Ok, a fun historical WHAT IF question...

#1
Rickyvol77

Rickyvol77

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#1
Let's say in 1896, the powers-that-be had a 16 team playoff (including hosting home games) as we are about to have now and that decided the NC throughout all of college football history.

How many playoff appearances in each decade does UT make?

Even better question is how many national titles does UT win? More than 6, less?

My opinion:

Playoff Appearances:
1908, 1914, 1916, 1920, 1922, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934,
1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1965,
1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995,
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2022, 2024

Legit Chance to Win it all:
1916, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1956, 1965, 1967,
1969, 1970, 1972, 1985, 1989. 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004,
2006, 2022
 
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#2
#2
Rickyvol77 said:
Let's say in 1896, the powers-that-be had a 16 team playoff (including hosting home games) as we are about to have now and that decided the NC throughout all of college football history.

How many playoff appearances in each decade does UT make?

Even better question is how many national titles does UT win? More than 6, less?

My opinion:

Playoff Appearances:
1908, 1914, 1916, 1920, 1922, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934,
1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1965,
1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995,
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2022, 2024

Legit Chance to Win it all:
1916, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1956, 1965, 1967,
1969, 1970, 1972, 1985, 1989. 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004,
2006, 2022
Click to expand...
Way to much research for me.

But I like what you posted, so I will just assume we won all the "Legit Chance" playoffs.

Tennessee Volunteers: Your 28 time National Champions! Suck it Bama, Yale, and the rest of you pretenders!!!!!
 
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#6
#6
I can't comment pre 1980 but I think Tennessee would have had good shots in 1985, 1989, 1996, 1999.

After that, I don't see it. Of those 4 alternatives, 1985 is actually most likely with the way Tennessee blew out #2 Miami, they seemed like they were on a roll.

1995 was a good team but not better than Nebraska

2001 was a good team but not better than Miami


1996 Tennessee would have likely had a shot at beating Florida a 2nd time or FSU (two biggest contenders).

Some of the Neyland 1930s teams would have won it all. Neyland era would have been our best chance. I don't see Tennessee winning a lot thought, sadly. Maybe 3 or 4 in Neyland era, 1998, and maybe 1985.
 
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#7
#7
A ton of teams make the playoffs. Actually win it? Post-Neyland, I’d say the teams with the best shot would be 1956, 1967, 1970 (I think this is a really underrated team by some), 1985, 1989,1998. Oklahoma would be our nemesis in most of the years (1956, 1967 and 1985 are all national championships claimed by them).

I do have to say, it is a travesty that it took over 100 years to even get a 1 vs 2 national championship in CFB. I feel like CFB is always behind the times and makes changes it should have already made at least a decade too slow.
 
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#8
#8
I just wanna know, how does OP know we had a legit chance to win it all in 1916?

Realistically outside of the Neyland years, there may have been a handful of teams that could have won it all in a 16 team playoff. The 2022 team didn’t have the defense. 06 just wasn’t on that level. 04 might have been top 5 caliber with Ainge, but no way they beat Auburn or USC. 03 isn’t on the level. 01 was the second best team in the country but nobody was beating Miami. 99 was just missing something. The Peyton years we probably don’t beat Florida in any case and wouldn’t beat Nebraska in 97 or 95. 93 wasn’t on the level.

85, 89, and 90 would have had a shot if they got hot and had a good draw. 69 and 70 probably would too. That’s probably about it though. We had some great teams in the late 90s, but there were some other real powerhouses back then. College football was more top heavy back then.
 
#9
#9
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
I just wanna know, how does OP know we had a legit chance to win it all in 1916?

Realistically outside of the Neyland years, there may have been a handful of teams that could have won it all in a 16 team playoff. The 2022 team didn’t have the defense. 06 just wasn’t on that level. 04 might have been top 5 caliber with Ainge, but no way they beat Auburn or USC. 03 isn’t on the level. 01 was the second best team in the country but nobody was beating Miami. 99 was just missing something. The Peyton years we probably don’t beat Florida in any case and wouldn’t beat Nebraska in 97 or 95. 93 wasn’t on the level.

