Question for the old timers

#26
#26
OU was playing #1 Penn St. in the Orange Bowl, and Miami had beaten OU earlier in the year. Jimmy Johnson was lobbying pre-game that if OU beat Penn St., then Miami should be the national champion by virtue of their earlier victory over OU. The Sooners did beat Penn St., but Miami obviously didn't take care of business, so OU took the crown. We already had one loss and two ties that season so we weren't in serious contention for the NC even with the win.

That really was a hell of a talented Miami team - Heisman Vinny, Jerome Brown at DT, Bennie Blades at safety, Michael Irvin at WR, Alonzo Highsmith at RB (I'm probably missing a couple more 1st round draft picks), all coached by Jimmy Johnson. Even better than Ohio St. team we played in 1995.
 
#27
#27
One of the best games in Vols history. I can remember having to listen to all the Miami fans in high school and then getting the last laugh after we beat them.
 
#28
#28
volswin08 said:
Vinnnnnyyyy...Vinnnnnnyyyy...has anyone seen Vinny? :dance2:
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Vinny got game planned by the late--GREAT Ken Donahue---Vols DC. (AKA the man that made Bear Bryant at Bama) Donahue was BB's DC during Bear's run at Bama. Historians are familiar with Bama's D in that era.

Donahue was a VOL----class of 51.
 
#29
#29
Los-Osis said:
Don't believe it was 35-17, unless I'm very badly mistaken, it was 35-7. Miami scored the first time they touched the ball, and never scored again. jmho
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This is correct.

That opening Miami drive was kept alive by a fake punt.
 
#30
#30
strongtower said:
From what I have heard from other people. I don't really know because I was young then but I heard that in 85 Miami played us for the NC and if they won they would be crowned NC. If this is true wouldn't we get the NC for beating them? Always wondered, I was too busy playing with my Transformers and Star Wars figures then lol
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Miami was ranked #2 going into the game and would have been #1 if they would have won, and the #1 team would have lost.

UT was ranked around #8 I think. UT had too many positions to move up to be #1.

UT also had a lost to Florida and 2 ties, not a typical record to get voted #1.
 
#32
#32
Who was your favorite player on the 85 Vols? Dale Jones always seemed to make the play when needed. :rock:
 
#33
#33
It was hyped that if Miami won big they would have been crowned NC.

I went to 7 games that year and i consider it to be one of the best teams in UT history. Dickey is still my all time favorite UT quaterback after the job he did that season.

Great memories.
 
#34
#34
Jimmy Johnson made the comment "when we beat TN we should be #1" or something to that effect. Never liked him since then and that's also one(of many) reasons I hate the cowboys. That 1985 game was my all time favorite.
 
#35
#35
They were talking most of the week about how badly they would have to beat us to leapfrog to #1.
 
#36
#36
i remember that game.loud mouth Keith Jackson called the game and boy was he all for the mighty u.
 
#38
#38
I liked how Frank Broyles was so amazed that Jeff Powell, being a transfer from William and Mary, outran Blades, a "world class sprinter." (Blades did have a world or US record in the 100 M, btw). Miami was definitely too worried about the OU-Penn State outcome to concentrate on us. Best response after J Johnson was giving his claim that UM should be #1 because they beat OU: Barry Switzer saying, "Well, Florida beat Miami, so Florida should be ranked ahead of Miami"
 
#39
#39
I remember how much fun it was to drive from Chattanooga down to the game. All the Tennessee folks honking and hollering at each other all the way. In the stands, it was like we transplanted Neyland to New Orleans. EVERYTHING was orange and we were LOUD. Imagine Neyland indoors... Only a very small contingent of Miami fans were there. Our guys were awesome and we did the impossible. One of the best games ever!
 
#40
#40
utvawl said:
I remember how much fun it was to drive from Chattanooga down to the game. All the Tennessee folks honking and hollering at each other all the way. In the stands, it was like we transplanted Neyland to New Orleans. EVERYTHING was orange and we were LOUD. Imagine Neyland indoors... Only a very small contingent of Miami fans were there. Our guys were awesome and we did the impossible. One of the best games ever!
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Yep, we walked around the French quarter and saw 90% UT fans ... you know there were a lot of Tennesseeans there when you run into several folks that you actually knew.

