami cheats, they are thugs." So right then, I knew I wanted the men in orange to beat those dirty cheaters! Then watching it happen, it was like a miracle to my young eyes, especially because my family had been so convinced they had no chance.

Thanks to the Sugar Vols, 30 years later, my love of the Big Orange is still strong!
 
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#46
#46
I just got to thinking [I know that's a novelty for me]. How many of the youngsters on here know what I was referring to with the Fuad -Frank-Cafego thing?
 
#47
#47
coffeevol said:
1985 was not pretty but it got the job done......Would Butch be on the hot seat with the same finishes? In today's instant gratification society what would opinions be if...


we tied UCLA, Had a close call with Wake Forest, Lost to Florida, Squeaked by Alabama, Tied GA Tech... and beat UK, Memphis, Vandy, Rutgers and Auburn
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For one thing UCLA and Georgia Tech were both very good in 1985 and the Tech game was the first game after losing Tony Robinson. For another thing, how can you talk about 1985 and not even mention the big win over Miami?
 
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