85, 89, and 90 would have had a shot if they got hot and had a good draw. 69 and 70 probably would too. That’s probably about it though. We had some great teams in the late 90s, but there were some other real powerhouses back then. College football was more top heavy back then.
Click to expand...

This is unfortunately basically Tennessee football history in a nutshell. Minus the Neyland Era, we are a consistently good to great team, but rarely championship caliber. But hey, I’d rather be that than what a lot of other teams are. Could be Texas A&M / WVU / Oregon (consistently good but NEVER win it all) or worse. There’s 130+ D1 teams and I’d only trade histories with about 10% of them.
 
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#10
#10
NeverWe'llSever said:
This is unfortunately basically Tennessee football history in a nutshell. Minus the Neyland Era, we are a consistently good to great team, but rarely championship caliber. But hey, I’d rather be that than what a lot of other teams are. Could be Texas A&M / WVU / Oregon (consistently good but NEVER win it all) or worse. There’s 130+ D1 teams and I’d only trade histories with about 10% of them.
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Yeah I think some of our best teams actually had a worse shot at a title than some other teams we have had. 97 would have beaten probably any Tennessee team that ever came before it in a seven game series sort of setting, but there was the Florida issue and Nebraska was finishing up their all time run. Our 90s run would be the best team in the country in multiple decades imo, but it was only 4th best program in that particular decade.
 
#12
#12
post 1980, I would say we would have made the playoffs with a decent chance of winning it all or at least playing for the Natty in 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2021. I know we lost bowl games and the SEC in 2001, but who knows, with a playoff bracket maybe we get some better matchups, top teams get upset more often and there is more motivation knowing we still have a shot (vs just playing in one bowl game after being eliminated)
 
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#13
#13
Volizona said:
post 1980, I would say we would have made the playoffs with a decent chance of winning it all or at least playing for the Natty in 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2021. I know we lost bowl games and the SEC in 2001, but who knows, with a playoff bracket maybe we get some better matchups, top teams get upset more often and there is more motivation knowing we still have a shot (vs just playing in one bowl game after being eliminated)
Click to expand...
Meant 2022, not 2021 above.
 
#14
#14
Thanks to Majors and Fulmers ultra conservative game planning, good teams in 1992 and 1994 were ruined by losing to multiple teams we had no business losing to.
 
#15
#15
Had there been a playoff in ‘98, I’m not so sure we would have a NC. However, on the flip side, had there been a playoff in ‘85, maybe but, again, not so sure they let us in with that record. Saying that, I think the ‘93 team would have a better shot if this playoff arrangement had been around compared to ‘98. I wonder what if for the ‘89 team?
 
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#16
#16
#1fulmerite said:
Had there been a playoff in ‘98, I’m not so sure we would have a NC. However, on the flip side, had there been a playoff in ‘85, maybe but, again, not so sure they let us in with that record. Saying that, I think the ‘93 team would have a better shot if this playoff arrangement had been around compared to ‘98. I wonder what if for the ‘89 team?
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Yes, my thought exactly on 98. Not sure playing the extra games would have worked in our favor. If the e we what if is a 16 team playoff we would have easily made it and if Miami was supposed to be an elite team, I can’t imagine we couldn’t beat other top teams
 
#17
#17
zjcvols said:
No way in '96

No way in '01
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I think Tennessee was the 2nd best team in 01, so I wouldn’t say “no way.” Miami was one of the most talented tens of all-time that year, but they faced a weak Big East schedule, so what if they were unprepared against a top opponent (which they didn’t really play all year)? What if they had a bad game in the CFP? What if they had some key injuries in the CFP?

If anything happens to that Miami team to cause them to be upset, Tennessee would have been the next best team to possibly win it.
 