That is the only Vol bowl game I have ever attended ... picked a good 'un.

Testaverde was warned it would be loud, better have some hand signals ready. He said, no, they would score first and take the crowd out of the game. They scored first, we yelled louder than ever. He whined to the refs that he couldn't hear. :eek:hmy:

The fact that we had dark horse players on that team like Dickey, Dale Jones and Chris White made it all the sweeter.
 
#41
#41
The great Michael Irvin caught the first TD pass and I thought the rout is on but thanks to a a great pass rush by Richard Brown an Mark Hovanic plus a pretty solid secondary consisting of Chris White, Charles Davis (Fox's #1 guy) plus Terry Brown, and Victor Peppers shut down to Cains the rest of the way.
 
#42
#42
It was better back in the old days. The BCS has ruined New Year's Day. The national championship is just as mythical as it always was, but it cost us the single greatest football day of the year. You used to get up in the morning, haul your extra TV down from the other end of the house, and then have this giant orgy of bowl games all day and all evening long, and then it was over. It was amazing. Now they stretch it out for a week, and by the time the third BCS game rolls around on Jan 3rd or 4th, everyone's over it.
 
#43
#43
Vercingetorix said:
It was better back in the old days. The BCS has ruined New Year's Day. The national championship is just as mythical as it always was, but it cost us the single greatest football day of the year. You used to get up in the morning, haul your extra TV down from the other end of the house, and then have this giant orgy of bowl games all day and all evening long, and then it was over. It was amazing. Now they stretch it out for a week, and by the time the third BCS game rolls around on Jan 3rd or 4th, everyone's over it.
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Agreed . . . There was nothing better than having the Fiesta, Cotton, Rose and Sugar Bowls all lined up on New Year's Day. And it was clear which conference champ got which bowl, and the Fiesta, Cotton and Sugar all had "at large" slots.
 
#44
#44
Vercingetorix said:
It was better back in the old days. The BCS has ruined New Year's Day. The national championship is just as mythical as it always was, but it cost us the single greatest football day of the year. You used to get up in the morning, haul your extra TV down from the other end of the house, and then have this giant orgy of bowl games all day and all evening long, and then it was over. It was amazing. Now they stretch it out for a week, and by the time the third BCS game rolls around on Jan 3rd or 4th, everyone's over it.
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I agree. The national champ should be crowned on New Years Day. If not, I'm falling asleep on some random Monday night. Who's running the show anyway?
 
#45
#45
GAVol said:
Agreed . . . There was nothing better than having the Fiesta, Cotton, Rose and Sugar Bowls all lined up on New Year's Day. And it was clear which conference champ got which bowl, and the Fiesta, Cotton and Sugar all had "at large" slots.
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If the new system had really managed to clarify the mythical national championship any, then I'd be all right with it, but really, it's at least as muddled as it used to be. Every year it seems like there are three or four teams with an absolutely equal claim to being in the so-called "title game," but based on this arcane system, two of them get to go and the other two are SOL.

And in return, we've lost the High Holy Day of Football. It's basically over by 4 pm now, which is when it used to be just gearing up. It really is hard to explain to the young guys how fantastic New Year's Day used to be for football.
 
#47
#47
Vercingetorix said:
It was better back in the old days. The BCS has ruined New Year's Day. The national championship is just as mythical as it always was, but it cost us the single greatest football day of the year. You used to get up in the morning, haul your extra TV down from the other end of the house, and then have this giant orgy of bowl games all day and all evening long, and then it was over. It was amazing. Now they stretch it out for a week, and by the time the third BCS game rolls around on Jan 3rd or 4th, everyone's over it.
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Agreed. The BCS has ruined the greatest football day of the year. I also remember when the Cotton Bowl was considered a major bowl and the Fiesta was a second tier game.
 
#49
#49
VOL_in_Florida said:
I'll never forget that because Miami was supposed to kill us. We smacked them in the mouth 35-17 and ruined their shot at NC. We were not even in the top 10 at that point.:thumbsup:
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I don't usually do this, but if you're going to post on here get your facts straight.
 
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