Permanent Out of Conference Rival?

#1
zeppelin128

zeppelin128

Look at the bones!
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#1
So I was listening to The Playbook on XM, when a discussion came up about difficulty with national scheduling changes due to inter-conference rivalries in the South, such as Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina, Georgia-Georgia Tech, etc. Which led to driving thoughts: why don't we have a permanent out of conference rival we play every season? I like the idea: one permanent Power Five opponent, one random Power Five opponent, and two G5 teams.

Not Interested: A fellow in-state opponent would be ideal, but we already play the best lower tier team every season since Vandy is in the SEC. I have no interest in playing Memphis or MTSU.

Practical: Virginia Tech, NC State, or North Carolina. Geographically convenient and good recruiting grounds for all teams. I would lean toward Virginia Tech; they really dislike us for some reason, so a rivalry would not have to be forced. Plus we can do the Battle at Bristol thing every five or ten years as a special occasion.

My Dream Scenario: Notre Dame. We have a history of good games, similar fan-bases, tradition, national exposure, and college blue-bloods. Plus everybody loves beating Notre Dame. I don' think it is practical because of their five game contract with the ACC, but it would be awesome.

What say you?
 
#5
#5
This is a tough one. It would need to be a team that doesn't have a current OOC annual rival, IMO. Maybe Ohio St. or Oklahoma...or as has been mentioned UCLA.
 
#7
#7
zeppelin128 said:
So I was listening to The Playbook on XM, when a discussion came up about difficulty with national scheduling changes due to inter-conference rivalries in the South, such as Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina, Georgia-Georgia Tech, etc. Which led to driving thoughts: why don't we have a permanent out of conference rival we play every season? I like the idea: one permanent Power Five opponent, one random Power Five opponent, and two G5 teams.

Not Interested: A fellow in-state opponent would be ideal, but we already play the best lower tier team every season since Vandy is in the SEC. I have no interest in playing Memphis or MTSU.

Practical: Virginia Tech, NC State, or North Carolina. Geographically convenient and good recruiting grounds for all teams. I would lean toward Virginia Tech; they really dislike us for some reason, so a rivalry would not have to be forced. Plus we can do the Battle at Bristol thing every five or ten years as a special occasion.

My Dream Scenario: Notre Dame. We have a history of good games, similar fan-bases, tradition, national exposure, and college blue-bloods. Plus everybody loves beating Notre Dame. I don' think it is practical because of their five game contract with the ACC, but it would be awesome.

What say you?
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All four SEC-ACC permanent rivalries are based on in-state rivals. The three you mentioned plus UK-Louisville. That's why they exist. In-state rivals.

Our only in-state Power 5 rival is Vandy. And they're in the SEC. Therefore, no permanent OOC rival.

That's the answer to your "why don't we" question.

As for the "why shouldn't we"? Because of what they were talking about on the program you listened to: scheduling difficulties.

Better to have more flexibility. Nice to be able to play Oregon home and home, and NC State the next year, then Oklahoma home and home, and Virginia Tech the year after. Flexibility.

But if we HAD to do it, if someone held a gun to our heads, who would I pick?

I do like the idea of playing Va Tech at Bristol once every 10-20 years. Not a permanent cross-border, cross-conference rival, but a sporadic one. Like a once-a-generation thing.

Do not like the idea of Notre Dame. They're on the down swing, and it may not end until they're the rough equivalent of Georgia Tech or even Navy. I do not see them recovering soon from their own Dark Ages.

UNC would be kinda cool. Wouldn't mind that, if we HAD to have a full-time OOC rivalry game.

No other appetising choices appear to me.

But the big bottom line is, we don't have to do this, so we shouldn't. Leave flexibility in our schedule, flexibility that FL and UGa and USCe and UK only wish they had.

Go Vols!
 
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#11
#11
All the good teams are in the south and EVERY week is a rivalry in SEC play.

I would say maybe Louisville..Then it could football and basketball..But I would not mind Oklahoma , Nebraska, or Georgia Tech either.They all seem to hate us also...

GBO
 
#12
#12
Imo practical would be VT but dream scenario would be Oregon. Think the potential is there to be the friendliest rivalry in college football.
 
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#13
#13
It's got to be VT. I used to live around Blacksburg and all I heard about was how they would kill us.

When they did beat us in the bowl game in 2009 my buddies and random guys never let me live it down while I was reppin' our team up there.

I about **** myself when they came out against us at the B.A.B! I'm glad we took care of that.
 
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#14
#14
We may not have a permanent out of conference rival but if I had to pick a team based on proximity I would select Virginia Tech. I would prefer the home & home series more often than the Battle @ Bristol too.
 
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#15
#15
Several good schools that would be fun, many already mentioned. To narrow things down, I would look at recruiting benefits. Texas/a California school etc..

Burn the power T into the minds of the local talent at a young age!
 
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#16
#16
I wanna play Oklahoma till we beat them!
 
#17
#17
eskimovol said:
Imo practical would be VT but dream scenario would be Oregon. Think the potential is there to be the friendliest rivalry in college football.
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Oregon would be awesome, as would UCLA, but the distance and traveling could be an issue. And I like being bros with Oregon.
 
#19
#19
i don't like the out of conf permanent rival...i get it for the FL, GA, SC, and KY's of the world, it's their in state rival. so be it.

but all 4 of those schools use that rivalry game as a crutch (most years) as to why they don't play any other big P5 schools. i like the fact that TN is always viewed as "not afraid" to schedule P5 opponents, and i like the variety it provides in playing teams like OU, Oregon, UCLA, Notre Dame, etc, etc, etc....
 
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#20
#20
jakez4ut said:
i don't like the out of conf permanent rival...i get it for the FL, GA, SC, and KY's of the world, it's their in state rival. so be it.

but all 4 of those schools use that rivalry game as a crutch (most years) as to why they don't play any other big P5 schools. i like the fact that TN is always viewed as "not afraid" to schedule P5 opponents, and i like the variety it provides in playing teams like OU, Oregon, UCLA, Notre Dame, etc, etc, etc....
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This is a very good point. I've even seen fans from other conferences on the internet say Tennessee is the one team they respect in the sec, because they'll go anywhere and play anybody.
 
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#23
#23
jakez4ut said:
i don't like the out of conf permanent rival...i get it for the FL, GA, SC, and KY's of the world, it's their in state rival. so be it.

but all 4 of those schools use that rivalry game as a crutch (most years) as to why they don't play any other big P5 schools. i like the fact that TN is always viewed as "not afraid" to schedule P5 opponents, and i like the variety it provides in playing teams like OU, Oregon, UCLA, Notre Dame, etc, etc, etc....
Click to expand...

This!
 
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#24
#24
zeppelin128 said:
Oregon would be awesome, as would UCLA, but the distance and traveling could be an issue. And I like being bros with Oregon.
Click to expand...

The first fan I saw at the Duck game in K'ville was
wearing his green t-shirt with yellow lettering "We hate Kiffin too." A couple of weeks later I was dealing with a
company in Oregon. The guy told me his son had gone to the game and raved about the terrific stadium and fans. The duck pulling a truck is one of my favorites.
I vote for Oregon.
 
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