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#18
#18
Volizona said:
Yes, my thought exactly on 98. Not sure playing the extra games would have worked in our favor. If the e we what if is a 16 team playoff we would have easily made it and if Miami was supposed to be an elite team, I can’t imagine we couldn’t beat other top teams
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I still think we would have won it in 98. But Ohio State would have been the toughest opponent in a playoff. But back then, the Big Ten was such a fraud. And Ohio State couldn’t beat an SEC team to save its life.

We actually got a bad break by Kansas State and UCLA both losing. Playing either one of those in the championship would have been easier than that Florida State team that was loaded with NFL talent. I would have loved to play UCLA for the national championship that year. They played absolutely zero defense we would have mauled them.
 
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#19
#19
NighthawkVol said:
I think Tennessee was the 2nd best team in 01, so I wouldn’t say “no way.” Miami was one of the most talented tens of all-time that year, but they faced a weak Big East schedule, so what if they were unprepared against a top opponent (which they didn’t really play all year)? What if they had a bad game in the CFP? What if they had some key injuries in the CFP?

If anything happens to that Miami team to cause them to be upset, Tennessee would have been the next best team to possibly win it.
Click to expand...

That Miami would have rocked anybody they played that year. Sure, it's ball, anything can happen. But other than maybe 19' LSU and 20' Bama, I feel as confident since 98' that team would have gone through clean. And also you talk about losing focus, that 01' Vols team sure could do it lol.
 
#20
#20
zjcvols said:
That Miami would have rocked anybody they played that year. Sure, it's ball, anything can happen. But other than maybe 19' LSU and 20' Bama, I feel as confident since 98' that team would have gone through clean. And also you talk about losing focus, that 01' Vols team sure could do it lol.
Click to expand...
Miami was talented in 2001 but not unbeatable. Tennessee could have beat them in the Rose Bowl
 
#21
#21
Volizona said:
Thanks to Majors and Fulmers ultra conservative game planning, good teams in 1992 and 1994 were ruined by losing to multiple teams we had no business losing to.
Click to expand...
1994 had a lot to do with injury, and the off the field mess between Majors and Fulmer hurt 1992, but those losses to SC and Arkansas their first year in the SEC were unexcusable.
 
#23
#23
NighthawkVol said:
I still think we would have won it in 98. But Ohio State would have been the toughest opponent in a playoff. But back then, the Big Ten was such a fraud. And Ohio State couldn’t beat an SEC team to save its life.

We actually got a bad break by Kansas State and UCLA both losing. Playing either one of those in the championship would have been easier than that Florida State team that was loaded with NFL talent. I would have loved to play UCLA for the national championship that year. They played absolutely zero defense we would have mauled them.
Click to expand...
1998 Playoffs (based on actual last week BCS rankings)

1 Tennessee
16 Air Force (11-1)

8 Texas A&M
9 Wisconsin

5 Arizona
12 Georgia Tech

4 Kansas State
13 Virginia

6 UCLA
11 Arkansas

3 Ohio State
14 Nebraska

7 Florida
10 Tulane

2 Florida State
15 Michigan
 
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#24
#24
zjcvols said:
That Miami would have rocked anybody they played that year. Sure, it's ball, anything can happen. But other than maybe 19' LSU and 20' Bama, I feel as confident since 98' that team would have gone through clean. And also you talk about losing focus, that 01' Vols team sure could do it lol.
Click to expand...
2001 Playoffs (Based on 2001 Last Week BCS rankings)

1 Miami
16 BYU (12-1)

8 Tennessee
9 Texas

5 Florida
12 LSU

4 Nebraska
13 Washington State

6 Maryland
11 Stanford

3 Colorado
14 South Carolina

7 Illinois
10 Oklahoma

2 Oregon
15 Virginia Tech
 
#25
#25
Woodlawn VOL said:
If there would have been a playoff in 1985, I would have bet on us to win it all. GBO
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1985 Playoff (based on final week season AP)

1 Penn State
16 Ohio State

8 BYU
9 Air Force

5 Michigan
12 UCLA

4 Iowa
13 Arkansas

6 Nebraska
11 LSU

3 Oklahoma
14 Alabama

7 Tennessee
10 Texas A&M

2 Miami
15 Auburn
 
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